What software do you use and why?

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Defy

Cannabis Connoisseur
Jan 23, 2006
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Rich City
#1
Do you use music creation software or recording software to compose your music? what do you use and why?

Also if you want to talk about other software you've tried & didn't like, please do so as well.
 
Apr 26, 2006
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#3
-FL Studio 6 & 7 - I fuckin love FL, it makes it hella easy to make music IMO. It's really such a flexible program as well since it supports plugins.

-Orion Platinum (synapse-audio.com/orionplatinum.php) - I don't use it much at all really because FL Studio pretty much satisfies all my needs, but if you like FL Studio's style, this is the closest program to it.

-VSTHost (hermannseib.com/english/vsthost.htm) - It's a freeware program that I use occasionally just to jam on it with my VST Plugins. It's a light weight program in terms of CPU and features, so if I just feel like messing around and recording stuff directly to .wav, I can do it with this program without having to resort to using FL Studio. So I use it more like a live session tool.

-Adobe Audition - A really nice wave editor

-Audacity (audacity.sourceforge.net) - Ain't bad, but it's freeware. I don't really need it much because I got Audition, but I still got it because it's simple.

-ASIO4ALL sound driver (asio4all.com) - It beats the hell out of using traditional DirectWave sound driver, since it allows you to achieve really low latency settings. So if your doing a lot of live playing with your midi keyboard, I definitely recommend this, it will help if your $hit is lagging. Just load it up and you'll definitely notice a difference in responseness.

-$hit load of plugins, both instruments and effects.
 

GHP

Sicc OG
Jul 21, 2002
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#4
Reason and cubase cuz its all I can afford right now. I know how to use reason very well and since I don't have any thing else i only use cubase as a wav editor and sample chopper, I have the 100 versian of it.

I know pro tools pretty well but don't have it just yet but will pick up the M powered versian of it as soon as I get myself a new job and actually put fourth the effort i need to do this shit for real.

I also have used Logic but find it a bit of a pain to do simple things on it. Its a very powerful program once you get over the bullshit chain of events you need to do to make shit happen, I like pro tools cuz most the time basic operation is self explanitory and if you know the basics of recording you can run it with ease most shit on PT just makes sense
 
May 10, 2002
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#8
Cubase SX3 - I tried it, I liked it, I stuck with it... I'm a visual cat and I got tired of not being able to see how I'm manipulating my midi data cause I was usin an MPC 2000

GigaStudio 3 Orchestra - Maaaaaaan the sound libraries available for this is the best isht ever to me. The really good sample libraries come with various articulations, effects, styles etc... so that you can make some shit that sounds like real instruments (if you know what you're doing).

GarritanJazzVST - Strictly for the Piano, Saxophones and drums

MiniMoogVST - Gotta have one

Pro53 - Gotta have one

Altiverb 5 - BEST REVERB/ROOM SIMULATOR TO DATE

SSL4000 Plugins - For mixing
 
May 8, 2005
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#9
i've been usin FL cuz its easy and to be honest, its the only program i could find a working crack for. lol. i'm broke as fuck so i can't afford shit. it could have a better sound library tho... its got alot, but most of it is garbage that i would never use.
 
Apr 26, 2006
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#10
jt2218 said:
i've been usin FL cuz its easy and to be honest, its the only program i could find a working crack for. lol. i'm broke as fuck so i can't afford shit. it could have a better sound library tho... its got alot, but most of it is garbage that i would never use.

Don't use the built-in samples. That's a big reason why FL gets dissed cuz people make beats using the built-in samples. Those samples are weak, I see them more as demo sounds just to get people started with something. Otherwise the program would be blank if it had no built-in sounds.
 
Dec 9, 2005
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#11
Reason - I bought a Mac a few years ago that had the Reason 1.5 or 2.0...one of the older versions on it. And I really liked it...I had been using Fruity Loops before that...so I went out and copped Reason 3.0...just use it for fun...nothing major.

ReCycle - I actually liked the FL Slicer a lot...but since I was using Reason...I thought that it would be better and more efficient. Use this for chopping up songs, and throwing them into the NNXT in Reason.

Audacity - Mostly use this for cutting sections of songs up, before throwing them into ReCycle. It was free, so I can't complain.
 
Jun 2, 2002
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www.myspace.com
#12
Cubase SX 3: This is my main program. Handles all of my sequencing and mixing. Supports all of my plugins. The best.

I have Reason 3, FL Studio 7 and Sonar 6 PE. I rarely use these. If I do it's via Re Wire into Cubase. But once I started recording again I'll be using Sonar 6 along side Cubase SX 3.

I also use Adobe Audition 2.0 for simple Wave Editing.

I have an endless amount of high quality sounds and effects from plugins. Literally thousands and thousands of high quality sounds that rival ANY hardware based equipment you match them against.

Peace.
 
Mar 22, 2004
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#13
Pro Tools 7-Tracking out beats, recording, mixing etc.

Peak 4- MP3's and file conversions

Battery 2- Sometimes I just load up drums in there and sequence with my MPC4k when I get lazy or bored. It's actually a really good program.

Reason 2.5- but not really. Just for fun sometimes.. I've never had a track that I did totally in Reason that I felt was good enough. Sometimes I'll use the ReWire through Pro Tools, and get something good, but not much anymore.
 
Feb 6, 2007
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www.myspace.com
#16
whats good

acid 6.0
nothing is better at auditioning and arranging loops and sounds on your computer.

reason 2.5
pretty good sounds and ive got alot of refills that hold up to regular keyboards

cd arkitect
best cd burning software

effects
waves diamond and ssl, 2 uad cards,sonalksis budle, urs eq and compressor bundle

vstis
battery,b4 ll,virtual guitarist,v-station,x-phrase,sample tank 2

www.myspace.com/ozzborn
 
Apr 26, 2006
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#19
jt2218 said:
check out the beats i've made using FL, haven't really messed around with any other program yet, but plan to.

www.myspace.com/silentjeff707

Bro you need to lay off those built-in sounds. There's much better kicks, claps, snares, hi-hats, open-hats,etc.. you can use for percussion and there' a lot of sounds you can find on the net for free. Also many SoundFonts out there. Add a bit of compression FX also, you need to phatten up your shit more, also some reverb, sounds very dry. A touch of reverb on claps or snares is usually enough and gives a nice sense of atmosphere spreading your beat out a bit more. "Empty Space" is the best one IMO, only thing major you should definitely add in is a bassline to help fill it up, sounds very plain. Try a deep sounding bassline, BooBass actually ain't too bad for this, but I usually lower the Mid & Treble knobs all the way down and raise the Bass knob a bit, it'll give a nice sub bass sound on lower octaves around C4 range. Try lowering the level of that pad synth you used also, it distorts on higher notes. Try some VSTi plugins as well, check out kvraudio.com. There's many freeware out there that rock, just off the top of my head check out "MinimogueVA," "Synth1" "4Front Piano Module," "4Front Bass Module," "String Theory," "String Thing 2," "Xhip," "MDA JX10," "SuperWaveP8" & "PolyIblit." There's many more freeware out there that's good. Of course try to get some commercial ones as well.

For FX plugins try these freeware:
Kjaerhus Audio Classic Series (kjaerhusaudio.com/classic-series.php)
posihfopit EQ (kvraudio.com/get/1853.html)
FL Studio actually has some nice built-in FX as well though.

For FX, you best go with commercial stuff though, plugins from companies like PSP Audioware, WAVES, Voxengo, URS, Sonalksis, WaveArts...
I really like this one a lot (kvraudio.com/get/505.html) - It'll definitely phatten up your shit overall if you throw it on the Master channel.
 

B-San

Sicc OG
Apr 7, 2006
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#20
Sonar Producer's editon 5 & 6.. Nuendo, Pro Tools 7.3, Reason 3.0, Samplitude 7... wutever doesn't piss me off too much.. a gang of plug-ins (UAD-1, TC Powercore w/Sony Oxford, vstz).... i like outboard gear too, though...