Friday, July 28, 2006
ASIO Latency Test Utility
Generally speaking, ASIO drivers offer the lowest latency possible, and many audio programs will allow you to configure the latency for your specific audio system. Have you ever wondered exactly what your soundcard's latency is? If you have a soundcard that offers ASIO drivers, then download the free "ASIO Latency Test Utility" from CEntrance to get an accurate measurement.
The LTU software will send a short pulse through your audio interface and measuring the time it takes for the pulse to return, giving you a latency measurement that is accurate to within .5 ms!
- Kelly
Posted at 11:21 AM by Kelly's Music :: Archived :: TrackBack (0) ::
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Getting help with Cubase LE...
Here's the deal with Cubase LE - it is included free with a lot of great audio gear, which is a good thing. However, since it is free, Steinberg doesn't offer much by the way of documentation, and you can't ask them for tech support - they will refer you to the audio gear manufacturer that provided it in the first place. My best recommendation - take advantage of the Cubase LE to SL Crossgrade offer so that you can get the full power of Cubase SL at a reduced price.
However, you might not need the full power of Cubase SL (or want to pay the price for it.) Fortunately, Presonus has the solution with their Cubase LE Demystified video tutorial. Offering over two hours of step-by-step instruction, this video will help you get started right away. In fact, the first chapter is on installation & set-up and moves on to cover creating new projects, recording audio and MIDI, mixing, automation and more. This is the ideal tool to help you get the most out of Cubase LE.
- Kelly
Posted at 10:05 AM by Kelly's Music :: Archived :: TrackBack (0) ::
Monday, July 24, 2006
Sonar 5 - get a rebate, plus a free upgrade!
Cakewalk's next version of Sonar will likely be out later this fall, and in anticipation, Cakewalk is offering a $50 rebate on Sonar Studio 5 and $100 rebate on Sonar Producer 5plus a free upgrade to the latest version when it is available. This a great incentive to purchase Sonar now, instead of waiting for the new version. Not only will you get the latest version anyway, but you will get $50 or $100 back! Offer valid only in the US, see rebate for details.
- Kelly
Posted at 1:44 PM by Kelly's Music :: Archived :: TrackBack (0) ::
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Native Instruments Anniversary Sale
To celebrate their 10 years anniversary, NI is have an "NI-Versary Party" with fairly substantial discounts on some of their most popular products. These include Absynth 3, Traktor DJ Studio 3, FM-7 and Guitar Combos
Native Instruments has been a pioneer in the music technology industry, and we wish them continued success and hope for even more innovative products like Kore!
- Kelly
Posted at 4:36 PM by Kelly's Music :: Archived :: TrackBack (0) ::
Finale 2007 coming soon!
MakeMusic has announced the pending release of Finale 2007. New features include linked parts, video support, the addition of Latin percussion sounds, the inclusion of Kontakt 2 player for easier integration of Native Instruments powered sound libraries and more.
Some of the new features are to "catch up" with the competition, and some move Finale well beyond. For example, the new linked parts capability not only links your parts and score so that you can make changes in either one and Finale will change both. A unique feature is that Finale will also automatically create separate linked parts from a divisi staff in the score.
Video support has been added, and again Finale 2007 goes beyond the competition by adding the ability to send SMPTE/MTC to external devices - most users won't care, but for those who compose for film or TV this is a big feature.
I'm excited about the addition of Kontakt Player 2. This will make it much easier to open any sample library that uses a Native Instruments product as the sound engine (any library that uses Kontakt/Kompakt or Intakt, etc. will work with Kontakt Player 2.) They've even managed to combine the authorization process so you only have to go through the Authorization Wizard once.
Other new features include support for Universal Binary on the Mac, improved human playback, and improved pick-up measures.
If you purchase Finale 2006 within 30 days before the release of Finale 2007, you can request a free upgrade from MakeMusic (although you will have to pay for the shipping.) Although an official release date can't be confirmed, we would be surprised if it wasn't available within the first week of August.
- Kelly
Posted at 3:13 PM by Kelly's Music :: Archived :: TrackBack (0) ::
Live 6 - coming soon!
Ableton plans on releasing Live 6 this fall and has announced that customers who purchase Live 5 now will get a free downloadable upgrade to Live 6 as soon as it is available. They've also announced an increase of the MSRP to $599 US when Live 6 does become available.
New features in Live 6 include Quicktime video support, a new multisample library, along with customizable racks of instruments and effects. Live 6 will also offer multicore support, enhanced project management tools, and improved MIDI control.
Support for video is a great new feature for anyone who is creating audio for TV or movies. The new Essential Instrument Collection will include a wide range of instruments to use in Live's "Simpler" sampler. The new Instrument and Effects Racks will be a great tool to expand the Live's unique way of controlling effects by offering the ability to and control customized groupings of multiple instruments, effects and plug-ins.
- Kelly.
Posted at 2:37 PM by Kelly's Music :: Archived :: TrackBack (0) ::
Cubase SE VAP
Steinberg has breathed new life to the original Cubase SE product by including the "Value Added Package" at no extra charge. This is an amazing deal, as the VAP add-on includes everything found in the Steinberg Virtual Instruments Collection! Now you get HALion SE, The Grand SE, Groove Agent SE, Virtual Guitarist Electric Edition SE, and D'cota SE for free with Cubase SE.
Steinberg has found a great way to keep the Cubase SE product alive. Cubase SE 3 is the latest version and is based on the powerful Cubase SL/SX 3 engine so some may wonder why Steinberg continues to market the older Cubase SE. Apart from the lower price, and the addition of the VAP package, many schools and other organizations prefer Cubase SE as it doesn't require a USB copy protection dongle like Cubase SE 3 (and most of the rest of Steinberg products.)
- Kelly.
Posted at 2:16 PM by Kelly's Music :: Archived :: TrackBack (0) ::
Free Cakewalk Power! Book
From now until the end of July, Cakewalk will send you a free Cakewalk Power! book when you purchase Sonar 5 Producer, Sonar 5 Studio, Sonar Power Studio 250 or Sonar Studio 660. See rebate form for details. Cakewalk is only offering the rebate in the US, so for non-US residents, we have an exclusive. You can request an additional $25 discount off the prices on our web site by entering "$25 Rebate Discount" - this is only available to non-US residents and is exclusively through Kelly's Music & Computers.
The Sonar Power Studio bundles are a great way to start a home studio as they offer a "one stop" solution including a detailed set-up guide, one number to call for tech support and no chance for the "blame game" that often happens when hardware vendors blame your software and software vendors blame your hardware! Read more about what Kelly's Music thinks.
- Kelly
Posted at 2:07 PM by Kelly's Music :: Archived :: TrackBack (0) ::
Cakewalk Rapture & Dimension Pro Freebies!
Cakewalk's Rapture and Dimension Pro Synths now have over 100MB in new samples and wavetables, along with 350 new programs. These are available as "Expansion Packs" and are free to registered users at the Cakewalk web site.
If you don't already own Rapture or Dimension, now is a great time to purchase. Not only will you get access to the expansion packs, but Cakewalk will send you a free 64MB USB 2.0 flash drive (see rebate form for details.) The free Cakewalk flash drive offer is available until the end of August, and as with most rebates, is only valid in the US. However, to make it up to non-US residents, Canadian and International customers who want purchase either Rapture or Dimension Pro before the end of August can take $15 off the prices on our web site by entering "Kelly's Flash Drive Promo" in the comments of your order.
- Kelly.
Posted at 1:45 PM by Kelly's Music :: Archived :: TrackBack (0) ::
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Steinberg lowers academic prices
Steinberg has lowered their academic pricing right across the board, with some dramatic price drops on Cubase SX and SL.
If you qualify for the academic pricing, now is the perfect time to buy Steinberg products. If you don't qualify but still want a bit of a discount off our regular price, try our "Name Your Price" feature and you might be able to get 5-10% off the prices on our web site.
- Kelly.
Posted at 8:59 PM by Kelly's Music :: Archived :: TrackBack (0) ::
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Using soft synths and samplers with any music software
Software synths and samplers offer amazing realism and power to make your music sound like you had access to the best players in the world. Apart from a few select libraries, such as the Garritan Personal Orchestra, Jazz & Big Band and the Virtual DrumLine, most software synths require a VST or DXI "host program" to work.
This isn't a problem if you want to use Cubase, Sonar, or other host programs. However, if you want to use software synths with programs that don't offering hosting capabilities - such as Sibelius, Finale, Scorewriter, Print Music, Piano Suite and others, this can be a problem.
Fortunately, there is a solution for using a soft synth with any music software for Windows users. The answer is a bit technical, and requires the download of a freeware program called Maple Virtual MIDI Cable. Once you've installed the Maple Virtual MIDI Cable, you will be able to route the output of one program (such as Sibelius) - to the input of another program (such as the EWQL Symphonic Orchestra).
As this is freeware, you can't expect any sort of technical support, but it is easy to install, and just as easy to uninstall if you can't get it working, so there isn't any harm in trying it out!
- Kelly
Posted at 11:51 AM by Kelly's Music :: Archived :: TrackBack (0) ::
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
PowerTracks Pro 11 now available...
PG Music recently released Version 11 of PowerTracks Pro Audio. With support for VST plug-ins and VSTi softsynth, a new Mixer window with individual track meters and 8 Auxiliary Busses that allow up to 16 effects per track, PG Music continues to amaze me by offering such an incredible value. For well under $50, PowerTracks is a user friendly program that still offers a lot of powerful features - perfect for anyone who wants to get started with recording.
Other new features include ASIO Input monitoring for "wet" or "dry" recording (you can choose to monitor the input with or without effect, the time saving file templates feature and a handy CPU usage indicator with color usage scale. PowerTracks now offers the ability to rip audio directly from your CD-ROM drive and can also import Windows Media audio files, including audio from video files.
- Kelly
Posted at 8:07 PM by Kelly's Music :: Archived :: TrackBack (0) ::
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Free Orchestration Course from Garritan
Garritan recently launched a free interactive online orchestration course based on Rimsky-Korsakov's Principles of Orchestration. With 275 animated scores in its 26 lessons, you can hear the music as you follow the examples. In addition to adding musical examples to this classic work on orchestration, Garritan has included online discussion forums to supplement each lesson. This is a great opportunity to learn from orchestration experts and share work examples with others!
If you've got a bit of time and want to learn more about orchestration, then be sure to check out this classic work!
The musical examples were all created with the Garritan Personal Orchestra, further demonstrating the power of the GPO library.
- Kelly.
Posted at 1:48 PM by Kelly's Music :: Archived :: TrackBack (0) ::
Monday, July 03, 2006
Wirless audio - made easy! Sirocco Wirless Audio Bridge Now Shipping...
Sondigo's Sirocco Wireless Audio Bridge offers an easy way to stream any audio from your PC to anywhere on your existing wireless network. The Sirocco is unique in that it is not just another wireless audio player that can access music from your hard drive. Instead, the Sirocco essentially acts as a wireless soundcard, allowing you to transmit any audio from your PC to the Sirocco unit using your wireless network. This means that any audio you can play on your PC can be transmitted to the Sirocco - including music protected by DRM or streaming audio that most audio players can't access - you can even transmit the audio from DVDs through the Sirocco! It supports Dolby Digital, so you can stream 5.1 surround sound from DVDs direct to your home theatre for decoding.
Set up is actually very easy - just connect the analog or digital outputs from the Sirocco to your home theatre, amp or speakers and install the drivers on your PC. The Sirocco will then appear as a standard soundcard that you can use for playback. Now you can playback your audio from Windows Media Player, iTunes, or any software - such as Sonar, Cubase, Sibelius, Finale, Pro Tools - directly to your home audio system without needing to run long cables or worry about loss of sonic quality. As the Sirocco supports a digital output, you don't have to worry about loss of sonic quality if you are working with pro audio software - you will have a straight digital connection from your software to your speakers or monitors.
Other than installing the drivers on your PC, there isn't any additional set-up or hardware to add to your computer. It uses your existing wireless network, and although an 802.11g network is recommended, I had no problems using my 802.11b network for regular audio. If you plan on using the Dolby Digital features to either playback 5.1 audio, or to have the Sirocco turn 2 channel audio into 5.1 audio for you, I would recommend going with an 802.11g network.
Aside from the obvious advantages that the Sirocco offers to anyone that wants to use their PC for home theatre, the Sirocco will also appeal to laptop or Tablet PC users who want to play music without being tethered to the audio system, or relying on tiny built in speakers. The Sirocco gives you the freedom to move with your laptop without worrying about losing your audio connection or tripping over cables!
Another interesting feature offered by the Sirocco is the ability to be accessed by multiple PCs. If you've got more than one computer and are tired of switching cables from one computer to the other to use your home theatre or studio monitors, the Sirocco is the perfect solution. Just install the driver software on each PC - now each of your computers can access your speakers without switching wires or the need for a mixer.
- Kelly
Posted at 2:26 PM by Kelly's Music :: Archived :: TrackBack (0) ::