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Can any one recommend good recording software


kieron

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hi

 

i have been having real problems with cubasis V5 and want to get an alternative software programme

is there any out there where you can step record without using midi i.e. the sound on your keyboard is recorded not the midi sound?

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Keiron

 

There is no such thing as MIDI sound. The way step recording works in most hosts is similar. The sound is generated by the Generator you are connected to. If you are not connected to on, your notes will get recorded, but there will be no sound associated with it.

 

That said, what is your budget? The number of affordable solutions available is quite extensive? What features are you seeking?

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You didn't mention Mac or PC, but Cakewalk Home Studio might be a good choice for PC.. It's inexpensive, and will do most anything you need (if not you can always upgrade to SONAR)

 

As progfusion74 said, there is no such thing as midi "sound" - MIDI is only a set of instructions (stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface) - instructions that tell your keyboard, or your synth, tone generator or software, what tone to play, for how long, how loud etc.

 

If you want to record the sound of your "midi keyboard" as Audio and not MIDI, you would create an Audio Track (rather than a MIDI track) in Cakewalk (or similar in any sequencer) and take the 1/4" output from the keyboard (or if is cheap and has no such thing, the headphones out, or even put a mic in front of it) -so that you are recording audio - that is, the actual sounds generated by your keyboard when it followed the "instructions" in the MIDI signal..

 

The fundamental difference between a midi track and an audio track within the software is that the audio track is just that - it's audio, it takes up a considerable amount of hard drive space depending on the sample quality and while you can apply effects, you can't change the instrument all together or anything.

 

since a midi track is just a track full of "instructions" for telling a piece of hardware how to make a certain noise, you can easilly change the patch on a midi track to change it from piano to sax, to drums, to whatever, because it's instructions you are changing, not recorded sound.

 

hope that made sense!

 

-Paul

"You look hopefully for an idea and then you're humble when you find it and you wish your skills were better. To have even a half-baked touch of creativity is an honor."

-- Ernie Stires, composer

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Also look at Audacity.

It's a very easy to use recording program that should work very well for your needs. I personally like it better than Traktion in it's ease of use and learning curve.

 

A plus. It's also free.

 

Our Joint

 

"When you come slam bang up against trouble, it never looks half as bad if you face up to it." The Duke...

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Before you buy anything else and get frustrated again, you may want to study up on how MIDI and multitimbral keyboards work. I have a feeling (although you didn't really tell us what the problem is) that the issue is with Local Off and a multitimbral setup.

"For instance" is not proof.

 

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hi

 

thank you for your response. The problem i am having is when i record in real time to the click everything seems fine. Dont worry i can play in time.

When i play what i have recorded back it is all out of time by a mile and the score reflects this. this is also the case if i am using one the VST plugins for example the Acoustic guitar. Now it is impossible to play that out of time as it automatically plays in time to the click.

 

Please help me

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I like n-Track , and at the price of $49, it's worth trying even if you end up going elsewhere. Plus you can download it and try it in 16-bit mode, with minor annoyances, without paying (shareware). 24-bit version is $75.

 

Audacity is the wrong kind of program for recording and mixing songs. It's a wave editor, where any affect you apply happens immediately and is applied to the wave file (or creates a new one). The settings you used for effects, etc., aren't saved. This doesn't support the new methodology of mixing (new since about 1985, that is) where you set up a mix and tweak it until it works, with all your settings remembered and nothing committed (unless you want to).

 

Another cheap program that I've heard good things about is Multitrack Studio, which you can get here . I don't know what it costs to register.

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Originally posted by kieron:

When i play what i have recorded back it is all out of time by a mile and the score reflects this.

This happens if you use the "Legacy" Steinberg software like Cubasis on newer Windows versions such as Windows 2000 or XP.

 

These newer Windows versions have a new software component called DirectMusic. Your MIDI interface then provides a driver which makes use of the new DirectMusic functionality.

 

Now, when an older app opens its MIDI ports it does so using the old "legacy" MIDI functions in Windows. This causes the system to emulate the old functionality via the DirectMusic functions.

 

The result of this is often bad MIDI timing, as you encounter.

 

Here you find a Steinberg knowledge base article covering this issue.

 

Unfortunately, only recent Steinberg software like Cubase SX/SL/SE can handle this correctly, therefore the workaround they mention in that article cannot be applied to older software like Cubasis.

 

If you like to stay with Steinberg, you could try Cubase SE which is quite cheap, or Cubase SL which is a stripped-down Cubase SX and doesn't cost much.

 

I, personally, use Cubase SX version 2.2 which I am very happy with. I know, on the Cubase Forum there are a lot of people complaining about bugs and problems so one gets the impression that Cubase SX is nothing but crap. However, it is not, at least not for me. I have a quite dated Pentium III 1.2 GHz PC which is capable to handle 30-something audio tracks, all with EQ, some with dynamics and delays, without any problem. I can then take my projects over to my PowerBook and continue mixing there, works like a charm.

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Have been using Cubase SX and Nuendo...both function without any hassles and have served me well.

Work pre dominantly in the Audio realm and do very little MIDI based work...and so for Audio related work, will certainly vouch for Cubase SX & Nuendo

Vinay Vincent,

BASE Studios

 

"Live Jazz friday nights at The Zodiac Bar"

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