How to create a studio with zero budget ($0.00)

[Chris Alpiar]

Hi guys and gals

 

I have been asked recently by two separate members in private messages how they can get their scores realized into audio with zero budget. One person was asking about creating good sounding audio from "Musescore notation program" and another without any notation software, just looking for the cheapest setup possible.

 

So I want to ask you all to contribute to this thread. Please include any ideas at all (that are LEGAL) to acquire and work on music with no budget whatsoever. I know we have had a few threads on freeware sample libraries that Simon and other folks have posted, lets talk about all freeware possibilities, used hardware possibilities, etc.

 

IMO Any composer setup must include the following:

- computer (recommended 64 bit OS, at least 8 gigs ram, at least 2 internal hard drives, but what can people scrape by with and still record)

- DAW (I use full versions of DP, Cubase and Pro Tools, but what are options for folks? I know we had a thread with a freeware DAW at one point. What about the really cheap versions of DAWs? I know Simon uses the lower level Cubase, how is that working for you mate?)

- notation software (many DAWs have some form of notation in them but generally arent as good as sibelius or finale. What are options in notation programs? What are the pluses and minuses involved with going cheap or free?)

- Sample libs (this obviously makes HUGE difference between sounding pretty real and totally fake. I am pretty snooty about it and I dont really have good suggestions for shoestring budget samples. But I remember something else Simon posted not too long ago with a free sample library, Simon you're the man!)

- convolution reverb and other effects/processing (I cant leave my Alti-verb at home, but I know there are freeware solutions, Ray has sent me links several places with freeware plugins that are pretty snazzy)

- MIDI controller/keyboard

- sound card

- speakers (and speaker amps if they are passive speakers)

 

what else? Lets make this the go to thread for zero budget studio ideas. Thanks folks! I know there have been lots of threads with pieces of this, so lets just put it all in one place, please any links, pics, ideas, etc

Current options are:

DAW (Digital Audio Workstation)

http://studioone.presonus.com/free/   (this version does not support 3rd party vst)

http://www.reaper.fm/about.php   (relatively inexpensive)

http://www.steinberg.net/en/products/cubase/cubase_elements_6.html  (entry level)

http://www.apple.com/logicpro/top-features/  (for mac users)

Sample Players:

http://www.native-instruments.com/#/en/products/producer/kontakt-5-...    (some 3rd party libraries will time out)

http://www.uvisoundsource.com/uvi-workstation/article_info.php/arti...

http://www.cakewalk.com/Download/sfz.aspx

Software Synths:

http://www.camelaudio.com/AlchemyPlayer.php 

http://www.u-he.com/cms/zebralette

Sample Libraries:

http://www.embertone.com/freebies/intstrings-lite.php   (kontakt vsti)

http://freemusicsoftware.org/category/free-vst/exotic-instruments (vsti)

http://www.pettinhouse.com/html/download.html  (kontakt vsti)

http://rekkerd.org/freebies-for-native-instruments-kontakt/

http://www.hollowsun.com/HS2/freepacks/kontakt.htm

http://www.sampleoddity.com/peculiarpercussion/

http://audiogeneticslab.com/instruments/free/magnus-chord-organ

http://sonimusicae.free.fr/diato-en.html

http://www.embertone.com/freebies/jugfree.php#1[/url]

http://indiginus.com/freedownloads.html

http://indiginus.com/solidstatehome.html

http://samples.wavesfactory.com/?cat=47

http://www.asinusadlyram.com/pocketBlakus/

Audio File Editors:

http://www.wavosaur.com/

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

http://www.music-editor.net/index.html

FX vst:

http://www.voxengo.com/group/free-vst-plugins/

http://antress.blogspot.co.uk/

http://www.vstplanet.com/index.htm

http://varietyofsound.wordpress.com/

[Ann Rodela]

This is one of my favorite topics!  Although, I know a personal can't be accomplished with a zero budget this thread poses a delightful challenge.  My system is a 32 bit Windows Vista.

 

Yes! You can find free DAW and my favorite is LMMS!  LMMS can accept VST plug ins, but you can also record your own wav files and add effects like reverb, amp with LMMS.  I love LMMS.  If you go to youtube you can find music made with LMMS and some tutorials. I made a techno fragment Robo dance with it. :)

http://lmms.sourceforge.net/

[Ann Rodela]

If you don't have a midi keyboard you open the piano roll and enter notes with your mouse in LMMS.

 

Now for free notation/DAW there is Frinika.  I never tried it but here is the link.

http://frinika.appspot.com/

 

Another free DAW is Skale Tracker you can even try it online.

 http://www.skale.org/

[Ann Rodela]

You can find free VST plug ins at vst4free.com  They have lot interesting free vst and DAWs. 

http://www.vst4free.com/

 Another site for finding free vst is VST Planet.  That site is huge but some of the freebies are trial size.

http://www.vstplanet.com/

[Bernard Duc]

Ok...

 Instruments

Orchestral

_ Sonatina Symphonic Orchestra : It's a very nice and totally free library made with many soundfounts. sfz format.

_ Symphonia : It's a free orchestral VSTi.

_ Ixox Flute : Not bad! with three choices of articulation : normal stacc and percu.  There are  other nice vsti on this website.

_ Piano : The Maestro Concert Grand v.2  More than 337 Mo of samples...

 

Other

_ Nanotron : A Mellotron with three sonorities : choirs, orchestral strings and flute.

_ Artifake Labs : two mellotrons, a fantastic Hohner Pianet N and other instruments.

_ Symptohm:Melohman Performer Edition : free version of the Symptohm Melohman. Very nice synth!

 

VST effects

_ Antress Modern : Fabulous for freeware! Many effects...

_ Variety of Sound :BootEQ mkII :The BootEQ mkII is an equalizer and pre-amp simulator combination which provides some nice and musical signal coloration effects.

                               Density mkII : The ultimate compressor! Like a Fairchild emulation but it goes further!

                               Rescue AE : Mide/Side treatment "analogic"

_ ReaPlugs : The vst bundle from Cockos (developer of REAPER). You need it absolutely! It's really essential!

_ Blue Cat's : chorus, flanger, phaser, analyse tools, EQ, gains... Very nice pack!

 

And many others... for later!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ann Rodela]

Ixox flute is nice, I tried it. :)

[Ann Rodela]

Note: it is free to hear but not not record.

Ray Kemp said:

Ok free vst instruments are quite easy to come by but not necessarily decent sounding so I'll try to keep this post free of (ha) garbage.

 

Tuesday 14 2011,  UVI Workstation complete with demo pack.

Tuesday 14 2011, NI Kontakt 4 player with demo sounds

Tuesday 14 2011, Sonatina Symphonic Orchestra : It's a very nice and totally free library made with many soundfounts. sfz format.

 

[Bernard Duc]

I continue...

 

VSTi

Sample Logic Trypack : More than 500 mb of sounds from AIR and SINERGY.

Superwave P8 : It's a wonderful virtual analogue synthetizer. The sound is very beautiful!

String Theory : It's a flexible physical modeling synth which is capable of a very wide range of plucked strings, atmospheric pads and ambiences, and unique hybrid synth sounds.

G-Town Sampling Church : Percussions and some other instruments...Not many instruments but an excellent quality!! I've heard it was used by Danny Elfman in some movies.

 

Effects

SIR : It's a very good IR reverb. You can find the IRs here :  http://irlibrary.org/ and on other websites.

 

Others

SFZ Player : The best free soundfont player. Download your soundfonts, load them in the player and let's play! It's very simple to use. Built-in effects, adjustable CPU/quality settings to adjust it to your hardware, fully multi-timbral operation and several loading modes including direct-from-disk streaming

 

And look at KVRaudio.com  The search engine is very practical and you can find all the freeware VSTs.

 

[Rudi [Rudolf Schmitt]]

For audio editing and recording I recommend Audacity:

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

Audacity is a free program written by a worldwide team of volunteer developers. It is available for Windows 98 and later, Mac OS X, Linux and other Unix-like systems.

[Bernard Duc]

I prefer Wavosaur. http://www.wavosaur.com/  It's much more practical than Audacity and you have more options. Moreover you can use VST racks and it has many analysis tools. It's pefect if you just want to stick some limiter or some compression.

Rudi [Rudolf Schmitt] said:

For audio editing and recording I recommend Audacity:

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

Audacity is a free program written by a worldwide team of volunteer developers. It is available for Windows 98 and later, Mac OS X, Linux and other Unix-like systems.

[Bernard Duc]

Yes it's compatible. I tried it.

Jon Corelis said:

There seems to be some doubt as to whether Wavosaur is compatible with 64-bit Windows 7.  I can't find anything about this on the Wavosaur page, and the cnet downloads site doesn't list Windows 7 as among the specified OS's for this app.  Does anyone know about this?  Thanks.

[Ann Rodela]

Thanks Bernard! Can't wait to try some of these! :)

[Ann Rodela]

The last goody I can remember is aviary.com

Aviary offers free sound and audio editing.