@ Freeshadow - LOL MR peeps can apply for "early adopter groupie" status by going to the actual Youtube page and subscribing to my Youtube channel, leaving a nice comment on the video, clicking the "thumbs up" button. You know, the usual groupie stuff.
@dreams - Thank you! I'm glad you liked my silly comments.
I think that's going to be my format from now on. Some crazy stuff, commentary, then a new song. Sometimes it will just be whatever's going on, but sometimes it will be a specific challenge or goal. For example, this week's song/video will be about MIDI. (Well, not the song itself but the goal.) This is because I have issues with MIDI, so I'm making myself compose MIDI tracks for ALL of the instruments, and I'm not allowing myself to use my Yamaha keyboard - only the onscreen MIDI editor. It's a difficult thing because I'm not any good at it, but I need to get past that issue so it's a trial by fire, so to speak.
I plan to have the next video posted by Sunday night. I'm going to try to keep to a schedule as much as possible.
@JoCampo - Okay, my fellow geek, here's my list:
Hardware
- Computer: Dell Inspiron Win7 64 / 6GB RAM, i5 dual core, two hard drives
- Monitor: 23" HD flatscreen
- Audio interface: Lexicon Alpha 2x2 USB
- MIDI Interface: E-Mu XMidi 1x1 USB <> MIDI cable
- Controller: Yamaha YPT-320 61-key (which I'm not allowed to use this week)
- Monitor Mixer: Behringer 4-channel Pro-XL headphone distribution amp
- Headphones: Sennheiser HD-202
- Mics - SM57, SM 58, CAD 88
- Several guitars & amps but I haven't used them on anything I've done properly yet
- Webcam - Microsoft LifeCam HD - you'll see a clip from it in the next vid, will probably use more video footage going forward. Also have a FlipHD cam. Last week's "wine selection" footage was shot with my Samsung PL210 which is a compact still camera that also shoots short HD video clips.
Software:
- DAW (multitrack digital audio workstation aka the guts of the operation): Reaper 3.77 - it's awesome! And only $40 for the broke-a$$-musician's license.
- Plugins - all freeware, all the time - some of the best EQs, compressors and 'verbs are FREE
- Also using Cakewalk's FREE sfz+ Pro soundfont VSTi so that I can use MIDI soundfonts available all over the internet, also for FREE
- Addictive Drums VSTi from XLN Audio - look it up, it's hard to explain properly but it's a customizable virtual drumkit that works from within the DAW and since it uses MIDI, there's really no limit to what you can do with it. I'm still learning, but I LOVE it. It's normally $300 but Sweetwater Music had it on special for $99 so that's how I spent the check Mommy sent for my birthday.
- Sony Vegas Movie Studio Platinum 9 - it's like "Vegas Lite", but it's still a very full-featured video editor.
- Soundforge Audio Studio 9 - came with Vegas Movie Studio
- Acid Xpress 6 - free from Sony
- Several Sony loop libraries - over the last few years they've had big sales as they've switched from CD to download-only, so I've gotten some good deals. They are too expensive to buy at full price.
I think that's everything! LOL