Blancer.com Tutorials and projects

Chris & Trish Meyer’s series of tips, tricks, gotchas, factoids, and shortcuts continues with on layers with CMG Hidden Gems: Chapter 7 – Trimming Layers. AdobeAE added supporting AE Help links for trimming and slip-editing layers, splitting layers, Sequence Layers keyframe assistant.

For similar recent efforts, see After Effects Leftovers: 40 tips better the next day, A few quick tips for After Effects, and Keyboard shortcuts you (maybe) don’t use.

Just because you missed that awesome conference, doesn’t mean that you can’t still watch the lectures! This weekend, we feature an inspiring talk that David Carson did at TED. He walks through a gorgeous (and often quite funny) slide deck of his work and found images, and his thoughts on intuition.

Continue reading “David Carson on Design + Discovery”

Most of the world use Windows computers, so the chances are you’re one of them. So if you want to produce music on your computer, what are your options? Fortunately there are a heap of them – most of the big name digital audio workstation software works fine on Windows, and they’re not your only choices. So sit down and take a menu. We list the “big gun” software you can choose from, some inexpensive (less than $100) alternatives, and a few free options.

Sometimes the last thing you need when you’re making a choice is more options! But personally I prefer to know what the alternatives are before making up my mind – especially when it potentially costs a lot of money. I’d really appreciate comments of your own experiences. Feel free to let us know which programs you’ve used, how easy they were to get your mind around, and whether they have the features you needed. I’ll add many of your comments to the 2012 version of the list.

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The Big Guns

If you’re serious about producing music, you’ll want to invest in the best software you can afford. Here are eleven of the top DAWs, ranging in price from $200 all the way up to $1000. We start with the DAWs we tend to focus on here at Audiotuts+ (the only one missing is Apple’s Logic Pro, which only works on Macs), then branch out to six other popular and powerful alternatives – including a few that are relatively new.

Avid Pro Tools 9

$595 at Amazon

“Power, creativity, and flexibility in the world’s most advanced audio production platform.”

“Whether you’re in a professional facility, home studio, or on the road, nothing gives you the quality, speed, capability, ease, and inspiration to create like Pro Tools, the most widely used audio creation/production system in the industry. With Pro Tools 9, you can compose, record, edit, and mix music and sound for picture the way you want—with a high-performance Avid audio interface or without, on a Mac or PC, and with more flexibility than ever.”

With Pro Tools 9 you no longer need to purchase Digidesign or M-Audio hardware in order to get it. There is now a software-only option, which is great news.

Explore Pro Tools at Audiotuts+:

• Pro Tools Tutorials
• Pro Tools Quick Tips
• Discover Pro Tools LE
• 11 Essential Pro Tools Tutorials

Image-Line FL Studio 9

$279 (Signature Bundle), $195 (Producer Edition) at Amazon

“FL Studio 9 is a complete software music production environment, representing the culmination of more than 10 years of sustained & focused development. FL9 is the fastest way from your brain to your speakers.”

Explore FL Studio at Audiotuts+:

• FL Studio Tutorials
• FL Studio Quick Tips
• Discover FL Studio 9
• 10 Fruitful FL Studio Tutorials

Ableton Live 8

$395 at Amazon

“Ableton Live is about making music; for composition, songwriting, recording, production, remixing and live performance. Live’s nonlinear, intuitive flow, alongside powerful real-time editing and flexible performance options, make it a unique studio tool and a favorite with live performers. If you’d rather be “making music” than just “using music software,” Ableton Live is for you. Live 8, the latest version, includes a wealth of new techniques and improvements with a new groove engine, revamped warping, live looping, new effects, crossfades in the Arrangement View and a reworked MIDI editor.”

Explore Ableton Live at Audiotuts+:

• Ableton Live Tutorials
• Ableton Live Quick Tips
• Discover Ableton Live
• 17 Amazing Ableton Live Tutorials

Propellerhead Reason 5 and Record 1.5

$283 (Reason) and $169 (Record for Reason owners) from Amazon (or $387 for both)

“Reason is a virtual studio rack with all the tools and instruments you need to turn your ideas into music. With its generous sound bank and intuitive flow, Reason helps you along in creative process, and is the music software that never gets in your way.”

“Record gives you unlimited audio tracks, world class effects and mixing gear, and a whole new take on music recording. With an intuitive, straightforward interface and a hands-on approach to capturing performances, Record was designed for musicians – not audio engineers. This is recording done right.”

Explore Reason (and Record) at Audiotuts+:

• Reason Tutorials
• Discover Propellerhead’s Reason
• 18 Reason Tutorials that Cover All the Bases

Steinberg Cubase 6

$478.36 from Amazon

“With an array of sensational features and advanced tools designed to deliver the best and most harmonious results, Cubase 6 is your go-to audio workstation for recording, editing, mixing and producing music of all types. With its emphasis not only on technology and precision but also on user friendliness, usability and ergonomics, Cubase 6 empowers creative imagination to bring out the best in you. That’s why Cubase is the choice of countless musicians and producers around the world. That’s why Cubase 6 is the most advanced music production system today.”

Explore Cubase at Audiotuts+:

• Cubase Tutorials
• Discover Steinberg’s Cubase
• 20 Instructive Cubase Tutorials

Another Six Popular DAWs

No website can cover everything, so at Audiotuts+ we limit our main focus to the applications listed above. That doesn’t mean the other alternatives are not worth considering. Here are six of them. Do you feel that we should be covering some of these?

• Cakewalk SONAR, around $350
• Sony ACID Pro 7, $229.30 at Amazon
• Adobe Audition 3, $411.91 at Amazon
• MOTU Digital Performer DP7, $495 at Amazon
• Magix Samplitude 11 Pro, $999
• PreSonus Studio One Pro, $299 from Amazon

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Great DAWs for Less than $100

If you’re just starting out, or are on a tight budget, then you may not be ready to fork out $1000 for a software program – or even $200. Here are seven great quality apps that you can pick up for less than $100 (or just over $100 in one case).

Cockos REAPER 3

$150 (full commercial license) or $40 (discounted license)

“Audio production without limits.”

“REAPER is a digital audio workstation: a complete multitrack audio and MIDI recording, editing, processing, mixing, and mastering environment.”

“REAPER is designed to let you work quickly and creatively, without imposing any artificial limits on what you can do. REAPER doesn’t have track types, busses, tools, or offline processing. If you want to create a drum bus, simply add a track above the drum tracks and press the folder button – the drums will automatically send to the folder, Once you get the drum levels and FX tweaked right where you want them, you can record the folder’s output to non-destructively freeze the drums and move on. ”

Renoise

Costs 58 EUR

“With Renoise you create loops, beats and melodies efficiently step-by-step. It’s a complete, expandable Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) with a refreshing twist. Renoise is affordable, yet no corners have been cut in regard to features.”

Five Budget Versions of the Big Guns

FL Studio, Ableton Live, Cakewalk, Sony ACID and PreSonus Studio One have budget versions of their software for under $100.

• FL Studio 9 Fruity Edition, $98 from Amazon
• Ableton Live Intro, $95 at Amazon
• Cakewalk SONAR Home Studio 7 XL, $91.77 at Amazon
• Sony ACID Music Studio 8, $50.80 at Amazon
• PreSonus Studio One Artist, $101.34 at Amazon

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For Free!

I enjoy checking out free software and comparing it with the more expensive alternatives, and have become very impressed with the quality of free software. Here are a few apps that cost nothing, but look like they perform admirably well. If you’ve tried any of them, please let us know your opinion in the comments.

Traverso DAW

“Traverso DAW is an audio recording and editing program which is very well suited to record a single voice, a band, an ensemble, a whole orchestra or any other source of music! Both the home and professional user will find Traverso attractive, it’s clean interface is easy to learn, and enables you to work quickly and efficiently!”

MU.LAB 3

“Enjoy making music.”

“MU.LAB is a hi-quality music application for Mac OSX and Windows, transforming your computer into a complete music studio! MU.LAB does not overwhelm you with a complex feature set, in which you can get lost. On the contrary, MU.LAB is a user-friendly yet rock-solid musical tool designed to create, finetune and play Your Music!”

Frinika

I wouldn’t call Frinika beautiful, but it seems functional. Being Java-based it works on most operating systems.

“Frinika is a free (licensed under GNU GPL) complete music workstation software containing sequencer, midi support, soft synthesizers, audio recorder, piano roll/tracker/notation editing and more. The goal of Frinika is to be a complete platform for making music with your computer, using the versatile Java platform to be able to run on several operating systems, and being open source to be able to embrace the best open source technology being available at any time.”

Another extremely talented designer by the name of Ee Venn Soh has volunteered to create an exclusive wallpaper for the readers of PsdTuts+. This month’s exclusive wallpaper features an awesome combination of colorful and exotic images that form "YAW You Are We". We also catch up with Ee Venn Soh and talk about his design career since his last interview with over a year ago.

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Exclusive Wallpaper – YAW You Are We

• DeviantArt
• Behance Portfolio

• 1024×768
• 1280×800
• 1280×1024
• 1440×900
• 1680×1050
• 1920×1200
• iPhone
• iPad

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A Short Interview

Since my last interview back in June 2009, many things have happened. I have finished my study in Computer Science and graduated last May. I have worked in Ogilvy Malaysia and Resn New Zealand as an intern. During my internship, I got the pleasure to work with many high profile clients such as Guinness, Heineken, Johnnie Walker, Adobe, Puma, Toyota and MySpace. My duties involved creative design and digital production. Currently I am based in New Zealand. I am working as a designer and developer.

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When I was serving Resn. I was inspired and motivated by the works of Resn. While still trying to be original and keeping hold on to my belief and style, I siphoned what I have grasped and blended them into my works. I constantly pursue change and experiment with different style. I have developed a set of new vocabulary call the “Resn-fy”. Resn is about being alive, bold and raw. The visual strategy is to use drawings, texture, irregular patterns and shapes that are self-generative to reflect the ever changing nature of its complexity. It has a preference towards ugly beauty which is delivering the unexpected and being a nonconformist. Having a series of imagination but which is not practical when it comes to real situation.

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It is absurd to be loyal to a style. It does not deserve your loyalty. Stylistic shift happens all the time and people get tired when they see too much of a same thing. When you feel that you are comfortable with a particular style that signals the time you should be pursuing a change. It is about constantly striving for excellence in your practice and always looking to innovate. Experiment with new style creates a heightened sense of motivation, generating spontaneous plans of action. This level of excitement and enthusiasm could sustain longevity in designing.

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Do keep in mind that memorable never emerged from a formula. Do things that inspire people and emerge as a distinctive personality. Never pursue a style or get yourself preoccupied with technical skills. You will get drowned by superficialities and the hardening of creative arteries will begin to set in. Thanks!

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Special Thanks to Ee Venn Soh

Once again I’d like to thank Ee Venn Soh for participating and giving the readers an awesome new wallpaper for their desktops. Please make sure to visit his portfolio and check out some of his great art.

Yah, I said lasers! This year, at Adobe Max, Photoshop Guru Russell Brown showcased a new way to paint using Photoshop CS5, and yes, laser beams. This technique uses lasers to engrave an image onto a canvas made of solid wood and then, using a high quality flatbed printer, print the color image onto the carved wood, leaving the creator with an eye-popping 3D version of the original image; which is frankly, amazing! To make things even cooler, Russell is going to give away a custom image to 1 randomly selected fan, as well as 10 copies of his book "From Reality to Renaissance" to 10 others.

To learn more about how you can enter, click here. In addition, you can learn more about this process by watching the video below.