You’ve recorded your tracks using either the audio interface or amp and mic method, it’s on your computer but now what can you do with it? Well, that’s where sequencing software comes in. For a beginner knowing what software to buy can be quite confusing, it’s hard to know what software will work best for you and most suit your needs. In this section I will attempt to clear up any issues you may have about using software packages to mix and add effects to your recordings.

 

What is a sequencer?

Multi-tracking composition software environment with a range of editing screens. You can easily combine audio files, apply effects and mix down to create your own CD-quality compositions in any genre.

 

Remember you're buying a creative tool here, so it's important to choose the right bit of software. If possible try to check out at least two or three packages before making a decision - you'll probably find that one strikes you as being the most friendly when you first sit down and use it. It helps if you can get down to a music store local to you and ask if anyone is available to give you a walkthrough the packages available.

If you prefer to actually try it for yourself before you buy you can often get free demo and trials versions of the software from the manufacturer’s website. I have given brief reviews of a few sequencing packages that are available to you and included a link to the manufacturer where you should be able to access a demonstration version.

Also spend a little time on the Internet reading other reviews. Everyone enjoys different things about different packages so read as many reviews as possible before committing yourself to a purchase; this will give you a feel for the strengths and weaknesses of each program.

 

 

In my opinion there are 4 packages that really stand out from the rest, personally I believe these to be Cubase, Sonar, Logic and Pro Tools. All of these programs effectively give you a professional recording studio on your desktop. There's a general rule with software that the more powerful it is, the less easy it is to use. Consequently you're going to need to put a bit of time in to learn these kinds of packages.

 

The first three packages, Cubase, Logic and Sonar, come in a range of options with a cheaper entry-level version or a more expensive fully-featured one. You can upgrade them all, at a cost, later if you feel you're outgrowing the version you have. If you plan to do extensive audio work, using lots of plug-ins or audio instruments or connecting external hardware such as mixers and multi-track devices you should probably go for the top end programs.

 

 

Cubase - www.steinburg.net

Steinberg's Cubase is probably the main PC users' package. It has a bit of a rough-and ready feel - you get the feeling you're really getting down and dirty with your music. It's got great features for controlling external devices like synths, samplers and effects boxes.

That said it's not the most intuitive of programs so you'll need to put the time in to learn it. One or two of the menu options are a little obscurely labelled, and you'll get along much quicker once you learn a few of the main keyboard shortcuts.

The obvious feature of Cubase is that it's been around since the days when all you could do on a computer was edit a bit of MIDI data. Audio was added much later, when computers had evolved to be powerful enough to handle it. That really shows when you come to use the package. There's a definite feel that the audio bit was grafted on much later.

 

  

 

 

Logic - http://www.apple.com/logic

Given that Emagic, the makers of Logic, are owned by Apple, it will come as no surprise that this is the system of choice for Mac users. Logic has a reputation as being a little more elegant that Cubase and perhaps it's a little easier to learn. But that said, there's less of a feel of rolling up your sleeves and getting your hands dirty. For some people that’s a good thing, for others it's bad.

Certainly, it's very smooth and stable and the screens are very easy on the eye. It's quite easy to pick things up without too much prodding around in menus and leafing through the manual.

Logic comes in a series of different levels. Silver is the cheapest - you can pick it up as part of their Big Box package, which comes with a bunch of free extras. Platinum is the top-of-the-range version. For your money you get more tracks and more effects plug-ins.

 

 

  

 

 

Sonar (Cakewalk) - www.cakewalk.com

Sonar grew out of a MIDI-only program called Cakewalk. It has quite a cluttered screen which can be a little off-putting before you know what all the buttons do. It can also feel like you're working in quite a cramped window as the main composing and assembling area is squeezed into a relatively small area.

It uses a toolbar to change the function of the mouse pointer - you draw in notes with one tool and delete them with another - so you'll need to get used to hopping from mode to mode a bit.

 

 

  

 

 

Pro Tools - www.digidesign.com

Pro Tools can reasonably claim to be the world's leading professional audio software package. It's made by a company called DigiDesign. Their professional systems are to be found in most major studios, but they also produce some systems that are aimed firmly at the home studio user. That can be a great help if you're thinking of moving on to professional career in sound and want to learn the basics of a system you're likely to find everywhere. The full version is Mac-only but the home studio versions are all PC compatible, too.

Going down the Pro Tools route usually means buying into their hardware as well as the software. This can make their basic systems seem a bit more expensive than comparable packages. The entry-level system, called the M-Box, gives you stereo ins and outs on a USB interface box

 It will cost you about $450. The DIGI 001 package includes a soundcard and MIDI interface whereas with the DIGI 002 you get a control surface with faders, 8 inputs, 8 outs and a whole bunch of useful features. All of these systems include software and are compatible with both PC and Mac computers.

Go beyond that, and you get into the realms of professional systems. The cost of these depends on what options you buy to go with them, so you'll need to consult your dealer for prices.

  

 



There are all sorts of additional add-on ’s you'll find useful for making music. There are packages to help you chop drum loops, so you can lift the groove from a loop and replace all the sounds. There are plug-ins - these are bits of software which aren't stand-alone, but which run within a larger production system.

 

They come in two varieties
One sort are effects processors. These are used to treat the sounds you've recorded. At one end are the software emulations of standard studio equipment. They're for sweetening the sounds of instruments or voices, or for tweaking them a little so that they sit better in the mix.

At the other end are really extreme processors, which you can use to truly change the sounds you've recorded. You can effectively create new instruments from existing ones. You can also buy things to correct the pitch of a vocal or to simulate the sounds of classic microphones or guitar amps.

The other kind of plug in is the software synthesiser - or soft-synth. These actually generate sounds rather than twisting existing ones. Again they come in a huge variety of shapes and sizes. Some are aimed at recreating classic synths from history; others are completely new ways of generating sounds. There are also software samplers that you can use to twist and trigger short phrases of music.

You'll usually get a couple of each type of plug-in free with any software package you buy however you can buy more as and when you feel you need them. There are lots of freeware ones on the Internet, however if you'll pay a couple of hundred if you want high-quality ones from big name effect manufacturers.

You can find lots of free sounds (also known as samples) on the Internet on various websites.

 

Drum Loops
For drum loops and sounds visit www.phatdrumloops.com - loops can be chopped and manipulated using basic sound editors.

You’ll find many free VST plug-ins by performing a simple search on Google or Yahoo.