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/

[Robert FRANKLIN]

Is it FREE or as the Download Link seems to indicate it is just a DEMO!

Thanks

Mikolaj Holowko said:

Might have been posted already but for some sounds there is free kontakt player with 600mb of samples and some more freebies http://www.native-instruments.com/#/en/products/?category=1339 , so you could give it a shot if you don't have them yet they are pretty good. And cinesamples has got free, thought quite specific libs http://cinesamples.com/retail/

[Robert FRANKLIN]

There are TWO programs there I may be interested in

 

1. REAKTOR 5 PLAYER

2. KOMTAKT 5 PLAYER

 

Are they both just DEMOS and not the fully working programs?

 

Thanks

Mikolaj Holowko said:

Might have been posted already but for some sounds there is free kontakt player with 600mb of samples and some more freebies http://www.native-instruments.com/#/en/products/?category=1339 , so you could give it a shot if you don't have them yet they are pretty good. And cinesamples has got free, thought quite specific libs http://cinesamples.com/retail/

[David Prouty]

Hi Robert

Since Mikolaj isnt around right now, I will answer the question. Yes it is free but does have limited functionality. You will be able to use it for as long as you like but particular features are not there or time out after fifteen minutes of use.

Take a close look at the comparison chart here http://www.native-instruments.com/#/en/products/producer/kontakt-5-...

Hope this helps.

Robert FRANKLIN said:

Is it FREE or as the Download Link seems to indicate it is just a DEMO!

Thanks

Mikolaj Holowko said:

Might have been posted already but for some sounds there is free kontakt player with 600mb of samples and some more freebies http://www.native-instruments.com/#/en/products/?category=1339 , so you could give it a shot if you don't have them yet they are pretty good. And cinesamples has got free, thought quite specific libs http://cinesamples.com/retail/

[Robert FRANKLIN]

Many thanks for that, I'll give them a miss!

Regards to all!

David Prouty said:

Hi Robert

Since Mikolaj isnt around right now, I will answer the question. Yes it is free but does have limited functionality. You will be able to use it for as long as you like but particular features are not there or time out after fifteen minutes of use.

Take a close look at the comparison chart here http://www.native-instruments.com/#/en/products/producer/kontakt-5-...

Hope this helps.

Robert FRANKLIN said:

Is it FREE or as the Download Link seems to indicate it is just a DEMO!

Thanks

Mikolaj Holowko said:

Might have been posted already but for some sounds there is free kontakt player with 600mb of samples and some more freebies http://www.native-instruments.com/#/en/products/?category=1339 , so you could give it a shot if you don't have them yet they are pretty good. And cinesamples has got free, thought quite specific libs http://cinesamples.com/retail/

[Mikolaj Holowko]

Hey,

I haven't tried them out myself to be honest, although i do use kontakt mostly. I think that the samples should play and only editions are limited to 15 mins but might be wrong. Well my dad download them so we will test it out and i will post the resoults here.

Robert FRANKLIN said:

Many thanks for that, I'll give them a miss!

Regards to all!

David Prouty said:

Hi Robert

Since Mikolaj isnt around right now, I will answer the question. Yes it is free but does have limited functionality. You will be able to use it for as long as you like but particular features are not there or time out after fifteen minutes of use.

Take a close look at the comparison chart here http://www.native-instruments.com/#/en/products/producer/kontakt-5-...

Hope this helps.

Robert FRANKLIN said:

Is it FREE or as the Download Link seems to indicate it is just a DEMO!

Thanks

Mikolaj Holowko said:

Might have been posted already but for some sounds there is free kontakt player with 600mb of samples and some more freebies http://www.native-instruments.com/#/en/products/?category=1339 , so you could give it a shot if you don't have them yet they are pretty good. And cinesamples has got free, thought quite specific libs http://cinesamples.com/retail/

[Caj Ilotuuli]

I found these interesting vst synths by H.G Fortune (maybe someone else has written about them , I don´t remember).

http://www.hgf-synthesizer.de/

[David Prouty]

That's HG he's an old developer friend of mine. Those are interesting plugins. They are designed in Synthedit. Truth is you could buy Synthedit and build your own in a few weeks.

Caj Ilotuuli said:

I found these interesting vst synths by H.G Fortune (maybe someone else has written about them , I don´t remember).

http://www.hgf-synthesizer.de/

[David Prouty]

Room EQ Wizard

REW is a Java application for measuring room acoustics and analysing room and loudspeaker responses. It includes tools for generating test signals; measuring SPL and impedance; measuring frequency and impulse responses; generating phase, group delay and spectral decay plots, waterfalls, spectrograms and energy-time curves; generating real time analyser (RTA) plots; calculating reverberation times; calculating Thiele-Small parameters; determining the frequencies and decay times of modal resonances; displaying equaliser responses and automatically adjusting the settings of parametric equalisers to counter the effects of room modes and adjust responses to match a target curve.

Mac Windows and Linux versions.

http://www.hometheatershack.com/roomeq/#downloads

[Caj Ilotuuli]

Can I build my own sounds in Synthedith ? I´ve heard a radioprogram about Jean-Claude Risset , and he had made his own sounds but they don´t mentioned how . I have searched on internet but havent found anything yet  . I will check Synthedit .

David Prouty said:

That's HG he's an old developer friend of mine. Those are interesting plugins. They are designed in Synthedit. Truth is you could buy Synthedit and build your own in a few weeks.

Caj Ilotuuli said:

I found these interesting vst synths by H.G Fortune (maybe someone else has written about them , I don´t remember).

http://www.hgf-synthesizer.de/

[David Prouty]

Jean-Claude Risset used the MUSIC II, MUSIC III, MUSIC IV programs (all developed at Bell Labs) now defunct. Csound (descended from MUSIC 11 and is in wide use today) so you could do much of what he did with Csound. Synthedit will do the same. You can create synths samplers and effects plugins. There is also Synthmaker that is also up to the task.

 Jean-Claude Risset is credited with performing the first experiments on a range of synthesis techniques including FM Synthesis and waveshaping. After the discrete Shepard scale Risset created a version of the scale where the steps between each tone are continuous, and it is appropriately called the continuous Risset scale or Shepard-Risset glissando.

He has also created a similar effect with rhythm in which tempo seems to increase or decrease endlessly.

Synthedit and Synthmaker are capable of all these things. I have myself experimented with the shepard-risset glissando in Synthedit. FM synthesis is easily done as well as waveshaping.

[Caj Ilotuuli]

I found these electric guitar vst amp , very useful on other instruments :http://www.acmebargig.com/product/shred/

I only tried on strings and it sounds good .

[Caj Ilotuuli]

I like Hybrid reverb :http://www2.ika.rub.de/HybridReverb2/#download

and Glaceverb : http://www.vstplanet.com/Effects/Effects.htm

It´s really good for me ( I don´t have money to spend on expensive reverb .