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Scott R. Garrigus' DigiFreq(TM) - The DigiFreq Video Library
ISSN: 1531-6505; Issue 42
Music technology downloads, news, articles, reviews, tips and tutorials for home recording and professional musicians. Over 20,000 readers can't be wrong!
SPONSORED BY: macProVideo Tutorial Videos - 20% discount off all products!
macProVideo has constantly been innovative, inventive and progressive with their training approach. They focus on delivering informative and effective content that is easy to follow. Their training has been accepted by thousands of musicians and engineers, colleges, universities, trade schools, working professionals and users just like you.macProVideo offers both training on disc and digital download, as well as website subscriptions. Find video training for Reason, Mic Techniques, Auto-Tune, FL Studio, Ableton Live, Logic, Cubase, Garageband, Pro Tools and more.
Get any macProVideo tutorials for 20% off! Go to: http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/deals.asp#macProVideo
SCOTT'S NOTES - The DigiFreq Video Library
Yes, DigiFreq is finally getting into the video craze with a brand new section of our website dedicated to providing pro audio and music technology videos. We'll be doing product unboxings, product demos, product tutorials, tips and techniques tutorials, and more. And if you have any ideas on what else you would like us to cover, feel free to give a shout out.In the meantime, the new videos section of the website is up and running, but we've only got a small selection posted there so far. There will be many more and we're hard at work filming, editing, rendering, etc. But you can view what we've done so far by going to: http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/videos.asp
Of course, there's plenty of other great new info in this issue too... new product announcements from Propellerhead, Celemony, iZotope, Garritan, and more. If you're interested in making your gigs more portable, be sure to check out our reviews of the Gemini MS-USB Portable Sound System and the Stanton SCS.4DJ Digital DJ Mixstation. Some new and interesting topics have been started in the DigiFreq forums, and we've got an updated article about customizing the Cakewalk Tools/Utilities menu. Finally, we've included a very useful tip for anyone looking to increase the performance of their Windows Vista/7 PC systems.
SONAR X1 Power! Tips and Techniques
Also, in case you missed it, I'm providing this free edition of the SONAR X1 Power! Tips and Techniques PDF, which includes step-by-step information about performing various music editing tasks with Cakewalk SONAR X1 that all X1 musicians can use.
Techniques in the free PDF include:
* a quick and easy way to export MIDI tracks.
* how to stretch audio with a simple keyboard combination and click/drag of the mouse.
* how to open multiple versions of the same View in SONAR.
* using the Event Inspector for advanced MIDI data editing.
* how to delete multiple measures of a specific selection in a SONAR project.
* how to automate specific data selections using envelopes.
* how to remove vocal "pops" or plosives from your recorded vocal tracks.
* dealing with clip FX tails.
* and more...
Download the free PDF at: http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/download.asp?ID=131
And for more information about the SONAR Power! books, go to: garrigus.com?PowerBooks
Thanks so much for reading DigiFreq! Enjoy the rest of the issue...
Scott
Web: http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ScottRGarrigus
Google+: https://plus.google.com/102848117616851107595/posts
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/garrigus
DFreqDEALS - RealTraps Portable Vocal BoothRealTraps is pleased to announce their product, the Portable Vocal Booth. This clever device mounts on any microphone stand to create a highly controlled environment for recording vocals and spoken narration in acoustically hostile spaces. Unlike other products that are too small to be effective in noisy or live sounding environments, or that color the sound, the RealTraps Portable Vocal Booth is much larger comprising a pair of 2 by 2 foot absorbing panels in a fully adjustable V shape. The integrated base attaches easily and securely to any inexpensive microphone boom stand. The RealTraps Portable Vocal Booth can also be placed directly on a table or other flat surface.
Find more information and get the Portable Vocal Booth for 10% off! Go to: http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/deals.asp#RealTraps
And of course, we still have all the great discount deals from Edgesounds, Samplerbanks, AMG, macProVideo, V-Plugs, Xylote, Ohm Force, IntelliScore, Musicrow, Blue Cat Audio, Groove Monkee, Smart Loops, Live Studio Drums, Acon Digital Media, Precisionsound, and Drums On Demand.
Find these (and more) great deals at:
http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/deals.asp
DFreqNEWS - Propellerhead, Celemony, iZotope, Garritan, Alfred, Groove Monkee, EdgeSoundsSome of the latest music technology news:
Propellerhead Upgrades Reason to 6.5 and Reason Essentials to 1.5 and Opens Rack Extension Store
http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/newsinfo.asp?NewsID=4130
Celemony releases Melodyne editor 2.1
http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/newsinfo.asp?NewsID=4123
Precisionsound releases Hybrid Factory for Kontakt - Get 10% off!
http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/newsinfo.asp?NewsID=4116
iZotope Releases Iris - a New Spectral Synthesis Virtual Instrument
http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/newsinfo.asp?NewsID=4113
New Garritan Instant Orchestra Sound Library Wins Industry Awards
http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/newsinfo.asp?NewsID=4111
Highly Anticipated Led Zeppelin Guitar Method Released by Alfred Music Publishing
http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/newsinfo.asp?NewsID=4108
Groove Monkee Releases Afro-Cuban Percussion MIDI Drum Loops - Get 10% off!
http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/newsinfo.asp?NewsID=4101
EdgeSounds DrumMashines Sound Sample Library Released - Get 10% off!
http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/newsinfo.asp?NewsID=4098
For more of the latest music technology news, go to:
http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/news.asp
Also, be sure to check out the latest consumer technology news at:
http://www.newtechreview.com/newtechreview/
DFreqREVIEWS - EastWest Hollywood Strings, Gemini MS-USB, Stanton SCS.4DJSome of the latest music technology reviews:
Stanton SCS.4DJ Digital DJ Mixstation
Normally, a digital DJ setup requires at least a laptop along with a controller. The controller in a pro setup usually consists of multiple parts. For example, the top-of-the-line Stanton SC System 1 provides three separate pieces for a two-deck system… two platter units and a mixing unit. Now what if you could combine the controller components into a single unit and ditch the laptop altogether? That's what Stanton aims to do with the SCS.4DJ...
Read more: http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/reviewdetails.asp?ProdReviewID=36
Gemini MS-USB Portable Sound System
What do speeches, assemblies, tradeshows, parties, outdoor events and music performances have in common? They all require some type of PA system. Of course, most large events are covered by either in-house PA or a dedicated staff of sound engineers and roadies with truckloads of PA equipment. Small venues and solo performers, however, need something a bit more compact and portable. Enter the MS-USB Portable Sound System from Gemini...
Read more: http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/reviewdetails.asp?ProdReviewID=35
EastWest / Quantum Leap Hollywood Strings
The search for the perfect virtual string sample library has been going on since the dawn of time. Well, maybe not quite that long, but if you're a musician, you know what I mean. Where did it all start? I really have no idea, but for me it was the Emu Proteus/2. This synth/sample playback module was either the first or at least one of the first good-quality orchestral sample libraries. As soon as I heard it, I knew I had to check it out. Fast forward to present day (where we have extremely sophisticated software-based sample playback engines) and I felt exactly the same way when I heard Hollywood Strings from EastWest...
Read more: http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/reviewdetails.asp?ProdReviewID=34
For more of the latest music technology reviews, go to:
http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/reviews.asp
Also, for some of the latest consumer technology reviews, go to:
http://www.newtechreview.com/newtechreview/reviews.asp
DFreqDISCUSS - DigiFreq Rollcall, PC DAW, Audio Routing, Windows 7, NotationSome of the latest technology discussions:
Spring Season 2012 Rollcall...
http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/discuss/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6574
PC DAW - Scott's CS rackXT from Sweetwater
http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/discuss/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3921
Audio Routing for new Muti-effects pedal.
http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/discuss/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6655
Cakewalk SONAR - Can't open project
http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/discuss/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6663
Windows 7 and Sonar 7 Audio Problem
http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/discuss/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6679
Staff View
http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/discuss/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6680
To read up on other interesting topics, or to post and get answers to your own questions, go to:
http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/discuss/
DFreqARTICLES - Customizing The Cakewalk Tools / Utilities MenuSome of the latest music technology articles:
Customizing The Cakewalk Tools / Utilities Menu
Cakewalk SONAR allows you to launch other software applications using the Tools menu. [Ed. Note: In SONAR 8.5 or earlier, it's referred to as the Tools menu, but in SONAR X1 or later, it's referred to as the Utilities menu. For the remainder of this article, I will refer to it as the Tools menu.] For example, if you have an audio editor installed on your computer (such as Sony's Sound Forge), you will see it listed in the Tools menu. This lets you edit your audio data using another program without having to close down the Cakewalk software.
But the Tools menu can also be used to launch any other type of software. Programs like Sound Forge are usually detected by your computer automatically, but for other programs like utilities, you have to add them manually. This is done with a little tweaking of the Windows Registry via the Registry Editor...
Read more: http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/article.asp?ID=2
For more of the latest music technology articles, go to:
http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/articles.asp
DFreqTIPS - Disable Aero in Windows Vista/7 for Better PerformanceSome of the latest music technology tips:
Disable Aero in Windows Vista/7 for Better Performance
You may have heard that the upcoming version of Windows 8 will no longer include the Aero feature. You know... it's the feature that gives you those transparent window backgrounds, fancy animated taskbar previews, etc. Why is it being removed? Well, I don't know all the reasons, but one of them is probably performance. Even though Aero uses your PC's GPU (graphics processing unit) for much of its processing, it also uses the CPU, which means it's hogging performance from both processors. Some people say that this isn't true and that disabling Aero can actually make performance worse. Well, all I can tell you is that I've disabled it on my PCs (both Vista and 7) and they both seem to be more responsive. Your mileage may vary, but if you want to give it try, here's how...
1. Right-click on the Desktop and choose Personalize.
2. If you're using Vista, choose Window Color and Appearance and continue to Step 3. If you're using 7, just scroll down until you see the Basic and High Contrast Themes and choose one. I'm currently using the Windows 7 Basic theme and it works nicely.
3. Continuing with Vista... choose Open Classic Appearance Properties For More Color Options.
4. In the Appearance Settings dialog, choose Windows Vista Basic in the Color Scheme list and click OK.
Windows will make some changes and in a few seconds you should see the new theme. If your PC responds the same as mine, you'll see faster screen updates and your system will be more responsive overall.
Discuss this tip or post some of your own at: http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/discuss/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6693
For more of the latest music technology tips, go to:
http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/tips.asp
DFreqDOWNLOADS - iZotope Vinyl, Audacity Audio EditorSome of the latest music technology downloads:
iZotope Vinyl LP Simulation Effect Plug-In (Mac/Windows - Free)
The ultimate lo-fi weapon, iZotope Vinyl uses 64-bit processing and advanced filtering, modeling and resampling to create authentic "vinyl" simulation, as if the audio was a record being played on a record player.
Download: http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/download.asp?ID=31
Audacity Cross-Platform Audio Editor (Free)
Audacity is a free audio editor. You can record sounds, play sounds, import and export WAV, AIFF, Ogg Vorbis, and MP3 files, and more. Use it to edit your sounds using Cut, Copy and Paste (with unlimited Undo), mix tracks together, or apply effects to your recordings. It also has a built-in amplitude envelope editor, a customizable spectrogram mode and a frequency analysis window for audio analysis applications. Built-in effects include Echo, Change Tempo, and Noise Removal, and it also supports VST and LADSPA plug-in effects.
Download: http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/download.asp?ID=2
For more of the latest music technology downloads, go to:
http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/downloads.asp
DFreqVIDEOS - Reason, SONAR, Line 6 Demos and TutorialsSome of the latest music technology videos:
Propellerhead Reason: Loops for Song Ideas
http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/video.asp?ID=12
Propellerhead Reason: Introducing Rack Extensions
http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/video.asp?ID=10
Cakewalk SONAR: DreamStation Synth Demo
http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/video.asp?ID=9
Line 6 Mobile Keys iPad Demo
http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/video.asp?ID=8
For more of the latest music technology videos, go to:
http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/videos.asp
DFreqFINISH - Got questions? Get Answers in the DigiFreq ForumsYes, I know... there are a lot of music and home recording forums available on the Internet, but the DigiFreq Forums are special. Not only am I there every day, we also have a dedicated group of people that are ready to answer your questions.
Yes, I know... you probably already have a favorite forum at which to hang out on a regular basis, but the DigiFreq Forums are special. They are open, friendly, and free of junk or troublemakers.
Suffice it to say... if you're reading the DigiFreq newsletter, but not visiting the Forums, then you are missing out on a big part of the services that DigiFreq provides for you. Go to the forums today and register for your free account:
Register at: http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/discuss/policy.asp
Main Forums page: http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/discuss/
Come on over to hang out, make new friends, and share your thoughts... and of course, get answers to any questions you may have.
Thanks and I'll see you there!
Scott
Web: http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ScottRGarrigus
Google+: https://plus.google.com/102848117616851107595/posts
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/garrigus
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DISCLAIMER
DigiFreq(TM) is provided for informational purposes only. Any damage resulting from the use of the information herein is the sole responsibility of the reader.
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Copyright 2012 by Scott R. Garrigus. All Rights Reserved.
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