Hey all, starting a studio

[yoyo]

hey guys

I'm 14, big into my music, love sound engineering and technology. I've decided to start building a studio (basic one). What I want to be able to do is record songs on my guitar onto a PC and mix em nice and good.

I was given (well, permanently loaned) a m-audio firewire solo interface by a sound engineer friend. he also gave me cubase LE. So right now all I need is a good pair of cheap monitors (i'm 14 remember).

I won't be needing a mic yet, as i'll be playing direct into the interface.

One problem, i want drums. I don't have drums. I'm not gonna get drums. See my point? lol. I was thinking a drum MIDI trigger pad would be clever. Something that has USB. What do yall think? I also would like a MIDI controller so i can do all the synth effects and such, just stuff to touch up my songs a bit. i don't know much about how midi works, so help me out here. would i need another program to run the controller and drum trigger pads? would it work with cubase le? how do i record em?? thanks guys

peace out

[mshilarious]

There are controllers with pads out there, kill two birds with one stone. Cubase LE will handle the controller directly, but you will need sounds . . . I just saw a link to a list on KVR, but I can't remember which thread

[pandamonk]

There's a bunch of decent budget monitors out there. Behringer b2031a truth, Alesis M1 mkII, Tannoy Reveals, KRKs, etc. Do a little search, and what's your budget?

[yoyo]

about 3-400.... for the monitors.

[yoyo]

Originally Posted by mshilarious

There are controllers with pads out there, kill two birds with one stone. Cubase LE will handle the controller directly, but you will need sounds . . . I just saw a link to a list on KVR, but I can't remember which thread

ok, i've seen the pads, m-audio makes a $100 one. but what do you mean i need sounds? like u mean it needs to actually CONTROL something rite? help here? thanks

[mshilarious]

Originally Posted by yoyo

ok, i've seen the pads, m-audio makes a $100 one. but what do you mean i need sounds? like u mean it needs to actually CONTROL something rite? help here? thanks

Yes, you need a software synthesizer module to generate sounds from the MIDI commands the controller sends to your computer. Your soundcard (or possibly Cubase SE too, I don't recall) will have built-in "general MIDI", or GM sounds, but those usually aren't very good. So there are lots of softsynth programs/libraries out there with different sounds. Some model analog synths, some are sample based; lots to choose from, many of them free or shareware. But I am not the expert on what's good for softsynths, do a search on the keyboard or MIDI boards.

[ssscientist]

Here are links to two low-cost VSTi drum samplers/synthesizers that should get you headed in the right direction.

The first is called 'Drumatic 3' and is Donationware ---
http://www.kvraudio.com/get/307.html

The second is called 'Drumular', costs a mere $39 and is well worth it ---
http://www.kvraudio.com/get/1639.html

While you're there, you might as well grab the Kjaerhus Classic series (every one of the 9 is worth having) the Antress Modern series of compressors and limiters and for soft synths Synth1, Triangle II and one of my favorites called Monolisa. All of these are free.



.

[yoyo]

thanks guys. how do these programs work with cubase? will i be able to record with them in cubase? i know that's how plugins work, but what about recording the drum triggers? sorry, i'm a noob when it comes to midi....

[ssscientist]

Drum pads, large or small, work by sending a midi note. Depending on the capabilities of the trigger it may have a fixed velocity or the velocity (loudness of the drum hit) may change with how hard you hit the pad.

They usually send one note at a time --- kick, snare, closed hihat, open hihat, etc.

My list above are VST effects and VST instruments, know as VSTfx and VSTi's for short. The VST standard is a Steinberg invention and they're the makers of Cubase, so these will all work in Cubase as well as Tracktion, Live, Sonar, Reaper and so on.


.

[yoyo]

Originally Posted by ssscientist

Drum pads, large or small, work by sending a midi note. Depending on the capabilities of the trigger it may have a fixed velocity or the velocity (loudness of the drum hit) may change with how hard you hit the pad.

They usually send one note at a time --- kick, snare, closed hihat, open hihat, etc.

My list above are VST effects and VST instruments, know as VSTfx and VSTi's for short. The VST standard is a Steinberg invention and they're the makers of Cubase, so these will all work in Cubase as well as Tracktion, Live, Sonar, Reaper and so on.


.

i downloaded a free plugin from one of those sites you showed me, but i couldn't get it to work with cubase! i went to devices, VST plugins, and found the file and click upload, but nothing happened!! help? thanks

[ssscientist]

You need to have a designated 'VST plugins' folder and Cubase needs to know where it is.

If you loaded a plugin without rebooting/restarting Cubase, chances are it just couldn't detect it. Try starting Cubase again with some VST plugins in the VST folder.

VSTi's (VST instruments) need to go in a midi track, while VSTfx (like the Kjaerhus Classics) can go in either a midi track or an audio track.


.

[yoyo]

hey yo

i got it working, thanks a bunch! now all i need is a drum trigger w.e. couldn't i use my keyboard??? or my mouse or w.e>

thanks

another Q, i would like to get some loops to add some cool effects in, you know, like an air whoosh, water etc... where can i get some free stuff like that? are those also plugins?

thanks

peace out

[ssscientist]

Originally Posted by yoyo

couldn't i use my keyboard???

Sure, if it's a musical keyboard, not the keyboard that you type 'peace out' on.

The mouse will work under all circumstances, but you'd probably be much happier with something like this --- http://www.zzounds.com/item--MDOAXIOM49 --- because it not only has room for you to play keyboard with both hands but also has drum pads built right in.

As for cool effects those could be samples, soft synth sounds or sound fonts. Go back to KVRaudio where they have a Wikipedia of these terms and while you're there see if you can figure out how to search their site for free VSTfx and VSTi's.





.

[yoyo]

how would i program my mouse to control something? i'm jsut interested in knowing... so KVRaudio might have some stuff?

my dad has an imac, and my sister got final cut for it, and with it came soundtrack, which has a ton of loops. i'm looking for stuff like that. drum loops, or effects etc

[pandamonk]

Well you could draw it in with the mouse...

[yoyo]

what do you mean?

[pandamonk]

For midi, you can draw the notes in. Try it out. Create a midi track and double click it. In this screen, if you choose the draw tool(right click and choose the pencil), you can draw in some notes. You can change the type of instrument, i think drums is midi channel 10.

[yoyo]

how do i change the isntrument or pick the channel??? i've got to that screen, and i've drawn stuff out, but no sound comes out?? could u do a print screen? thanks

[pandamonk]

Originally Posted by yoyo

how do i change the isntrument or pick the channel??? i've got to that screen, and i've drawn stuff out, but no sound comes out?? could u do a print screen? thanks

I'd love to, but i don't have cubase LE. This is just what i remember from a few years ago working with cubase. My mind has since been corrupted with protools, haha. Go back to the main window again and click the track. Info about the track should appear to the left, i think. This is where you choose the instrument/pick the channel. I think an instrument needs to be chosen before you hear anything...

[yoyo]

i picked an instrument, but it didn't give me a channel choice....

[pandamonk]

Originally Posted by yoyo

i picked an instrument, but it didn't give me a channel choice....

maybe it's not channel. Hmm... Here it is:

[pandamonk]

You also have to set the correct output(your soundcard/interface main outs) to hear it.

[yoyo]

ok, so i got into the thing, and after i had changed some outputs etc i got some drum sounds. the only problem is, i don't know how i got into the screen with the keyboard vertically on the left. i know u said double click the midi track, but the only time that works is when there's a previous recording. i made a blank "recording" i don't know how... help?

[yoyo]

ok i got it!!! i had to use those markers at the time bar to set a midi area, then double click on it... who would've thought?

[pandamonk]

Originally Posted by yoyo

ok i got it!!! i had to use those markers at the time bar to set a midi area, then double click on it... who would've thought?

Well done man. How's it going? Made any drum loops yet? You can get better sounds, but it's good to start basic imo.