Scott R. Garrigus' DigiFreq - Free music technology news, reviews, tips and techniques!

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My main recording tool these days is my PC. It is the central piece of equipment in my studio because I use it to record, play, and edit my music, as well as control all the devices in my studio. Suffice it to say, I want to be able to squeeze every bit of performance out of my PC as I can. So I was delighted to find a cool resource on the Web that lists all the startup programs that you can safely remove from your system in order to increase performance. The site is called Start-Up Applications.

Also, check out the latest announcements from Ahead Software, Net4Music, SpinAudio, SEK'D, and SONICblue in News.

I just love it when the supply for a product far outweighs the demand because that means I can get that product very cheaply. Case in point: if you're in the market for a new CDRW drive, now is the time to buy one... "Move over, PC price wars: Right now there's an equally intense battle for your dollars on the CD-RW drive front. Though the downward price spiral has been going on for months, competition has heated up as next-generation 20X and 24X CD-RW drives hit the market, forcing vendors to sell off existing inventories." Click here to read the whole article.

Also, Native Instruments and SpinAudio have some new products they want you to hear about. Check out the News.

Because of yesterday's webcam picture showing the compact disc laser lens cleaner, some of you were asking where you could get one. You should be able to find one at most electronics stores. The one I have is from a company called Bib Audio/Video Products Limited. I'm not sure if they have a web site.

If you're wondering how the disc works, here's a quote from the description on the back of the jewel case: A specially designed brush system ensures thorough and reliable cleaning without any harm to the sensitive coated lens. As the Cleaning Disc rotates, the brushes remove unwanted foreign matter by means of a wave action generated by the rotating disc.

It looks like the Sound Blaster Live is going the way of the dinosaurs. Creative has just introduced a new line of sound cards called Sound Blaster Audigy. The specs of this new line look pretty cool though. They've completely redesigned the audio architecture so that these new cards supposedly deliver 24-bit, 96kHz audio with 100dB signal-to-noise ratio. There are four new cards in the line: the Sound Blaster Audigy Platinum eX, Sound Blaster Audigy Platinum, Sound Blaster Audigy MP3+ and Sound Blaster Audigy X-Gamer. I wonder if they'll live up to the hype? For more information, check out the News.

I found an interesting article on the lifespan of CD media. Did you know that different types/brands of CDR discs have different lifespans? The article is written by Fred Langa. Fred does a very good job of covering the different types of discs on the market, and shows which ones last the longest. He also covers the types of damage than can occur to any discs, especially if not stored properly. Click here to check out the article.

And be sure to check the News on a daily basis. If you don't, then you're missing out. For example, if you own Infinity 2.0 from Sound Quest, did you know that there's a free update available?

I've added a new feature to the site called Recommend. This gives you an easy way to tell all your friends about DigiFreq. Although DigiFreq is a free publication, I still need your support in order to make it one of the best music technology newsletters on the Net. This support can come in the form of suggestions, participation, and (most importantly) spreading the word about DigiFreq to all your friends and coworkers. I really appreciate any help that you can provide. Please click here to recommend DigiFreq to a friend today. Thanks!

Whenever I send out an issue of DigiFreq, I get a lot of e-mail with questions and feedback, etc. And I think that's great! I love getting e-mail from my fellow DigiFreqers. :-) One question in particular was about Sonic Foundry's CD Architect. In the current issue, I mentioned that CD Architect is no longer on the market. Many of you wanted to know if there's a viable alternative out there. Well, I haven't really found one yet, but I'm looking into a program called Nero from Ahead Software (www.nero.com). I've heard a lot of good things about it, but I don't know if it's quite as powerful as CD Architect. So, I'm going to get my hands on a copy and post a review in the near future. Maybe even in the next issue of DigiFreq.

In the meantime, there's a lot of news brewing in the music technology world. I've posted announcements from Cakewalk, Sonic Foundry, Aardvark, and Wave Arts. Check them out in News.

Issue 10 has been published! Here's what you'll find in this issue:

1. Scott's Notes - Smart Loops & Sequencer Techniques
2. DFreqCONTEST - PowerFX
3. DFreqNEWS - AfterBurner, DR-008, SoUnDEnGiNe, Infinity 2, & more
4. DFreqDISCUSS - Creating and Saving Groove Clips
5. DFreqFEATURE - Sequencer Techniques (Part 1)
6. DFreqSHAREWARE - MP3 Collector and GuitarBot
7. DFreqFREEWARE - Burn To The Brim and LoopAZoid 1.22
8. DFreqBUYWARE - Acid DJ 2.0
9. DFreqTOPIC - Cakewalk Q&A (Part 3)
10. DFreqTIP - Eliminating the Lead Vocal
11. DFreqFUN - Song Fight!
12. DFreqCORRECTIONS - Running Sound Forge 5.0 & 4.5 Simultaneously
13. DFreqNEXT - The new DigiFreq Web site (finally!)

To read this issue, you need to be a subscriber. If you're not already, just fill in the subscription form at the top of this page. It's free!

Because of yesterday's webcam picture, many of you were asking what brand of CD-R discs that I use. Well, up until recently I was using the Ricoh Platinum discs, and I still use them on occasion. They've never really given me any problems. But lately I've started using the Mitsui Silver discs. I really like them. Not only because I've found them to be reliable (no coasters yet), but also because if you get the unbranded variety (no labeling on the front), you can pop your own labels on there without having the printing show through. It looks a bit more professional that way.

So what have I been burning lately you ask? Well, that will have to remain a secret for now. But I promise that you'll find out in the near future. :-) Until then, I've posted some SEK'D product info in News.

I've been hard at work on the DigiFreq web site adding new features, one of which you can see right on the home page. It's the new Today's Tip feature! Each day there will be a new tip for you to read. How's that for an incentive to visit the site every day? :-) Not only that, but these tips are not the same as the ones you'll find in the DigiFreq newsletter. So now you've got two great sources of info.

Speaking of info... I've also updated the News today. Fxpansion, Native Instruments, and MultiLoops have some cool product announcements.

I just received my copy of Home Studio 2002 from Cakewalk. I haven't had a chance to try it out yet, but from what it shows on the box, it looks like a good bang for your buck product. I'll be posting a review here on the site in the near future. In the meantime, check out today's News.

Amazon.com is having a huge sale on all their books, and you can get all my books at 30% off. That's only $20.96 each! What a deal! Check them out... SONAR Power! * Sound Forge Power! * Cakewalk Power!

Check out the News section I just added to the site. You'll find announcements about new product releases as well as other related music technology information. Be sure to visit the News section and this home page every day for updates!

Thank you so much! You guys and gals are incredible. Because of your support, we were able to push the Amazon.com sales ranking for SONAR Power all the way up to 239 (with 1 being the highest). That's out of a possible 2,000,000 books listed on that site. As I always say, DigiFreqers rule!

Issue 9 is here! Boy, do I have a lot of info for you. Not only that, but I'm giving away a free copy of SONAR XL, and my new SONAR Power book is out! Here's what you'll find in this issue:

1. Scott's Notes - SONAR Power!
2. DFreqCONTEST - SONAR XL
3. DFreqNEWS - $50 Gift, SF Praise, Seagate, mp3PRO, ProRec
4. DFreqDISCUSS - MIDI Channel Changing
5. DFreqTOPIC - Sound Forge Tips & Tweaks
6. DFreqSHAREWARE - Audio Tools and Stereo Enhancer
7. DFreqFREEWARE - Global Audio Control and iBeat
8. DFreqBUYWARE - Magix Audio Cleaning Lab
9. DFreqTOPIC - Cakewalk Q&A (Part 2)
10. DFreqTIP - Modify your Virtual Memory
11. DFreqSTORY - My SONAR Demo Adventure by Louis Zack
12. DFreqREVIEWS - Guitar Method 1 & 2, Teach Me Piano
13. DFreqFUN - Rock School
14. DFreqCORRECTIONS - Cakewalk MIDI Metronome
15. DFreqNEXT - The new DigiFreq Web site

To read this issue, you need to be a subscriber. If you're not already, just click here to get your own FREE subscription to DigiFreq!

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