Sequencers?!?

[June-Bug-Dan]

Hey,
Over the past few weeks i have been looking on the internet for Sequencers so i can record my Concert & MB library compositions.
I havent however found one that is cheap, i first looked at Sonar and cubase because a lot of members use that for there productions but they were around $499 and i wasnt really going to spend that much money on softwere i only use for recording.
So i thought i would try my luck and ask here if anyone knows of a cheap sequencer that works with C&MB and preferably an easy one to use.
Can anyone help me?!?!?!?!:confused:

Dan.

[Houston Haynes]

Aside from Cubase and Cubase Studio, there's also Cubase SE 3 (http://www.steinberg.net/932_1.html) which can give you most if not all of what you're looking for.

However, I'm a big fan of FASoft's n-track sequencer (http://www.fasoft.com/what_is.shtm). The price is right and feature-for-feature as a sequencer it's pretty good. However, I've not used it in sevearal years (except for some recent testing in Vista 64-bit), so I can't attest to its compatibility directly - but they have a very robust online community (forum, blog, wiki) where you should be able to find more recent ground-level views to match your own. Plus if you want, you can download the demo and try it for yourself.

[June-Bug-Dan]

Aside from Cubase and Cubase Studio, there's also Cubase SE 3 (http://www.steinberg.net/932_1.html) which can give you most if not all of what you're looking for.

However, I'm a big fan of FASoft's n-track sequencer (http://www.fasoft.com/what_is.shtm). The price is right and feature-for-feature as a sequencer it's pretty good. However, I've not used it in sevearal years (except for some recent testing in Vista 64-bit), so I can't attest to its compatibility directly - but they have a very robust online community (forum, blog, wiki) where you should be able to find more recent ground-level views to match your own. Plus if you want, you can download the demo and try it for yourself.

Hi Houston Haynes,
Thanks for the infomation its been hard looking over these past weeks!!
I downloaded the demo of FASoft's n-Track sequencer, theres a lot of buttons and things so i wondered if you knew how i would go setting it up with C&MB and if there is anything i need to know for recording.
Thanks
Dan,

[rbowser-]

Hi, Dan

It's great that you're going to be getting a DAW to start using your CMB library.

I saw your earlier thread where you said you had expected to be able to record music with CMB by itself. I had noticed your name on the Forums for so long, I had figured that you were an old hand at using GPO and maybe other Garritan libraries - but I guess not? -

CMB and all sample libraries are just that - collections of samples, aimed at musicians who have music software to record and/or construct their pieces with. It's easy to forget that someone new to computer music may not grasp the differences between those two very different tools - recording programs, and instrument libraries to use in those recording programs.

OK so now you need a DAW--But the price you quoted for Cakewalk/Sonar was for the big full-tilt programs which are way too complex for what you want to be doing. Cakewalk has a number of great sequencers for under $200. I've never used a Cakewalk program higher than Home Studio - trust me, it's all you need. And I think it's somewhere between $100 and $150? So one suggestion is that you re-visit the Cakewalk site and investigate the more modestly priced programs. There's absolutely nothing wrong with them.

Since you haven't used a sequencer before, you're not quite appreciating yet how powerful they can be --they are much more than just simple tools to get a recording with. But you'll find that out once you get one and start working with it.

I have to deflate your expectations just a bit - You want something that will be easy to use, but no program worth anything is a "plug-n-play" thing. I guarantee you that you will not find any program that you can just open up and instantly be making great music with. It will take some patient going through manuals, trial and error, - and it will be immensely worth it.

There are free and shareware programs like Reaper--that is very popular, has some very vocal defenders. It's maybe $40 now--? And users swear by it.

Best of luck with it all--let us know how it goes.

Randy B.
(rbowser)

[June-Bug-Dan]

Hey,
Thanks Randy
I can allways count on you and the other members of this community!
Thanks for the information it helps alot.
I use Sibelius 4 and when i got GPO i found it was easy to use because of the built in record function so i thought the C&MB Library would be the same!!
C&MB is a really really excellent sample library, i'm really pleased with the results, lets hope soon i can post some British Brass Band & Wind compositions!!!!!:)

Dan:) :D ;)

[nikolas]

http://reaper.fm/

Shareware, with no limits. Rather good for the price, and rather close to the professional ones.

[rbowser-]

Hello again, Dan

Cool, Nikolas posted the link for Reaper that I mentioned.

Ah, I see --You must be talking about that record function which was in the GPO Studio, since you couldn't ever record directly in Kontact. That was a pretty limited recording function though, since there wasn't a mixing board to work with etc - But yes, I do remember seeing that on the old Studio back when I tried it a few times.

Something I'm not clear about now - You say you're using Sibelius - I guess that's how you've been trying out CMB and you're able to say you like the library. But then why do you need or want a sequencer also? Because you now want to actually perform with the instruments, rather than just notate them? - That must be it, yes? And I'm all for that, since I use Sonar and using a sequencer is the only way I work and want to work--I just got curious about why you're adding a sequencer now to your set up, since with Sibelius you Can make recordings.

Randy B.
(rbowser)

[June-Bug-Dan]

Hello again, Dan

Cool, Nikolas posted the link for Reaper that I mentioned.

Ah, I see --You must be talking about that record function which was in the GPO Studio, since you couldn't ever record directly in Kontact. That was a pretty limited recording function though, since there wasn't a mixing board to work with etc - But yes, I do remember seeing that on the old Studio back when I tried it a few times.

Something I'm not clear about now - You say you're using Sibelius - I guess that's how you've been trying out CMB and you're able to say you like the library. But then why do you need or want a sequencer also? Because you now want to actually perform with the instruments, rather than just notate them? - That must be it, yes? And I'm all for that, since I use Sonar and using a sequencer is the only way I work and want to work--I just got curious about why you're adding a sequencer now to your set up, since with Sibelius you Can make recordings.

Randy B.
(rbowser)

Hello again,
:confused: I dont understand?!? As far as i know i cannot record C&MB output with Sibelius? Can I?
I can export MIDI files or publish them but cannot record.
I would like to try to perform a piece but the main reason for wanting a Sequencers was to record C&MB outputs (compositions).
Can someone shed some light on this?

Dan,(A confused lad:confused: )

[rbowser-]

Hello again, Dan

Perhaps you know that I don't use Sibelius or any other notation program, so I have no hands-on experience. But people present works they recorded or "rendered" through Finale all the time here, and I thought the same was true of Sibelius users.

I just got through looking through the Sibelius site, and naturally most of the information is emphasizing the creation of scores.

But here's a quote from their site:

"...You can create audio files which can be converted to MP3s or burned to CD..."

That indicates that you're able to not only just hear a playback of music but that you can also record it---There has to be information about how to do that in your program's manual.

Randy B.
(rbowser)

[rbowser-]

Dan - another answer for you. At the Sibelius site, using their search engine, I found this about recording:

http://www.sibelius.com/cgi-bin/helpcenter/show.pl?id=48&languageid=1&searchid=1819585

It says you simply click File>save as audio.

:)

Randy B.
(rbowser)

[June-Bug-Dan]

Dan - another answer for you. At the Sibelius site, using their search engine, I found this about recording:

http://www.sibelius.com/cgi-bin/helpcenter/show.pl?id=48&languageid=1&searchid=1819585

It says you simply click File>save as audio.

:)

Randy B.
(rbowser)

Hey Randy,
Thanks for your help but unfortunatly there is no such option for me?!?!
I downloaded 'Reaper' its a good recording softwere actually, but how would i go about setting it up to record C&MB?
I not very good with sequencers, they all seem confusing?!?!
Thanks,
Dan.

[Nickie Fønshauge]

Dan, are you playing from Sib4 to KP2 stand alone? If yes, then you can use Audacity (free) to record your music. Just select "what you hear" as input in Audacity, click Rec. in A (I haven't used for a while, so I am a bit rusty on it - you may have to create a new file first) and start playback in Sib (through KP2 and your speakers). I know this works with Finale, so it should also work with Sibelius.

[rbowser-]

Well, dang, Dan - I guess your version of Sib is too early to have that record option. I do recall the site mentioning that the record option was added, but I'm not sure with which version. Amazing to me - I understand that Sib users are interested in printing scores, but having a recording of work seems so - basic!

Nickie to the rescue - Audacity, so many people rely on that, excellent idea. And it sounds pretty much like a snap to get that working as she described.

I'd just hate to see you spend bucks on a sequencer with all the bells and whistles when I think all you're wanting is the very basic thing of simply recording your Sib output.

Hope Audacity works for you - Reaper probably would be more complicated for you to bother with.

Randy B.
(rbowser)

[Houston Haynes]

http://www.garritan.com/tips_tutorials.html

[Craig F]

Dan,

Sib4 can't play CMB directly, so it can't record it. Sib5 can host any VST, so it has this capability; although, they haven't finished their soundset yet and has issues, but these are easily fixed.

To use CMB with Sib4, you need to send the output to KP2 standalobe via a virtutal MIDI cable such as Maple MIDI Tools or MIDI-Yoke. Then as Randy said, you can use Audacity to record it.

[germancomponist]

In many musicmagazins in the last time there were free versions from samplitude, where you can record and so on.... . I think it`s a great program... .

Gunther

[June-Bug-Dan]

Hey guys! having problems with audacity at the moment, well not problems but im new with this so i dont know how to link it to C&MB for recording?
Can anyone help again?!?!
Dan.:o
----------------------------------Original----------------------------------------
:) Hey guys!!
Thanks for all your help!!! I'll have to try Audacity and see if that works out for me.

Dan.:D ;)

[June-Bug-Dan]

Dan, are you playing from Sib4 to KP2 stand alone? If yes, then you can use Audacity (free) to record your music. Just select "what you hear" as input in Audacity, click Rec. in A (I haven't used for a while, so I am a bit rusty on it - you may have to create a new file first) and start playback in Sib (through KP2 and your speakers). I know this works with Finale, so it should also work with Sibelius.

Thanks for the help but i dont understand how i select what input to record? at the moment i can record using a microphone?
Help i was hoping to do a christmas song for the CD but the deadline is in two days?!?!?
Dan:(

[Craig F]

Thanks for the help but i dont understand how i select what input to record? at the moment i can record using a microphone?
Help i was hoping to do a christmas song for the CD but the deadline is in two days?!?!?
Dan:(Go to Edit > Preferences and set the recording device to your soundcard's output. If you can't get it to work, I can PM you my e-mail and you can send me your Sib file and I'll run it through Sib5 for you.

[Andrew Koenig]

If you're interested in a good basic sequencer at a reasonable price, you might consider MIDI Maestro, www.midimaestro.com