First of what I want to do which is always helpful in such topics :
"Create music in the following fields : Gothic Industrial , Goth Rock , Orchestrial , Synthpop , New Wave , EBM, New Age "

OK maybe someone can help me with all the different options available for a person who wants to start making music . Please tell me if you can the following about each possible option .


Arranger Keyboard:
1.Who is it for ?
2.Is it good for making music from scratch into a final mix ?
3.Is it good for less mainstream music ( Goth , Industrial , Orchestrial) ?
4.Good for use with commercially available sample libaries?
5.Pros and Cons?


Synthesizer Workstation :
1.Who is it for ?
2.Is it good for making from scratch and for alernative music ?
3.Good for use with commercially available sample libaries?
4.Pros and Cons


Software synth
1.Who is it for ?
2.Good for making music from scratch and alternative styles?
3.Good for use with commercially available sample libaries?
4.Does one still use a traditional hardware keyboard with a software synthesizer ?
5.Pros and Cons?

I don't think an aranger keyboard is what you are looking for. Arrangers are for general use - they can address a variety of styles acceptably well for live performance. It will do everything from Jazz to Hip-Hop, but the styles you mention seem pretty specialized.

I would suggest you look into a program called Fruity Loops. It is a loop-based composing program which emulates a hardware instrument called a "beat box." I have only tried it cursorily. If you search with Google you can find other groups that explain this unit and other hardware and software devices suitable for techno. You should be able to find a demo of Fruity Loops also.

Good luck, and please describe "Orchestrial." This is a term I have not heard.

If you are good at creating things from scratch, you can create your own styles if you have a high-end arranger. For the type of music, an arranger would not have the number of sounds that you would require; unless you get an arranger that can create and read samples.

One of the advantages of using software synths is that you don't have to run out and get another keyboard if you get tired of the sounds. You can just get more sounds to add to what you have. And you can get sounds that are specific to the music you are doing. You don’t have to get sounds that you don’t want nor need as is the case with arrangers and hardware workstations.

The Yamaha PSR 3000 or Tyros will do exactly what you wish, both are very user friendly, and you do not need lots of software to get the job accomplished. The other two choices will also do the same job, however, I don't believe they'll do it with any more effeciency, the systems are not as user friendly and if you ever do wish to expand to other genres of music, or live performances you have those options using the arranger.

Good Luck on your choice,

Gary

------------------
Travlin' Easy

I don't think any arranger is going to be the best solution for industrial, goth, etc. The premade rythyms won't necessarily lend well toward those styles, but more importantly, your sound palette will be very limited for those styles. An arranger works well for those of us who like to play live, particularly as a solo act. It also works pretty well as a scratch pad for writing songs, especially if you find creating or playing rythyms from scratch to be tedious work. It would be my last choice however for full production from start to finish, especially for the newer and less traditional genres. I have a Korg PA80 arranger, which probably ranks near the top as far as sound editing capabilities in an arranger. I can make some nasty or offbeat synth sounds with it, and program some really cool rythyms to boot. That said, I still find it to be a weak choice for the kind of music you want to make. I dabble with some experimental stuff btw, though I'm no expert at it.

A workstation / synth might work better for production from start to finish. A top flight station has everything inside to produce most genres. You can generally warp and mutilate sounds better than most arrangers will allow you to. Still, these are generally sample based instruments, so creating off beat sounds from scratch is quite possible, but I find it to be tedious work compared to taking an analog synth and making / tweaking sounds with it. I will say though, that there are talented programmers who can take samples and extract much fuller and offbeat sounds by gnarling samples than could ever be done with an analog. I have a Motif ES6. It has excellent preprogrammed arps, and you can add and make your own. There are some that might suit your genres of choice. Many of the sounds though are more acoustic instrument based. Overall I think it would be a fair choice for your preferred genres.

Someone mentioned FL Studio. BINGO !! By far, with the right VST instruments, or hardware synths that you can also control with it, this would probably suit your genres best. In a way, it's very similar to the pattern sequencer function of the Motif workstation, only a hundred times better. Why ? I'd need three pages at least, but doing stuff in a real piano roll and on a big screen for starters. Second, it has many more options and features and these are much easier to access than trying to scroll through multiple menu screens on an ES. Also, there are enough freeware synths and effects that will keep you busy with more sounds that fit your genres than any hardware I can think of ( including V synth ). Some of the commercial synths and / or samples are outstanding as well. If you can program your own rythyms at all ( or better yet play them on a midi controller of your choice ), FL is a great way to go. Also in this category are Orion Platinum ( also very good ), CW Project 5 ( only tried the demo ), Reason, but you can't use Vsti's with it and are limited to their propietary synths and refill ( sample ) packages, some of which are very good btw. I like Orion a lot too btw, but I think FL may have surpassed it as far as usability and features.

I use my Motif ES as a controller for FL and my softsynths. I also use some of the Motif voices as controlled by FL. You can use any module(s) / sampler(s) of choice, be it hardware or software. I mix and match. I have the analog modeling plug in it ( AN150 ). These are based upon the hardware analog AN series synths ( they can exchange patches ), and it's a very nice analog modeler, yet I think it almost pales in comparison to some of it's software counterparts that reside in my system ( Absynth, Pro 53, CS80V, Imposocar .. to name a few ) Industrial ? There are vst synths that are entirely dedicated to industrial type sounds, hammers, pipes, etc. You won't find that on any arranger or workstation

Cons with software ? You have to pick and choose and mix and match a lot of stuff. If you become a fanatic like me, it can get expensive and sometimes a little complicated to boot. It can be a little intimidating for the novice user, but then again I was a novice at it a few years ago too. Guys like Frank Rosenthal here at this forum and other forums like KVR did a lot to help me learn what I needed to know. I have a lot of software and have spent a good deal of money. I also have absolutely no regrets. A workstation is an all in one solution, but your limited to what's inside. Forget sampling workstations. Nice feature to have, usually tedious and not worth the effort vs a dedicated sampler.

I would suggest checking out the KVR Audio site. It might be the best resource around for soft synth systems. Many good freeware and commercial synths, samples, hosts and utilities can be found there, and there are quite a few members who are interested in genres similar to your favs. Some of these guys / gals are quite knowledgeable. Some of the freeware is awesome, and many of the developers hang out on KVR's forums.



AJ



[This message has been edited by Bluezplayer (edited 07-31-2005).]

But if one still needs a hardware keyboard to control a software synth then that can get pretty expensive , not that a good workstation is cheap but then I might as well buy a workstation. Or did you guys mean that one should have a workstation and a software synth ?

Can a workstation on it's own not upload commercially available sample libaries ?

Also are the Fantom X , Motif ES and Triton Extreme really the best workstations or just the most well known ?

You don't need an expensive keyboard to control softsynths. There are several controllers in the 150-500 USd range that will work fine. If you can't afford that, you can use any midi keyboard just to play on, something at a tag sale, a pawn shop, etc. Dedicated controllers will allow you to control more synth parameters in real time though. There are plenty of free softsynths and effects that can get you on your way. A whole setup can be as inexpensive as you want to make it. In fact, you can get started right now if you have any kind of midi controller and a vst host. There are even freeware vst hosts. I would recommend a look at Synth1 ( best Nord lead emulator I've heard, free or commercial ) , Superwave P8 ( great pads, power synths ), Polyiblit, Crystal, SFZ ( soundfont player ), Karnage, Oberon 8, Free Alpha, the MIK and Killer series of synths, for starters.... along with a slew more.

Look at the kjaerhus series of freeware effect plug ins. They are quite good. There are freeware soundfonts out there that are quite good. I have one that is dedicated to industrial percussion. Check out KVR-Audio and Soundfonts.It.

There are also very good working demos of the commercial stuff, many of which the full versions can be had for under 100 USD. If you start out this way ( I did ) then at least you'll know if you think this is the direction for you, without spending much if any money.

You don't need both a workstation and softsynths, one or the other will work fine. I just happen to have both. If I had to choose, I would part with my Motif ES before giving up my software. The ES has the phrase factory ( pattern sequencer and premade patterns, the arps etc ), but since I started using FL studio, I never use it any more. There is no comparison .. the work flow is way better for me in FL...

Yes there are sample libraries for the Motif and it's major competitors, but on the Motif for example, if you want to load samples that were not specifically written ( saved as Motif voices ) for the board, it can be a rather tedious process to load and set them up. I can't be bothered. It's so much easier to do this in almost any vst sampler in FL studio ( or any vst host ), and your ability to control and alter these samples ( sound / synth parameters ) increases substantially. Also, in the ES I have to save to disk ( usb device in this case ) before I shut down and reload each time I power up. It takes several more steps and time than it does to simply save and open an FL studio file. Besides, there are quite a few ways to make sounds other than using sampling, and some of the genres you mention call for some pretty unique stuff. Analog and physical modeling come to mind. You can't do that on an ES, save for a couple of proprietary plug ins that are excellent but have their limits. There are some sounds that you can create using other methods, that will be very hard to repiclate in a sampler, and even harder to mangle / alter in real time.


The Motif ES remains a staple when I play live, but it isn't an absolute must since I have a hardware arranger, along with arranger software and softsynths ( I've used 'em all succesfully live ). I can't say that any other workstations are better or worse, I just preferred the overall sound palette available on the ES vs the Roland and Korg offerings. It has been said that the Operating sytems of the other two are more intuitive aand better to navigate in than the ES. I believe that this is probably true, but based on trying them all, I don't see that any workstation would compare to working in FL studio, at least not for me.

I'm not familiar with any other workstations that may or may not be better than what the "big three" have out there. Then again I have little interest in checking out any more workstations in general.

Ask at KVR.. There are quite a few members there that are into Industrial, Goth, New Age, Ebm, experimental, and related genres. Ask at other forums where many of the members are into those genres. I doubt that very many will recommend a workstation over an FL Studio type setup, but hey I could be wrong... it won't be the first time. Really you can use either, you have to decide what works best for you. I am rather certain that most who play your preferred genres won't recommend an arranger for those types of music though.

Cheers,
AJ



[This message has been edited by Bluezplayer (edited 08-01-2005).]

I see .

A software synth is intrigueing I must admit since I can still use a real keyboard and with it being on a PC CD Burning is right in the same machine ( the PC ) .

I suppose a software synth may not have many if any presets though if they can easily upload sample libaries then that shouldn't be a problem .

Can a software synth upload all commercially available sample libaries or just specific types ?

Could a finished song with vocals ever be made with a software synth ?

Live performing is not something I would be concerned about .

Soft samplers can use just about any format hardware uses, in addition to their own proprietary formats.

Some softsynths are not sampled based at all. Some don't come with many presets, others come with a lot, if you compare to a workstation. Some have as little as 100 or even less, often because that softsynth specializes in a particular type of modeled synthesis ( subtractive, additive, granular, .. etc ), and some focus on a specific group of sounds ( leads, pads, bass, etc ).

Others, like Korg Wavestation for example, come with several hundreds, even over a thousand.

Also, there are add on patches made for almost every softsynth out there, and some of these are made commercially while others are released for free. Some made by manufacturers, others by users. Hint: If you see patches that were made by Tim Conrardy for any synth ( most of his are free and he has covered quite a few synths ), grab em !! He is a superb programmer. Another example : Synth 1 is a freeware release. It comes with 128 of it's own patches. Quality of these are ok, many are nothing special. There are also about 25 or so additional sets, with some sets containing 128 add on patches. Some of these are excellent, including Tim's. You can store and instantly recall up to 10 additional patch sets in the softsynth interface.

If you are using only software instruments and are going to be doing a lot of tracks, you will need a pretty stout computer. I would recommend a modern Athlon with Windows XP if you're PC based, although a P4 is fine too. I have both, and it seems things run a little smoother on my Athlon machine, and less crashes - better CPU usage vs my P4. Most of the experts I've read or talked to tend to agree. I would avoid a Celeron Cpu if at all possible. I would recommend a minimum of 1024 mb of Ram and at least a mid grade soundcard ( forget the stock one in your machine unless it is of better quality ). Mac was once the standard bearer for audio work, but this is no longer necessarily the case. Also, there are less audio softwares made for the Mac platform these days.

Yes, you can do an entire song, including vocals, in almost any soft based daw or workstation. FL, Sonar, Cubase, CW Home Studio, Logic, Tracktion, Acid pro, etc. All of these support Vst instruments and effects and all have audio / midi recording and editing functions. FL Studio itself opens up as a vst ( or rewire device if you prefer ) in any daw that supports one of those formats.

AJ



[This message has been edited by Bluezplayer (edited 08-01-2005).]

My PC is quite strong as it has 1024 MB or RAM and it has a AMD Athlon XP 3000 but I do know that the soundcard while being an NVidia was not exactly an expensive one . I do have Windows XP .

That setup should do just fine. You may find that you will need more than 1024 mb of ram, or perhaps not. I'm using 1024 in my Athlon setup, and so far so good.

The main concerns with soundcards are latency, noise floor specs, the type of drivers, ( ASIO is preferred ) and sample / bit rates. 24 / 96 is generally the minimum standard that an average to lower end, but usable card made for audio production should have.

AJ

That setup should do just fine. You may find that you will need more than 1024 mb of ram, or perhaps not. I'm using 1024 in my Athlon setup, and so far so good.

The main concerns with soundcards are latency, noise floor specs, the type of drivers, ( ASIO is preferred ) and sample / bit rates. 24 / 96 is generally the minimum standard that an average to lower end, but usable card made for audio production should have.

AJ

I think my soundcard may only be a 16 bit one from what I recall and I didn't find that it's drivers are ASIO types .

Let's just say I spent lots of money on upgrading the videocard but cheaped out on the soundcard when I had my system put together so I just picked the one that came with the base model .

A further advantage for me if I used a software synth s that I could actually afford to get an 88 key keyboard controller for it but if I bought any of the top three hardware synths I could not afford the 88 key model easily.

How easy is it with FL Studio to upload samples be they free ones downloaded online or commercial ones from a sample CD Rom ?

The soundcard being "NVIDIA" smells like the integrated NVIDIA soundcard embedded in some PC chipsets developed by NVIDIA for Athlon systems.
Although it is usually fine in games (sourround sound etc), it's probably not the best solution for a pro soundcard. As for ASIO drivers, you can try the ASIO4ALL drivers (do a google search on that) which provide ASIO capabilities even for soundcards that have no manufacturer's ASIO drivers, like older Crative SB Live cards.
The guys in this forum can guide you about pro soundcards

You could load samples directly into one of FL's modules, and it should be no problem, but normally I use Kontakt as my sample player, but I'm no expert with sampling. I tend to use virtual plug in modules more often than not, things like Absynth, MusicLabs Real guitar, SuperQuartet, Jamstix virtual drummer, etc. I do have DR008 and a bunch of drum samples and setups though.

FL is a host application, meaning it hosts Vsti, DXi, and vst / dx effects. It does have built in modules as well, but I think most of us that use it normally use add on vst / dx instruments.

ASIO4All works well with my old SB live card, which I still have because it provides another midi interface and I can play soundfonts through it. The downside is it is only a 16 / 48 spec card, and the noise floor is a bit too high for good quality recording,

If you want to do a very decent soundcard on the cheap, you might consider something along the lines of the Midiman Audiophile 2496. I paid around 190 USd for mine, but today they can be had fo around 100 Usd. Mine has been in and out of 3 different computers, never a hitch. They are rock solid. I can't remember seeing very many complaints anywhere about them.

AJ

Thanks . I will consider all that was said .

Software synths have their distinct advantages and Hardware synths have their distinct advantages .

I'm still punished with dial up Internet so I don't know how frequently and how many free samples I could download as I have no idea how large they are which means I would probably have to rely on sample CD Roms more which can get pricy .

Though I agree software synths are more upgrade friendly .

Hardware synths on the other hand come with many presets and they allow you to make music away from your computer if one wishes .

I have just learned how much the Hardware sytnths would cost me . The Triton Extreme 61 would cost me $2450 Canadian , the Motif ES 6 $2560 Canadian and the Roland Fantom 6 $2715 Canadian .

Now that kind of money would buy a great keyboard controller for a soft synth as well as tons of Samples software and of coarse a better soundcard for my PC .

Are the applications mentioned such as FL Studio really as comprehensive as those Hardware synths in all they can do or does one require additional software for other tasks ? It's not that getting additional software would be too expensive but all of that piecing together would kind of turn me off honestly.

I think modular system when I think of using a PC / Mac solution. FL is my pattern sequencer. It's editing facilities and features are far ahead of the Motif's pattern sequencer. If you don't plan on working with patterns, than a regular DAW / Sequencer app might be better for you.

I often open FL in Sonar, because the audio recording / editing facilities are deeper. Still, one can produce and entire song in FL, as it supports multi tracks and effects. I like using a linear track sequencer like Sonar for it's audio faders and controllers. A guitarist I know has FL as well, but only has Cakewalk Music Creator, which is the entry level version and is very inexpensive, and FL opens an works fine in that too.

The Motif ES is an excellent workstation, but it's also WYSIWYG. If what's in it works for you, then it's a great tool.

AJ

So there aren't any software synths which are capable of creating an entire song that are better than FL Studio or Cakewalk ?

What does WYSIWYG mean ? I heard the Motif ES is kind of complicated to use , or at least more so than the Triton Extreme and Roland Fantom X series .

WYSIWYG = What you see is what you get.

Better than Sonar or FL in what way ? These are Sequencer and Audio production packages that also are host applications for many different softsynths / samplers and effects units. There are others, like Cubase, Ableton Live, Mackie Tracktion, Acid Pro, etc for example. Some users like them better, some don't. There is higher end stuff like Pro Tools and Nuendo as well, but many of us don't need something that extravagant / expensive to make music with.

Like I said, think modular.. or think rack system. Plug in what you want, leave out what you don't want. That's one of the benefits of a software system. You can't really do that with hardware, but the advantage of hardware is that everything or most of everything can be in one box ( machine ). If it happens to have all the features you want, great.

My total setup is a hybrid. The Motif ES does some nice things, my software picks up the slack and adds many things that the Motif doesn't do or doesn't do as well or as easily. I said it before.. The Motif probably has the least intuitive OS vs the Korg and Roland offerings. I chose it because I liked the overall sound palette better.

You already have a computer. Why not try out the host of freeware and working demos out there? Then you can see how it works. It won't cost much if anything except a little time to put it together. You can even use your internal soundcard. Just go get the freeware ASIO4all so that it uses low latency drivers. The sound quality won't be on par with a dedicated audio soundcard, but it should be more than sufficient for tryimg out programs and synths.

AJ

Actually I just saw two software synths which seem to look quite good on paper .

1.Propellerhead Reason 3.0
2.Cakewalk Project 5

Those seem to be able to do everything I could think of doing . I think they cost a few hundred bucks but even with a midi keyboard controller and a better soundcard it would still come quite a bit cheaper than any of the three major hardware synths .

What's your experience with those two ? Do you know them ?

Yeah I'm sure the Motif ES sound terrific , the Triton Extreme seems to have the most preloaded sounds and the Roland Fantom X seems to have the largest expansion capabilities with all of those SRX boards and room for four of them .

[This message has been edited by Darksounds (edited 08-07-2005).]

You can do some incredible things with Reason. I did not choose it simply because it does not support Vst or Dx synths and effects. I said it above... It has some cool synths and "refill" ( sample ) packs, but you cannot expand beyond what Propellerheads offer, and my very reason for going the software route is to have as open a platform as possible. At this time, Vst, DX, and sampling in general offer the most paths. Also, aside from having the quality of built in synths, FL and Orion can for the most part do anything Reason does. Their approaches are similar in many ways.

I tried Project 5 version 1. It is more in line with FL and Orion Platinum, in that it does support Vst and DX technology. I did not like the interface ( particularly the way the sequencers are setup ) very much at all vs FL or Orion. Also, midi implementation itself was very limited vs the FL / Orion. I have not tried Version 2, but others have stated that it is much improved so perhaps I would find it useful to me. I'm happy with what I have already though, so no need for me to find out.


All of these have working demos, so perhaps it is best to try them out and see which works best for you.

AJ

Yes I learned through reading up on these software synths I mentioned that Reason while having good features included is limited in upgradability to what Propellerhead offers . Uploading samples is equally limited to only those that are in the Sound Font 2 format . They say that they are working on an update that would allow for the import of Akai samples as well .

yeah v.2 of Project 5 has many improvements and as you say is much more open ended about the instruments , Applications and samples it can run .

I'll check out Orion too .

OK it seems to me that for my purposes Fruity Loops or Cakewalk Project 5 v.2 are probably best .

I think both are a little thin on effects compared to a hardware synth but more can be added as well as new compatible synths and instruments though I might also be using samples alot .

I think you have the picture. FL, Proj V, etc are the core of the system. The quality comes in adding what you want. The built in effects and synths are pretty much just for starters, not really very different than the ones that come with Cubase, Sonar, Orion, Logic etc.

The freeware Voxengo and Kjaerhus vst plug ins that can be downloaded are probably as good if not better than anything I have on my Motif ES.

I am a bit curious as to what has been improved in Vers 2 of Project V. It would have to make my workflow easier and have features that would make it better for me to use than the combination of Sonar and FL.

I might just look up some of the posts now myself over at KVR Audio relating to it...

AJ

Yeah though in my case most of the production tools in Cakewalk 5 v.2 will probably suffice . I might add a vocal modifier application if I decide that I want to add vocals .

I can if I wish to just play a melody with a single instrument select a particular synth engine and instrument and then just play that without doing anything to it right ? Because that's how I would get ideas .

I found this in depth review of Cakewalk Project 5 v.2 at Sonicstate .


Introducing
Did you know that the 'Cakewalk' is a ritualistic dance or set of movements originated by African tribes and developed by Afro-American slaves as a parody of their white masters exaggerated style of walking?
'Cakewalk Software' alternatively, have been developing and producing innovative music sequencers and midi-based software products since the early 90's. They're good, and they have a trailer load of awards to prove it. Last year alone winning Best Sequencer, Best Buy and Best New Software in a variety of trade publications.

Their latest product is Project 5 V2. Like Project 5 V1, version 2 is a 'studio-in-a-box'. No, really, this time it is. No, I'm telling you, this is a 'studio-in-a-box'. OK, it's an over-worked expression, (and this programme is actually much more than just that, as I'll explain later) but Project 5 V2 comes closer than most to that holiest of Grails, the 'Soft Studio'. And here's why: flexibility and expandability. Version 2's got plenty of both. In fact this has more cross-platform than Clapham Junction and Grand Central combined and like a downtown cabbie, it'll talk to anything. DX, Dxi, MFX, ReWire, WDM, VST, VSTi, throw Version 2 any format you can think of and it'll eat it for breakfast.

Project5 workspace
It's three S's, sampler, sequencer and soft synth (OK, that's four S's) have GUI's that are both complex but intuitive at the same time. They are thoughtfully designed and instantly effective in use. (They are also very pretty and may evoke a sexual reaction amongst younger users. Something you learn to control in later life).

The key features add to the flexible theme with pattern-based sequencers and processors, ACID tm compatible audio-looping tools, live performance and realtime features, VST plug-in support (with VST/DX adaptor). And how's this? The installation DVD contains nearly 2 CD's worth of PRO DS864 sampler banks and ACID tm format loops from PowerFX and Loopmasters, ProSamples and Smart Loops.

First Impressions
Project 5 V2 installs from a single DVD (although you can request it on CD for a few extra bucks) and minutes after eagerly tearing apart the box you will be ready to write your first choon. The 'fast track guide' (the word 'manual' just ain't rock 'n' roll no more) has a set of 17 tutorials that include Playing a Project, Using Audio Loops and Adding instruments to Tracks. There's a section on new features and a guide to instruments and effects. The booklet also cross-references the help available on-line through the Cakewalk Software site. The tutorials could be more in-depth and it's lacking a decent glossary, which would be useful, as Cakewalk have re-christened just about everything that can be named. (Hey, put some more Exaggerator on that Groove-arama-thon-ator). But I've seen worse and it's certainly enough to get you started.
Once installed, the environment is essentially very intuitive and it's easy to navigate around and see what V2 has to offer. And, oh boy, there sure is a lot on offer.

P-SEQ Pattern Sequencer
Let's start with the sequencer. P-SEQ is a pattern sequencer offering Step and realtime recording in a piano roll stylee. Click on a pattern and the synth and related parameters appear in front of your eyes. The 'pattern bin' allows you to audition or browse through and Organise multiple patterns. You can drag the patterns into the pattern editor for additional editing. When fully edited you can send your pattern to the track where you can cut and paste it wherever you like

SYNCRON32 - Analogue Style Step Sequencer
This provides 32 steps with control over pitch, tempo sync, rhythmic duration with shuffle, per-step flam, legato and bends. You can use it to generate patterns, trigger synths and trigger patterns from midi devices. Again, like the P-SEQ, you can cut and paste these patterns into the track.

VELOCITY - Drum Sampler


Velocity
This little monster allows you to build all sorts of drumkits that then become instantly accessible for use on your tracks. It supports all the regular sample formats and there are 18 polyphonic voices available with up to 32 velocity-layered samples. You can reverse, filter or decimate. There are 5 stereo outs and full automation and a CD's worth of drumkits to get you going.

CYCLONE Dxi - Groove Sampler
With the Cyclone you are able to record loop-based compositions in real time and your loaded samples will match the pitch and tempo of your project. The Cyclone makes it easy to tweak, combine and slice your samples to make new beats and grooves. The Cyclone features 16 virtual pads which can be used to trigger individual slices of loops or multiple loops. You can alter the values of each slice with the Slice
nPULSE - Analogue Modular Drum Synth


nPULSE
This allows you to emulate all the usual line-up of classic drum boxes. It's a 12 voice, multi timbral synth with multiple presets and full parameter automation.


DS864 - Multiformat Digital Sampler


DS864
This is a multitimbral, multi-output sampler capable of receiving MIDI on up to 16 channels. Each MIDI channel can in turn be assigned to 1 of 8 stereo outputs for effects processing, parameter automation, key mapping and velocity zones. It supports Akai S5000/6000, Kurzweil, Sound Fonts 2, WAV, AIF and proprietary sample formats.

There will be hardcore Version one-ers out there who were using Project 5 when John Kerry was on every TV channel. And right now they'll probably be saying, "all this stuff was available on Version 1. What's so whoopee-doo about version 2?"

OK, well, I was getting to that.


The whoopee-doo new stuff
DIMENSION - Sampling Synthesizer.


DIMENSION
This is a sample playback softie capable of wavetable and physical modeling. Dimension is composed of four individual sound generation components called Elements. Each Element has a complete engine composed by a player, a per-voice DSP stage (lo-fi, filter and drive), a global DSP stage (three band parametric EQ, multi effect) and a set of Modulators (envelopes, low frequency oscillators and keyboard tracking applied to the main sound generation parameters). The sound generated by the four Elements is mixed and routed to the stereo output. With the Dimension, you can quickly load samples in virtually any format and start playing. It's completely hands-on. All the controls are right there without trawling through loads of menus. You can layer different programs to make complex voices as the Dimension allows you 8 layers of 512 samples each per program - which is a good thing as there's nearly 3GB of included samples on the DVD. You can fine tune, pan, reverse, invert and decimate your single samples or entire layers. There are also two beefy resonant filters that operate in series or parallel each having their own envelopes. Envelope stages can be logarithmic or exponential (big words for slow or fast). Three LFO's allow vibrato, tremolo and filter sweeps in sync with the music.

Groove matrix
Opening up the GrooveMatrix view will display rows and columns of cells that resemble controller pads. From there you can drag MIDI patterns and loops from your ÑArrangeÒ view or browser into the cells, and trigger a beat or groove by simply clicking on a cell or via MIDI remote control. The columns (or panes as Cakewalk calls them), can be used to organize your composition into different sections (chorus, breakdown, solo, fill, etc), and can also be triggered to play back all the cells in a selected pane. Those familliar with Abelton Live will feel right at home here. You can set up cells or panes to change immediately, on the measure or by a designated note length (great for beat juggling), and cells can play back as loops or Ñone-shots.Ò And when you are ready, just arm the GrooveMatrix, and record directly into the ÑArrangeÒ view. The ability to drag in new MIDI patterns and loops on the fly from the arrangement without a break in your audio engine is impressive.

ROLAND GROOVE SYNTH


Roland Groovesynth

This is a GM2 compatible software synth featuring newly developed software synthesis engine with 256 sounds and 9 drum sets built in. You'll be pleased to know that this also includes samples from Roland's vintage machines. Polyphony is 128 notes depending on the performance of your computer. Which seems like a good point to mention that Project 5 in general requires a fairly high spec computer. Your processor will need to be at least 1.5 Ghtz with a gig or more of RAM and a damn fine amount of space on your drive will be a big advantage, too. The minimum spec OS is Windows 2000 and don't forget you'll need a DVD drive to install the program.

PVFX - effects, effects, effects.
This contributes to the live and real-time feel and usability that features highly in Project 5 V2. It has six primary effects Transposer, Accumilator, Exaggerator, Lo-Hi Filter, Tracer and Shifter. With these FX you can pitch shift, filter and morph, glissando, delay, reverberate and bend all in real time. Additional automated FX include tempo sync modulation filter, multi-voice chorus and flanger, tempo-synced phase, compressor, gate and 2 band parametric EQ.


Other features
These include an arpeggiator which can be layed across any of the soft synths for that ultimate digga-digga-digga-digga stuff. Also there's the Alias Factor with which you can decimate till you can decimate no more by reducing bits and applying a low-pass filter. Nice. And, get this. The Devise Chain Preset let's you save setups complete with FX's and tweaks and then call it up in another project. Great.

Project 5 V2 is a ReWire client and host so you can now run apps like Reason and Fruity Loops directly inside the application. It will send midi sync to hardware sequencers and, yes, Project 5 V2 does record audio.


Summing up
The Competition
Ableton Live 4 realtime sonic surgery. $399 www.ableton.com
Price@Samedaymusic.com
Propellerheads Reason The original and digital. $699.95 www.propellerheads.se
Price@Samedaymusic.com


Cubase SX/SL sequencing VST environ. $595 www.steinberg.com
Price@Samedaymusic.com

SoundForge for all your audio editing needs. $399.95
mediasoftware.sonypictures.com
Price@Samedaymusic.com

ACID looping and sequencing (acee-eed! Acee-eed!). $225.95 www.sony.com
Price@Samedaymusic.com


Unsurprisingly, Project 5 is not the only contender for the virtual sound design crown. The already established Ableton Live 4 offers many of the same features. It too has been described as an exciting and highly intuitive performance based programme and is a favoured tool with the DJ fraternity.

Then, of course, there's Propellerheads Reason, the original studio-in-a-box (no, really, it is!) and Cakewalk have been careful to include cross compatibility with all these other products. Alternatively, you can of course create your own soft studio using a variety of software and hardware that is your own design and is not dictated to or governed by any one specific corporation. (HmmÅnow there's a thought!)

Project 5 V2 is an entire performance based software system. This new wave of programming aims to revolutionize the live performance market with instant on-the-fly editing and sequencing for real-time recording, Dj-ing, simulcasts or straight to media enterprises. But it's just as much at home in a pro studio set up, condensing hardware needs to virtually zero and offering unprecedented amounts of flexibility and integration with existing set ups.
With its real-time functionality, intuitive usability and open architecture, Project 5 V2 comes in on an equal footing with its closest competitors. Infact, its adaptability means that it actively encourages integration with other similar systems to expand your PC's ability to perform complex exercises and ultimately create better results.

Any downsides? Well, not everyone would want all their tools tied to one program. This complete package may mean that some of your old favourites may get consigned to software heaven or simply left to do menial tasks - unless of course they are ReWire savvy and then you can run them from inside P5 V2. But nevertheless, your results could wind up having a similar feel and sound quality. Great if that's what you want, but more creative freedom may come from combining Project 5 with your other more familiar tools and programmes.

All in all it's a stunning piece of kit for the price and if you already have version 1 you can upgrade to version 2 for very little. All in all, it's hard to imagine what else you could need in a live or studio environment. But I'm sure that if there is more, Cakewalk are developing it right now.

Finally
In the end it may all come down to a price battle or a who-can-bundle-the-most-samples-and-extra-features-all-out-war. But whatever happens, the future looks good for musicians, DJ's, sound engineers, live performers and bedroom mixers looking for performance related solutions. Is Cakewalk's Project 5 Version 2 a 'Studio-in-a-box'? Gosh darn it, it's the closest yet.



[This message has been edited by Darksounds (edited 08-08-2005).]