Software Piracy Policy - with alternatives!

mshilarious

Banned
Here is the official HR policy on software piracy that you agreed to when you registered:

HR TOS said:
you will not post any messages on this BBS that are:

• Requesting for or posting of serial numbers, direct links to cracks or any other information that violates copyright laws or any other laws protecting intellectual property;

• Requests for downloads of anything that is not freeware, shareware, trial versions or copyright-free material (hence, no ISOs, Warez or MP3s that are protected by copyright). Any references to such activities will also lead to deletion of the topic;

Thus, you have now been warned twice! Henceforth, any requests for help with software that you pirated will result in your thread either being locked or deleted.

For the long period of time that this BBS did not have active mods, the community served as the enforcer of this policy, not because of the policy, but because of our own strong feelings against software piracy. Simply put, admitting that you pirated software is like taping a "kick me" sign to your gonads :eek: :D

Please spare me any of your rationalizations on why you pirate software, I am not interested, and will delete them from this thread. You may discuss them on the infamous "Do you really pay for that expensive software" thread:

https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=56631


Here are the obvious signs of a pirate:

- you don't know how to connect a microphone to your computer, but you have the Waves Platinum bundle.

- you just got a several-year-old version of expensive recording software, but you don't have the manual. Coincidentally, that version happens to be the last version of the software that was cracked or didn't use a dongle (Cubase SX3, Wavelab 5, etc.)


To spare you any of the above fates, we will now help you discover cheap or free software that will do the job you need honestly:


- Reaper. It's free to try and like $50 for a license (I don't use it, so I'm not too familiar with the details).

- Audacity. Simple, but free and open source.

- Ten million free plugins, many of them quite good. Do a search here, because there are many, many threads on that topic.

- Used software. Good deals here, as many people seemed to have switched software recently, which only used to happen very rarely, and people had to keep all their old versions to upgrade. Just BE CAREFUL, and read the vendor's license transfer policy, and make sure you get original manuals, documentation, activation codes, dongles, etc., as appropriate.



I invite everyone else to add their options for cheap or free software to this thread, as I am making it a sticky!
 
I'm watching this linux distro intently:

http://ubuntustudio.org/

ships with another open source DAW - Ardour 2 ( http://ardour.org/ ) - looks like Ardour 3 will support MIDI, which, at the coarsest of feature levels, would make it competitive with the commercial ones for most of us.

disclaimer -- I haven't actually used any of this yet - just wanted to post :D
 
And Reaper is available for the Mac. I use it - a *beta version* for live tracking of orchestral performances. Yes, I have a HD backup running simultaneously, but have yet to need it - With a beta version.

As soon as he has a full-release version, I'm buying it on the spot.

THAT SAID -- As much as I'd (obviously) hope that people would cough up the $50 for Reaper, it's uncrippled shareware. If you choose NOT to pay for it, you choose to wait an extra 6 seconds when you start it. Otherwise, it works exactly the same. Think of it as the "honor program."
 
Legitimate Sites for Free Software - Mac Only

I have posted these in various places before, but will reiterate:

If you're making/recording music on a Mac and are hard up for freebies, here are some legitimate places to find free software for recording, notation, synths, and plugins:

Audacity: Free Music Recording Software
LilyPond: Notation/Writing Software
Finale: Score Publisher
Free Alpha: Soft-Synth
Remedy: AU Based Soft-Synth
Drumatix: Mac-based Drum Programmer
Hydrogen: Intel-Mac Drum Programmer
ApulSoft: Free AU Plugins for Mac
TuxGuitar: Guitar Tablature Software
RiffWorks: Music Authoring Software

An online listing of these and other multi-media freeware is maintained at Simon Elliott's Open Source Mac Multimedia Page.

Let's keep it legal, people. :D
 
I'm still in my trial period for Reaper but for all the features and the cool themes and skins you can get and make for it $50 is nothing!! If only other programs were that cheap. :)
 
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Jeskola Buzz. It doesn't do recording (that I know of) but it's got a ton of MIDI instruments, as well as effects, and a nice little mixer display.
 
I've been using JazzPlusPlus (Jazz++) since 2001, is an open source midi sequencer / editor, which just released a new version on Dec 30, 2008
Can also add audio tracks into the sequence. For Windows & Linux

Quartz Audio Master Free from digital sound planet is freeware version
4 audio tracks + 16 midi tracks
 
Just an aside. I have a full and paid for version of Cubase SX3. "Newer" (ie, soon before the release of Cubase 4) versions of it did not come with a full paper manual, despite the box still being the size of a house, for environmental reasons. They did, however, come with a quick start guide, the Cubase disk, some other trial software, and a dongle. The manual is on a pdf on the disk. I just printed it out and put it in a ring binder because Im a tree murdering bastard.

There are people in the past who have said they did not have the Cubase manual and also claimed to have bought Cubase SX3. These people were often dismissed a pirates. I can say with absolute certainty that it did not come with a manual when I bought it.

However, not checking the disk (a pretty obvious place if you ask me) for the manual, then asking dumb questions because you didn't read said manual, is stupid anyway. But that's a different issue.
 
so my piratin' days be over...

But I still haven't found anything I like for editing as much as me old Soundforge from just after the Sony switch.

Since I went Mac+(legit) Logic, I've just not been doing some of the waveform editing I used to easily with my PC.

Anybody recommend a OS X equivalent that hasn't been listed already, or at least tell me if the programs listed have changed enough in the past 3 years to offer much of the same ease and functionality I miss from me old pirated SF?
 
I'm on a Mac also - tried the Mac "beta version" of Reaper out (even though I have Logic and Cubase 4) but it didn't impress me much... maybe the finshed product will.
 
"But where can I find free VST Plug-ins!?":eek::confused:

Well now that you have your DAW set up, you're fiendin' for effects and plug-ins to invigorate your recordings. You first look at your favorite online recording retailer and realize, "Wow, all of these plug-ins could to cost me more than my entire home recording setup combined!":mad:

Luckily for you, there are free VST's available on the internet, supplied by generous programmers and audio lovers alike. No, I'm not talking about the pirated software plug-ins that your friend gets from Limewire, I'm talking about free for download and use plug-ins. :)

Here I have compiled a list of more notable free VST plug-in websites. You can install many of these by putting the .dll file in your software's VST folder. It deserves mentioning that many of these are only PC compatible but there are still Mac compatible versions on here.

Variety of VST and AU plug-ins

www.voxengo.com/group/freevst/

Well regarded bundle of VST's

www.kjaerhusaudio.com/classic-series.php

Database of Plug-Ins and Virtual Instruments. Some gems. Find out yourself.

www.kvraudio.com/get.php

Bundle and assorted dynamic processing VST.

www.digitalfishphones.com/main.php?item=2&subItem=5

Basic Amp Simulators

www.simulanalog.org/

Vinyl Emulation

www.izotope.com/products/audio/vinyl/

Another collection of assorted VST. Search for the goodies.

www.vstplanet.com/

Double Tracking Emulation

www.vacuumsound.de/plugins.html

Popular Guitar Amp Simulator free for a *year*
www.wavesgtr.com/html/product_gtr_solo.html

Slew of different VST.
www.gersic.com/plugins/index.php?daCat=-2

Various effects and tools

www.jeroenbreebaart.com/audio_vst.htm

Another exhausting list of VST's

http://www.sadglad.com/freevstplugins6.html


There are plenty of plug-ins contained in this list that can sound great when used right. Hopefully this list can direct you to find something useful to improve your mixing and enjoyment. If nothing else, maybe you can now sort out which plug-in's you really need and which are unnecessary for your recording success.

Good luck, Eric Gieg
 
Tracktion 3

Tracktion is what I use and its fine for what I need without blowing the budget. :D

Think this thread is great gives everyone starting out were to get low cost software.
 
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