Subject:new user to acid looking for some basic help

Posted by: akorch16

Date:9/12/2005 5:32:07 PM

there's probably some tutorial or something for this, but i figured this would be a decent place to ask a few questions. i'm new to acid, but used fruityloops 3.56, fl studio 4, and fl studio 5 for about 2 years with moderate knowledge of how they worked. the main reason i got acid was to expand upon the different sounds that i can use in the songs i write, and essentially gain a greater control over my songs. i like to write all the notes in the songs i write, and not use any premade drumbeats, basslines, melodies, etc.

i purchased acid pro 5.0 from amazon, (as opposed to over the internet if that's possible) and received five discs: the acid pro 5 content disc, application disc, loops & samples, 1001 sound effects, and sound forge audio studio. the only disc which did any good for me was the application disc which installed acid as well as components like media manager. i also upgraded to 5.0c and installed the 1001 sound effects off of this website.

i've had acid for just over two weeks, and can't figure out how to write any songs except using midi and the soft synth which has a limited number and variation of sounds. i understand media manager can be used with reguards to the 1001 sound effects, but after about two hours of poking around and reading the help section on it, i still can't figure out exactly how to work it. so my first set of questions: how/where do i find sounds already installed in acid pro besides using midi? and once i do find them, how do i effectively use them to expand my pallet of sounds in the songs i write?

i was also looking around on this website under bonus software and came across a bunch of cds with either sounds (i think its referred to as 'construction elements')on them or premade melodies/drumbeats. a few of them looked useful, particularly cinemascape. my second set of questions: how effective are these cds which have bonus sounds on them? i usually incorporate strings, traditional realistic drum sounds, guitar (electric, acoustic, whatever), bass, ambient sounds, and various piano and melodies into my songs, so which collection(s) of sounds would be best for me? also, if/when i do have the sounds, how do i use them in acid pro?



i understand these questions are probably very basic, and can probably be found in other places. but, i'm having a bit of trouble getting off the ground with acid, and i've found from experience that forums are usually the best place to get help or get questions answered. any help or any answers to any of my questions would be greatly appreciated.

Subject:RE: new user to acid looking for some basic help

Reply by: Jeff_Smith

Date:9/12/2005 6:02:37 PM

"... i like to write all the notes in the songs i write, and not use any premade drumbeats, basslines, melodies, etc."

ACID is first and foremost a looped based audio composition tool, its MIDI and VSTi implementation are not at the same level as say Sonar....hmm?

For free loops from your ACID menu click File> Get Media get media from the Web>members only. every month new stuff

also try Help>ACIDplanet.com and find the free 8packs as well as listen to others compositions.

For free softsynths (VSTi plugins) go to http://www.kvraudio.com/

For a great book on ACID try
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1578202663/002-9239203-3277647.

http://www.johnrofrano.com/

Jeff

Subject:RE: new user to acid looking for some basic h

Reply by: JohnnyRoy

Date:9/12/2005 7:12:18 PM

> the only disc which did any good for me was the application disc which installed acid as well as components like media manager.

If you didn’t lead the content disc and the loops & samples disc then you are missing a lot. It’s like you’re holding the shaver without any blades and wondering why it won’t shave your beard. The secret to effectively using ACID is to familiarize yourself with the various loop libraries and acquire the ones that will help you make the style of music you want.

> and can't figure out how to write any songs except using midi and the soft synth which has a limited number and variation of sounds

ACID Pro 5 comes with Native Instruments Xpress Keyboards which is three VSTi soft synths that emulate the Hammond B3, Sequential Circuits Prophet 5, and the Yamaha DX7. Three classic instruments that have a lot of character. Perhaps you didn’t load these. You can also upgrade to the full version of these soft synths or purchase any of the 100’s of VSTi soft synths giving you an endless palette of sound.

> how/where do i find sounds already installed in acid pro besides using midi?

You need to load the sample loop libraries and find the sounds you like and then purchase the full loop libraries to get more of those sounds. ACID has no sounds of its own (other than the MIDI synths included). It is a loop-based composition tool that relies primarily on Loop Libraries for its sounds. (of course you could always record your own loops too)

> and once i do find them, how do i effectively use them to expand my pallet of sounds in the songs i write?

Chop the loops, play them backward, compose new phrases out of one-shots, record your own. There are lots of ways to expand your pallet of sounds. We cover a lot of these techniques in the Instant ACID book. It’s a very visual book that is easy to read with screen shots on every page to guide you.

Also, if you like training DVD’s you might try the VASST ACID for Nonlinear Editors DVD. It will get you up and running quickly. I’ve also completed a training DVD that I hope will be available soon.

Welcome to the ACID community.

~jr

Subject:RE: new user to acid looking for some basic h

Reply by: voxwoman

Date:9/18/2005 12:06:22 PM

The "content" disc has all the basic loops and such to get started with.

I've been using Acid since forever it seems (started with Acid Style, and eventually kept upgrading until I got to Acid Pro 5). I started using it because it's interface looked like the ProTools interface that I used in a studio to do my first CD.

I use plenty of loops for doing basic composition (rythm tracks and such) and then overlay live-recorded instruments and vocals. Sometimes I keep the loops for the final track, other times I delete them in favor of live instruments - but it's saved me a small fortune not having to record live drums for my latest album - having live drum loops and samples makes a big difference in the overall feel of a finished album.

I'm sending my tracks out for mastering and reproduction tomorrow, and the people I've played the tracks for are amazed the CD was done in a home studio.
-Wendy
http://www.musicforthegoddess.com

Subject:RE: new user to acid looking for some basic h

Reply by: voxwoman

Date:9/18/2005 12:07:22 PM

Oh, and install SoundForge if you plan to do *any* recording - it will help you clean up your recorded wave files, and create loops from your own recorded stuff.