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Musings and music.
May. 12th, 2007 08:12 pmFinale Songwriter is awesome. I am deeply and duly impressed by its awesomeness.
However... it is a tool with a purpose. Its purpose is to write music. It is, innately, a music engraving program. The fact that it can produce an mp3 file and interact with MIDI is separate.
Finale does not do vocals.
In this version, it also doesn't do dynamics or easy staff addition, but the vocals are bothering me more. Despite all the weird experimentation, my preferred style is soft rock. And I'm not writing lyrics for nothing.
I know there are good, well-meaning people who are quietly praising the skies that I don't have vocal support. They have heard me sing. (![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
conanmagruder once compared my voice to that of Melissa Ethridge; it's undeniably the most flattering thing that's ever been said about it. I cannot find the key while singing with two hands, a map, and a mining helmet.)
But, O good and well-meaning people, I point out to you that I do not have to be my own vocalist. I know people who know how to sing. I am pretty sure that at least two would be willing to indulge me.
What I want is the "one-man band" approach -- a live vocalist to sing one track for me, and then to program everything else, either via synthesizer or direct computer input.
So I'm trying to figure out how to do this.
I already have
a) a computer. My computer is running Microsoft Windows XP on a Pentium 4 (1.60 GHz) with 256 MB of ram. I have 11.2 GB free out of a 36.2 capacity.
b) a MIDI-compatible synthesizer. I have the Yamaha YPT-300, which can do 2-track MIDI recording.
I would need
a) a MIDI-to-computer interface for my synthesizer.
b) MIDI software. (Sadly, Pro Tools Free seems to be a thing of the past.)
c) a microphone.
...I think. I've been trying to research this, but I confess that it's all been a bit confusing.
The most popular software option seems to be Pro Tools. There is a Pro Tools LE 7.2, but it seems to be available only as an upgrade from a prior set of Pro Tools. The current version of Pro Tools LE available (if I'm understanding everything correctly) is M-Audio Pro Tools M-Powered Recording Software, which would require a computer upgrade to a 2.8 GHz processor and 512 MB of RAM. Plus, it's approximately $250.00.
That's a heck of a lot of money to sink for a system that doesn't operate notationally. I like Finale to a large extent because it doesn't screw up when I do. I can't play 16th note arpeggios confidently without stumbling over my fingers, but hey, no problem -- Finale can! Pro Tools only does MIDI readouts and cannot accept notated input. At some point, Sibelius and DigiDesign (the Pro Tools maker) are supposedly teaming up to create software that can do both, but it hasn't happened yet.
So, to the big shiny world out there... anyone have input on this subject? There will be bonus points for anyone who actually has or knows someone who has a recording studio (but only if I'm allowed to drop by and peek at it cautiously.)
However... it is a tool with a purpose. Its purpose is to write music. It is, innately, a music engraving program. The fact that it can produce an mp3 file and interact with MIDI is separate.
Finale does not do vocals.
In this version, it also doesn't do dynamics or easy staff addition, but the vocals are bothering me more. Despite all the weird experimentation, my preferred style is soft rock. And I'm not writing lyrics for nothing.
I know there are good, well-meaning people who are quietly praising the skies that I don't have vocal support. They have heard me sing. (
conanmagruder once compared my voice to that of Melissa Ethridge; it's undeniably the most flattering thing that's ever been said about it. I cannot find the key while singing with two hands, a map, and a mining helmet.)But, O good and well-meaning people, I point out to you that I do not have to be my own vocalist. I know people who know how to sing. I am pretty sure that at least two would be willing to indulge me.
What I want is the "one-man band" approach -- a live vocalist to sing one track for me, and then to program everything else, either via synthesizer or direct computer input.
So I'm trying to figure out how to do this.
I already have
a) a computer. My computer is running Microsoft Windows XP on a Pentium 4 (1.60 GHz) with 256 MB of ram. I have 11.2 GB free out of a 36.2 capacity.
b) a MIDI-compatible synthesizer. I have the Yamaha YPT-300, which can do 2-track MIDI recording.
I would need
a) a MIDI-to-computer interface for my synthesizer.
b) MIDI software. (Sadly, Pro Tools Free seems to be a thing of the past.)
c) a microphone.
...I think. I've been trying to research this, but I confess that it's all been a bit confusing.
The most popular software option seems to be Pro Tools. There is a Pro Tools LE 7.2, but it seems to be available only as an upgrade from a prior set of Pro Tools. The current version of Pro Tools LE available (if I'm understanding everything correctly) is M-Audio Pro Tools M-Powered Recording Software, which would require a computer upgrade to a 2.8 GHz processor and 512 MB of RAM. Plus, it's approximately $250.00.
That's a heck of a lot of money to sink for a system that doesn't operate notationally. I like Finale to a large extent because it doesn't screw up when I do. I can't play 16th note arpeggios confidently without stumbling over my fingers, but hey, no problem -- Finale can! Pro Tools only does MIDI readouts and cannot accept notated input. At some point, Sibelius and DigiDesign (the Pro Tools maker) are supposedly teaming up to create software that can do both, but it hasn't happened yet.
So, to the big shiny world out there... anyone have input on this subject? There will be bonus points for anyone who actually has or knows someone who has a recording studio (but only if I'm allowed to drop by and peek at it cautiously.)
