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scuz posted:Okay, band name legal question: I don't know much about the law. But from what you said I would be worried and I would drop the name like a hot potato myself. You probably have no way of knowing whether the UK band was actually forced to change names by successful legal action (a possibility) or whether they changed it to get off the hook when legal action was threatened (seems more likely.) In either case, it sounds like the California band had a strong enough case that the UK band wound up in one of those two scenarios. Since they are established enough that you found them on the internet, and you are creating your facebook and myspace pages for the first time, I would imagine that if they do come after you you're hosed. So why bother trying to guess whether they will come after you when you have the option to use a different name and avoid the whole scenario? IMO everyone should google the poo poo out of any band name before getting your heart set on it. When my band was picking our name I insisted on discarding several possibilities because they had been taken by somebody elsewhere. We are still so small-time that I think we'd still be fine if we'd taken a name somebody else was using. But what if it's a problem down the line? Why put yourself in the situation where it's even a possibility? There are an infinite number of awesome band names that haven't been used yet. Just my two cents.
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Feb 11, 2010 21:11
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scuz posted:Okay, band name legal question: Legal issues aside, I 100% promise you there will come a time when you will feel and look really dumb for co-opting another band's name. How are you going to feel when the original <band name> blows up huge a couple of years from now? Or when people see <band name> on a flyer and google the name? I don't know what to tell you about your dead-set guitarist but I guarantee you that even from the most self-interested perspective, this is a bad idea. You want your band to stand out and be distinctive, not have to tell people "oh no, we're that OTHER <band name>"
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Feb 11, 2010 21:36
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I got my first commercial-writing gig today. Never done one before, but the music they need is pretty simple so I'm not too worried. My current composing software will not easily get the job done though. I'm looking for recommendations on a program to use. My specifications: - I write in Finale usually, but the samples are terrible. I need a program with good string samples. - I need something, preferably, that I can sync with a video file. - I'm comfortable writing in a new program if that's what it takes or is much easier; I do have a nice big midi keyboard I can use. - It must run on a Mac. I'm cool with writing in Finale and dumping the tracks into a better-sounding program as well. I have a couple of weeks to get prepared and buy what I need/learn the basics of something new. Anyone know what the right program for this job is? Massive thanks in advance!
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Feb 11, 2010 23:39
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Syjefroi posted:I got my first commercial-writing gig today. Never done one before, but the music they need is pretty simple so I'm not too worried. My current composing software will not easily get the job done though. I'm looking for recommendations on a program to use. My specifications:
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Feb 12, 2010 06:03
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I'm pretty sure Finale supports VST plugins, if all you need are some better sounds. Garritan Personal Orchestra might be worth a look, they even have a page on using it with Finale There's also the EastWest Symphonic Orchestra packages, which come in several tiers -- they're more expensive (and require iLok) but are some of the biggest/best orchestral sample libraries around.
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Feb 12, 2010 06:23
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h_double posted:I'm pretty sure Finale supports VST plugins, if all you need are some better sounds. If you have access to a studio, maybe you can rent a few minutes and plug their MIDI stuff into your score. CalvinDooglas fucked around with this message at 15:18 on Feb 12, 2010 |
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Feb 12, 2010 15:14
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CalvinDooglas posted:I'm in the middle of composing a short string duet with the Garritan Orchestra patches that came with Finale 2006 and they're not impressing me. I think the problem has more to do with Finale's playback. You have to over-indicate things like staccatos and dynamics. If you're not worried about giving the score to a person to play, I'd just try to find some good patches and score it however makes it sound decent. Try "section" strings, too, instead of solo/first/second strings, if it's just a background arrangement. Yeah, I have Garritan, but that's why I'm looking for something else, because Finale is good for making music look good and any effort put into it to make it sound good is a waste of time I think. I'm looking into getting Logic. You can edit with video and either use the program to compose directly or you can dump midi tracks into it exported from Finale. Seems like my best bet.
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Feb 12, 2010 16:26
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Yeah, that makes sense that you wouldn't be able to have as fine control over dynamics and articulation with Finale (in which case it wouldn't matter how good your sound source was). I agree Logic is probably your best option; it does come with a learning curve and a price tag but it sounds like a good investment in your case.
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Feb 12, 2010 19:20
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Syjefroi posted:Yeah, I have Garritan, but that's why I'm looking for something else, because Finale is good for making music look good and any effort put into it to make it sound good is a waste of time I think. how'd you get this gig anyway? do you have a degree or reputation for writing music?
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Feb 12, 2010 20:18
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1) Is there a way to write/draw automation stuff in Cubase like you can with Reason? I've been hitting 'write automation' and physically turning my knobs down, but there's got to be an easier/more reliable way to do it. 2) Does anyone know why Cubase stops reading my microphone when I open a VST instrument?
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Feb 12, 2010 21:16
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Richard M Nixon posted:I don't want to make a brand new thread about this just yet, so let me check here first. I am beginning (literally, beginning today) to learn the violin, and I don't see a single violin topic on the 7 pages of the forum. Is there a thread somewhere on getting started? Can anyone recommend a good DIY approach to learning how to play? I don't even know how to read music, so I'm going to see how far I get before ragequitting. You probably don't want to hear it, but you need a teacher. The violin in particular is very difficult to learn, and if you don't have someone who knows what they're doing to critique your technique it'll cause endless frustration. Bad technique is insidious on any instrument - it might be fine for the songs you are playing at first, but once you start playing something more advanced it can really limit you. And then it's a habit that you need to break in order to improve. It's much better to have someone there to point out what you're doing before it becomes an ingrained habit. You'll learn much faster with much less frustration. Good luck, I just started during the fall and I really enjoy it.
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Feb 12, 2010 22:19
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CalvinDooglas posted:how'd you get this gig anyway? do you have a degree or reputation for writing music? Well, my main job is transcription and arranging, mostly for big band, but lots of random stuff, some copy work, orchestration, string/horn pop stuff, chamber music, etc. An old friend of mine who I used to play with a lot (I also gig as a studio/session trumpeter) knows that's my main bag, and he hooked me up with this commercial for a gym he works at. Film scoring stuff is pretty new to me, music technology in general is. I actually did get my degree in jazz composition though, about three years ago. I do all my work in Finale and make it good for reading, by live people, never for sounding good on it's own, so I'm pretty happy to finally get a chance to do some new stuff and kind of get with the times I guess. I've been asked to do film stuff a few times in the last year or so and I've had to turn it all down because I didn't have the money or time to start figuring it out, but I guess that time has come.
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Feb 12, 2010 22:25
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Popcorn posted:1) Is there a way to write/draw automation stuff in Cubase like you can with Reason? I've been hitting 'write automation' and physically turning my knobs down, but there's got to be an easier/more reliable way to do it. 1) Pen tool and expand the lane? It's just like you'd expect it would. 2) Maybe it selects the VST/MIDI channel automatically, so you're not monitoring your audio vocal track.
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Feb 12, 2010 22:56
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No. 9 posted:1) Pen tool and expand the lane? It's just like you'd expect it would. The 'expanding the lane' bit is what I was missing. I see it now. Duh. Thanks! quote:2) Maybe it selects the VST/MIDI channel automatically, so you're not monitoring your audio vocal track. What is 'it' here? Cubase generally or something else? (I'm a total noob, as you may have noticed.)
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Feb 12, 2010 23:01
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When you open a VST track, the program automatically switches to highlight that track, which is a MIDI track (so it can't input audio, MIDI is just data). If you highlight your vocal or audio track and hit the little speaker icon, it'll monitor the microphone input again. What version are you using?
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Feb 12, 2010 23:08
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No. 9 posted:When you open a VST track, the program automatically switches to highlight that track, which is a MIDI track (so it can't input audio, MIDI is just data). If you highlight your vocal or audio track and hit the little speaker icon, it'll monitor the microphone input again. I'm using Cubase 5. Had the same problem with SX. It doesn't seem to be to do with monitoring or track selection. When I plug my mic in, I can hear my voice coming through my speakers and flashing up on the audio-input levels whether I have any tracks added or selected. As soon as I load a VST instrument, Cubase stops listening. Having had another fiddle with it just now, I'm not sure it's VST instruments that are doing it. It seems to be that when I open the BFD2 plugin it won't read my mic, at least, but there are other constants I haven't checked yet. When I get a chance later this week I'll try other stuff and report back. Popcorn fucked around with this message at 00:00 on Feb 13, 2010 |
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Feb 12, 2010 23:56
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Does anybody know of a simple but decent freeware notation program? I am going to have a look at Finale Notepad, it's only  , but was curious if there's anything else out there worth having a look at.
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Feb 16, 2010 21:56
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I'm looking to get a new snare drum hoop. My previous one seems to have gotten warped at some point,screwing with some of the lugs, making it a pain and actually physically difficult to adjust. (I was most likely an idiot and had no idea how to tune things, way overdoing it. I'm not as stupid now, so I wont be doing that again). Actual question part: Do I need to pick up a top and bottom set of hoops for my snare? I was thinking of just getting a die cast batter side, and leaving the flanged hoop on the snare side, but I don't know if this will be an issue or not. Plus die cast are sort of expensive, so I'd rather not have to get both right now (or ever, if the mismatch doesn't bother me and there are no side effects) if I don't need to.
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Feb 16, 2010 22:47
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h_double posted:Does anybody know of a simple but decent freeware notation program? I am going to have a look at Finale Notepad, it's only What are you using it for? when you get down to the light version the only advantages it has are that you can print nice looking scores and hear it as you write. If you don't need those, I wouldn't even bother with software.
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Feb 16, 2010 23:54
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Hey so, I want to get back into playing Saxophone. I used to really like it but I had to play it at school and such, and to be honest it was a Baritone. I'm not looking for that because I want to find a good middle ground in playing, in that I want to get back into learning it again, then move on into a band or play some smooth jazz like music. Basically, I don't know if I should go with Alto, or Tenor, or what... It shouldn't be hard for me to get back into the swing of things, and I'm saving up some money for one, but I'm not sure what to go with...
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Feb 17, 2010 00:57
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I'm looking for my first guitar. I've narrowed it down to two at the moment. Reasoning being the Ovation my friend had and I liked it, and the Ibanez is the best selling on musicians friend so I figure it must be decent. I'm essentially just looking for some info/pointers on the both- which you guys think will be better? Maybe a better option? Thanks. http://www.guitarcenter.com/Ovation-Celebrity-CC24-Acoustic-Electric-Guitar-513279-i1148073.gc http://www.guitarcenter.com/Ibanez-AEL20E-Acoustic-Electric-Guitar-with-Onboard-Tuner-103370797-i1150896.gc
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Feb 17, 2010 01:03
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Green Puddin posted:Hey so, I want to get back into playing Saxophone. I used to really like it but I had to play it at school and such, and to be honest it was a Baritone. I'm not looking for that because I want to find a good middle ground in playing, in that I want to get back into learning it again, then move on into a band or play some smooth jazz like music. Basically, I don't know if I should go with Alto, or Tenor, or what... It shouldn't be hard for me to get back into the swing of things, and I'm saving up some money for one, but I'm not sure what to go with... Tenor sax is the coolest sax. Seriously though, go with what you think sounds best, they're both common solo instruments in jazz. I personally prefer tenor because to me it has a much richer sound, but a lot of people prefer alto. Edit: Or you could take it up a notch and go clarinet, or even oboe I guess (gently caress soprano sax).
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Feb 17, 2010 01:25
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kryptonik posted:I'm looking for my first guitar. I've narrowed it down to two at the moment. Reasoning being the Ovation my friend had and I liked it, and the Ibanez is the best selling on musicians friend so I figure it must be decent. I'm essentially just looking for some info/pointers on the both- which you guys think will be better? Maybe a better option? Are you dead set on an acoustic/electric hybrid? They are handy for playing live, but if it's your only guitar, you could get a regular acoustic that plays and sounds better for the same money (in particular the integrated tuner on the Ibanez seems a little gimmicky).
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Feb 17, 2010 01:27
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Well, I went to guitar center thinking I was going to buy the ovation with the mp3 recorder built in, ended up walking out with that Ibanez (in blue, its very pretty) after trying it without knowing that it was one of the top rated (the color caught my attention, trying it out convinced me), so I think my opinion is somewhat decent. The Ibanez has a low sound, warmer and deeper than the ovation, which is more bright sounding. Neither sound bad, just depends what you prefer. (I did try other ovations too, though I'm not sure I tried the exact model ovation you linked). Also, I went to play the showroom mp3 ovation, not only did the mp3/tuner/eq part not work (we changed batteries and everything, it had never been used and didn't work already) but it had pretty severe fret buzz on the 1st string. That's something that can happen to any guitar and just needs filed or something by a guitar tech, but for something that cost twice as much I understandably was not impressed with initial quality. Good quality of ovations:the plastic back is nice and makes the guitar more comfortable. The Ibanez played as well as the Ovation (the action might be a little lighter on the ovation, but I don't remember it being noticeable in my limited time with it), and sounded better in my opinion. Criticisms on the Ibanez: Built in tuner is not terribly accurate. Perfectly fine for playing by itself and amazingly convenient to not have to have a separate one, can be a slight bit off when playing with a backing track or I suppose a band. Most people wouldn't notice, and it doesn't have problems with going out of tune, so nothing extreme. The battery door for the tuner/EQ part on mine occasionally buzzes lightly. Tap it and it stops. This is not picked up when plugged in, and isn't loud enough to be noticed when mic'd. You'll be the only person to notice it, and you'll barely ever notice it (if yours even has this issue). I can usually only get it to happen if I actually try to. Don't worry about having to change batteries in the acoustic electrics, they seem to last for ages. (Ibanez uses 2 AA's, where I think the ovation used a 9volt, which is a bit harder to come by if you ever need replacements in a pinch) If you get the blue one, it's generally much darker blue than it looks, if you get bright enough lighting to make it look like it does in photos the black part has a purple hue. The tuners are gold colored. Looks great. If you have any more questions (especially on the Ibanez, since I have it sitting here)let me know. Best advice though, Guitar Center will likely have both of these sitting in the showroom to try, go and do it to see what you're more comfortable with and like better. It's really the best way. If anyone has any drum experience and can answer my above snare rim question please do. Ninja Toast! fucked around with this message at 01:42 on Feb 17, 2010 |
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Feb 17, 2010 01:30
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CalvinDooglas posted:What are you using it for? when you get down to the light version the only advantages it has are that you can print nice looking scores and hear it as you write. If you don't need those, I wouldn't even bother with software. Mostly just to sketch out ideas/exercises on my laptop, to keep the results neat and organized, and maybe occasionally to export the results as a MIDI file or PDF. I spent a couple hours tooling around with Finale Notepad and it looks pretty well suited to my needs.
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Feb 17, 2010 01:35
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The Mystery Date posted:Tenor sax is the coolest sax. Seriously though, go with what you think sounds best, they're both common solo instruments in jazz. I personally prefer tenor because to me it has a much richer sound, but a lot of people prefer alto. I was thinking tenor was well... Might just have to try both out somehow but really leaning on tenor for whatever reason. Thanks man.
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Feb 17, 2010 01:52
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h_double posted:Are you dead set on an acoustic/electric hybrid? They are handy for playing live, but if it's your only guitar, you could get a regular acoustic that plays and sounds better for the same money (in particular the integrated tuner on the Ibanez seems a little gimmicky). I'm not set- but I do kinda like the idea of having the built-in tuner. Got any guitars I should look at?
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Feb 17, 2010 02:14
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h_double posted:I spent a couple hours tooling around with Finale Notepad and it looks pretty well suited to my needs. yeah, it's very basic, but for simple stuff it works just fine. Figuring out the little quirks in Finale can be frustrating, though, so don't throw away your pencils yet. kryptonik posted:I'm not set- but I do kinda like the idea of having the built-in tuner. Got any guitars I should look at? A built in tuner is pretty gimmicky. You're only saving like $15, but also putting unnecessary hardware into an acoustic instrument. There is really no situation where you'd need to tune up so quickly, but couldn't have a real tuner available or your ears. If you're on stage you'll probably be plugged into a tuner, or you can get one of those that clips on the head of the guitar, though I don't know how well those work. I think the more useful guitar attachment would be something to hold my beer or maybe a sandwich and fries. Think I'm gonna make dinner soon. CalvinDooglas fucked around with this message at 02:20 on Feb 17, 2010 |
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Feb 17, 2010 02:16
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kryptonik posted:I'm not set- but I do kinda like the idea of having the built-in tuner. Got any guitars I should look at? I've always been partial to Washburn acoustics, and if your budget is a little flexible, give a Martin DX1 a look.
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Feb 17, 2010 02:33
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The tuner in the Ibanez really doesn't have anything wrong with it, and depending on your level of lazy you might find it immensely useful to just grab the guitar, press the button, and get tuned in around 20 seconds especially if you're new to guitar and don't have the ability to do it by ear. I agree it is probably of the accuracy of something around 15 dollars though. Another point in favor of the acoustic electrics is it's fairly simple to record something if you want, either through an amp or pedal and into the mic in on a computer, or with a usb interface, whereas a pure acoustic would require some more gear.
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Feb 17, 2010 02:38
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h_double posted:I've always been partial to Washburn acoustics, and if your budget is a little flexible, give a Martin DX1 a look. The DX1 is a bit out of my price range. Any one else have any suggestions for under 400?
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Feb 17, 2010 03:50
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I have a Dean Exotica 12 string acoustic-electric and I have to say if it didn't have a built in tuner I would go nuts, especially since I can't tune by ear at all.
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Feb 17, 2010 05:20
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It's not like you can't buy the standard Korg tuner that's like $10.
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Feb 17, 2010 06:56
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I'm new to home recording and shopping for my first audio interface. I can get a M-Audio Delta 1010LT PCI-Audio Interface for really really cheap, but as far as I know, I need an interface with phantom power to record from a condenser microphone. I don't see phantom power listed in the Delta's specs, but it says 2x Mic Preamp. Is this the same as phantom power or can I still use all kinds of mics with the interface?
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Feb 17, 2010 15:11
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Green Puddin posted:Hey so, I want to get back into playing Saxophone. I used to really like it but I had to play it at school and such, and to be honest it was a Baritone. I'm not looking for that because I want to find a good middle ground in playing, in that I want to get back into learning it again, then move on into a band or play some smooth jazz like music. Basically, I don't know if I should go with Alto, or Tenor, or what... It shouldn't be hard for me to get back into the swing of things, and I'm saving up some money for one, but I'm not sure what to go with... Alto or tenor are your two primary choices. (Soprano works better as a secondary instrument and bari is a bit too impractical for most gigs, also expensive and huge) Alto is good for lead playing. In ensembles, the alto is a lead horn, second only to trumpet, and it's fairly versatile, able to play pop, jazz, and even classical. It's an "easier" instrument to play and is a little more mechanically-inclined than a tenor. Many top-level alto jobs require the ability to double on clarinet, soprano, or flute. Sometimes all three, so while you will find a lot of work for an alto, you also might find some higher end session playing a bit limited if you don't have your doubles down (like musicals, studio recordings, working big bands). Pros: Easy learning curve, cheapest sax, stylistically flexible, lead/solo instrument. Tenor is good for solo and ensemble work. It's an inner-voicing instrument and more "flexible," allowing you to play less aggressively if you wanted to. Tenors work well in pop and jazz and can get a wide variety of tones. Some people can go for that airy jazz sound, others can go for a honking funky sound with a bunch of altisimo notes. Tenors need to double in session work, but not as much as alto. Pros: Great solo instrument, versatile range of sounds. That's all general stuff, it's not strict by any means, so it's really up to you. If you learned sax on a bari, alto is actually closer to that than a tenor. Bari players will often double on alto, because the fingerings are basically the same, the instrument is just an octave apart, that's pretty much it. So alto might work for you. It's kind of a toss up, just depends on what you are into I guess. Good luck!
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Feb 17, 2010 18:47
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FLX posted:I'm new to home recording and shopping for my first audio interface. I can get a M-Audio Delta 1010LT PCI-Audio Interface for really really cheap, but as far as I know, I need an interface with phantom power to record from a condenser microphone. I don't see phantom power listed in the Delta's specs, but it says 2x Mic Preamp. Is this the same as phantom power or can I still use all kinds of mics with the interface? No, that interface does not provide phantom power. Phantom power is not the same thing as a mic preamp, it will be listed as a separate feature if it's there.
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Feb 17, 2010 19:20
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h_double posted:No, that interface does not provide phantom power. Phantom power is not the same thing as a mic preamp, it will be listed as a separate feature if it's there. EDIT: Something like this Millenium PP2?
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Feb 17, 2010 19:33
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Syjefroi posted:[picking what kind of sax to play is] kind of a toss up, just depends on what you are into I guess. Good luck! HOWEVER: Green Puddin posted:I used to really like it but I had to play it at school and such, and to be honest it was a Baritone. Personally what I loved about Tenor compared against Alto was the fuller richer solo sound. Good luck finding what you like, I'm sure you'll have some fun with it!
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Feb 17, 2010 19:39
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Recently I've been playing my dad's US Vintage Series Strat, and I decided to restring it. After restringing my friend noticed that the bridge looked like it was raised a little bit more than usual off of the body. I honestly didn't know if it was or not, but I decided to check out the tremolo spring tension in the back anyway. One of the manuals I downloaded off of Fender's site said that the tremolo block should be 3/16" away from the body wall, so I measured and that's how far it was. I'm thinking that maybe the bridge has always been raised as much as it is now, but it just struck my friend as odd because he'd never really noticed until new strings were put on. Does that look "unusual" for a Strat Vintage tremolo bridge? Thanks for any help.
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Feb 17, 2010 20:31
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FLX posted:Thanks! So what additional piece(s) of hardware would I need in order to use a condenser microphone with this interface? Yes, exactly.
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Feb 17, 2010 20:42
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