[tonton]

I feel the need to start writing music again, something I haven't done since 1990 with Opcode's Vision 2.0, a Boss drum machine, a Roland D-50, and Akai S-1000 and a Emu multitimbral synth module.

I don't have any of the old equipment (and some of it wasn't mine) and I don't really have the cash to shell out for new synth now, so I'd like to know what are the best:

1. Software based synth with drums to replace the D-50 , the Drum machine and the Emu.
2. Software digi sampler to replace the S-1000.
3. Sequencer to tie it all together.

Is there a single package that can do all of this well? Multi-track digital sound editing would be nice, too. I certainly want better sounding instruments than the Quicktime crap. I expect you can get some really nice sounds out of the Mac these days without need for a full-fledged synth.

Thanks for the help.

tonton

[tonton]

Okay, as a synth, I've seen the Roland Virtual Sound Canvas around. Does it sound any good? Does it have decent drums or do I need to find a virtual drum kit too?

Also, I saw a package called Logic Audio at the Mac store here in Bern. What exactly does it do (I can't read German, so I couldn't read the packaging)?

[tr]

i've got the Roland VSC, haven't used it much yet, but it's not bad. basically, it's a Roland SC-55/88. it has all the same sounds as the hardware units. maybe if you find a music store with one of these on display, you listen to the sounds for yourself. as for the drums, they are your basic roland drum kits; not that bad, but i think they always seem to need some external processing, like compression.

to tell you the truth, i'd try to get the hardware that you used to use, and get ProTools Free. right now, my setup consists of ProTools Free, a Midiman Midisport USB 2x2 interface, an old Yamaha drum machine, a Roland Juno-106 analog synth, and Akai S2000 sampler, and a cheap 49 key controller keyboard. i also used to have an Emu Proteus 1/XR, but i had to sell it for (needed the cash), and now i regret it those Proteus modules are great, with such an easy to learn interface.

in my opinion, the software samplers/synth modules can't touch hardware units (or maybe i'm just old fashioned then again, i don't have much experience with software samplers, so maybe i'm wrong.
you could probably find a good used drum machine and other stuff at music stores or on ebay.

logic audio is a digital recorder/midi sequencer/effects processor/mixer. it's basically everything you need (not sure about sound module, but it might accept virtual instruments) and a lot more that you probaby wouldn't use. i'm always thinking about getting a program like this, but i just can't see myself spending a few hundred dollars on software (when i'm not going to use half its features), when there is something out there that's almost equivalent, and it's free (PTFree). sure it doesn't have 64 tracks or whatever, but do people like me really need all that? come on, before using my G4 to do all this stuff, i was using a tape 4-track, and i got some good results from that.

good luck,

tr

[booboo]

I've always preferred Steinberg's products - found them more intuitive, but I strongly suspect the gap has narrowed somewhat, and Emagic's Logic Audio may well be substantially more stable. This stability is particularly important if you're not only sequencing, but also sythesizing and recording/playing audio on one machine. You're pushing the envelope a little here, so you need to feel the system can take it.

I get the impression - I don't know why - that the sounds you will use are mainly sample-based - piano, strings, etc, in which case a sampler plug-in, such as the ES-1 or Steinberg's equivalent, HALion, may be all you need, soft synth/sampler/drum-wise....

Consider Logic Audio and the ES-1 sampler plug-in to take care of your midi/audio recording/sound generation needs. If the music you do is heavily layered, I'd recommend you still consider an external synth module, or perhaps a keyboard whose onboard sounds appeal to you.The Proteus 2000 is superb, and probably not too expensive.

The other cpu hog is quality digital reverb - and if quality reverb is a necessity, I'd recommend you again consider an external unit. There's a Lexicon which is under £200 ($300) which is just terrific, and has a digital out which could prove useful.

A combination of Logic/ES-1 (or indeed Steinberg's Cubase VST/HALion sampler - although I have no personal experience of this new plug-in, it's well spec'd) with an external Lexicon and external quality synth module, and a low-latency PCI card - even Emagic's own cards, though only 16 bit, do sound great - I would consider, with care, adequate for master-quality recordings.

[tonton]

Fantastic info, thanks!

So looks like Logic Audio is the solution these days. I'll see about getting a synth... I'd eventually need a controller keyboard. I loved the D-50 as a solo synth. In the mean time, I'll try the sounds of the VSC and see if I like them.

Can't really buy on ebay, as I'm in Switzerland, don't have a permanent address here, and will be returning to Hong Kong by the end of the year, and I don't want to drag along loads of kit when I go.

I don't plan on recording vocals at this point, so that's a lot of stuff I don't have to worry about at this point.

I do like using professionally sampled instruments like acoustic guitar and piano, as well as some sampled analogs, but I will definitely also be using digital sounds, and designing my own digitals. I'd also like to do a lot of sampling myself, especially for percussives, but as the TiBook doesn't have any sound in, I may get a iMic for low-fi work and later shell out for a better sound input source like a PC card or firewire interface later when I can afford it.

Digital effects might test the processor on my TiBook 400, and I'd like to use reverb and some flange, etc... I'll see how it goes.

Cheers,

tonton