Sampler/Multi Track Recommendations -ACID Product Family

Subject:Sampler/Multi Track Recommendations Posted by: snicholshms Date:2/12/2005 1:55:08 PM I've played musical instruments most of my life but I'm REAL new to PC-based music and need some help. My intent is to record original tunes with various orchestral and "combo" backgrounds for demo CDs and video soundtracks. What's a good sampler/sequencer? I play keyboards, trumpet/flugel horn and croak some vocals. What's a good multi-track recorder? I use Vegas for my video company but want to get a larger view of multi track products. I've got ACID Pro 5 but I've only used it to make a few oop-based tunes...it's not the same experience as playing an instrument and recording with other musicians.
Subject:RE: Sampler/Multi Track Recommendations Reply by: JohnnyRoy Date:2/12/2005 2:24:20 PM > What's a good sampler/sequencer? If you’re looking for a good software sampler (i.e, VSTi) then I can highly recommend Native Instruments Kontakt. It gives you an impressive amount control over your sound. If you’re primarily doing orchestral work, you might want to look into Garritans Personal Orchestra (GPO). I don't own it but I’ve heard very good things about it for orchestral work. Not a sampler but rather an orchestra in a box. As for sequencing, ACID Pro can do MIDI sequencing. Just push the record button and perform. It’s basic yet functional. It doesn’t have any punch-in/out capabilities so if you plan on recording full tracks and fixing up bits here and there later then ACID is not the best tool. For that I would look at something like SONAR. I know some here use ProTools but you can’t buy it without hardware (which is why I don’t own it, because I don’t need any hardware). Tracktion is a nice little sequencer on the low-end. It’s very easy to learn and they are coming out with version 2 in the next month or so with a lot of new features. > What's a good multi-track recorder? You aready own it. Vegas is just as good as ProTools or SONAR when it comes to recording multiple tracks of audio. If I were you, I would use Vegas for audio recording and ACID for sequencing since you already own them. If they just aren’t working out for you, then try SONAR which does both audio multi-track and sequencing. ~jr
Subject:RE: Sampler/Multi Track Recommendations Reply by: snicholshms Date:2/12/2005 4:36:58 PM Thanks for your advice, JohnnyRoy. I checked and Garritan is compatible with Kontakt. I just bought Elektrik Piano and Express Keyboards (for use in ACIDPro 5) so I could use those as well in Kontakt. How can Vegas be used? Does it accept/interface with VST/DXI plugins? MIDI keyboard/controllers? My musical roots are in Tower of Power, Chicago, Muscle Shoals Horns, Blood, Sweat & Tears, any blues bands with horn sections. It will be a kick to record the brass parts, keyboards and have my friends fill in the other instruments.
Subject:RE: Sampler/Multi Track Recommendations Reply by: JohnnyRoy Date:2/12/2005 6:57:17 PM What no Average White Band (AWB)? ;-) > How can Vegas be used? You can’t do MIDI sequencing in Vegas. You do that in ACID. Then you use File > Render As... and select the option Save each track as a separate file and each track will be output in its entirety. You just bring those tracks into Vegas and keep going. It would be nice if Vegas had ReWire support. Then you could control ACID from Vegas using ReWire. You can slave Vegas and ACID using MIDI Timecode (i.e., have Vegas Generate MIDI Timecode and have ACID Trigger from MIDI Timecode) but its not as solid as using ReWire. ~jr

Subject:Sampler/Multi Track Recommendations

Posted by: snicholshms

Date:2/12/2005 1:55:08 PM

I've played musical instruments most of my life but I'm REAL new to PC-based music and need some help. My intent is to record original tunes with various orchestral and "combo" backgrounds for demo CDs and video soundtracks.

What's a good sampler/sequencer?

I play keyboards, trumpet/flugel horn and croak some vocals. What's a good multi-track recorder? I use Vegas for my video company but want to get a larger view of multi track products.

I've got ACID Pro 5 but I've only used it to make a few oop-based tunes...it's not the same experience as playing an instrument and recording with other musicians.

Subject:RE: Sampler/Multi Track Recommendations

Reply by: JohnnyRoy

Date:2/12/2005 2:24:20 PM

> What's a good sampler/sequencer?

If you’re looking for a good software sampler (i.e, VSTi) then I can highly recommend Native Instruments Kontakt. It gives you an impressive amount control over your sound. If you’re primarily doing orchestral work, you might want to look into Garritans Personal Orchestra (GPO). I don't own it but I’ve heard very good things about it for orchestral work. Not a sampler but rather an orchestra in a box.

As for sequencing, ACID Pro can do MIDI sequencing. Just push the record button and perform. It’s basic yet functional. It doesn’t have any punch-in/out capabilities so if you plan on recording full tracks and fixing up bits here and there later then ACID is not the best tool. For that I would look at something like SONAR. I know some here use ProTools but you can’t buy it without hardware (which is why I don’t own it, because I don’t need any hardware). Tracktion is a nice little sequencer on the low-end. It’s very easy to learn and they are coming out with version 2 in the next month or so with a lot of new features.

> What's a good multi-track recorder?

You aready own it. Vegas is just as good as ProTools or SONAR when it comes to recording multiple tracks of audio.

If I were you, I would use Vegas for audio recording and ACID for sequencing since you already own them. If they just aren’t working out for you, then try SONAR which does both audio multi-track and sequencing.

~jr

Subject:RE: Sampler/Multi Track Recommendations

Reply by: snicholshms

Date:2/12/2005 4:36:58 PM

Thanks for your advice, JohnnyRoy. I checked and Garritan is compatible with Kontakt. I just bought Elektrik Piano and Express Keyboards (for use in ACIDPro 5) so I could use those as well in Kontakt.

How can Vegas be used? Does it accept/interface with VST/DXI plugins? MIDI keyboard/controllers?

My musical roots are in Tower of Power, Chicago, Muscle Shoals Horns, Blood, Sweat & Tears, any blues bands with horn sections. It will be a kick to record the brass parts, keyboards and have my friends fill in the other instruments.

Subject:RE: Sampler/Multi Track Recommendations

Reply by: JohnnyRoy

Date:2/12/2005 6:57:17 PM

What no Average White Band (AWB)? ;-)

> How can Vegas be used?

You can’t do MIDI sequencing in Vegas. You do that in ACID. Then you use File > Render As... and select the option Save each track as a separate file and each track will be output in its entirety. You just bring those tracks into Vegas and keep going.

It would be nice if Vegas had ReWire support. Then you could control ACID from Vegas using ReWire. You can slave Vegas and ACID using MIDI Timecode (i.e., have Vegas Generate MIDI Timecode and have ACID Trigger from MIDI Timecode) but its not as solid as using ReWire.

~jr