My special problem - does Multitrackstudio solve it?

Discuss working with MultitrackStudio.
Antonio
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Feb 07, 2006 12:34 pm

My special problem - does Multitrackstudio solve it?

Post by Antonio »

Hello people

I am looking for an easy to use rec.software and a guy at the Sonar site told about „your“ software! I?d like to tell you what I want to do, so you (perhaps) can tell me if this software fits to me.

In general I do the same as anybody.

Then I?ll ask if the software comes with loops /grooves/ softsynth?s drummachines/ arpeggiators and so on. I?d like to have a creative tool inside. If not I have to calculate buying additional software, and/ or free plugins.

The other way of creating a new song is:

I have hardwaresynth?s too and I want to connect them via midi to the software:
Korg 01/W,
Korg pa1xPRO
(best Entertainerkeyboard with many stiles and midiarrangements to start a song),
Yamaha S08
it?s a Synthesizer and stagepiano 88 pianokeys.
For guitar i use Line6 stuff.

I?m not good in tweaking good sounds – I need good sounds from the softsynth?s strait away. I?m not good in mixing, equalization and so on. That?s why I thought using the Entertainerkeyboards styles as basics, as they are balanced by professionals who are much more skilled than I.

An important part is „Comp Audio Recording“ comping is for real instruments (and vocals) , be played by people like me, who are advanced player, but make always silly mistakes .
It?s to record several tracks from the same take or tune. The complete part from beginning to end let?s say 5-8 times. And than take the best parts of every track to make ONE PERFECT track. I think every software can do, but how good, how easy, how much special features for that? For instance Sonar 5 does it perfectly, but i think S5 is too big for me – a too deap learning curve!

What about the effects and mastering (good, worse, medium?)

I must not have 4 or 8 inputs for live recording, everything goes track by track. I?ve got a M-audio Audiophile 24/96.

Summaries: the 3 most important things are:
1. good midi connection, working, controlling and playing with my hardware/ and midi inside (editing)
2. Comp audio Recording
3. Ease of use

Hope Multitrackstudio can do it for me, I like your site.

Thank?s in advance

Antonio :lol:
Mac
Posts: 598
Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2005 5:38 am

Post by Mac »

So you want to create great music and then make great recordings of the great music but are unwilling to do any learning or work that will get you to that goal? Try watching TV instead. Better to get started, dig in, roll up the sleeves and declare your goals and get on with whatever it takes to achieve them. This is sincerely the best advice I can give.

Multitrack Studio can turn in a recording that sounds identical to anything done in the pro world. Well, I am one of those pros, having produced jingles, underscores and creative musics and sold them and paid the rent doing such, along with being a session musician, gigging musician and oh, yeah, the "day job" as an Electronics Design Engineer.

If you are looking for shorcuts to knowledge, shortcuts to experience, like as not there aren't going to be very many digital audio and midi recording platforms that will do that for you, that is the good news actually and not the bad news if you look at this thing from the right perspective.

How much time does it take to learn to master a musical instrument?

The same kind of effort must go into the making of recordings.

The other good news is that these things, the technical terms, the physics of sound, the ear training and the accepted procedures are not all that difficult to learn. Look at it this way, there are far more famous and successful recording engineers who cannot play a musical instrument than there are musicians who can play very well but cannot run the recording gear.

That said, be sure to check out Band in a Box over at www.pgmusic.com.

Auto-accompaniment software that might just provide you with a few good ways to shortcut the path to production for you.


--Mac
Antonio
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Feb 07, 2006 12:34 pm

Post by Antonio »

Hy Mac

my first look was :shock: or :( but than turned into :D

for sure I have to learn and I know that. But I have even problems with computers, need someone who install my windows xt and so on. And I know many situations, where I have to do something, musicially, or a midithing, or menues in my softsynth?s and this is hard enough. In additon to that, there is a technical problem, which comes in between.

Thanks for band in a box, but I?ve tried it and it doesn?t fit so well. I have arrengements by my own and would just use a drum groove, which there are so many in instand loops, or a "standard" bass, which fits mostly in my more traditional songs. I mean, there aren?t so many way?s for drum and bass in a typical "hitsingle" and mostly one of the many ready to use one?s fits always. By the way, dont take a single word, which I use, too criticaly, because its not my native language. Better trying (well, its not easy man, I know) to get the big whole picture from my sentence. You must know, I am an advanced musician, very creative and composing a lot.

That?s another point: In the Sonar Forum was a great threat. Creative people complained in spending so much time in software, new gear, new plugins, all that marvelous stuff, BUT WHICH held you back from creative thing?s. One complained, within the last 20 years of making musik, there where just 6 month?s of creative work. That is why I try to keep things simple. Well as simple as possible, because, as you said, i have to invest specific time in these things to achieve a good result. But balanced!

I was happy to read, that these things are not soooo hard to learn, either.

So, dont want to steel your time, do you think multitrackerstudio is an easy to use tool, with good results? Again, one guy at Sonar suggest it, to be exactly that. And what about my 3 main points?

I appreciate even a short answer.

Thanks
Antonio
Tunemaker
Posts: 48
Joined: Mon Aug 30, 2004 11:55 pm

Post by Tunemaker »

In My Opinion MT Studio Scores 10/10 in all your 3 Major Points.
The whole point of MTS is More Time For Music & Less time for Software Fiddling & Tweaking ..
You might want to check out Stienbergs groove agent ( VSTi ) also if your looking for a super quick & easy way to get Drum Grooves to Track to ..
They have a Demo as well ..
Mac
Posts: 598
Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2005 5:38 am

Post by Mac »

I think that MTS is by far one of the EASIEST to use among all the choices out there today. It is also VERY STABLE, which is why I am using it now. Lots of programs that advertise more features are not so solid and it gets in the way of the creative moment when you have an idea but can't get it down because the software crashes, freezes or does something else not expected.

Get to know MTS, which is easy to do, and you can do a lot with it.

Lots of beginners find MTS to be intuitive and easy to use.



--Mac
Antonio
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Feb 07, 2006 12:34 pm

Post by Antonio »

:D great thing?s that I hear here :)

if there aren?t any other view?s, or different opinions, I feel very happy.

thanks very much

Antonio
Robomusic
Posts: 483
Joined: Tue Dec 07, 2004 2:23 am

Post by Robomusic »

I am most likely the one that mentioned MTS over at Sonar, I watch the folks over there fight the software and fuss with the long feature list, yet i can see how much easier MTS make my work flow. I use it with midi and the built in sampler, I use Jamstix as a drum tool and i just let it flow. Sonar is a great software, but also very expensive, and has some dependablity issues as well. Give this a try and when you run into problems post back with detailed specifics we might be able to steer you in the right direction
Mac
Posts: 598
Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2005 5:38 am

Post by Mac »

In this day and age you have to temper the rants and postings of some people with common sense and thought.

You are going to find distinctively negative postings about any software out there, no matter how many people are happily making recordings and producing good results with the same software.

Some people would rather blame anything or anyone other than themselves for failures, seems like those same people are the ones who have the most failures.

Others are simply, well, how can I say this, oh yes, -- stupid.


:lol:



--Mac
Antonio
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Feb 07, 2006 12:34 pm

Post by Antonio »

Robomusic :D great that you read my post. This evening I wanted to mentione that it was you and I wanted get in touch with you here over the board.
(As I read your name here, in different threats I remembered your name. It took some seconds, because at cakewalk?s you have a nice picture and here it?s so plane.)
I wanted to ask you, as you know the fantastic Sonar feature Comb Audio, if it works fine with MTS. Sorry if I wasn?t such a nervous player, I wouldn?t need it. I also play new instuments, which I am not so familiar yet. So Robo, be aware, I have to do a lot audio! What do you say about my main issues?
By the way, I like to save money, but money isn?t the issue. So, if MTS ?s THE THING for ME, I would buy it, even if Sonar would cost the price of MTS and vice versa.
And I thank you for offering your help. I wouldn?t ask every tiny item, because I can read :) (manuals!). But it?s not my native language and I?m new to recording.
That?s why I consider ONE other Prog. It?s Ableton Live, which has a nice, new workflow, marvelous instant audio cuting and many german tutorials. At least I take one of the two, which is the end of a long time of research. I am realy, realy happy to be so near!!!

Hy Mac
I know what you say ?bout complaining of silly people.

Antonio
Mac
Posts: 598
Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2005 5:38 am

Post by Mac »

For someone who has never recorded on the PC before or has limited experience in doing that, I'd say there is no contest here, by all means you should start with something simple and robust so that you can work towards getting work "in the can" as we say on this side of the pond, for experience is the one essential factor here and that means keeping things rather simple to start.

MultiTrackStudio is robust, it is easy enough to use, it may not have as many "bells and whistles" as Sonar or some of the others but you should also be aware that many of those features and add-ons can create more problems than they solve, especially for the beginner.

All too often I see someone who purchased for lots of features only to find out that getting all those features to work was above and beyond their want to learn the technical skills needed to make things work on the PC.

Besides, I never liked the sound of the Cakewalk/Sonar audio engine. Can't plut a finger on it, but it sounds -- different than a lot of other softwares that also have a 32 bit engine.

Don't flame me if you do, this is a subjective and personal preference, but you should understand how many different softwares I have tried and used over the years, including the fact that at one time I was an active beta tester over at twelvetone systems, right up through Sonar 1's first release.

MTS ROCKS!

AFAIC,


--Mac
Antonio
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Feb 07, 2006 12:34 pm

Post by Antonio »

Hy Mac :D

I like everything what I read here on the feature?s site and in the forum so far. I totaly agree with you. I don?t want these bunch of features, that?s why I?m here.

As you said, there are many progs out, but for me just these two apps are interresting to test at least. (No Tracktion, no FL, not to speak about the dynausors)

By the way, i also would appreciate of having more than 3 tracks to test. I?ll ask you frankly and I realy hope MTS can do: I like to record a bunch of accoustic guitar tracks and many vocltracks beneath the „normal“ amount of the other instruments synth, bass, drums. I used to record on a 8track Fostex for audio plus midisynth. Now- I want the freedom of many tracks.

I have a 2.8 Ghz with 1 GB ram a huge disc and I do only recording on that computer. If CPU is too small I convert into audio soon, but the prog should handle the tracks. AND I would accept small limitations on that if ever there! 8)

Anyway, I also like to hear what ROBOMUSIC says. :)

Cheers
Antonio
Mac
Posts: 598
Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2005 5:38 am

Post by Mac »

I never tried the free demo, bought the Pro Plus MTS right out of the starting gate.

I'm currently running an Athlon 64 3200+ with 2 gigs of ram and don't have a problem with track count at all. I also use a laptop with the 1616M card, AMD Turion 2.2ghz with 2g ram with external firewire 7200rpm drive for the temp audio files, no problems there either.

You should get and install a second hard drive of no larger than about 160 gigs, minimum 7200rpm and of course DMA or better and dedicate the first logical partition to the temporary audio stream from inside the sequencing program's options or setup for best results. That applies to ANY audio multitracking program you run on the PC if you need high track count or multiple inputs/outputs.

Don't let the above scare you, for you can still get quite a bit of work done with the one drive, you will know when you are taxing its limits because you will have dropouts, pops, clicks, etc. that can be seen on the graphic waveform view. Huge capacity drives, those ~250g and larger, actually have a slower SUSTAINED TRANSFER RATE than drives that are about 160g or lower in size.

Compared to the other stuff we have to purchase, an extra drive is kind of cheap by comparison these days and is good insurance.

*All applications and the OS on the C: Drive

*First logical partition of second hard drive used for Temp Audio Stream from the recording program ONLY. I don't even have a folder there, just the drive letter. The sequencing program is where you set it to stream from your new drive, typically the default is C:/Temp, change that to D: if that is the first logical partition on the new drive.

*Okay to store other stuff that will not be accessed when recording on the other logical partitions of the second drive.


--Mac
Robomusic
Posts: 483
Joined: Tue Dec 07, 2004 2:23 am

Post by Robomusic »

I typically run between 12 to 18 tracks on most projects, and i am using a AMD 2400 + xp machine, with only 512 ram. (yeah i know ram time) I do mostly midi backing tracks and then ad guitar tracks over that followed by vocals. The midi tracks are ran thru the disk based sampler that MTS supplies, and then i run three aux busses and several separate effects directly on certain tracks, Usually around 10 or 12 effects plugs, I use mostly MTS' effects, as i find them better than most that are with far more expensive program. I have only demo-ed Sonar 5, but i like the convoluter and the other plugs it comes with, but so far the MTS effects are as good or better in most situations. I love the way MTS does audio edits, just cut and paste, and moce on I do a lot of helping over at the cakewalk forums especially with the new folks on the MC and HS forums, I do this because it relaxes me in the evenings, i enjoy it a bunch. But I can tell you I very seldom do any work in Cakewalk. I have played a bunch with Sonar 5.o demo, and it seems to be a very powerful application. but it is far more difficult to use than MTS. I wish that more people were aware of it, and were open minded.
Antonio
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Feb 07, 2006 12:34 pm

Post by Antonio »

do i realy need a second HDD? I have a NEC 160 GB and as I mentioned, I use the Atlon system only for recording. (AMD 2800 pro, 1 GB ram)
And I use 80% the sounds of my hardware. But anyway, if you recommend it (80/120/160 GB additional) I will buy. I?m not reach, but I save money on for me useless things, so I can afford a best working set! should I upgrade to 2 GB Ram? From all I know, not, because I dont use so much softsynth?s. mostly Midiinformation on the system and sounds from my hardware!

To save your time, just say yes or no to this items.

I appreciate your work very much.

Antonio
Mac
Posts: 598
Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2005 5:38 am

Post by Mac »

No.

BUT -- having the second hard drive dedicated to your Temporary Audio files will increase your track count.

You can get started with one drive, though and get quite a bit of work done.

If you start having problems with track count or other audio dropouts, think about adding the second drive then.


Hard Drive = number of tracks you can stream in and out at the same time. It is a trade off. The more tracks that have to play back while you are recording a new track, the more work is demanded of the hard drive.

Ram size = number of realtime effects and softsynths you can run at the same time.



--Mac
Post Reply