sibleypeck
New member
Is it true that Sonar includes instrument sounds (DXi softsynths), and you don't need a soundcard with GM Instrument sounds?
DXi softwsynths
- Thread starter sibleypeck
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sibleypeck
New member
With a 450MHz Pentium III/Gateway, 128MB RAM, 8.5G and 13.5G drives, would I be better off using a sound module and outboard signal processing than softsynths and processing plug-ins? I suppose I use, on average, 24 tracks.
crosstudio
New member
a better question is, how many audio tracks do you want to have in addition to the dxi synths?
the reason i ask is because it would actually be cheaper for you to upgrade to a 900mhz machine than it would be buy a sound module.
the reason i ask is because it would actually be cheaper for you to upgrade to a 900mhz machine than it would be buy a sound module.
sibleypeck
New member
Actually, I would be eliminating one audio track for each dxi synth.
(If the previous statement makes absolutely no sense, it's because I don't have the slightest idea what I'm talking about.)
Let me explain:
I am now using MIDI drums - the ones on the SB PCI 64 card - writing them out in notation in PA8.
The snare and toms sound so bad (is this intentional? - to minimize masking in the mix?) that I have resorted to assigning one drum per track (snare, low tom, hi floor tom, kick), converting to audio, and EQ-ing each track separately for the mix.
Somehow I got the impression that it would sound better and be simpler to use dxi synths. The only problem is I haven't a clue what they are. I just imagine that if I can get ahold of them, I'll figure it out. (The first statement in this post comes from the assumption that I would be using tracks made of dxi synth drum sounds instead of tracks made of audio-converted-from-midi drum sounds.)
Does anyone want to try to enlighten me?
(If the previous statement makes absolutely no sense, it's because I don't have the slightest idea what I'm talking about.)
Let me explain:
I am now using MIDI drums - the ones on the SB PCI 64 card - writing them out in notation in PA8.
The snare and toms sound so bad (is this intentional? - to minimize masking in the mix?) that I have resorted to assigning one drum per track (snare, low tom, hi floor tom, kick), converting to audio, and EQ-ing each track separately for the mix.
Somehow I got the impression that it would sound better and be simpler to use dxi synths. The only problem is I haven't a clue what they are. I just imagine that if I can get ahold of them, I'll figure it out. (The first statement in this post comes from the assumption that I would be using tracks made of dxi synth drum sounds instead of tracks made of audio-converted-from-midi drum sounds.)
Does anyone want to try to enlighten me?
First of all, until you bounce a soft synth track down to audio, you will have 2 tracks (1 audio and 1 MIDI)
The audio track has the soft synth assigned as an FX to that track (just as if you assigned reverb to an individual track), and the MIDI track is what generates the note info. You assign the output of the MIDI track to the soft synth on the audio track (the soft synth will appear as an output port).
The audio track has the soft synth assigned as an FX to that track (just as if you assigned reverb to an individual track), and the MIDI track is what generates the note info. You assign the output of the MIDI track to the soft synth on the audio track (the soft synth will appear as an output port).
sibleypeck
New member
Very interesting. What a provocative idea. The soft synth is like an effect. An effect added to an audio conversion of a MIDI track. It sounds pretty much like what I'm doing now, only I'm applying EQ instead of a soft synth.
Are you saying the soft synth will appear as an output port, much like a GM instrument appears as a patch?
Are you saying the soft synth will appear as an output port, much like a GM instrument appears as a patch?
Uh, not sure if thats a good analogy.
The soft synth becomes another "virtual" output port in addition to your onboard synthesizer (if you use a SB) or a MIDI OUT port which is connected to another device.
To make things more complicated, not all soft synths are multitimbral. The Edirol Virtual Sound Canvas (VSC DXi) that comes with Sonar is its own self contained multitimbral synth. What that means is that you need only one instance of it associated to an audio track and up to 16 MIDI tracks can be assigned to it.
Soft synths like Native Instruments FM7 synth are not multitimbral. If you have multiple MIDI tracks that use it as a sound source, you will need an equal number of audio tracks with FM7 assigned as an FX.
It can get kinda complicated if you don't understand how an actual physical hardware synthesizer/workstation works in the first place...
The soft synth becomes another "virtual" output port in addition to your onboard synthesizer (if you use a SB) or a MIDI OUT port which is connected to another device.
To make things more complicated, not all soft synths are multitimbral. The Edirol Virtual Sound Canvas (VSC DXi) that comes with Sonar is its own self contained multitimbral synth. What that means is that you need only one instance of it associated to an audio track and up to 16 MIDI tracks can be assigned to it.
Soft synths like Native Instruments FM7 synth are not multitimbral. If you have multiple MIDI tracks that use it as a sound source, you will need an equal number of audio tracks with FM7 assigned as an FX.
It can get kinda complicated if you don't understand how an actual physical hardware synthesizer/workstation works in the first place...
sibleypeck
New member
Thanks for trying to explain it to me. It is complicated, for me. I'm afraid I don't understand. I'm sure you've explained it correctly. I just don't get it. I don't understand well enough how these things work, like you say. I will get it, though - - sooner or later.