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Tezza

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Everything posted by Tezza

  1. Looks like a good package 96/192khz wav files. Lots of selections of sounds within each package, would like to know what the installation/authorization process is for this package, can't find info on it anywhere. If anyone knows?
  2. Although it's good to do these long form courses I've also found that when I'm doing stuff in the DAW I will sometimes also run my TV connected to Youtube. Then when I want to do something in the DAW or use some function of a third party plugin I haven't used before, I just ask about it on the TV remote mic and up pops a video explaining it.
  3. 9 hours, pretty good, I'm a video course addict and love Udemy's drop pricing on some great courses. It does pay to watch the preview video's of the course and any other free ones that are sometimes indicated in the course structure to get a good idea of what it's like first. Sometimes there's annoying hard to understand accents or wasteful talking or using plugins that are third party and not included with studio one or using a different version of studio one to the one you have, all things to check out. Also I've found treating it like professional education ie creating a time frame to finish it like one hour a day or so and committing to finishing it, whatever happens. I don't use studio one but I have version 3, I don't mind doing courses on other DAW's because it's all learning about the same thing anyway and a lot of the knowledge you gain can be transferred over to the DAW you use. Sometimes I find that other DAW's will do something that I thought mine couldn't then I find that it can, all good learning.
  4. Sounds like you are using dynamic microphones into run of the mill audio interfaces. They don't handle dynamic mics that well, it causes you to turn up the gain on the preamp which can lead to harshness. Perhaps the RME is better for this? I have the same problem running an SM58 into my UR44 directly. The cloudlifter solutions apparently do work, plenty of podcasters use them with the sm7b for example. They also introduce a little noise but it seems the opinion is that the trade off is in favor of the cloud lifter, rather than running the gain super high on the audio interface preamp. I haven't yet tried one myself so can't give a personal opinion but have been considering one for some narration and also to lay down scatch vocals for songs, since I can only use the condenser mics at certain times due to them picking up every conceivable noise during the day. The cloudlifter devices provide about 25db gain on a dynamic mic so they say, and run from the phantom power on your audio interface, you plug it in on the end of the mic or somewhere between the mic and the audio interface depending on what model you get.
  5. Just remember to tell your neighbors that their lights might go dim every time you start your computer!
  6. Most would probably say that having long hair has nothing to do with whether you are a good musician or not. I have had my hair crew cut for some years but decided to grow it longer. As it gets longer, I am feeling a renewed confidence in my musicianship skills. Maybe it's because when I was playing out in bands all the time, I had long hair and I am drawing on some psychologically ingrained view of self that calls on that history to make me feel more comfortable. I just find that it feels more comfortable to play guitar and piano with long hair as opposed to a crew cut. It's not really long, I'm at the annoying middle stage where the back is about shoulder length and the sides will need some time to catch up. I only need to grow it all to shoulder length. There's definitely a change in how I am approaching music but I worry I may not be able to edit video anymore since video editors seem to have short hair.
  7. I would get one if the new one's looked like this, but to me the new ones they are putting out just look like a rosewood fretboard that hasn't been oiled in 20 years. Horrible light, dry, parched color. Completely destroys it, I would rather choose maple. I like dark rosewood fretboards and before anyone suggests it, no, I wont be putting stain or boot polish on a new fretboard to make it darker like some are doing. I'll stick to older secondhand strat's and tele's with nice dark rosewood. Kenny, how come yours looks so dark and rich?
  8. Yes, dust can be a pain, especially if it finds it's way into the ram slot grooves (aside from shorting out the motherboard). I've had 2 occasions in the past where the computer was playing up, not starting properly or the BSOD and that was due to dust in the ram slots. You should be able to get much better performance out of your computer than you have been quoting. I still have only a 3rd gen i5 and 8 gigs of ram and I have to look for excuses to upgrade because it runs so well, I don't find any limitations except the GUI of some VSTI's is sometimes slow to load since I put KU13 on. I can run 40 to 50 tracks and that is all I need but most of my projects are smaller that that, around 20 to 30. 2 instances of addictive drums, 2 instances of Battery 3, about 8 - 15 tracks of Kontakt and other synths and then 10 - 20 for audio. Your system is more powerful than mine, so you should be able to do better than this. I do have 3 internal SSD's in my system and I know that makes a difference because it didn't run anywhere near as well with one HD, even 2. But the 3 SSD thing really got it going. Also, I have a 6gb dedicated graphics card which has helped me out with low amount of ram. You say you have "standard hard drives" can I ask what you mean by that. Maybe the hard drive issue is contributing to the problem.
  9. You went out and spent 5k on a keyboard just to prove the premise of this thread, I'm touched! That's quite an investment but I bet the sounds are awesome. I've thought about getting an actual synth because I suspect the sounds are superior to what I can get from the midi keyboard, the keybed is probably better and I guess you've also got a choice of using the onboard sounds or running it out via midi to a VSTI, so the best of both worlds, a great way to expand your sounds library as well. And of course, easier to play live. A couple of days ago, a Komplete Kontrol S61 (mark 1) fell into my lap so I might play with that for a while since I have KU13. I thought I would hate it but it's growing on me. I didn't mind getting the Mark 1 version because you can turn the lights off on that one but I have found I don't mind the lights. Also, the touch strips for pitch and modulation I thought I wouldn't like but they are ok.
  10. I use the AKG C214, it's small, has a great, easy to fit shockmount and sounds great on acoustic guitar and vocals (at least I think it does) for scratch vocals, I use a dynamic microphone (an old NDEV767a) because I can't be bothered getting out all the stuff needed to suppress the room reverb. I've got a 58 as well but don't use it because it doesn't suit my voice. I've tried the budget LDC's but they are no good for my voice because the higher register vocals brings out the harshness in the top end of those mics. Microphones for vocals is a personal thing, what might be good for you, might not be good for others and vice versa. I have a higher pitched voice when I sing, a soprano or thereabouts, so microphones that females like, I usually like. If you've got a traditional male voice with a bit of power then you can get away with a shure 58 or dynamic mics and even the more budget friendly LCD's like the NT1 etc because the low output of dynamics and the higher end harshness of budget LCD's is not so much of a problem. But immediately a female vocalist enters the equation or you want to do higher range acapellas or multi layered harmonies, then you need a mic that is more sensitive and has a sweeter and smoother top end. The AKG C214, I find is just a bit smoother in the top end that the slightly cheaper LCD's. They are about $650.00 here in Aus so cheaper in US. I'm sure I could find a better mic for my voice but this is what I use for now. I've tried tube mics but I do not like them at all, I find it harder to pitch with a tube mic, they were doing something to the sound that didn't agree with me. Admittedly, these were the cheaper RODE tube alternatives, perhaps a more expensive one might be better?
  11. I am looking at a mini-itx system right now, might pick it up. For me it's more about hard drives, noise and heat than CPU or ram. This one has the capability for 3 SATA ssd's which is what I would need, a lot of the smaller cases and motherboards only have capability for 2 hard drives, at least the pre-built ones do. It has an 8th gen i5 (I am using a 3rd gen i5 at the moment) and 8gig or ram, all I would do is put another stick of ram in it to get it to 16gig. Case looks good for noise and being an i5 it wont get too hot, so should be ok. It appears as though I may be able to fit my full size graphic card in it as well. I have to check that out. I'm not having any major problems with my current system except it's slowed a little since I put KU13 on it. Taking a little longer to present the GUI for VST's. Otherwise it functions flawlessly for what I need it to do. If you want to use it as a video machine as well then being able to have the option of sticking a full size graphics card in a mini-itx is a big bonus. Also, for me anyway, a 3 hard drive set up is non negotiable.
  12. I remember back in uni days, a well respected sports psychologist was giving a lecture and he wrote "Practice makes perfect" on the board and asked how many agree with this statement and most put their hand up with some jokes about "my mum could have told me this". Then he whirled around and screamed "Wrong!" Then he wrote on the board "Practice (the results of which are known) makes perfect". In other words just doing the same thing over and over will only lead to mediocre or no improvements or even worse, deeply ingraining bad habits. You have to know: 1. What it is you are doing wrong and how to fix it. 2. What is the next step from where you are now to move forward. If you don't know these things then it's difficult to improve. It may be that is the difference between "talented" and "untalented" individuals. Very often, people think they know these things (but they don't) and continue on but end up dissatisfied with the results. There's usually only 4 ways to find out this information. 1. Intuition Some people just seem to have a natural intuition about what to do next and how to improve themselves, this could be "talent" or just a good grasp of logical progression and a high iq, no one knows. 2. Coaching You can find out these things from a coach who is better than you. 3. Research You can do your own research to find the answers. 4. Luck Some just stumble on to the answers by luck, meeting someone at a party or through socialization that can help etc The enemy of learning is the Ego. Sometimes people cannot be taught or told because they refuse to admit to themselves they are deficit in anything or they are overly protective of their work and see any criticism as a personal attack against them. This just holds them back from getting answers to these questions. Some use age or experience as defense mechanisms or reasons for not progressing or listening to others who might be younger than them but know more than them. Just because someone is older or experienced does not automatically mean they are more capable at the task, it usually does, but not always, especially if they have just been doing the same wrong thing over and over. Age is never an excuse for not learning new things, you continue learning right up until your death. David Bowie said: “Aging is an extraordinary process where you become the person you always should have been"
  13. I think there is too much IIII..... in music today, when you look at professional recordings, think about the number of people collaborating to bring that about. A false belief can be embraced by those who own DAW's that somehow they are going to create professional productions by sitting in front of a computer by themselves in their bedroom and doing everything by themselves. This false belief is also pushed by DAW sellers. The reality is, I don't think there is any evidence that this has ever happened, even once. The media constantly pushes the idea of the single artist but the reality is there is no such thing, everyone that gets anywhere collaborates with others to create the final product. If you cannot create professional productions by yourself, it's not your fault, your asking too much. You need to be a professional drummer, professional bass player, professional keyboardist, professional guitarist, professional vocalist etc and professional sound recordist (with a professional studio), professional experienced mixer and sound engineer, professional marketing agent etc What tends to happen is people get a DAW and then begin the long road to improving their skills in all these areas and more but still end up with half baked results. If your really serious about moving forward then you need to collaborate with others who are strong where you are weak....or you should only seek to complete productions that focus on your strong areas. Many people don't really want to accept this, they want to believe they can do it all themselves but they can't. There's lots of software that can "help" like drum software to supply you with grooves and professional kit sound, virtual bassist software, loops, keys and guitarist software and you can get a long way but where is the vocalist? where is the professional recording/mixing studio? the professional front end to your DAW? This is why EDM and electronically based music has erupted the way it has because it is possible to get almost professional sounding backing tracks for newly created songs in this genre on the computer using electronic drum sounds, synth bass and keys all inputted by a midi controller or using audio/midi loops. But to move it forward you have to collaborate with others to cover your weak areas, usually for most people, to have professional sounding vocals and a professional mixer/sound engineer if you don't have those skills, that is if you want to get seriously commercial. Many just want to do their own songs and thats ok too. Some people though, just don't have any talent. Their songs are horrid and they just can't see it.
  14. I had a bit of a problem a while back with what I called guitarists physique, one shoulder dips a bit and your spine twists over time. I found a good personal trainer by accident really, when I signed up to a local gym because I was fat and unfit and had aches and pains. This trainer was into posture correction and took one look at me and said that is what he would recommend, so I did the exercises which are designed to reverse the asymmetrical differences in your skeleton by exercising certain muscles and twisting, felt really weird but it did work, after about 3 months I noticed that I held myself differently when standing and I looked more symmetrical in the mirror. It felt odd at first, felt like I was twisted when standing straight but I was actually straight, it was just the old me that was twisted. I am looking for a thinline telecaster or squier custom telecaster at the moment as I am just completely over heavy guitars, even my mim strat is annoying me with its weight. I also did Feldenkrais, recommended to me by an occupational therapist at work and that was surprisingly good at restoring full range of movement. It doesn't seem like anything is happening but then you start to notice that your body moves with more grace and balance and you can reach and bend more efficiently. Also a good physiotherapist can work wonders on aches and pains, I had a neck injury from an accident and nobody could fix it or even find what was causing it, then I saw a physiotherapist who located it straight away and fixed it permanently. After reviewing the x-rays and taking a history, he grabbed my arm, bent it backwards behind me while keeping it straight and then grabbed my outermost fingers on my right hand and bent them back. As soon as he did that I felt the pain in my neck right on the exact spot that was causing the problem. I think they call it neural tension or something but it's designed to stretch the nerve coming out of the spine. After a bit of that with massage, it went away permanently. I think there are lots of things that experts can do to fix things but finding the right one for your particular problem can be hard and they have to be willing to take the time, not just push you through the door to move on to the next patient and then there is the matter of cost, as it can be expensive but some of my my best results have come from hospitals that are attached to universities, where they run training for students. So you get a student physio with a tutor or qualified instructor, they really take their time to get to the source of the problem and also take their time fixing it. There was also no charge. No shortcuts like you can sometimes get with professionals in the field who have one eye on their profits and just want to see as many clients as they can in the shortest possible time.
  15. I remember lugging a Marshall quad box up and down 3 flights of stairs when I lived in the apartments, the lady below me would bang her broomstick on the ceiling if I played to loud when practicing.
  16. I think I might have learned the right instrument but I just didn't realize it. In most of the bands I played in, I was the lead vocalist but never without also playing the guitar. I never saw myself as a vocalist, always a guitarist that just sung the lyrics because someone had to and that's what I did. When I think about it now, the audience saw me the other way around, as a singer that also played guitar. I would get good comments about my vocals and I would think "what about my guitar playing". Strange. I suppose as a vocalist, all you have to worry about is your microphone, some cool clothes and a cool haircut. Once, I was walking back through the dunes after a surf and I could hear this sound, a voice, so I zoomed in on it and there was a young boy about 14-15 or so down by the pool and he was standing there on his own just singing, no instrument, he looked middle eastern and was singing in a language I didn't know but what he was singing was quite complex, he did a great job, full voice, sounded beautiful, after 5 minutes or so he got on his bike and left. I remember thinking then "wouldn't it be nice, just to be a singer" then I thought "Nah, not for me".
  17. So having just completed another guitar fret leveling, crowning and setup, it's made me think about the years I have spent playing guitars in bands and how high maintenance guitars are as opposed to synths and digital pianos etc. for me to play a guitar in a band, I first remove the old strings, then I clean the fret board and body, then I put the new strings on, then I adjust the truss rod, then I adjust bridge action, then check the nut action, then intonate the strings, then practice a bit to wear them in, then I put it in the case, go to practice lugging the amp and pedal board as well and all of this is assuming it won't need a fret leveling and crowning/polishing beforehand. The keyboardist just chucks his synth in the car with a cable, turns up to practice and plugs in to the PA. I think I learned the wrong instrument. Not to also mention you have that heavy instrument over your shoulders all night, and it takes two hands just to sound one note or chord, while the keyboardist sits on their stool and plonks one finger down and there is the note.
  18. One way to do puppy toilet training involves teaching him two words to start, "inside" and "outside" just keep using those words and explain with word pictures, "you go outside" "do you want to come inside" "we go for a walk outside" etc then get him to take something outside, "take that outside" then stand in the door and point to the garden "this is outside" and then inside "this is inside" "inside" "outside" etc eventually he will get it. You might be surprised at how quick he picks it up. After that, all you have to do is point to the poo, I used the word toilet, "toilet is outside (point to outside) no inside" (point to inside) "this (point to poo) outside" It helps if you pick up poo and throw it outside while showing him, "this (point to poo) outside" you also have to look cross. Eventually he will get it and then you will have a joyful day when he goes to the door and paws it to go outside and then does a poo outside which then you can shower him with love and goodies. Adult dogs that have not been allowed inside, get it really quick if they already have an understanding of inside and outside. Puppy's can take longer because you have to also teach them inside and outside. If you can catch him in the act and then pick him up and move him outside.
  19. If you are on windows 10, you can also right click on the bottom toolbar and select "Task Manager" from the pop up dialog box.
  20. I only have Vegas Edit 16 which does not have the NewBlue effects, I don't think they come with any version of Vegas Edit, don't know about Pro. Yes, they are saying that the offer to include NewBlue effects with movie studio platinum is only for February as is the offer to upgrade to Vegas Edit for $88.00. I am considering getting the upgrade to Vegas Edit 19, see what new things it offers.
  21. Seems to be independent to Magix movie studio. I got it as an upgrade to movie studio, but mainly to use the NewBlue effects within Vegas Pro. I just downloaded the NewBlue effects which is a separate download to Magix Movie Studio Platinum 2022 and didn't download Magix Movie Studio Platinum at all, (I'll do that later). It was a 1.5gig download, then installed it. You have to set up a NewBlue account as part of the installation process so you can activate it with the serial. It installed fine and is coming up as available for Vegas Pro as well as my old movie studio. I don't think it's tied to magix offerings only though. It will most likely be compatible with whatever it says it is compatible with on the NewBlue website, vegas pro, davinci and recent adobe premiere versions. It seems that you can only use it on one computer, to use it on another, you have to deactivate it and then reactivate it on the other computer. You do this by signing in. A bit annoying if you want to use it on another computer.
  22. Different strings sound completely different to me, I don't know that a single strum or pick of one string would highlight the differences though. Ernie ball and D'addario and DR strings all sound completely different to me, chrome flatwounds on an electric are radically different as are coated strings. They also sound radically different with age, there is no comparison between old worn strings and brand new strings, I like them to be about a week old.
  23. I tend to use some sort of notch eq before the compressor and then sweetening afterwards. I found when recording my acoustic guitars and vocals quite a bit both from mic and direct from the guitar, there was always some harsh dominant frequency or 2, probably because I don't use top line high end equipment, when I notched that/those out a bit it acted a bit like a compressor creating a smoother sound and wave form. Just sounded smoother to me and easier on the compressor which doesn't then have to work so hard to compress horrid harsh dominant frequencies.
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