Best soundtrack creating software

dand9959 wrote on 8/27/2007, 11:49 AM

Try Digital Juice Stack Traxx.

http://www.digitaljuice.com/products/products.asp?pid=324&tab=t3#tabs

Click the link, select one of the 34 volumes and sample the music. All royalty free. Click on the "Stack" link under each piece to see how you can alter the piece.

Zelkien69 wrote on 8/27/2007, 1:30 PM

I absolutely must second the Digital Juice StackTraxx suggestions. Aside from the reasonable cost, the music is fantastic. The volumes that they carry range from 50's, R&B, country, romance, rock, high energy, and a host of others. You can find something and then break it down onto each instrument and mix something that conveys your vision.

mark-woollard wrote on 8/27/2007, 1:48 PM

For me, the only issue with Cinescore is the lack of a wide variety of themes. I like how it works within Vegas--much better than SmartSound's SonicFire Pro. Plus I find the Cinescore music more customizable. But SFPro has many more themes to choose from. I use both programs and feel I've got my bases covered.

farss wrote on 8/27/2007, 2:02 PM

I've got both Cinescore and Sonic Fire Pro, I've no problem with how SFPro works with Vegas and I find it works well with my clients too. If you need more themes for Cinescore then VASST now have quite a collection.
As for the DJ music, I have a little of it and I don't know, maybe my ears need cleaning but to me it sounds less than stellar. I'm not talking about the music, just the quality of the sound. It's passable but compared to either what comes out of SFPro or Cinescore it's noticably muddy.

Bob.

MH_Stevens wrote on 8/27/2007, 6:17 PM

I'm trying to choose between Cinescore and Sonic for use in Vegas AND PremierPro. Which way would you go Bob, if you had to choose just one?

mike

farss wrote on 8/27/2007, 6:39 PM

Sonic,
it is integrated into PPro, with Vegas it's still easy to use. Render out a quick Draft AVI to use in SFPro. SFPro can output one file per track and open Vegas for you to mix it OR you can do the mix in SFPro via Mood Mapping. Also I've noticed the SFPro music is video aware i.e. the BPMs are integer multiples of the frame rate.
When a client needs music I just give them a link to SFPro and they give me back the track number, easy!
The only thing that I'd like SFPro to do is read the markers that Vegas embeds in the avi file.
Only had a brief play with Cinescore and for the musically challenged like me it seems a doodle to use, finer adjustment than SFPro gives but really I've never found I needed it. For narrative drama I can see it's use, sort of. Personally I'd hire a composer or someone from the Acid forum if I needed that level of fit between music and vision anyway.

Bob.

MH_Stevens wrote on 8/27/2007, 7:15 PM

Bob: What do you mean by Sonic is integrated into Premier Pro? Do you mean that if you install Sonic it appears as a menu in PP?

Thanks

farss wrote on 8/27/2007, 8:33 PM

http://www.smartsound.com/premiere/

Also if you've got several edit systems checkout their Backstage.

Bob.

MSmart wrote on 8/27/2007, 9:13 PM

Another "ray of sunshine" from jaydeee, I see. I'm glad you have loads of money to hire someone to score, not all of us have that luxury.

kdm wrote on 8/27/2007, 9:58 PM

If you want a track and don't have a library on hand, try firstcom.com (no, I don't work for them, or promote them - just an idea). The other options are those mentioned, along with Acid, Garage Band, Sequel, etc. Some library stuff is good, and some is just repetitive rehash. Regardless of jaydee's and my opinions, that's at least an answer to your question.

As an aside:
Probably not what you were looking for in an answer, but Jaydee has a point in there. I really believe that given current trends, one day, few projects will need video producers/editors either - clients will just get the front office help to load up some stock clips in "AutoVegas", "GarageSpielberg" or "Cinefilm", hit render, and call it done - all in High Def too. ;-)

Some projects really don't have a budget (and presumably there isn't much there for video), but good music/audio is no more a luxury than good video (though I understand the frame of reference in referring to composing as a "luxury", MSmart - Hi Def cameras are also a luxury for many - such are the varying markets different businesses are in).

For some projects, a great custom score just really isn't necessary or possible - just not the market for it - I just hope to encourage producers who may find themselves in a market with larger budgets to keep other options in mind (since I've seen $50k+ budget ads go to a library for music without a solid reason (that I could see) other than coming from an iTunes/Napster "music is a cheap mp3 afterthought" culture).

Spot|DSE wrote on 8/27/2007, 10:19 PM

For clarification, the VASST TrakPaks aren't just for CineScore, they're also for Vegas, Soundbooth, SONAR, Premiere, Avid, FCP/Soundtrack, and every other NLE or DAW tool.
Definitely not overused; they're fresh in style and in the market. We wanted to offer solid musical content at a low cost due to the number of discussions around the web on the subject of copyright. So far, they're receiving great reviews. They're more limited than CineScore, but are also quicker and easier to work with in a jam. Even if you have zero musical knowledge, you can't screw em' up.
And if you have Ultimate S, they are the ultimate slide-show scoring tool with the PhotoMontage and MotoFoto tabs.
Had to get those licks in there somewheres...:-)

Lots of great musical creation tools out there ranging from "roll your own" to lego building blocks to ACID loops by themselves. Having access to good musicians with a budget is great, but sometimes it just isn't feasible. Most of the royalty free content out there has a similar sound, no doubt. Hopefully folks feel differently about what we're offering.

farss wrote on 8/27/2007, 10:19 PM

Brilliant insight into the business, yeah I've done jobs with composed music, still don't think that makes me any better than the next guy nor am I such an arrogant pompous twit that I turn my nose up at jobs where the client cannot afford a composer and an orchestra.

Anyway if it's not shot on a F23 or better it's not worth squat anyway, right?

goodtimej wrote on 8/28/2007, 12:33 AM

Thanks everyone for all the help. I think I have decided on SonicFire, they have some really nice sounding tracks on there.

Soniclight wrote on 8/28/2007, 2:43 AM

I'm not in the league to discuss a whole bunch of music apps, but I will second goodtimej and other "anti-elitist" comments by JayDee:

-- I'm no newbie to music software and have one of the best in the business -- Steinberg Cubase SX, (I'm an ex-Logic owner). Cubase is nothing to sneeze at.

--- My particular style is intricate layered "cinematic" Pink Floydian to classical work and, yes, dedicated production apps are a blessing.

But I'm not rich by a long shot. So I'm also open to the "drop in" or "Lego" solutions Versatility and an open-mind are just as important as good sense. If fact, I just downloaded SFPro and am going take a look at it.

Without a composer/musician's elitist chip :)

For a musician can learn from working with and customizing "Lego" musical parts (created by other good musicians) also. It's all about creativity and results, not brand names.

birdcat wrote on 8/28/2007, 4:46 AM

I have SonicFire Pro, Cinescore, over twenty DJ StackTraxx, plus a bunch of "other" RF music.

In my (very humble) opinion, DJ music sounds better overall but is limited by static length. It does however, allow you to specify which instruments get used and is very easy to use - especially to render out the whole piece as separate tracks and really fine tune in you NLE.

Cinescore has a much better program overall, with more control and better variations to them, but comes in third as for the musicality of the base tracks and limited theme packs. I am hoping they add newer packs now the lawsuit is out of the way. (FWIW - I'd like to hear more realistic sounding stuff - not all synths).

SFP is great musically but it doesn't offer the control of Cinescore. They have a wealth of base music and do allow for both selecting instruments and levels like StackTraxx, plus they have several variations like Cinescore (although not to the control Cinescore allows).

I find when I am looking for a piece of music to build a production on (slide shows primarily) or s short spot (30 or 60 second), I will use the StackTraxx. When I have a video piece I am looking to build a music score for, I will use SFP or Cinescore.

Just my $5.25 ($0.02 adjusted for inflation).

dand9959 wrote on 8/28/2007, 7:59 AM

Hi Jaydee.

You seem to be the most talented, successful, and clearly the most professional participant on these forums. Would love to see some of your work, especially stuff with your original scores. Where might we see and hear some samples?

Tim Stannard wrote on 8/28/2007, 2:20 PM

Bob:

Bob (and Spot)...Am I missing something here? As I read it from the VASST site, the TrakPaks are just bunches of wavs - intros, endings and looped sections - crafted to work together. Is Cinescore not totally redundant if you use TrakPaks? Or can they really be used as themes with the variations in mood, intensity, sections and tempo that Cinescore provides?

I suppose what I'm getting at is HOW would you use them with Cinescore that gives you anything that loading them onto a Vegas timeline didn't?

(Edited for formatting)

MSmart wrote on 8/28/2007, 3:13 PM

DJ music sounds better overall but is limited by static length.

birdcat, did you see this SmartSound Plug-In for Juicer Poll? Where it was asked: "Would you be interested buying a special SmartSound Plug-In for Juicer that gave you the ability to customize the length of any StackTraxx song?"

Obviously it would be better if the plug-in could work directly in Vegas utilizing DJ's StackTraxx, but after determining the length of music needed and having Juicer render a StckTraxx out would be minor, it not welcome, inconvenience

jaydeeee wrote on 8/28/2007, 4:20 PM

>>>Hi Jaydee.

You seem to be the most talented, successful, and clearly the most professional participant on these forums. Would love to see some of your work, especially stuff with your original scores. Where might we see and hear some samples?<<

If you've watched any TV between the early-90's to today you may have already.

Really, my intention is this - music/scoring/sound is as important as (and sometimes even moreso) the video content.
I don't care what you think of me, but to forget that rule is to forever continue much of the trite crap we see daily and retread the route of the amatuer.

There is talent out there you should be experiencing, collaborating with, and embracing. The elements are there...and most of the time it's not found in a software box.

birdcat wrote on 8/28/2007, 4:40 PM

jaydeeee

While I agree that music in a box will never come up to standards of Rachel Portman, Thomas Newman, Bill Conti, etc.... I have heard some extraordinarily poor trash come from a (so called) composer and some rather nice (and easy to listen to or edit to) stuff from Cinescore, Sonic Fire Pro and Stack Traxx.

I had someone arrange a song I had written and was intending to record - He did it the old fashioned way on non-synth instruments and multitrack recorders - IT WAS ABYSMAL! Absolutely horrible! Made me shudder thinking about what this clown did to my song. I took my words and melody and went to someone who knows what he's doing - He started with "Band In A Box" to get some basic stuff done, laid down some additional (by hand) keyboard tracks (strings, drums., etc....) and for less than the first clown wanted and in one tenth the time, I had something I was proud to put my words and voice to (four hours from walk in with only the melody and words to walk out with a finished CD).

Just because it's done by a program, doesn't mean it's bad.
Just because it's done by a "professional", doesn't mean it's good.

Shawn Pelton (Saturday Night Live drummer) uses Acid in a lot of his stuff - It saves him time and allows him to experiment before he does things live. I guess he must too be an amateur to you.....

birdcat wrote on 8/28/2007, 4:44 PM

birdcat, did you see this SmartSound Plug-In for Juicer Poll? Where it was asked: "Would you be interested buying a special SmartSound Plug-In for Juicer that gave you the ability to customize the length of any StackTraxx song?"

Hi MSmart -

Yes - I did see (and drool over) that - If you come to a Thursday night chat, you just might see a screen shot of the prototype (hope I don't get into too much trouble for that).

I'm hoping Dave gets it out this year, but won't hold my breath.

winrockpost wrote on 8/28/2007, 5:30 PM

Jaydeeee says.......that "scoring" is an art belonging to those talented enough to write/compose/perform TO the visuals and theme onhand

He is right , cant do everything,, at a high level anyway

MH_Stevens wrote on 8/28/2007, 5:48 PM

Let's not forget soundtrack creation software is for projects where Andre Previn and the LSO are not in the budget. It's not a competitive "one is better" thing, it's just what the project can afford.

kdm wrote on 8/28/2007, 9:23 PM

"Let's not forget soundtrack creation software is for projects where Andre Previn and the LSO are not in the budget. It's not a competitive "one is better" thing, it's just what the project can afford."

Actually, that isn't really accurate. Quite a bit of TV, national ad work and docs are "mock up" scores, or combinations of live and "in the box" scores (where there isn't budget for an orchestra, etc). The quality of composing tools doesn't require a full orchestra on every sound track, even if that is the ideal. Even major movie scores at times will have parts of the mock score mixed in (esp. if electronica, but also orchestral elements that provide the right accent or sonic element to augment the live recording).

There isn't always a budget for the LSO, or even a local metropolitan orchestra, but there is a middle ground of cost where composers can deliver a broadcast and film quality score "in the box". Of course I would prefer to hire an orchestra to perform what I do (as would many, if not most composers, producers, directors, etc) to gain the added artistic element, and support live musicians, but there is a wide range of scoring that can be done by composers that interact with your visual creation, without necessarily having to resort to canned loops or prefab library tracks (but where there is no budget, at least you have some quality options, just as other media content producers have Photos.com, and stock footage libraries).

All artists in media creation are really on the same team - not battling one another for a part of an either/or budget that is somehow created without our influence or control when pitching or bidding. Rather we are in reality all just trying to sustain and promote the value of human creativity in a market of automated, quick-fix media and entertainment content creation with decreasing revenues, rates, value, and often, quality as well. Just my .02.