The Home CD Production Panel
Jan. 21st, 2013 08:10 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
filkertomI'll post later about ConFusion (short form: excellent!), but I wanted to take the chance to emphasize something I mentioned in the Home Recording panel.
I said that the only real hardware you need to start with is a good microphone. (Decent headphones and speakers are also important, but you can get those later if you're really working on the cheap.) And I suggested that Musician's Friend is a good place to look, especially their Stupid Deal of the Day.
Which, today, is a decent-quality Audio Technica USB microphone for fifty bucks, half-price.
There were also a few cheap and free programs I pointed out:
I said that the only real hardware you need to start with is a good microphone. (Decent headphones and speakers are also important, but you can get those later if you're really working on the cheap.) And I suggested that Musician's Friend is a good place to look, especially their Stupid Deal of the Day.
Which, today, is a decent-quality Audio Technica USB microphone for fifty bucks, half-price.
There were also a few cheap and free programs I pointed out:
- First, of course, is Audacity, which may be enough for all your basic recording needs and certainly is enough for all your audio processing needs.
- For those who would like to quickly lay out a song, but aren't ready yet to shell out for Band In A Box, the inexpensive and quite handy all-MIDI auto-accompaniment program ChordPulse does a nice job, and also has a free version.
- Sony's free Acid Xpress is great for beginners, as long as you don't need to use third-party VST plugins.
- Open Labs' StageLight is easy to figure out and surprisingly full-featured for only $9.99.
- KVR Audio is the place to go for news about new products, forums with lots of information, product sales, tech advice, and a fairly nice community of musicians from around the world.
- Even more tech advice and gentle hand-holding can be found at AudioTuts+ and The Recording Revolution.
- Some of the best information on the indie music business can be found at IndieGuide.com.
- Last but not least, there are many sources for excellent free VST effect and instrument plugins. Some of my favorites include:
- Camel Audio, where you can get the Camel Crusher effect and the fantastic Alchemy Player
- Variety of Sound (especially epicVerb, Thrillseeker, and TesslaPRO)
- u-he (mostly commercial products, but two superb free synths, Zebralette and TyrellN6
- HG Fortune, your one-stop shop for all things electronica and ambient -- he's got a lot of free versions of his synths, and even the full-price versions are pretty cheap
- Okay, I lied -- depending on the type of ambient you like, you may need some of Krakli's stuff, especially Harm, Gargoyle, and Cygnus
- And, the Antress Modern series of effects plugins is constantly expanding.
