Midi Controllers and Control Surfaces

Midi Controllers

According to precisely what your own workflow a midi controller and/or control surface could be desired. A midi controller allows you to end up being more tactile if you happen to be working with virtual instruments and midi. If perhaps you know just how to play a piano these could even end up being a great help to create music. They are able to also be very beneficial in your music production if you do not want to program midi inside your given digital audio workstation just like myself.

A great deal of Midi controllers seem like a keyboard they come in varying sizes from twenty five keys up to 61 keys. A few will actually have weighted keys to replicate an actual piano. For individuals that play the piano along with like that feel definitely obtain the weighted keys because it may feel far more natural.

There are generally additionally non keyboard midi controllers like midi pads which allow you to drum upon them just like a percussion pad controller. There is in addition a guitar midi controller that I at least think is actually awesome.

What's the main difference in between a midi controller and real instruments?

The main difference between a midi device along with an instrument is that the midi device just sends a midi signal out of it that tells the virtual instrument to go ahead and play, while a genuine keyboard offers the capability to develop a sound.

Control Surfaces

Control surfaces are yet another way of getting tactile while composing mixing along with recording audio. One way to imagine a control surface is just like a big mouse. They allow you to control various elements of your digital audio workstation without the need for your mouse or keyboard.

They are available in just about all designs, prices and sizes.

Precisely why look at a control surface?

Motorized Faders and Rotary Knobs 

Control Surfaces typically have motorized faders enabling you to mix much more effectively plus , possess rotary knobs to pan audio. If perhaps you are a tactile individual just like I am you are going to like having the ability to touch something as opposed to using a mouse to help to make an adjustment. Having faders to help make adjustments may end up being much easier and quicker.

Control of Plugins and LED Display 

Control Surfaces typically have the ability to manage audio plugins of your own favorite software on screen without having to make use of a mouse. They are able to in addition show key information concerning the plug in while you help to make adjustments including frequencies upon an equalization plugin.


Stop, Play, and Record Buttons in a single spot 

Control Surfaces typically have a play, stop, and record button right on the surface allows for greater management of your software.Also, they are usually significantly less costly in comparison with analog desks that furthermore can make them attractive to smaller sized studios or B rooms in a studio together with home studios.

It really is dependant on your workflow I know people that swear by mouse and keyboard and other individuals which need to have a control surface.

How you can select the best music production software

Software utilized for music production

Digital audio workstation or DAWs are usually what the software program is called for music production. It is available in different flavors and names like Pro Tools, Logic Studio, Reaper, Cubase, and many others.

The "Gold Standard" or "Industry Standard" for music production software is Avid's Pro Tools. It has been what over 90% of professional studios use currently.

In order to do business in commercial studios or do music production professionally this is the software to learn at the time of writing this.

If this is not so the remaining article will be committed to you in helping you pick which music production software is best for you. I'm not reviewing each DAW since it will be dependent what you would like and situation . Identical to microphone selection you will find everlasting debates and selections. Get what works best to you and let everyone else spend time debating.

How to pick one of the best music production software

A few questions to ask yourself would include the following.

"How much must you spend?"

"Where can you plan to doing your music production?"

"Will you be working with anyone else? What will they use?"

"is this a hobby or do you really want to do this professionally"

"What os will you use?"

"Let us identify the your overall computer specs?"

When you have reduced your choices down  for music production software  it is time to start doing some study. Make sure to look into precisely what the software provides knowing that it will function for your computer's os and specs.

Demo Time!

Now that you've got some ideas most DAW's will have a demo that you can check out. This part will probably be a little overwhelming so take it slow but check to see if the software will work for you before you decide to spend any money if at all possible.

Try it out take a little time but get to know your software. Does it get a job at what you wish to perform? How easy might it be in order to get around? How well does it fit into your workflow and perform what you want it to? All of these questions and more might want to be answered before you decide to create a final choice.

It is most important which the software works best with your work flow and allows you to be creative. Should you find yourself stuck try to figure something out study the manual, Google it and you should not forget to check.Youtube for tutorials concerning the right way to work with your software in association with reviews.

Free music production software

If you're just starting out or maybe lack money all hope is not lost there are a few options available. While the following might not happen to have the bells and whistles that paid software were sure to have you could possibly download these free music production softwares and start now!

1.Audacity Power

2.Sound Editor

3. Lmms

Hopefully you have a better understanding of music production software and are able to decide on the software that works best for you! For more information check out music production HQ here.

3 factors to consider for any computer with regards to music production

Today we are going to be talking a little bit about computers for music production,and three key things to evaluate.

Before we get started I understand getting the biggest and greatest computer, however slower computers is still able to get a lot done. At the moment i run while using Intel core duo, with 4 gigs of ram and an Intel SSD in addition to 3 other hdd's for backup, Also I make use of a Hackintosh that is what formerly a custom built Windows PC.

What follows is perfect for someone that is planning to do most of what they do “inside the box”. Not only that but this is an overall guide for the best laptops and computers for music production. Either is alright according to your wants / needs. Lets get started!

Ram: What makes it work and why it is essential.

The first one I will address what is ram? it is an acronym for Random Access Memory. Come up with ram as the temporary memory and also a disk drives as long term memory /storage.

When there are applications running the processor will store them within the ram. The moment the program is closed the appliance will certainly be wiped from the computers immediate term storage or ram, and is actually stored according to the hard drive. Now think about if you had more memory for your own simply how much better might you be? The very same concept applies in terms of computer.

Having more ram has other uses outside of audio production too. It is possible you can open more programs and do more processing. Just for example I have Evernote open accompanied by a few tabs in Chrome while Pro Tools sits in the background along with a select few other applications, but I am only using 3 gigs out of 4.

Now if I am mixing a 30-40 track session with numerous plugins and virtual instruments I will close everything I can or I am going to run out of ram and my computer may become non responsive.

CPU / Processor
The processor is the brain of the computer and even the producer on the session. It does most of the computing and organizing it tells other things what should be done and has an idea of the items requires to happen for given processes.

Like I mentioned I currently run an Intel core duo. Generally it will the work however if I was exploring a new computer the bare minimum I would recommend may be something like an Intel I3 to help future proof my investment. I got the Intel core duo 5 years ago it is impossible I am able to advise that today.

Hard drives and difficult Drive Speed
The hard drive is where the laptop store things long-term like recording sessions, applications, session documents, and custom plugin settings. Without enough storage you won't be able to save anything. The least storage I would recommend is 500 gigs. 250 gigs for your os and 250 specifically for your music production / session drive.

The very last thing I would take into consider is the speed. I would get a hard drive with not less than 7200 RPMS. For my main operating drive I'd seriously consider an SSD (Solid State hard drive). I got one a little bit ago and it happens to be AMAZING. The single best computer purchase I have made.

Operating systems Windows vs Mac vs Hackintosh vs Everything Else.
There's a large amount of debate about which OS to utilise. It really should be determined by your workflow and what you intend to do. 

For instance I planned to intern and do work in commercial studios. Every commercial studio I've been in uses a Macintosh computer and uses Avid Pro Tools. That being the reality I learned the benefits of using Pro Tools on a Mac. I started out with a Mac Book Pro for school and started entertaining the Hackintosh idea which is exactly what I am currently using.

Check out Lifehacker’s article on Hackintosh builds for more information this. Just know that it is trial and error, and there happens to be a bit of a learning curve.

Following the Hackintosh experience I plan to look into a Mac mini. I understand I will pay more for it however it will just work which is the reason I like my Macs.

If Microsoft Windows will be your thing and it has got the job done for you that's awesome. An operating system is merely another tool to get the job done. It is really about what works for you and your workflow don't let anyone inform you any different.

Hopefull after reading using this you learned a little bit exactly what to think about in a computer for music production.http://musicproductionhq.com/

For more great info about music production check out The Music Production Headquarters.

Audio Interfaces: Really what are They and essential tips to choose one.

In the last couple of blog posts and articles we have been writing about the way to monitor your audio either by using studio monitor speakers or with industry-standard quality headphones. Through the end of this particular post you'll have an improved knowledge of what an audio interface is and the way it ties everything together.

Important points about a good audio interface?
It is the piece of audio equipment that in fact brings your pc and microphone together and makes recording possible. Understand it connects analog sounds your amazing mic picks up or the signal each of your instruments will make together with the digital domain at which its recorded through a digital audio workstation using your desktop.
Audio interfaces may have pre amps that take a weaker signal coming from a microphone recognize as a "mic level signal" and basically increases it into "line level signal" so it can easily be recorded cleanly.

"Without an audio interface recording to the digital domain and into a PC or laptop would not be probable. We would continue to possibly be recording sound on analog tape and home recording would not be as accessible as it's right now."

We've established that an audio interface is useful and an indispensable involving the recording procedure. Below you will find some factors to consider prior to going and buy one.

What number of inputs / outputs?
For anybody who is recording drums or perhaps a full ensemble you would need greater inputs to record all the things. For anybody who is just like myself perhaps you'll only have to have a couple of inputs pertaining to mics in addition to a couple of outputs for studio monitor speakers and a headphone output.
As a rule of thumb "if you do not foresee yourself using the inputs and outputs do not get them. Fork out your money to purchase a higher quality pre amplifier and analog to digital converts. Having 4 inputs you're not applying along with low end pre amps will not advance your music production.

How to connect your audio interface
There are 3 primary ways an interface connects to your desktop each possess their own benefit and disadvantages. When you are using a particular DAW (digital audio workstation) like Pro Tools or Logic studio, make sure that the said audio interface will work simply by checking the user manual or the manufacturer's website. We will be jumping more into a DAW's in a future posting in addition to computer systems for music production.

Firewire - Primarily brought into use Apple Inc computers.

USB - Mac and PC friendly, by far the most universal method to connect with a computer

PCI - These kind of interfaces will connect directly into your computer systems PCI slot.

I hope you've got a better grasp of an audio interface. Check out musicproductionhq.com for personal suggestions and other tactics to make your music production easy.

Here is a pretty sweet video going over some of the higher end audio interfaces 

Factors when Selecting the best Studio Headsets

Finances - I talk about this quite a bit I understand, however for a good reason. When moving into audio it is extremely simple to spend never-ending funds on supplies. There is in fact a phrase just for this it is referred to as a “GearSlut“. The reality is you will never possess all the gear you want and you will always wish for more. Like I mentioned before obtain the best quality you can with the funds you possess. That or save until you finally can get your idea product.

Precisely how comfortable usually are they? – Could you honestly see by yourself with these this pair of headphones on all day? Chances are when you are working on the music it will likely be doing this for a long time. I used undertake a pair of gaming headphones during my Wow days as well as I adored them yet over very long periods they would likely hurt my own head. Guess who found themselves not making use of those headphones any further? Yup this guy!

How do they interrupt sound? – This should be certain but My spouse and i thought I will throw this in. Really listen do you know the headphones doing for the music?

Closed Back vs Open Back Headphones

Closed Back Headsets
Looking at head phones you will notice that several headphones develop the drive dealing with out and several in. The types which have the driver facing in are generally known as “closed back” for the reason that the drive will be facing in. These are generally less expensive and so are a good starter set of headphones.

The problem with this is there is less space for bass to develop and you will have a smaller amount acoustic interaction as almost everything is “enclosed”. Two reliable pairs of these would always be Sony MDR7506 Professional Large Diaphragm Headphone s  I personally personal and Audio-Technica ATH-M50′s. If I did it again I'd personally be picking the M50′s, though the 7506′s were required once i went for you to school regarding audio generation and I can not justify shelling out $120-$150 using a minimum return in noise quality.

Open Back Headsets
With these headphones the drivers usually are facing out they're known as “open back” earphones. This allows some sound to flee and generally makes for better  bass responds. They are usually a bit more expensive yet most audio engineers choose them regarding mixing, between creating a better bass responds, and enable your ears to breathe in more which is better regarding longer blending sessions. There're not nearly as good for tracking since they bleed noise out that'll come through when recording.

At the conclusion of the afternoon it is definitely up to you personally as no number of ears would be the same and every one of us perceive noise differently. Take some time try about different earphones and genuinely listen you will be aware when you've got found the most beneficial studio headphones for the situation.

Go check out Music Production HQ for more tips and tricks to improve your music production now!

How to choose the best studio monitors for your studio

Most if not all personal speakers tend to be altered so that every little thing with be richer and crisper even though this is ideal for the buyer , it is far from perfect as you are attempting to work on your individual track because it is going to be impacted . One may begin to remedy your music to compensate just for this while it may not be needed. Even much worse your clients would hear the tracks in other places which simply will not prefer it. Every time creating tunes the objective apart from making it outstanding would be to ensure it is ”transferable”. This suggests that when you listen a song it should sound excellent nearly anywhere on any kind of music player from an Ipod touch to a home theater . 

This is where studio monitors becomes very important because they attempt to not change the audio in a perfect world they will have a flat frequency responds meaning no changes whatsoever of any frequency. No monitor is perfect in spite of this they will be considerably less altered the customer devices. In house and also professional studios a like a pair of studio monitors ( otherwise known as reference monitors ) are used, and in many cases multiple makes of them helping you to reference material as it is composed and mixed to help with transferability . 

There are a lot of studio monitors how will you decide the right one for your needs ? First off establish how much you are willing to pay for a pair of studio monitors . Monitors do range from $200 to $10,000 . This is why a budget is extremely important since it is possible rapidly deplete money . 

When I actually did this I budgeted of $200-$400 for my monitors . In the world of reference monitors this should fit in the inexpensive studio monitor category ; but it was practical for what I could allocate . Take into account that you will require some wires to hook them up to your audio interface . 

Now that you do have a price range it is time to embark upon engaging in some web research . I started out browsing on line searching for “studio monitors” and “reference monitors” . I invested time on audio forms like Gearslutz and The womb to obtain other folks thinking . I even asked other engineers and also audio pupils as well.

To learn which studio monitor speakers where best for me check out www.musicproductionhq.com.

Music Production Software - Avid Pro Tools and Pro Tools HD

Pro Tools is part of a digital audio workstation (DAW) it happens to be the software system that will allow you to record audio to a digital structure. There are various DAWs available to buy pro tools currently being an industry standard among industry experts across the world. It has been applied in everything from post production work on movie to game sound engines to composing as well as recording with bands. There are various variations of it coupled with several variations of equipment you will need based on the type. Today We will cover the principals of all of these together with leap just a little further in to what exactly is identified as pro tools hd.

With just about every kind of pro tools you need away to connect your mics and also electric guitars into it is called an interface which is section of the DAW. Each and every type of pro tools includes individual interface possibilities as well as prerequisites so that they can operate. As an example pro tools m-powered uses interfaces from M-audio which is also generally known as Digidesign/Avid. Classic interfaces include Mbox mini, Mbox2 and fast track pro.

These are typically your more basic interfaces which normally offers 1-4 ports to plug in as well as connects to the pc by usb or fire wire. Pro tools le can use matching interfaces with the expectation of the fast track pro. You can also find even more advance interfaces for instance a Digidesign Digi 002/003 these types of feature an enclosed control surface, touch-sensitive motorized faders, BNC word clock I/O, Midi in/out and even channels to link up musical instruments mics together with practically everything else. In addition there are rack selections for the the 002 and also 003. With Pro tools Hd you are looking at a dedicated card to complete most of your sound processing giving your pc increased processing strength to do other tasks. This creates far less latency as well as less flaw in the sound which can be going into the system.

Distinct types of pro tools

There are primary several variations of pro tools that can be pro tools M-powered, pro tools Le, and pro tools HD. Simply put pro tools m-powered is perfect for the beginning or enthusiast desiring to have the capacity to record it utilizes a M-audio interface and is the most economical edition. Pro tools Le is the next step up and used for people that may be semi pro or even pro end user it demands additional equipment to such as a mbox or a dig design 002. Pro tools hd is made for the specialist audio work which is the most expensive there are three different primary products of pro tools being hd1, hd2, as well as hd3. As well pro tools hd is the most high priced together with requires specific interfaces to function adequately.

Pro tools HD

Pro tools hd what is unique about it aside from the high cost tag? Pro tools HD offers decreased latency then non HD products in addition to thirty-two channels of I/O as well as guaranteed support for up to 96 simultaneous music tracks without getting any stress on the PC for those extremely big ventures for instance a typical Pro tools Le system restricts you to thirty two tracks starting out. Micing a drum set your could employ 8 mics thus utilizing 8 tracks this is not including anything other micing that could be carried out. It also introduces TDM plug in processing which is really a high end plug in option which appears to be more genuine then lower end plug ins they also generate less strain on the system. Additionally almost all HD systems incorporate a sole core DSP card (Digital Signal Processing).

Pro Tools HD additionally comes with industry standard pro tools software that includes processing plug-ins, virtual instruments as well as compatible applications. This in turn is likely to make your current project audio much more lifelike as well as make it easier to create and write music never believed possible. The major difference between then different hd systems is the number of DSP cards added. Hd1 contains 1 DSP card HD2 DSP card and HD3 gets 3 DSP cards.

What exactly is next for Pro tools?

As you are reading a whole new version of pro tools is in the making and might be offered recognize as pro tools 10. It has a number of the Hd software options available right out of the box. On top of that it has no interface option requirements which will allow you to mix with your laptop and no interface or use non Avid/Digidesign products to interface with the system. Some think it is a good move some don’t we will see what happens in the near future

For more great information check out Music Production HQ