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| Magix Music Maker 2014 Premium. It's great for beginners but very capable of professional results! It features great virtual instruments and effects to boot! |
SYNAPSE
CIRCUIT:
SOFTWARE GIFTS CHRISTMAS 2013
#SoftwareGiftsXmas2013
Good evening, Synapse Circuit Readers! Have you finished your Christmas shopping? No? There’s still time! I hope that you are keeping well and avoiding catching a cold or flu!
Here’s the final installation of recommended software that will make for great Christmas gifts! In part 3 we will focus on music making software... The gift of music is so very, very special... It’s one thing to be able to play an instrument with manual dexterity – it’s awesome! And it’s something else to be able to manipulate music (or noise) with the aid of the computer!
If you ever fancied making music or wish to give the gift to someone then check out the very best that software has to offer!
PART THREE: MAKING MUSIC!
Synapse Audio (no relation – honest) Orion Studio 8.5
£ 113
Oooh, the wonderful news is that the online vendor, Synapse-Audio dot com, has a 25% off winter sale! Yay!
What is Orion Studio? Ok, I am glad you asked! Orion Studio (8.5) happens to be one of the most powerful yet easy to use virtual recording studios on the market today! While it is true that it is possible to spend 3 or 4 times more on a digital audio workstation (DAW = another word and acronym for virtual recording studio) you will find that Orion Studio has it all: virtual music instruments, a mixing desk and various effects to add professional polish to the finished track!
As with most of today’s music software you can extend the functionality through third party VST instruments and effects. VST stands for virtual studio technology as founded by Steinberg the makers of one of the earliest music sequencers that worked with physical MIDI based keyboards and synthesiser modules – including drum machines.
What I absolutely love about Orion Studio 8.5 is the wonderful interface that works so very, very well! It’s an interface that works beautifully for musicians and non-musicians! The MIDI editor is sweet! If you don’t understand the concept of MIDI editing do not worry because the interface makes working with entered notes child’s play! It has enough built in musical instruments and effects to get you going without needing anything else – but it always helps to have more to play with so to speak.
So, if you wanted to make music for yourself or to encourage someone to get into music then this would be one to get for sure!
MAGIX Music Maker 2014 Premium
£ 89.99
Here’s a fantastic DAW from the ubiquitous multimedia company that is Magix! There are many iterations of Music Maker Premium and I would have to say that this is the best one barring the professional Magix range starting with Samplitude Pro X! Music Maker 2014, like Orion Studio 8.5, has a visually stunning interface that makes music composition a chinch!
Music Maker 2014 Premium goes an extra step further in that it features video recording and editing capabilities too! Yes, alongside audio and instrument tracks you can video material! Awesome! It’s also stuffed with instruments and effects galore: synthesizers, drum machines and sample loops! Again, you can extend it through VST instruments and effects. What is great about Music Maker 2014 Premium is that it has a Mastering Suite! The Mastering Suite enables you to add a specific preset finish for the purpose of burning an audio CD, radio play and so on. Yes, good digital audio workstations come with mastering effects that, for example, can increase the volume levels to the max without distorting but not many of them are preset. Therefore, the novice can easily perfect a mix.
I would definitely recommend Music Maker 2014 Premium to musicians of all abilities – especially the beginner!
If you wish to spend less on a music program then I’d take a look at the cheaper but less functional Music Maker versions: Rock, Dance, Hip Hop and Soundtrack editions for £29.99. Then there’s the Lethal Bizzle version with samples of some of his tunes that’ll set you back £49.99. These Music Maker versions are great on many levels... For example, if you wanted to make a soundtrack composition for a video project you can do so easily. If you run a community youth project you will be able to get members to actively take part in music composition and so on.
Cockos REAPER
Full license £ 137, Discounted license £36
Over the years as a reviewer of many music software I can tell you that after a while the market gets saturated with software that it starts to get ridiculous! Some digital audio workstations vendors’ trade on the reputations forged in the development of personal home computing and emerging recording studios. As a result some of these vendors have placed a high price on their software and emerge as the industry standard. What has happened over the years is that other companies have come in and created cheaper software that could do more or less what the most expensive software could do. In turn the established companies responded by taking out some of the functionality of their main software and created products aimed at the budget market that had been established by the up and coming companies such as Magix and Synapse Audio! Also unscrupulous music technology magazines were keen to push the idea that you couldn’t consider yourself a professional unless you’re paying top dollar for the privilege of being a “professional”.
Sure, £20 wasn’t going to buy you the best and most functional software in the world but you could make some tracks! Anyway, along came Cockos and REAPER! REAPER was a breakthrough program that was solid unlike so many would be contenders that fell by the wayside. What’s more REAPER was aimed at the professional minded and not happy amateurs like many others.
REAPER did something unexpected and toppled the music software bigwigs! Sure, you don’t get as many instruments and effects but REAPER is so cost effective that you can easily purchase great instruments and effects.
REAPER is pretty much aimed at the professional in mind is so inexpensive that the amateur with ambition can purchase it and produce great music! So, if you’re making money from your music you can afford to pay the full license. And if you are not making money the discounted license is a great gesture!
I have used this software and it is brilliant!
MAGIX Audio Cleaning Lab 2013
£ 39.99
Audio Cleaning Lab is undoubtedly for the most fastidious audio professional. Typically of Magix the Audio Cleaning Lab sports a great user interface that allows you to clean audio at spectral level when there is other audio cleaning software that less than and cost so much more. Magix Audio Cleaning Lab 2013 is another giant slayer!
Clean, restore and master until your ear is content! The price is gorgeous! Mac users will be pleased to know that there is a Mac version of this fabulous software!
Well, I hope you have enjoyed the Synapse Circuit software selection for Christmas!
HAPPY CHRISTMAS FROM SYNAPSE CIRCUIT
Take good care!
Thank you for watching and reading!
Please check out the Synapse Circuit website for video, i-PDF and more!
Synapse Circuit Dot Com
SOFTWARE GIFTS CHRISTMAS 2013
#SoftwareGiftsXmas2013
Good evening, Synapse Circuit Readers! Have you finished your Christmas shopping? No? There’s still time! I hope that you are keeping well and avoiding catching a cold or flu!
Here’s the final installation of recommended software that will make for great Christmas gifts! In part 3 we will focus on music making software... The gift of music is so very, very special... It’s one thing to be able to play an instrument with manual dexterity – it’s awesome! And it’s something else to be able to manipulate music (or noise) with the aid of the computer!
If you ever fancied making music or wish to give the gift to someone then check out the very best that software has to offer!
PART THREE: MAKING MUSIC!
Synapse Audio (no relation – honest) Orion Studio 8.5
£ 113
Oooh, the wonderful news is that the online vendor, Synapse-Audio dot com, has a 25% off winter sale! Yay!
What is Orion Studio? Ok, I am glad you asked! Orion Studio (8.5) happens to be one of the most powerful yet easy to use virtual recording studios on the market today! While it is true that it is possible to spend 3 or 4 times more on a digital audio workstation (DAW = another word and acronym for virtual recording studio) you will find that Orion Studio has it all: virtual music instruments, a mixing desk and various effects to add professional polish to the finished track!
As with most of today’s music software you can extend the functionality through third party VST instruments and effects. VST stands for virtual studio technology as founded by Steinberg the makers of one of the earliest music sequencers that worked with physical MIDI based keyboards and synthesiser modules – including drum machines.
What I absolutely love about Orion Studio 8.5 is the wonderful interface that works so very, very well! It’s an interface that works beautifully for musicians and non-musicians! The MIDI editor is sweet! If you don’t understand the concept of MIDI editing do not worry because the interface makes working with entered notes child’s play! It has enough built in musical instruments and effects to get you going without needing anything else – but it always helps to have more to play with so to speak.
So, if you wanted to make music for yourself or to encourage someone to get into music then this would be one to get for sure!
MAGIX Music Maker 2014 Premium
£ 89.99
Here’s a fantastic DAW from the ubiquitous multimedia company that is Magix! There are many iterations of Music Maker Premium and I would have to say that this is the best one barring the professional Magix range starting with Samplitude Pro X! Music Maker 2014, like Orion Studio 8.5, has a visually stunning interface that makes music composition a chinch!
Music Maker 2014 Premium goes an extra step further in that it features video recording and editing capabilities too! Yes, alongside audio and instrument tracks you can video material! Awesome! It’s also stuffed with instruments and effects galore: synthesizers, drum machines and sample loops! Again, you can extend it through VST instruments and effects. What is great about Music Maker 2014 Premium is that it has a Mastering Suite! The Mastering Suite enables you to add a specific preset finish for the purpose of burning an audio CD, radio play and so on. Yes, good digital audio workstations come with mastering effects that, for example, can increase the volume levels to the max without distorting but not many of them are preset. Therefore, the novice can easily perfect a mix.
I would definitely recommend Music Maker 2014 Premium to musicians of all abilities – especially the beginner!
If you wish to spend less on a music program then I’d take a look at the cheaper but less functional Music Maker versions: Rock, Dance, Hip Hop and Soundtrack editions for £29.99. Then there’s the Lethal Bizzle version with samples of some of his tunes that’ll set you back £49.99. These Music Maker versions are great on many levels... For example, if you wanted to make a soundtrack composition for a video project you can do so easily. If you run a community youth project you will be able to get members to actively take part in music composition and so on.
Cockos REAPER
Full license £ 137, Discounted license £36
Over the years as a reviewer of many music software I can tell you that after a while the market gets saturated with software that it starts to get ridiculous! Some digital audio workstations vendors’ trade on the reputations forged in the development of personal home computing and emerging recording studios. As a result some of these vendors have placed a high price on their software and emerge as the industry standard. What has happened over the years is that other companies have come in and created cheaper software that could do more or less what the most expensive software could do. In turn the established companies responded by taking out some of the functionality of their main software and created products aimed at the budget market that had been established by the up and coming companies such as Magix and Synapse Audio! Also unscrupulous music technology magazines were keen to push the idea that you couldn’t consider yourself a professional unless you’re paying top dollar for the privilege of being a “professional”.
Sure, £20 wasn’t going to buy you the best and most functional software in the world but you could make some tracks! Anyway, along came Cockos and REAPER! REAPER was a breakthrough program that was solid unlike so many would be contenders that fell by the wayside. What’s more REAPER was aimed at the professional minded and not happy amateurs like many others.
REAPER did something unexpected and toppled the music software bigwigs! Sure, you don’t get as many instruments and effects but REAPER is so cost effective that you can easily purchase great instruments and effects.
REAPER is pretty much aimed at the professional in mind is so inexpensive that the amateur with ambition can purchase it and produce great music! So, if you’re making money from your music you can afford to pay the full license. And if you are not making money the discounted license is a great gesture!
I have used this software and it is brilliant!
MAGIX Audio Cleaning Lab 2013
£ 39.99
Audio Cleaning Lab is undoubtedly for the most fastidious audio professional. Typically of Magix the Audio Cleaning Lab sports a great user interface that allows you to clean audio at spectral level when there is other audio cleaning software that less than and cost so much more. Magix Audio Cleaning Lab 2013 is another giant slayer!
Clean, restore and master until your ear is content! The price is gorgeous! Mac users will be pleased to know that there is a Mac version of this fabulous software!
Well, I hope you have enjoyed the Synapse Circuit software selection for Christmas!
HAPPY CHRISTMAS FROM SYNAPSE CIRCUIT
Take good care!
Thank you for watching and reading!
Please check out the Synapse Circuit website for video, i-PDF and more!
Synapse Circuit Dot Com
