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  • Multi-track recording software

    From Nightfox to All on Thu Aug 6 21:06:28 2009
    Hi all -

    First, I'd like to welcome everyone to MusicalNet! I created this group of message areas for people to come and discuss musical topics - bands,
    concerts, musical instruments, musicians seeking other musicians, etc.


    One thing I'm curious about is what recording software people like to use
    when recording music. There are quite a few packages out there - Sony ACID Studio, M-Audio Session, Logic Studio, Apple's Garage Band, and probably others too. If you record music on your computer, what software do you like, and why?

    Nightfox

  • From Nick@LIGHTNIN to Nightfox on Sat Aug 8 15:35:36 2009
    Re: Multi-track recording sof
    By: Nightfox to All on Thu Aug 06 2009 09:06 pm

    others too. If you record music on your computer, what software do you like and why?

    Goldwave just because I'm familiar with it after years and years, it's the poor man's "Pro Tools" which is what alot of studio grade artists use.

    If something sounds iffy or scratchy in Goldwave from original source, or
    say the vocals puff too much from a microphone even, I will just mash and filter it until it sounds right. Takes time, but I can do it every time.

    Goldwave has most of the features one would come to expect, aside from effects. Mix and blend multiple .wav's together at various volume levels,
    open or save-as any format on earth, it's really a swiss audio knife.

    I have alot of the higher end audio products and beat makers, but I find myself using mainly Goldwave, Fruityloops, and Rebirth (that roland-404 beatmaker).

    Back in my early computer days, those were all that really existed or were accessible and affordable, or at least tryable before you buy.

    If you get what I'm sayin' ;)

    Old habits...

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  • From Nightfox to Nick on Sat Aug 8 18:39:30 2009
    Re: Multi-track recording sof
    By: Nick to Nightfox on Sat Aug 08 2009 15:35:36

    Goldwave just because I'm familiar with it after years and years, it's th poor man's "Pro Tools" which is what alot of studio grade artists use.

    I use GoldWave and actually have a registration for it. But it doesn't do multi-track recording, does it? I've never seen that in its feature set.

    Nightfox

  • From Nick@LIGHTNIN to Nightfox on Sun Aug 9 10:10:35 2009
    Re: Multi-track recording software
    By: Nightfox to Nick on Sat Aug 08 2009 06:39 pm

    I use GoldWave and actually have a registration for it. But it doesn't do multi-track recording, does it? I've never seen that in its feature set.

    I don't believe so, but they make a companion program that boasts multitrack. It's called Multiquence. http://www.goldwave.com/mqfeatures.php

    I haven't used it, but it's a multitrack audio and video mixer.

    I only use one soundcard and thus can open only 1 or 2 recording channels
    at a time, or rather haven't had the need to open more at once, so my workaround is working with individual sound files and mixing them into 1 eventual master or single track.

    Audacity is multitrack but I don't like it.. I probably would if I got it before Goldwave, and trying to get linux versions of it running has never really been successful for me, and frustrating. You'd think after 10 years Linux or BSD would finally support Sound Blaster line of soundcards..
    It plays audio back scratchy and has never opened a recording channel..
    This is probably a different story in Win32 and possibly works just fine.
    Also it is free and open source, after all.

    Lastly I've found Mixcraft while searching for multitrack audio software.
    Made by the Acid pro people. http://www.acoustica.com/mixcraft/
    It looks awesome, supports all the crazy and VST plugins, and has a lotta buttons to push.

    I still think I can do it all in Goldwave though! I'm delusional.


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  • From Nightfox to Nick on Sun Aug 9 11:16:17 2009
    Re: Multi-track recording software
    By: Nick to Nightfox on Sun Aug 09 2009 10:10:35

    It's called Multiquence. http://www.goldwave.com/mqfeatures.php

    Thanks. I'll have to check that out. :)

    I only use one soundcard and thus can open only 1 or 2 recording channels at a time, or rather haven't had the need to open more at once, so my workaround is working with individual sound files and mixing them into 1 eventual master or single track.

    Yeah, I'm not interested in simultaneous recording either - It would just be me recording the tracks and mixing them at the end.

    I still think I can do it all in Goldwave though! I'm delusional.

    I've tried Sony's ACID Studio, Apple's Garage Band, and M-Audio's Session. Those seem great for what I've looked for, as they're made specifically for musicians and also have MIDI support. Apple's Garage Band is fairly cool, as it comes with a lot of MIDI instruments you can use in your music. Garage Band also seems unique in that its software synthesizer has very low latency (at least, I think it uses a software synthesizer, as it's able to render
    MIDI music as audio when you do the final mix into an audio file). On a PC, whenever I've used a software MIDI synthesizer, there's always a delay of around 1/2 to 1 second from the time you press the key to the time the note
    is heard, which I think is pretty much unacceptable when playing music.

    Nightfox

  • From datavase@DATAVASE to Nightfox on Mon Oct 12 10:00:25 2009
    One of my mates uses Apple's Logic Studio (http://www.apple.com/logicstudio/) with great results. Though, from my point of view it's difficult to manage how to use at its 100%.

    I prefer Apple's Garage Band. Free with the Mac OS X and easier, though not as powerful as Logic Studio.

    It always depends on how much time you can dedicate to learn the software.

    I rather prefer to use something very simple, just a multitrack recorder, and spend my time on the composition skills... if any :-)

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  • From Nightfox to datavase on Mon Oct 12 10:20:52 2009
    Re: Re: Multi-track recording sof
    By: datavase to Nightfox on Mon Oct 12 2009 10:00:25

    One of my mates uses Apple's Logic Studio (http://www.apple.com/logicstud with great results. Though, from my point of view it's difficult to manag to use at its 100%.

    I prefer Apple's Garage Band. Free with the Mac OS X and easier, though n powerful as Logic Studio.

    I've used Garage Band too, and I think it's a great piece of software. There is similar software for Windows (M-Audio Session comes really close, and there's also Sony ACID Studio), but Garage Band (or maybe the Mac platform in general) seems to have something that the Windows equivalents don't: Its software MIDI synthesizer can produce notes instantaneously when you press keys on your keyboard. I've tried using Sony's ACID Studio, and with my synthesizer plugged into my PC, when I press the keys on my synth, there is a small delay before the note is heard on my PC. That's just not good when trying to play music.. And unfortunately, a software synthesizer is required for rendering a song to a WAV file. I suppose I could record a track using my sound card's hardware MIDI (which plays notes instantaneously) and then switch it to the software synthesizer, but I'd rather use the same MIDI device that it uses to render to a WAV file.

    I haven't used Logic Studio, and I don't know much about it.. I've seen it out there, and I've been a little intimidated by its big price tag (around $500 I think). :)

    Nightfox
  • From datavase@DATAVASE to Nightfox on Thu Oct 15 08:48:54 2009
    I haven't used Logic Studio, and I don't know much about it.. I've seen it out there, and I've been a little intimidated by its big price tag (around $500 I think). :)

    Nightfox

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    I can assure you, even if it would be free... you will be intimidated. Never seen such a complicated to use program. Is not that is badly designed, but
    have lots of menus and options to do (I'm sure) amazing things, but it's just too much for an amateur musician.

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  • From Nightfox to datavase on Fri Oct 16 20:39:14 2009
    Re: Re: Multi-track recording software
    By: datavase to Nightfox on Thu Oct 15 2009 08:48:54

    I can assure you, even if it would be free... you will be intimidated. Ne seen such a complicated to use program. Is not that is badly designed, bu have lots of menus and options to do (I'm sure) amazing things, but it's too much for an amateur musician.

    Yep.

    I ended up creating my own recording software for my senior project in college. I wanted something that's really straightforward and easy to use as a multi-track recorder. It just does audio though (no MIDI), and I have a web page for it here, if you want to check it out: http://home.comcast.net/~nightfox/MusiciansCanvas

    It's for Windows. The only odd thing I noticed was that with certain sound cards/chipsets, the audio playback with multiple tracks can be a little out of sync. I'm not sure why that is.. With other sound cards, it's okay though.

    Nightfox
  • From jimmy anderson to Nightfox on Fri May 10 11:53:00 2013
    Nightfox wrote to All <=-

    One thing I'm curious about is what recording software people like to
    use when recording music. There are quite a few packages out there - Sony ACID Studio, M-Audio Session, Logic Studio, Apple's Garage Band,
    and probably others too. If you record music on your computer, what software do you like, and why?

    GarageBand for me too. It's easy to use, has a TON of features, but you
    can ignore them if you want and still get a great recording!

    It's easy to mix tracks and to adjust the volume of individual tracks.
    You can also apply effects to specific tracks.

    I've not used the built in drum tracks, bass lines, etc. as I prefer
    "real instruments," but that stuff is there too and easy to use.

    I also like that I can use the same software to create a ringtone,
    podcast, audio track for a video, etc. It's much more than just
    "recording a song." :)

    Oh - and it also has built in guitar effects (stomp boxes and amp
    modeling) - that's a bonus. :)


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  • From Nightfox to jimmy anderson on Sun May 12 22:05:08 2013
    Re: Re: Multi-track recording software
    By: jimmy anderson to Nightfox on Fri May 10 2013 11:53:00

    GarageBand for me too. It's easy to use, has a TON of features, but you can ignore them if you want and still get a great recording!

    It's easy to mix tracks and to adjust the volume of individual tracks.
    You can also apply effects to specific tracks.

    I also like that I can use the same software to create a ringtone, podcast, audio track for a video, etc. It's much more than just
    "recording a song." :)

    Oh - and it also has built in guitar effects (stomp boxes and amp modeling) - that's a bonus. :)

    You may have already read some of my messages in the other message areas that I just posted about Mixcraft, but for the Windows world, I've discovered Mixcraft, which I think is a great multi-track music recording program so far. I haven't delved too deeply into it, but it seems like it has many of the same features as Garage Band and has the same basic interface. I like it, and I feel like I prefer it over Garage Band so far.

    Nightfox