Soft Synths/Samplers/Hardware??
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Posted on Jun 02, 2005 12:59 pm
sax_fan
Member Since: Feb 06, 2005
Hi everyone. I have been looking at various software plugins/stand alone synths etc. Assume for the moment that I have basically nothing but a PC Daw with Sonar and a controller (which is just about accurate -- although I do have Reason adapted) and that I'm going to be playing and recording jazz and pop music generally. I have very little experience with these things at this point and keyboard is not my primary instrument.
I was looking at Sonik Synth 2 and Sample Tank. Sounds seem very good and both heve gotten good reviews. I can get a very good deal on both of them together (basically two for the price of 1). Does this purchase make sense?
How do these compare to Kontakt and Kompakt? Are they mutually exclusive or do people use both? I'm sure this opens up a real can of worms, but am I just better off saving the money and buying a hardware module?
Finally, I am also looking at Garritan Personal Orchestra becuase there is a great "Group Buy" price. I'm not sure I would use it all the time, but it certainly does seem to have some nice sounds to add to a collection.
Any thoughts, insight, experience with the above, would be VERY helpful and appreciated.
I apologize for the barage of questions, but there are many things I am interested in purchasing and I am just trying to gain some perspective and set some priorities.
Thanks in advance.
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Jun 02, 2005 01:20 pm start with basics and work it up...
you have a computer, and controler, now what about a midi and audio interface? you're gonna need to get midi data and audio data in and out of your computer...
if you plan on miking up instruments, you're gonna need preamps (mixer or standalone) ect.
i'd stay away from kontakt right now, cuz that program is deeper than alan watts and alister crawley combined.
a good all in one solution would be cakewalks 'project 5' or gettin' the full blown version 3 of reason.
Jun 02, 2005 02:29 pm Thanks for that. I'm sorry, I wasn't very clear. I guess what I meant to say is that I don't have much in the way of sounds. I do have some other equipment.
My controller conects via USB, so the midi interface is not an issue. I am using an audigy 2 sound card (which I plan to replace -- probably with an M-Audio 2496) and I have a Mackie 1202 VLZ Pro mixer. I also have an AKG C1000 Mic.
The issue really is one of how to expand my sound library. Given the prices on Sample Tank/ Sonik Synth and the Garritan Personal Orchestra, I had thought that might make sense to use with Sonar. But it sounds like you think Reason 3.0 may be a better purchase at this stage. I had thought about that, but thought I might be able to get more realistic sounds from one of the above -- I may have an incorrect view because Reason adapted is somewhat limited.
I'm really not looking to get into tweaking and creating sounds. I really just want decent sounds that will work well right out of the "box.
I'm also thinking seriously of buying a Roland Rd-700SX or a Yamaha P90 as a nice controller/digital piano. If I go with the Roland, that has some nice sounds too.
Jun 02, 2005 04:10 pm those programms i mentioned above are chalked full of sounds...run reason or project 5 inside of cakewalk....i wouldn't throw my money out by buying an accual keyboard, unless you need it to play live.
peace
wyd
cooloFrisco's Most UnderratedMember
Since: Jan 28, 2003
Jun 03, 2005 02:07 am Not so sure on what will have the best sounds, but just as a note, I would not get rid of the audigy when you pick up an audiophile 2496, but rather, I would run them concurrently, cuz the 2496 does not have midi, and you will need the audigy to run all your midi stuff.
Jun 03, 2005 07:15 am coolo,
do you mean the audiophile doesn't have a midi In/Out? Actually, either does my audigy. As I mentioned I'm using a USB controller so I don't need it (at least not for now).
Jun 03, 2005 07:31 am The Audiophile has MIDI I/O, it just doesn't have a built in wavetable of MIDI sounds...it just passes the MIDI data through.
