From the monthly archives: October 2011
General MIDI or GM is a compliant standard set of sounds and controls which are used in music equipment or software applications. Those products usually have the branding of the image to the right.
The GM sounds are allocated a unique program number between 0-127, 128 sounds in total. Below is a chart [...]
Sibelius 7 is more than just a notation software program. It plays back scores in the correct instrumentation, it can also play back high quality samples from various 3rd party sound developers and has a host of other unique features which should appeal to the more traditional form of score-writing composers.
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Without a doubt Steinberg Cubase has made a significant impact in the recording world to major artists all over the world. You’ll find Cubase in the largest of professional studios and of course in the bedrooms of musicians who are keen to jump into the producers seat.
And, with many home recording fanatics there [...]
Not all music creation software is the same and Ableton Live is definitely different from its predecessors. Why? Because the methods used to create are an entirely different method from the usual linear recording and I would describe them as inspirational.
Imagine you are a graphical artist and use a pencil and paper [...]
To record and playback music we need to have either an internal sound card or external sound recording interface attached to the computer. Nearly all PC computers have internal sound cards, some are fixed onto the motherboard and others are attached separately onto one of the PCI slots of the motherboard.
Laptops have their sound [...]
A list of popular music software packages most commonly used on PC’s and Mac.
Pro Tools - Originally an audio editor pro tools has grown into a fully fledged audio / MIDI production studio and has become the market leader for music software setups in studios, broadcasting and recording around the globe. You can read more [...]
Setting Up your MIDI System Controls
Each controller number below can be used to control MIDI controls within your computer MIDI system or MIDI Keyboard.
Here are some uses for controlling those numbers:
Initialise a General MIDI (GM) Keyboard or Sound Module so that it returns the controllers to the factory (flat) setting. For example, [...]
A MIDI setup with a laptop is great because it’s compact, portable and easily connected up. With loads of gear being designed with portability in mind, it’s now much easier for musicians to take their setup on the road for live gigs, rehearsing or recording.
The Simplest MIDI Setup
Firstly, while I refer to MIDI [...]
Latency - Common Latency Problems
Latency, in the music world, refers to the time taken to communicate between 2 devices. Computer, Keyboard, Controller etc. – the lower the latency time the faster the connnection. Latency is an audio problem and is sometimes thought of as a MIDI problem. But, the problem source is usually audio drivers.
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Audacity is a multi-track audio recording and editing software package which is open source and is available for many different computer platforms including PC, Mac OS X and GNU/Linux.
Some of Audacitys features include:
Recording up to 16 audio channels. simultaneously (if your hardware is capable of this). The ability to dub over [...]
Most people customise their computers to fit in with their lifestyle, the computer can become very heavy with programs running in the background, printers, webcams, infra-red interfaces and usb attachments. It’s important to realise that all those things will help slow your computer down.
When you record audio at high quality on your computer – [...]
MIDI is short for Musical Instrument Digital Interface and is another method of connecting your music equipment together or connecting up to a computer. MIDI transfers information and does NOT transfer audio. Connecting MIDI involves using 1 or 2 MIDI cables to the MIDI ports of the devices being used.
What kind of information is [...]
Take a look at the diagram below: Keyboard A and Keyboard B. Let’s assume they both have sounds of their own but we want to play the sounds of Keyboard B from Keyboard A from playing the keys on Keyboard A. To achieve this we use the following steps:
Switch both keyboards off (just in [...]
Hardware and connections which are most commonly used for getting audio in and out of your computer.
Motherboard Sound Cards
Most computers are sold with sound cards - I’ve never come across one that wasn’t.! So, what does a soundcard actually look like? Well, there are a few different types. Soundcards built onto [...]
Open Source Software Programs Available for the Mac
Below is a list of open source software packages for the Mac. It’s by no means complete but it does bring a lot of applications together on the one page.
I was compelled to create this page since there are so many pages out there with a [...]
Some people are reluctant to use open source software because it’s free – meaning, if it’s free there has to be a catch, or it’s free for a reason.
Is Open Source Software Popular?
Open source software downloading is hugely popular simply because nobody is complaining. The programs operate in the same and mostly better [...]
Audio clicks and pops while recording music can be the result of a computer with a lack of processing power. To start the elimination process first disconnect all peripherals like camera, printers, usb devices but leave your essential items like keyboard and mouse.
Try re-recording and if you still have clicks and pops [...]
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