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Thread

[disklavier] editing software

2008-01-17 by Carol Beigel

I m interested in some advice about what to buy for editing software. I want to make collages of audio wave files, edit MIDI files, and perhaps if possible, merge MIDI data with an audio file to make the disklavier piano play along with a CD. I doubt that I would ever use more than 4 tracks; most often just 2. I also want to use my VST piano software for the piano audio that ends up on the CDs.

It is like learning a foreign language to figure out what is out there, and I have spent at least 4 years trying to figure this stuff out. I have failed miserably trying to use Cubase LE to either record or edit. There always seems to by some little button or icon I am clueless to find to make anything work! I have only had sucess in recording with Cool Edit, but it seems to lack nondestructive editing or VST capability. I have used Pro Audio 11 (pgmusic) to mixdown the MIDI piano to the VST piano, but that program has limited scoring capabilities.

I will buy a Mac if I need to. Since I am only going to use 4 tracks at most, I am wondering if one of those Mac Minis would be okay. They cost $500 - $800 depending upon the speed of the processor and RAM. Otherwise one of those iMac all in one models with big 20" monitor for about $1200. For what I want to do, is it absolutely necessary to have a $3-4000 G4 or G5 desk model?

I am primarily interersted in the editing features for now, but I see that flash memory recording is starting to be used in hand held models like the Sony PCM D50 Portable recorder that holds at least 4 hours of quality sound in wave format. This thing costs about $500, has microphones attached and looks like it might record a group singing (like in church). The little hole on my digital camera produced a reasonable sound doing this, but I think this would be way much better. The nice thing about flash memory is that you don't have the mechanical hard drive working. Nowadays, some of this software wants fire wire hard drives that do not use the FAT32 format. Does anyone think flash memory for recording may replace exteneral hard drives soon?

I want software that is easy and intuitive to use for editing both audio and MIDI files. I have seen Pro Tools used in the studio, and I really like that you can see in one place all the editing you have done with no destructive edits. The problem with Pro Tools is that you must have one of their hardware devices connected to your computer to be able to use the software. The have an MBox2Micro for $250 that looks like a thumb drive that includes Pro Tools LE 7.4, but the computer requirements can be very, very large. Do I really need all this computing power if I am only dealing with 4 tracks at the most?

And what about MOTU Digital Performer? I know this only runs on a Mac and costs about $500. What would be easier to use for editing - Digital Performer or Pro Tools? I have also heard good things about Native Instruments and Sonar(cakewalk). Any other ideas?

Carol Beigel

Re: [disklavier] editing software

2008-01-17 by JORGE FERNANDEZ

Hi carol. First let us remember I am not a musician, MIDI expert, audio engineer or something near that. I am just an end user of such programs that likes

Re: [disklavier] editing software

2008-01-17 by Carol Beigel

Well said, Jorge! This is a hobby for me, and my goodness those hobbies can get more expensive the older one gets!! Where I used to think $600 was just about the limit I would spend on electric train setups, or a telescope, suddenly all the new toys that are bigger and better start costing over $2000 by time you get all the accessories! Last year's splurge was a kayak for $600, and then it cost another $500 to get a rack that would lift it onto the roof of the car! Taking up drinking would probably be cheaper than having hobbies - C'est la vie. And if you are out earning the money to pay for all your toys, then there isn't as much time to play with them! That's probably why Disklavier owners have so many questions and no time to read the owner's manuals.

I still want advice on a good editor, though!

Carol Beigel

Show quoted textHide quoted text

----- Original Message -----

From: JORGE FERNANDEZ

To: disklavier@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2008 2:12 PM

Subject: Re: [disklavier] editing software

Hi carol.

First let us remember I am not a musician, MIDI expert, audio engineer or something near that. I am just an end user of such programs that likes music.

My opinion is that there is not such single software package.

The more powerful they are, the more complex they become, and always there is single feature that one has, or does it better, than others.

So, what I do, is to use them in a chain, one after the other until I have the best results (to my ear).

My projects are a simple hobby and not pro.

I like the noise filter of some, but they to no have good sound after effects.

As you know, rendering MIDI to WAV is sometimes easy, sometimes complex. Editing audio, cleaning noise, balance sound, mastering, filtering, etc. is also sometimes easy, sometimes no so.
I even think that if you are considering to have a Mac, you will not throw away your windows PC; but will have to work with both, one "performing" and the other recoding, editing a file here, and finish it there, etc.

They surely will be wired together in LAN, (Analog) AUDIO and MIDI.

So my point is: 3 o 4 (or even more) good simple programs will be better than a single powerful (and expensive) one.

Get the best Mac tools with a good price, and keep your PC up and runnig.
--
Saludos
Jorge Fernández

Re: [disklavier] editing software

2008-01-17 by JORGE FERNANDEZ

Thanks. The issue here is that this is a multidimensional problem, (as understand from you) At least, I see 3 dimensions money, ease of use, and power. It

Re: editing software

2008-01-18 by ramseymonoi

I think the problem for new owners is not that they don't read the
manual ! It is that there are so many new informations to take in an
unknown field, that even if you read something in the manual
(notwithstanding the fact that one might not have the proper manual
!), one might just not realise the implications of what one reads !


--- In disklavier@yahoogroups.com, "Carol Beigel" <thecarolb@...> wrote:
>
> Well said, Jorge!  This is a hobby for me, and my goodness those
hobbies can get more expensive the older one gets!!  Where I used to
think $600 was just about the limit I would spend on electric train
setups, or a telescope, suddenly all the new toys that are bigger and
better start costing over $2000 by time you get all the accessories! 
Last year's splurge was a kayak for $600, and  then it cost another
$500 to get a rack that would lift it onto the roof of the car! 
Taking up drinking would probably be cheaper than having hobbies -
C'est la vie.  And if you are out earning the money to pay for all
your toys, then there isn't as much time to play with them! That's
probably why Disklavier owners have so many questions and no time to
read the owner's manuals.
> 
> I still want advice on a good editor, though!
> 
> Carol Beigel
>   ----- Original Message ----- 
>   From: JORGE FERNANDEZ 
>   To: disklavier@yahoogroups.com 
>   Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2008 2:12 PM
>   Subject: Re: [disklavier] editing software
> 
> 
>   Hi carol. 
> 
>   First let us remember I am not a musician, MIDI expert, audio
engineer or something near that. I am just an end user of such
programs that likes music. 
> 
>   My opinion is that there is not such single software package.
> 
>   The more powerful they are, the more complex they become, and
always there is single feature that one has, or does it better, than
others. 
> 
>   So, what I do, is to use them in a chain, one after the other
until I have the best results (to my ear). 
> 
>   My projects are a simple hobby and not pro.
> 
>   I like the noise filter of some, but they to no have good sound
after effects. 
> 
>   As you know, rendering MIDI to WAV is sometimes easy, sometimes
complex. Editing audio, cleaning noise, balance sound, mastering,
filtering, etc. is also sometimes easy, sometimes no so. 
> 
>   I even think that if you are considering to have a Mac, you will
not throw away your windows PC; but will have to work with both, one
"performing" and the other recoding, editing a file here, and finish
it there, etc. 
>   They surely will be wired together in LAN, (Analog) AUDIO and MIDI. 
> 
>   So my point is: 3 o 4 (or even more) good simple programs will be
better than a single powerful  (and expensive) one.
> 
>   Get the best Mac tools with a good price, and keep your PC up and
runnig.

Show quoted textHide quoted text

>   -- 
>   Saludos
>   Jorge Fernández
>

Re: [disklavier] Re: editing software

2008-01-18 by JORGE FERNANDEZ

My personal experience, when I received my DKV some years ago, was that after reading the manual, I was more confused than before. It was until I join this