Cheap Effective Software, What's the popular consensus? Options

[salparadise99]

What do you people recommend as good inexpensive software for editing music? Also, why do you like it, and does it come with prerecorded loops that can be edited in order to add electronic tracks to my songs?

Any insight is appreciated as I am totally new to the software side of recording.

Thanks!!

[Codycat]

Spectrasonic's Stylus is a new loop software that draws on 3GB of sample info to create/edit loops. It looks very cool indeed, I saw a demo on www.ilio.com. Depends on your idea of cheap-I think it's around $300.
Anybody else check this out yet?

[aladinsane]

protools free is, well, free. it's also very self-explanatory, and makes it easy to move up to other, more pro. ,versions of protools, if your happy with it. no pre-recorded loops however, and it's more of an audio application then a midi one.
if your needs are recording and editing audio, and your used to 4track tape recorders then it'll work great for you.

[taco6]

For editing ...there is Spark ME... it is free.

[salparadise99]

I am using the Tascam US 428 and I think that if I want to use Protools I have to buy additional proprietary hardware because those arrogant ProTools people require it. Is this true?

[rickenbacker]

I'm no hardware genius, but I couldn't get any other hardware to work with the version of Pro Tools LE (5.2) that came bundled with the Mbox - I've tried using PTLE with a Tascam 428, a 224 and an Edirol UA-5. Wouldn't have a bar of any of 'em. Works beautifully with the Mbox, mind.

Maybe it's Digi gear or bust for Pro Tools. Anyone got any other thoughts?

[cydonia2]

Alright, i'm going insane. Please help me.

I'm using PTFree on OS9. Trying to use MIDI with my Yamaha PSR 270 synth.

I can't seem to get a hang of OMS, i can only as of now use my General Midi voices, i've used the OMS Names app and nothing seems to work.

I want to start playing music instead of trying to figure out all this technology. I can't take it anymore. I understand Reason is a good app for OSX, that comes with good sounds, so i won't have to use these bank or patch changes. I just want good synth sounds, it doesn't matter if they are native to my synth.

What about CubasisVST? That's pretty cheap.

I'm on a very tight budget, what should i do?

[deleted]

I'm no hardware genius, but I couldn't get any other hardware to work with the version of Pro Tools LE (5.2) that came bundled with the Mbox

Maybe it's Digi gear or bust for Pro Tools. Anyone got any other thoughts?

To summarize:

Pro Tools LE will only work with the Digidesign's Audiomedia III, Digi001/002 and M-Box. Period

Pro Tools Free will work with anything, since the interface has a soundmanager driver (ie like us-428, etc.)

Pro Tools Mix & HD will only work with a TDM or HTDM system (basically 2 pci cards: $$$).

Bye.

[rickenbacker]

Cubasis VST 2.0 isn't half bad for an entry-level sequencer program and it's only about £60. There's also the MicroLogic version of, well, Logic obviously. Which one you choose really depends on your long-term vision, ie which one you reckon you'll end up moving to a full version of.

As for using Reason, well neither Cubasis nor MicroLogic are OS X compatible and I'm not entirely sure they're ReWire compatible either. If that's true, you couldn't output Reason to their mixers. Check this fact out, as I don't know for sure. Even if you can do it, you'll still have to run Reason in OS 9 along with your sequencer.

All this technology stuff can't be helped - persevere, though, cos once you get a system settled, it can be true creative liberation.

[taco6]

I just installed Reason 2.0 today and it is a great update. Live 1.5 looks good as well. Are you doing vocals? If not, Reason is great. The is also Logic Free that is very limited, but free!!!! I would recommend using Spark ME, Pro Tools FREE, Logic Free, and trying to find older versions of any other software for free from a friend if you are broke.