PT1: Building the 'Ultimate' Lean, Mean, MIKRO MASCHINE Mapping for TRAKTOR

Part One: Maschine Mikro Traktor Mapping

Maschine Mikro - The Beatmaking Hardware/Software Package

This is a part one of a multi-part series of my journey to create the "ULTIMATE" Maschine Mikro mapping for Traktor Pro 2.6+

Note that "ULTIMATE" is relative - as everyone will have different objectives of what their midi mapping should and should not do, with Traktor's flexibility in midi mapping, everyone has a different way of playing out, some uses full track decks, some uses a combination of remix decks and track decks, it is also not impossible to play a set entirely from remix decks!

'Ultimate' in terms of midi mapping simply means = a mapping of functions that you ACTUALLY use, rather than a confusing mapping that does everything that you dont need, making it hard to use and cluttered

The whole point and reasoning of my me making my own mapping is that, when I tried to look for a good Maschine Mikro mapping, I was unable to find a really good one that suits me, there are a lot of REALLY GOOD mappings out there that seems to do everything that Traktor does, but I find them to be way too confusing, one of the mapping comes with 20+ pages of instruction on how to use the mapping, so that was a bit much, I guess i'd spend the time to do my own mapping instead! 

So the goal here... is to make a mapping that suits OUR (Mine and yours of course!) objectives, and making it as intuitive, easy to use as possible, by explaining how I did my mapping, and how you can do yours, rather than just giving you a TSI configuration file of my own mapping (which i might or might not do - lets see! as Im still working on it now)

you know there is this old saying "give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, show him how to catch a fish and he'll be full for a lifetime"? 

Well... who wants to go fishing? :)

Why The Maschine Mikro?

MASCHINE Mikro MK1 - Orange Buttons Only!

The Maschine Mikro is a Hardware and Software beatmaking package from the German based Native Instruments, it works with both Mac OSX and Microsoft Windows and the Hardware (pictured above) was designed to work together with the software (installed on your computer) to create an all-in-one music making package. However, the Maschine Mikro also acts as a fully configurable Midi Controller, in which it is essentially a blank slate free for users to re-program and re-configure as they wish - according to their own intentions and purposes

The Maschine Mikro is packed with super-awesome value, not only that it comes with a full featured, MPC Style, beat making software - "MASCHINE", it now also includes the super awesome software synthesizer "MASSIVE" - made popular by the BROstep King Skrillrex to make the infamous WUB WUB WUB sound (Oh and Massive originally sells for USD $200!)

The Maschine Mikro itself is also a super sturdy, well-built MIDI Pad Controller, the awesome 4x4 Drum Pads has 8 Different separate Banks to map, making the amount of available, mappable pads amount to 128 in all!

So you get all these things, a nice fully mappable Midi controller, a full length beat making software that also host plugins within in (and also can be used inside DAW software of your choice), for a relatively low price - I got my Maschine Mikro MK1 during their special clearance SALE for ultra cheap! 

The MK2 Maschine Mikro currently sells for $399 USD, which is still a great value considering it still comes with the heavyweight software synth MASSIVE that retails for $200 by itself!

The only downside to the Maschine Mikro is of course - the single LCD screen (compared to the DUAL screen on the Full Sized Maschine), and the Singular endless encoder (very clicky - not good for smooth effects). If you absolutely must have 8 rotaries / endless encoders, the Maschine Mikro might not be the best for you, and the Full-Sized Maschine might be the better alternative instead

Keep in mind that you dont have to have the Maschine Mikro to use these tips, as in any midi mappable controller will do, you will find that you will get the most benefit from PAD Midi controllers with multiple banks and also LED feedback - in a dark club it can be really hard to see which pad you are smashing - and this could have fatal consequences - so LED feedback, if possible, is a must!

Examples of good midi controller to map would be the Allen and Heath Xone K2 - this thing have multiple, latching layers, and has multiple colors of assignable LED Feedback!

Is the Maschine Mikro For You?

Maschine VS Maschine MIKRO

The Maschine MIKRO is a lot smaller than the original Maschine, but it is still, not small at all, and will take up a lot of space, if you decide to use the Maschine Mikro for gigs you need to be aware that there is not always enough space in the DJ Booth - For example in one of the venues that I play at regularly there is just enough space to put my Macbook Pro (They have a pair of CDJ900's and DJM900 there) which leaves no space at all for the Maschine Mikro - keep this in mind, if space is an issue the Traktor X1 or the Allen and heath Xone K2 may be a better alternative!

Reasons to choose the Maschine Mikro as a midi controller

• 8 Banks of 16 PADS!!! Easily swappable, and Freely mappable to whatever you want! (Midi Mapper's dream!)
• Visual Feedback on the Screen shows which bank you are at exactly - no confusion here, both for Pads bank and the Encoder banks, plus LED feedback is easily done!
• Visibility - The Maschine controller is perfectly playable even in pitch Black DARK ~ the Led feedback that you can assign helps to make sure you dont press the wrong button!
• Built Like a Tank and Durable
• Comes with MASCHINE Beat making software and MASSIVE Software Synth (Both are great!)
• Mashing Maschine Pads are Fun!
• Space is not an issue and you dont mind carrying extra stuff in your backpack (The Maschine Mikro is about the size of a laptop and it normally fits in the laptop compartment of any bag pretty easily anyway)

Reasons NOT TO choose the Maschine Mikro as a midi controller

• There is only one endless encoder and its clicky - NOT GOOD For assigning FX! (Believe me i tried...) If you do a lot of FX with smooth rotary movements you will not be happy with the single endless encoder that they provide
• The controller is not too small, some might find it hard to find a space to put it

Set Objectives

Ok first things first - decide on WHAT DO YOU NEED in a midi mapped controller?

What do you have under control already? - and what extra controls do you need and how you can benefit from easy access to them, for example, if you need all 8 hotcues, and the keyboard mapping only has 5, you might want all 8 hotcues mapped to each of the decks (8 pads each , for decks A and B meaning all 16 pads are assigned)

Maybe you use the BEATJUMP Feature a lot and need to map them on a controller?

Do you intend to use the Maschine Mikro with a Timecode DVS Setup? (With Traktor Scratch Pro for example, with Technics Turntable or with PIONEER CDJ's) - this is what I currently do, in this case, you will most likely need access to HOTCUES and Loops (that is, if you use the LOOP functions a lot like I do)

Those who intend to use the Maschine Mikro with an External mixer to control everything (like the now common Traktor X1 setup, to be used with an external sound card and an external mixer - normally the club's) will find that they need transport controls as well, such as Play/Pause, Cue, Pitch controls, Pitch bends, Looping, pretty much everything, this will need much more planning and ideally you should write down what you want to do in a piece of paper to keep it organized, and keep all these functions in the same pad bank for ease access

As an example, Im going to list my objectives according to the "Groups" of PADs (8 available on the maschine mikro) - PRESS AND HOLD the Blue "GROUP" Button to switch between the 8 different, separately mappable Pad Groups

See that BLUE Button? Press and Hold it to switch between GROUPS! 8 Are available!

GROUP 1 - Hotcues for A/B decks

• 8 x Pads (Left Side) - Hotcue 1-8 for Deck A
• 8 x Pads (Right Side) - Hotcue 1-8 for Deck B
• SHIFT 1 + Pads - Erase Hotcue
• SHIFT 2 + Pads - (NOT DECIDED yet)
• LED feedback for when there is a hotcue present (led is dimmed when there is no hotcue)
• SHIFT 1 = "MUTE" Key
• SHIFT 2 = "SOLO" Key

This bank is for me when I use Traktor Scratch with CDJ's or turntable so all that is need is really hotcues

i am keeping this mapping relatively simple for ease of access, 8 hotcues on the left for deck A, 8 hotcues on the right for deck B - simple and you can hardly press a button accidentally

now the GROUP 2 i intend to make it a bit more interesting by creating my adaptation of the Traktor X1 controller....

GROUP 2 - X1 Emulation (My Take)

• 8x Pads on the left - Deck A , 8x Pads on the right - Deck B
• Play/Pause with SHIFT 1 =  KEYLOCK
• SYNC with SHIFT 1 = Set Master Tempo to this Deck
• CUE + SHIFT 1 = Jump to Previous HOTCUE
• CUE(P) + SHIFT 1 = Jump to NEXT HOTCUE
• BEAT + SHIFT 1 = Pitch Bends
• In/Out + SHIFT 1 = /2 or *2 the Loop Value (BEAT NOW BEATJUMPS ACCORDING TO LOOP VALUE SHOWN here)
• SHIFT 2 - turns the whole Pads into hotcue 1-8 for decks A and B , complete with LED Feedbacks (Eg. hold down shift 2 and all the pads will correspond according to whether there is hotcue present for that slot or not - this way you ALWAYS have access to all  hotcues without changing Groups!)

GROUP 3/4 - Hotcues &  X1 Emulation for Deck C/D (Same as group 1/2 but C/D)

Self explanatory - I actually use THREE decks more than anything, due to my Audio Interface (Traktor Audio 6) limitations to having 3 x Stereo Outputs. 

However, Traktor does not have a very handy 3 deck control view in its current version (2.6.0) , its either 2 Decks or 4 Decks so sometimes Im really forced to have 4 decks open even though I really only use 3!

Group 5 - Loop Rolls (with flux mode?) or FX? - Undecided yet

I have several Ideas for the next Group banks, but at the moment I'm experimenting with different things - I am having some problems mapping the Loop Roll / Flux mode function into the pads, somehow they dont work as they should (and this seems like a bug in Traktor 2.6 according to my findings of the Native Instruments forums).

Group 6 - Remix Deck Controls?

Well, more on that when I'm done experimenting!

TO BE CONTINUED....

Coming up in PART 2 - 

Mapping The Maschine Mikro: 

Controller Editor, Traktor Midi Mapping,  Understanding and Setting up Modifiers, LED Feedback (With modifiers)

Awesome Gear: Ableton's new PUSH Controller for Ableton Live 9

I just saw this video demo of the new Ableton Live 9 controller (due out soon) - The 'Push'

WOW!!!

The guys at ableton really tried to re-invent the Piano, as you can see from the Video, it is all for the maximum creativity - using the pads to jam out original material seems fun, intuitive, and BULLET-PROOF, choosing the scales made sure that you are ALWAYS in the same key and it makes composition super fast and intuitive

I definitely want one of these as soon as its out!!

Dropbox makes syncing multiple computers super easy!!!

Those who have multiple computers will understand the headache of syncing files between the two systems! In particular are Audio session files - be it Ableton, Logic, Cubase, whatever, sometimes you start a project in one computer, sometimes you start it on the other one, sometimes you want to have access to one but its on the other one - annoying isn't it??

For me, I have a home desktop iMac system that I like to use at home just coz of the huge HD screen - meaning more desktop real estate for me to work on my music stuff

however... many times I feel kinda lazy and I like to work on stuff using my Macbook Pro while I lie down in my bed (LOL)

Some people handle this problem by using external hard drives - but you dont always have your external hard drive with you right?

So today I saw this future music video of Dada Life's studio tour - they mentioned the use of Dropbox to store their session files to sync between multiple computers easily - and fuss free (video below)





So I tried it today,  I go to my current Ableton Live session files, (make sure to COLLECT ALL to make sure all your stuff are intact), save everything to my dropbox folder, and hey - you know what - HOLY CRAP IT WORKS SO FLAWLESSLY!

What I do is I open the session files straight from the dropbox folder itself - and when I'm done I just save it - make sure to do the "collect all" in the menu to consolidate all audio files you used - and Bingo! You always have the latest version of your session file to work on anywhere - from you desktop or your laptop - just make sure you have a decent internet connection for this to work flawlessly as they need to sync with each other!

For those of you who have not joined Dropbox yet (HOW COULD YOU??? It's FREE!!)

Join now by clicking THIS LINK - you will get an extra 500GB free by using the link - no dont worry its not a virus or spam lol :D

Dropbox gives you 2GB of free space by default, you can increase this by inviting your friends etc to join it, which will progressively give you more space! So join now!

Macbook Pro 2012 13 Inch (Ivy Bridge) Mini Review!

Macbook Pro 13 Inch 2010 vs Macbook Pro 13 Inch 2012

So... I was fortunate that my home phone/internet package was expiring, and my local telco "SINKtel" (ok its Singtel) offered a free 2012 Macbook Pro to those who are signing up for a 24 month Broadband/Home Phone / Cable TV Bundle

So being the broke University Student that I am that always seems to spend money on gear, even though I always wanted a new laptop I just cant seem to get it!

So the Queen Fortuna the Lady Luck happened to be on my side this time - allowing me to replace my aging 2010 Macbook Pro (Core2Duo 2.4 GHZ / 8GB DDR3 / 750GB HDD) with one of the fastest species for the 13 inch Macbook : 2.5 GHZ Intel i5 Ivy Bridge, 8GB DDR3 1600mhz (self upgraded) - and 500GB HDD

My old Macbook Pro 2010 was actually still doing its job fine, it is definitely a work horse, it pretty much does everything I require it to do, the aging CPU starts to show its age when I do very heavy CPU processing such as loading an Ableton / Logic Session file with a lot of high-CPU plugins such as the Native Instruments Reaktor, Camel Audio Alchemy, Izotope Ozone, Waves, having all those in the same session file usually equals to unlimited spinning beach balls on my old macbook pro - It just could NOT handle all those heavy duties!

For those who are looking into buying a second hand 2010 Macbook Pro - yes they are still fine! Dont let this review make you think that the 2010 Macbook Pro is inadequate, in fact for most applications, including Traktor Scratch Pro 2.5, and even playing Diablo 3 on basic settings (highly playable) - the 2010 Macbook Pro STILL does the job fine, so yes if you are able to pick one up cheap in good condition I'd say go for it!

On the other hand... If you are going to do extreme CPU intensive applications such as Audio/Video editing, I recommend you the i5/i7 CPUs as they will handle things a lot better!

This is my mini review of what i think of the 2012 Macbook Pro 13 inch (base 2.5ghz i5 model - RAM self upgraded to 8GB DDR3)

Blazing Fast - Cpu somehow Cooler!

First thing I did was to open one of my crazy session files in ableton, with 75 tracks in the session and a whole lotta plugins and fx units (NI Massive, FM8, Sylenth1, Waves plugins, Izotope, etc) , on my old macbook pro i can see the macbook crying for help, it does not handle it too well, i get glitches, pauses, and whole lotta stuff I dont really wanna hear, even when rendering out sometimes!

On the new Ivy Bridge 2012 CPU - The cpu meter barely hits the 30-40% mark! I was like... WHOAAAAAAAAAAAAA! This is good! I can actually have bigger session files with even more plugins than ever before!!

One thing I find with my old macbook is that Flash videos usually kick the Fan RPM to about 3500rpm to 5000 rpm - when I stream flash videos on the new Macbook Pro it stays still at 2000rpm with no sings of even attempting to cool anything down - Wow? I mean the CPU stays COOOL when playing flash videos~ pretty cool!

I have NOT tried to install Diablo 3 on my new Macbook Pro just because I know I'll end up playing it so much!!

OSX Lion - Where's my Installation DVD??

One thing that I dont get with the OSX Lion - Hey Apple... Where's my installation DVD??

Im one of those people who like to do FRESH re-installs after a few years or so in case my laptop gets filled up with junk or loaded with bloat - with the OSX lion, apple does not supply anything, the only thing there is , is in a separate partition on the same internal HD for you to re-format lion, but what if you bought a brand new Hard Drive, took it out, and want to install lion??

Well there are ways to get around this - you can create a bootable usb drive with some "trickery", or you can attempt to install lion over the internet (downloading 4GB installation over the net? uh...) , or you can always buy Apple's osx lion thumb drive for about USD $60 (Whaaaaa?)

OSX Lion definitely feels a lot smoother, Faster, and overall polished over the Snow Leopard, however let me warn you that some of your older applications may or may not run at all on OSX Lion.... Diablo 2??? Nope cant play it. Warcraf 3? I dont think you can install it either!! Oh no!!

So... if you have older applications that you feel that you really need, do check if they are Lion compatible!!

USB 3.0 - Good Addition or DJ's Nightmare?

As you may already know apple included USB 3.0 and thunderbolt on all the 2012 macbook models - including the 13 inch!

Well now... the bad news is many Audio Interfaces does NOT play nice with USB 3.0, there are various discussions on the Native Instruments Forum regarding this and there is a current WORKAROUND to this, basically if you want maximum compatiblity, you should not update your OSX Lion to 10.7.4 (YET), as this enables the USB into 3.0 and that is when things dont play too nice

Too bad as the improved USB 3.0 support will be awesome for external hard drives!

Thunderbolt drives cost an arm, a leg, and a kidney to buy (even the thunderbolt cable costs $USD50!), so the USB 3.0 external drives will be an excellent, cheap and speedy addition to the ever-growing storage needs of audio freaks and DJs alike!

Given the relatively cheap prices of good quality external hard drives that support USB 3.0 - i think with some time the USB 3.0 will be widely accepted and enjoyed by people with growing storage needs

The Screen - Seriously Still 1280x800??

From a company that pushes "RETINA DISPLAY" on its iPad tablets and mobile phones, its really a shame that the Macbook "PRO" (yes the PRO is in capitals) still gets a horrible resolution of 1280x800, I mean in this time and era when Apple themselves are pushing the whole "RETINA display" thing where you dont get to see individual pixels, well SURPRISE - the Macbook Pro 13 inch is REALLY PIXELLATED by today's standards!

The screen quality, other than the resolution, is really good, colors are vibrant, viewing angles are excellent, it still has that super glossy finish that many people will find annoying, but if you are not working outdoors it should not be a problem! but yeah... THE RESOLUTION of the screen, I mean im not sure if Steve Jobs would have allowed this to happen if he was still alive!!

Awesome Battery is Awesome

The Macbook Pro has AWESOME Battery Life! Remember the old days when your Acer laptop weighs a ton and barely can last an hour? Well the Macbook Pro, even with the updated horsepower, retains the awesome battery life, in fact I never bring my charger to the school as I know I always have enough juice to last me during Uni  class (2pm - 6pm) with a lot of juice left after school!

So battery life - 10/10!!! the reported battery life (7 hour) is pretty accurate with normal use! 

Everything Else is... Almost the Same

Yes the Macbook pro still looks identical to how it looked like 4 years ago, I mean put all the 13 inch models from 2008-2009-2010-2011-2012 and you will find it very difficult to tell the difference between then from the outside appearance! You still get 2x USB ports that are placed too close to each other (now 3.0 unabled), you get the Thunderbolt (which acts as the DVI as well), see, everything is pretty much identical

Conclusion

Is the 2012 Macbook Pro 13 inch is a worthy upgrade? Well that depends, if you already own the newer i5 models (early 2011 and late 2011 models) i really see no reason why you should even bother to upgrade, but if you have the older models (2008-2010) of macbooks, the MASSIVE SPEED BUMP itself makes it all worth it, compared to my old MBP 2010 the cpu is more than doubled!  (see geekbench here if you wanna see the full benchmark list of the apple computers)

If you have the newer i5/i7 models, you should wait for the rumored Retina Macbook Pro 13 inch, as it will make more sense to you more to do the upgrade, if you have an outdated machine and wants a MASSIVE speed bump and Raw Power, yes the 2012 MBP 13 inch is definitely a good upgrade!!

Or... if you dont need the Hard Drive space so much - what about the Macbook Airs? The 13 Inch Macbook airs offer excellent portability, but is pricier and has much smaller storage - personally I struggle to even fit everything in 500GB - 256GB is just not enough for me! and 500GB SSD is gonna cost you a kidney, so if you need the storage and horse power - definitely go for MBPs, if not, Macbook Airs + External hd might be an alternative


Amazon Link to the exact model reviewed:

Apple MacBook Pro MD101LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop (NEWEST VERSION)

Logic Pro 9 for $200 - Why You'd be Mad not to get it

Most of you would have already heard the massive price reduction on Apple's Logic Pro 9 - A very good, solid Digital Audio Workstation that used to cost A BOMB (My friend bought it for about SGD $850 last time - yes he's kicking himself now hahaha), now in Apple's APP Store, you can buy it for... USD 200!

Logic 9 was originally released in 2009 - yes that's like 3 years ago, a lot of people has been saying that its outdated, needs major update, blah blah, well yes its true, but still it is a solid performer in pretty much every way, its good for electronic music production, not too bad for audio post-production, and also excels in recording/mixdown of instruments (if you are into it)

If you are starting out with music production, this is probably the BEST $200 you can ever spend - serious! For the price you do get a MASSIVE number of instruments and loops, excellent instruments (they look outdated but the built in synths such as the ES2 is still a BEAST!), good plugins, overall it is just a really really good bang for your buck to invest on!

I personally own Cubase 6.5, Ableton Suite 8, and Logic as I am studying Audio Engineering and happened to be able to use Educational pricing to buy most of my stuff, but still, even I already have other DAWs, Logic is still an awesome investment!

So yes if you own a mac, into audio production, and have $200 to spend, you should definitely look at getting Logic 9 from the app shop! I mean it used to cost waaaay more than this when it first came out!

Speaking of loops, the built in instruments and apple loops (MASSIVE amounts of them!) are, while not the best, serve as an EXCELLENT basis for a lot of commercial / audio post stuff, the optional Jam Packs (optional content - Free to download after you purchase) ranging from World Music, Orchestral, Remix Kits, have all been neatly organized and tagged, labelled, so lets say you need to get something and you are running out of ideas, these loops can often be an awesome source of inspiration, whether you decide to replace the loops later or not is another story, but hey its always good to have and dont need than need and dont have no?

I suspect that Apple is about to release Logic X (or logic 10 whatever), which explained the massive price drop on the now slightly dated Logic 9, but hey, $200 for a full featured DAW with lots of samples, instruments, and plugins is one heck of a good deal! I mean i paid about USD400 for my Cubase 6 (with the 6.5 upgrade), thats like double!

So yes, always wanted to check out Logic? There's never been a better time to invest!

Logic Pro 9 is available at the Mac OSX App Store for $200

Finally upgraded to Cubase 6.5!

I decided to upgrade my Cubase 6 to Cubase 6.5 yesterday (which costed me 42 Euros GRRRRR!)

Everything seems so good so far!  Really loving the new Retrologue Synth, really really nice sounding synthesizer with a pretty good looking interface - thank god! I mean look at the older Cubase software instruments - they all look and feel so outdated to the point that you dont really feel like using them at all!

In Logic you have the mighty powerful ES2, praised by many as a solid all-rounder synth, good for stuff ranging from dubstep wobbles to awesome leads.

Ableton has the really versatile and easy to use OPERATOR, really nice FM synthesizer that can also be additive/subtractive depending on how you use it, the ANALOG synth is not too bad as well

But Cubase? I did not really like the built in synths previously, a lot of people i know seems to think the same way, seems like Steinberg listened and introduced the two new synths : Retrologue and Padshop

Cubase's new synth - Retrologue! Looks GREAT doesnt it??

Retrologue is a nice addition, but The Padshop on the other hand, a "granular synthesis" kinda synth, did not really impress me much. Recently Native Instruments gave away an amazing Granular Synth "SKANNER" - FOR FREE! Now Skanner is really really awesome, I somehow did not get the same feeling with padshop, plus in padshop, we are not able to insert our own wav file , leaving us only to experiment with their own built in samples (for now - i hope they change this in a future update!)

DAFUQ is Granular Synthesis Dude??

Well okay, to put it in easy-to-understand terms, for those who dont know granular synthesis is a form of audio synthesis where the use of very tiny slice of an audio is used, for example, you record yourself saying "AHHH", load it in, lets say, the "SIMPLER" instrument in Ableton (a good granular synth too), when you load it up you can set the instrument to play such a small amount of that "aaaah" sample to the point it sounds totally different, putting it into grain-sized micro slices of audio and playing them back that tiny piece, depending on the length of the sample you chosen and other factors, you get different results, you can make a bass, a lead, or really whatever you want

another example? well here's a good one, you know in Swedish House Mafia's One - where in the intro they turn the kick drum, looped it so tiny, and made it into a bassline? well i suppose that's the idea/concept :)

Why DID I even get Cubase 6.5? Especially since I already have both Logic Pro 9 and Ableton 8? 

Well recently I did a lot of interviews and data collection with a lot of local studios here in Singapore, seems like a lot of the post-production studio over here use a lot of Nuendo (which is like Cubase's big brother) and Protools, you see I dont like Protools all that much, and since Im heading into the Audio Post-Production field once I graduate from uni (soon now... soon...) it just makes sense (and wise) for me to start using less ableton and more of the stuff Im gonna actually need to use at work (hahaha)

It just kinda made sense for me to "master" Cubase 6.5 - when i said master as in I'd know it inside out, know all the hotkeys, so  i can work REALLY FAST in super stressful environments, i mean i have done all that with Ableton 8, got all the logistics sorted out, and Logic too, I suppose It'd be a good idea to get myself comfy with Cubase so later I can do Post-Production stuff good and fast

Audio Post-Production is a bit different with music production, it mostly involves a lot of audio/video-syncing and we mostly deal with demanding clients who want the best quality work at the shortest time possible (hahaha), so yeah being extremely familiar with a piece of software will really help!

New Features

The New Padshop Synth! 

honestly, not so much, other than the 2 new synths (Padshop and Retrologue), a dj style 3-band EQ (what for? it puzzles me!) , a new filter (not too bad), there's not much new stuff in 6.5, they look the same, feels almost the same, so I think those who are pretty happy already with Cubase 6 and doesnt really feel like going 6.5 - you aint losing much. Do you really need to upgrade?

But hey if you want two new synths for 42 euro (if you look at it that way seems not too bad), i think 6.5 is a great update!

Cubase 7 Wish List :)

Okay 6.5 just barely came out and Im already thinking about Cubase 7??? Well, anyway here is a list of things I hope will be in Cubase 7:

1. MORE Software Synths Please! - Yes the older ones start to feel really outdated, please renew/update/rework or even introduce more new ones :)
2. Better Warping Engine!  - This is where Ableton really shines, double clicking an audio file, placing warp markers like a machine gun (bam bam bam so fast) and voila - track warped, In Cubase it still does not feel that intuitive to do warping
3. Piano Roll FOLD MODE - you know in ableton where you can just write in a scale that you wanna compose on, and then FOLD IT? Holy shit that is so awesome!!! I really wish something like this can be done in Cubase!

Eh by the way if you wanna purchase Cubase 6.5, you can check the link Below for cheap EDU price from amazon:

Steinberg Cubase 6 Educational Edition Multitrack Recording Software

If you qualify for an Educational version - its A LOT CHEAPER than the full price, so yeah if you happen to be studying, do make use of the EDU discount for the Pro Audio software - they save you so much!

FREE Ableton Live 8 Lite For ALL Soundcloud users!

Soundcloud has teamed up with Ableton to present ALL their users a FREE copy of Ableton Live 8 Lite!

Yes that's right, so now ANYONE can get a free copy of Ableton Lite 8!

How does this work? Well if you are a registered Soundcloud member you will get an email newsletter - there's a secret link on that newsletter that allows you to input your email in - and voila! They will send you a legit, free, Ableton Live 8 Lite Serials

Of course full-version owners of Ableton Live 8 dont need this but surely you have a friend or two who could use a free copy of Live Lite 8 - in fact everyone should have a copy! So tell your friends, tell your girlfriend, boyfriend, parents, teacher, neighbour, and hopefully they can make use of this offer

What exactly do you get with the Ableton 8 lite? 

Well you have 8 channels of Audio tracks, 8 Channels of MIDI Tracks, one granular synthesis device (simpler), one simple yet awesome drum device (impulse), all this for free - not bad right? Plus you get a whole bunch of effects (only a portion of what the full Live 8 / Suite 8 offers but its still great!)

Keeping in mind that it has 8 audio channels that it should be sufficient for a simple (simple??) 8-deck ableton dj set, which by the way there's a good article on Ableton DJing in DJTECHTOOLS which you can read HERE

According to the Ableton Site the offer is on until May 31 2012!!!

More Details Here

Check out the Youtube video Here

Ableton 8.3 Update Released!

Ableton 8.3 Update Released! 

Owners of Ableton 8 can now update to this latest version

Click HERE to see the release notes!

Nothing really much here, nope no extreme new features or new killer instruments or effects, just bug fixes and minor changes - not really what most people are expecting really as the current version 8 is kinda aging, just like logic 9 (Apple when will you release Logic X?) but any update is always welcome!

Im feeling a slight speed bump - there is this trance track session file that I have been working out which is maxed out (49 tracks , LOADS OF PLUGINS) and my 13 inch macbook pro could barely play back the session without the spinning beach ball thing popping out, well after the update I can actually play back the session without any glitches / drops - strange...

I really wish they start introducing 64 BIT support though - everyone has 8GB of Ram these days and its a shame not being able to make use of all the rams , everyone else (Logic, Cubase 6) starts going 64 bit, i think its about time Live! goes 64 bit too!

And... when is Ableton 9 coming out?? There were some rumors floating around previously regarding the next mega massive update of Ableton but lately things died out a bit, suddenly it's all quiet and now news regarding Ableton 9...

Ableton remains the single most used software I use these days (other than Cubase 6 occasionally and a little bit of Logic 9, but mostly really Ableton) so I am definitely looking forward for Ableton 9's release, hopefully not too long now!

Speaking of Ableton 8, I found that the single most useful, easy-to-read, comprehensive guide to Ableton here: Ableton Live 8 Power!: The Comprehensive Guide

This book has been really helpful in getting to know Ableton inside out for me, it pretty much covers everything about Ableton (except for the really advanced stuff like Max for live programming which is understandable)

Cubase 6.5 is out... But $50 Euros to upgrade from Cubase 6???

I got an email from Steinberg today informing me about the Release of Cubase 6.5

Well since I own Cubase 6, At first I was "Oh SHIEEETTT! Downloading now!!" and then I saw the small print saying $50 Euros to upgrade?

Im still investigating the features and benefits of 6.5 before deciding whether to upgrade or not, but here are some videos to see what's new...

My House/Electro/Brostep Remix of The Winstons "Amen, Brother"

hey there!

this is my original  house/electro/brostep remix of the Winstons' classic song "Amen, Brother" that I did for my school assignment

Check IT Out! :)



Done on:
Ableton Live Suite 8
Massive
Sylenth1
Operator
Sausage Fattener
Waves L2/L3/S1
Izotope Ozone 4

For those who are not familiar with the fascinating history about the "Amen Break" or "The Winstons" here is an awesome documentary that explains everything! Oh and you can hear that I took out the audio commentary from here :)



Oh and if by any reason you want to check out my Soundcloud you can click HERE :)