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Issue 12 has been published! Here's what you'll find in this issue: 1. Scott's Notes - DigiFreq Deals 2. DFreqCONTEST - Plasma 3. DFreqNEWS - Live, NTONYX, SparkME, e.Digital, Encore, and more 4. DFreqDISCUSS - Gate Effect with Trigger Input 5. DFreqFEATURE - Nix the Noise from Your Recordings 6. DFreqSHAREWARE - Pristine Sounds 2000 & AudioMulch 7. DFreqFREEWARE - DXMan & AutoTune 8. DFreqBUYWARE - Sound Forge 5 9. DFreqREVIEWS - Plasma, 3DDelays, LiveSynth, and LX6 10. DFreqTIP - Vary Your Vocals with Sound Forge 11. DFreqFUN - Dictionaraoke 12. DFreqNEXT - Getting More from General MIDI 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! Also, check out the announcements from Dissidents and NTONYX in News. |
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If you're using Steinberg's Cubase, you'll be happy to know that they've recently released the 5.1 update for all three versions: VST, VST Score, and VST/32. There are some new modules and effects, along with a number of bug fixes. You can download the free update here. And if you're interested in Cakewalk's new Plasma software, check out the write-up I've posted in Reviews. I've also posted some announcements from NTONYX and Vintage Audio in News. |
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IK Multimedia recently released version 1.1 of the free version of their SampleTank product. As it says on their site, "SampleTank FREE is a fully working freeware version of SampleTank 1.1 offering all the advantage of the full version (including 16 channels multitimbrality, up to 128 notes polyphony, 4 effects per voice selectable from amongst 20 DSP effects, PIII and G4 optimization and multiprocessor compatibility) and it will able to play a range of free instruments which will be published and updated monthly here." Sounds pretty cool to me. I haven't actually had a chance to try it yet, but I figured you might want to know about it. You can click here to download it. Then be sure to post your thoughts in the DigiFreq Discussion board. Also, I've posted some announcements from NTONYX and SoUnDEnGiNe.com in News. |
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Hmmm... let's see. What's happening today? Oh, yeah... the new 5.0e update for Sound Forge is now available for free download! :-) It fixes a number of bugs, and adds support for ACID 3 as well as Windows XP. Although I mentioned this yesterday, it's worth mentioning again. I've posted a review of 3DDelays from SpinAudio. It's a very cool product. Check it out. I've also posted some announcements from TASCAM, M-Audio, Native Instruments, and TC Works in News. Have a great weekend! |
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Remember a few issues back I mentioned trying to get some discounts from manufacturers that were arranged specifically for DigiFreqers? Well, I'm proud to announce the first two DigiFreq Deals! All DigiFreqers can now get 20% off the LiveSynth Pro DXi and 10% off the 3DDelays/Spin Audio Pro Bundle. I've posted reviews of each product, and at the bottom of each review page is a special link that will allow you to receive the special discounts. I hope you enjoy them, and there will be more to come! Thanks for all your continued support, and for being a part of the DigiFreq family! |
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Hey DigiFreqers! I've just launched my latest newsletter and web site. It's called NewTechReview. It's similar in format to DigiFreq but while DigiFreq is dedicated to covering music technology, NewTechReview covers other new technology such as computer hardware/software, high-tech gadgets, etc. I figured that since you're interested in music technology, you'd probably be interested in other technology as well. So check out the NewTechReview web site and be sure to sign-up for the free newsletter! Also, check out the announcements I've posted from Sony, e.Digital, and Steinberg in News. |
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Many people have been wondering what happened to the Cakewalk Newsgroups. They're still there and in the same place, although it may seem like you can't access them. Why? Because behind the scenes, Cakewalk moved the newsgroups to new servers, but the name of the server and the newsgroup names remain the same. So how do you access them now? You need to reset your newsgroup subscriptions. Using your newsgroup reader software, simply unsubscribe to all the Cakewalk newsgroups, and then resubscribe again. That should get you back in action. Of course, you can also post your music technology questions in the DigiFreq Discussion area. :-) I'll see ya there. In the meantime, there's more announcements for you from MusicLab, Steinberg, and Midiman in News. |
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Hey! Are there any DigiFreqers out there living in Florida, USA that like to party? :-) If so, you might want to check out the Audio Playground Synthesizer Museum Analogue Heaven Party. They are celebrating their 10 year anniversary. The party is open to the public but it won't be happening until the 25th and 26th of May 2002 (next year). I figured you might want to know about it ahead of time though. :-) For more information, go to their site. In the meantime, check out the new announcements from TDK, GVOX, and Bias in News. |
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Another update patch has been released for Cakewalk's Sonar software. I guess the 1.3 release caused a few problems for some people. I'm glad Cakewalk was quick to release this fix. Sonar is now up to version 1.3.1. You can grab the update in the downloads section of the Cakewalk web site. This update provides the following fixes: * "Not a Cakewalk format file" error when loading certain SONAR 1.3 projects. Users who have experienced this can open their files in 1.3.1. * Abnormal program termination while previewing in the Loop Explorer view. * Missing right-button context menu in the Staff View. * Abnormal program termination when exiting the Step Record dialog box. * Prevent negative crop duration's from being stored. I've also got some more announcements for you from Imation, Ableton, Cakewalk, and MultiLoops in News. Happy Halloween! :-) |
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Are you using Cakewalk's PYRO software for your CD burning tasks? If so, then you should be aware that there is now a free 1.5 update available for download from their site. But it won't be free for long, so grab it now while you can. After November 5th, you will have to pay $9.95 to get the update. This update provides a number of features including: * Supports Windows 2000, Win XP, Win ME (Pyro 1.5 does not support Win 95) * Burns MP3 data CD's (stores files in MP3 or WMA format) * Resizable window - great if you have a big monitor or a high screen resolution. * Supports almost all CD-R drives with new technology * Many bug fixes Also, more announcements are waiting for you from TEAC, SpinAudio, PSP, Sonic Foundry, and MultiLoops in News. |
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Windows XP has arrived. I should be getting my hands on a copy in the near future. In the meantime, have you decided whether or not you'll be upgrading? Well, to help you make your decision, I've rounded up a number of resources that I think you'll find useful. The first is a site called Cheaper Windows. This site is dedicated to searching the Net to find the cheapest Windows XP prices. Before you buy, you might want to check it out. Next, you'll want to take at look at CNET's Windows XP Superguide for all kinds of information, including a review of WinXP, tips and tricks, and more. Microsoft has also put together an official Windows XP site, although keep in mind that they probably won't be providing any unbiased opinions about their own product. :-) And finally, be sure to join Woody's Windows XP Watch for tips and tricks about the new OS by sending a blank e-mail to winxp@woodyswatch.com. All those resources should provide you with enough information to help you make your Windows XP purchasing decisions. Also, I've got some announcements for you from MusicMatch, SpeedSoft, MusicLab, and KRK in News. |
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Yep, I'm still here. I know some of you were wondering what happened since I haven't posted for a few days. Not to worry. I've just been working on some new projects, although I can't say anything about them yet. :-) In the meantime, since my Sonar review was published in EM, many people have been asking where I got those WDM drivers for the Sound Blaster Live card. You can download them at this web site. Please be aware, however, that Creative does not support these drivers since they are unofficial, and I can not provide support for the drivers either. I'm no longer using them. You're on your own here, so try them at your own risk. If you're wondering what I'm using to play SoundFonts now, you might want to check out the LiveSynth Pro review that I recently posted. With this product, you can use any sound card to play SoundFonts. I really enjoy using it. The product is definitely a better alternative to the Sound Blaster Live. And as always, I've also got some announcements for you from Archos Technology, Cambridge SoundWorks, and Image-Line in News. |
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Well, it looks like MP3.com has finally hit bottom. Of course, many people knew this was going to happen after Vivendi Universal bought them out. Now it seems that Vivendi is bent on alienating all the indie artists who have their music posted on the site as well. In a recent announcement, Vivendi has pretty much made the Payback-for-Playback program useless. Instead of the 3 to 4 cents that artists have been getting for each song play, they will now only receive a half cent for each play. Click here to read the MusicDish article on this topic. Because of this, many artists are planning to leave the service. Some are even trying to organize a mass exodus, which will basically ensure the demise of MP3.com as an indie artist service. Here's another MusicDish article that covers this topic. Such a shame. And yet another reason for the public to hate large corporations, publishers, and record companies. Do you think they will ever learn to treat their artists with respect rather than worrying more about filling their pockets? I doubt it. Click here to talk about this subject in the DigiFreq Discussion area. I've also got some announcements for you from TC Works, Cycling '74, and Pocketfuel in News. Have a good weekend! |
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If you plan on building a new audio PC, you may be wondering what CPU (Central Processing Unit) to go with: Pentium 4 or the new AMD Athlon XP. Well, personally, I've always stuck with Intel chips, but this new Athlon XP is looking pretty good. During my research I came upon a number of information resources for the Athlon, and I thought you would find them informative. First, there's the official Athlon XP web site. Of course, this site is sponsored by AMD, the company that makes the chip, so it's not exactly an unbiased source, but still very informative. Next, is the first look report by TechTV that provides a brief but informative glance at the new technology. Then you'll also want to read CNET's reviews of two new computer systems that sport the new chip: the ABS Performance XP and the Polywell Poly 880XP-1800. Finally, be sure to check out the very in-depth review of the Athlon XP presented by AnandTech. All that info should help you make your CPU purchasing decision. Also, there's some new announcements for you from Roxio and Alera Technologies in News. |
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Cakewalk has released the 1.3 update patch for SONAR. Hurray! This patch clears up a number of bugs that were in the initial release. It also adds some new features, such as dual mode gain and pan controls, envelope scaling options, a view toolbar for easier navigation in the track view, and even the extract timing feature is back. I'll be going into more detail about this update in the next issue of DigiFreq. In the meantime, click here for a complete list of new features and to download the new update. In addition to the Cakewalk info, I've got some more announcements for you from Shure, LiveUpdate, MusicLab, and Sound Quest in News. |
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The holiday shopping season is coming, and if you plan on having Santa bring you a new audio PC based on the Pentium 4 processor, you might want to clue him in as to what type of memory he should include in the machine. The Pentium 4 now supports no less than three different types of RAM: RDRAM, SDRAM, and DDR SDRAM. It can be a bit confusing trying to choose the right type to find the best balance between performance and price. Luckily, I found this great article that discusses all the options we as consumers have available when it comes to selecting RAM for a Pentium 4 system. If you're considering a Pentium 4, then click here to read this article before you make your memory choice. I've also got some announcements for you from Intel, Altec Lansing, Cakewalk, and EMU in News. |
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I've talked a number of times about the new upcoming Windows XP and provided a number of resources in case you plan on upgrading. If you missed them, just click on Older Notes at the bottom of this page to see all the past Scott's Notes entries. I've found another WinXP resource you might be interested in, although it's not really related to music technology. Microsoft is webcasting a program that will cover the new Windows XP command-line tools and troubleshooting utilities. If you like to really delve into the nitty-gritty aspects of the OS, then you might enjoy this. The webcast will air Thursday, October 11, 2001: 10:00 A.M. Pacific daylight time. Click here for more info. If you're looking for a new audio/MIDI interface for your PC, you might want to take a look at the new LX6 from Aardvark. It's a nice little box that provides lots of power. Check out my evaluation of the product in Reviews. And I've got some announcements from MP3 Factory Direct, Kenton Electronics, and IK Multimedia in News. All that info should keep you busy till Monday. :-) Have a great weekend! |
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When I first built my current PC, I didn't really have any guidelines to follow as to how to keep the system quiet. The only thing I did know was that the case fan was way too loud and needed to be replaced. That was an easy fix though. I just ordered a new very quiet fan from quietpc.com and installed it in place of the current fan. It made a major difference. But I've always wondered what else I could do to make my system even quieter. Well, I found this short but sweet article about adjustments that can be made to keep PC noise to a minimum and I figured you might enjoy it too. Click here to read it. Also, I've got a bunch of new announcements from MusicLab, Sonic Foundry, First International Digital, and TerraTec in News. |
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The October 2001 issue of Electronic Musician magazine has hit the stands, and I'm in it, twice! :-) First, you can check out my review of Cakewalk's Sonar software. Just because I wrote the Sonar Power book, doesn't mean I can't write an objective review. Keep in mind, I didn't know about the current bugs in the software. It seemed that most were squashed by the 1.02 update Cakewalk had released. But there are still a few more bugs that need to be ironed out, and I know that Cakewalk is working on a 1.03 update. They haven't set a release date yet though. I'll let you know as soon as they do. Electronic Musician also published a great review of my Sound Forge Power book in the same issue. Click here to read it. And I've got some announcements for you from D-Link, LinPlug, SEK'D, and Pocket Fuel in News. |
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Cakewalk is now shipping their new Plasma software. The reason I know is because I just received my copy. :-) It seems to be a scaled-down version of Sonar, but it sports the Plasma FXPad - a joystick-controlled multi-effects plug-in. I'm going to test out the software and post a review in the near future. In the meantime, Digital Media Net has posted a review of my Sonar Power book. They had a lot of nice things to say. If you're interested, click here to check it out. I've also got some new announcements for you from CreamWare, Digidesign, and GMedia Music in News. I'm feeling a bit better now. I think my cold is finally starting to subside. I'm going to take it easy for the next few days so I can kick this thing. So, I hope you have a good weekend, and I'll see ya on Monday! |
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Whew! All copies of the current issue have been sent out. If you didn't get yours, it could mean one of two things. Either your email address is no longer valid or your email inbox was full. If your address is not valid, it gets removed from the list and you need to sign up for a new free subscription. If your inbox is full, you need to empty it before you can receive any new email. In either case, if you'd like to get a copy of the current issue, just go to the Issues section. You can download it from there. Also, it looks like the Digitonix Element link that I mentioned in the DFreqFREEWARE section of the newsletter is no longer working. Sorry about that. I can't control whether other sites will be available or not. The trouble may just be temporary, so you might want to try the link again in the future. And I've got some announcements for you from Bantam, Polk Audio, MixMeister, and MusicMatch in News. Now I'm off to answer some more posts in the Discussion area. See ya there! |
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I'm not feeling very well this week. Somehow I caught a bad cold. Must be something that's going around. So you probably won't be seeing much of me in the web cam, but I'll still be updating the site. Right now I'm busy sending out the current issue to everyone. That's almost done. Then I'll probably start work on the new Discussion area. In the meantime, I've got some announcements from Waves, Syntiac, Fender, and J.River for you in News. PS. If you sent me e-mail recently and you haven't heard back from me yet, it's because I'm going a little slower than usual. Don't worry, though. I'll get back to you by the end of the week. Thanks! |
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Issue 11 has been published! Here's what you'll find in this issue: 1. Scott's Notes - The DigiFreq web site! 2. DFreqCONTEST - BBE Sonic Maximizer 3. DFreqNEWS - Plextor, MusicMatch, Plasma, Ozone, B4, and more... 4. DFreqDISCUSS - Drum Tracks 5. DFreqFEATURE - Sequencer Techniques (Part 2) 6. DFreqSHAREWARE - ClickFix for CoolEdit, crusher-X 7. DFreqFREEWARE - Digitonix Element, SynFactory 8. DFreqBUYWARE - Cakewalk Home Studio 2002 9. DFreqREVIEWS - BBE Sonic Maximizer 10. DFreqTIP - Extracting the Lead Vocal 11. DFreqFUN - Vintage Synth Explorer 12. DFreqTOPIC - Cakewalk Q&A (Part 4) 13. DFreqNEXT - Let's Talk About Noise! 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! |
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Windows XP will soon be here and although I'm not a fan of product activation, I'll still probably being giving the OS a whirl once it hits the market. Well, whenever I upgrade my PC OS, I like to tweak it so that I can customize it for my own needs and get the highest performance out of it as possible. I found a very cool and informative web site that provides all kinds of information about making changes to the new upcoming version of Windows. If you're planning on moving to Windows XP, you'll want to check out this site called TweakXP.com. Also be sure to check out the new announcements from Sonic Network, Innovative Music Systems, and SONICblue in News. |
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Because of the raw computer power now available to just about everyone, and the relatively low cost when compared to hardware, many musicians are turning to software synths for the production of sounds and music. Well, if you're into using software synths in your studio, you may be interested in a site I found that provides free banks and patches for many of the popular softsynths out there. The site is called Virtual Plugin Instrument Resources. And I've got some new announcements from Wenger Corp, miniMusic, and ECI in News. |
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Someone asked me recently about how they could make their computer a little quieter. In particular, they were having trouble with the cooling fan. I told them about how I had the same problem when I built my current system. The fan that came with the case was outrageously loud. So what did I do? I replaced it with one of the cooling fans available from Quiet PC. It made a huge difference. So anyway, I figured I would share that bit of knowledge with you. Also, a write-up of the new BBE Sonic Maximizer DirectX plug-in has been added to Reviews. And there are some announcements from Sound Quest, Native Instruments, and KDS in News. |
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Sonic Foundry released the 5.0d update for Sound Forge. It fixes a variety of bugs and adds support for ACID 3.0. If you're a registered user, you can download the update for free here. I also found some more information for those of you interested in the new Windows XP that will be coming around shortly. First, there's a free Windows XP FAQ that you can download over at XPreme Magazine. In addition, Microsoft has put together a list of Web sites that are providing all kinds of information on the new version of Windows. You can find the list here. And I've got some more product announcements for you from Dan Dean Productions and LinPlug Virtual Instruments in News. |
| A day of mourning... the United States of America was maliciously attacked today. An act of both cowardice and terrorism. This day will be forever remembered and archived here in the Notes section of DigiFreq. All the DigiFreqers out there, please join me in a moment of prayer for those who lost their lives in today's attacks, and for the families of those victims. God bless. |
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Lot's of things to talk about today... first, I have confirmed with the fine folks at Cakewalk that there is indeed a 1.03 update for Sonar in the works, but a release date hasn't been set yet. As soon as it is, you can bet you'll hear it here first. Also, if you're using Cakewalk's Sonar, you can download a new batch of patches for the DreamStation DXi. Just click here to go grab them. And lastly, the MIDI Manufacturers Association announced a new music file format called XMF (eXtensible Music Format). XMF is designed for wireless and web-based interactive audio applications. The XMF specification allows existing and complimentary music formats for music and sound generation (such as Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI), Standard MIDI Files (SMF), General MIDI (GM), and the Down-Loadable Samples (DLS) formats) to be packaged together in a single, easily managed, web-friendly file for use on a wide variety of playback devices. To find out more, go here. Also, there are some new announcements from Adventus, Epinoisis Software, and NTONYX in News. |
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It's almost time, yet again, for another version of Windows to hit the market. Windows XP will soon be here - this October to be exact. You may be wondering whether you should upgrade your audio PC to take advantage of this new technology. Well, before you make the leap, be sure to check out this article called What's the Deal with Windows XP - 10 Things You Need to Know Before you Upgrade. I also found another cool site that provides an online check for Windows XP. This free tool will test your system to see if it's ready to run the new OS. You can run the test at the PC Pitstop. Now aren't you glad you visit DigiFreq every day? Who would want to miss out on all this great info? :-) |
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