If you can’t read Japanese, and you’re still interested in free plugins for your DAW, then have a look at the March issue of Computer Music Magazine. They’re also doing a big issue on free VSTs and samples. Also, if you have the Alchemy player, it’s also a good way to play those SFZ format samples I talked about a few posts back.
Computers
Live School
There’s a really good Intro to Ableton Live course going on right now on Coursera, taught by Erin Barra of the Berklee College of Music. It’s only three weeks long, but it’s a good way to meet a bunch of different people who are into Live, make some music, and pick up some tips.
Mac Pro Video
Thanks to a $15/month deal, I signed up for MacProVideo’s monthly service. It’s been good so far. I like the mix of audio and video oriented tutorials. Very useful for someone like me, who works in both areas!
Answer for Juan (Formatting Anki Cards for the A+ Test)
Juan had a question about how I did the Anki cards for the A+ exam. I started to write a reply, and it turned into a book. So I figured I’d post the reply as a blog post instead.
Great Support
Isn’t it great when you get great support? I got great support recently from Arctic Cooling, when my CPU fan’s bearing went bad. Also, my USB extension cable showed up.
More Coursera Fun
I love Prof. Hornstein’s lectures. If you’re interested in Environmental Law, he’s teaching on Coursera right now. I’m also taking a music composition class there that follows the rules in Mozart’s time. Also, Paddy may be one of the coolest Lightroom plugins, ever!
All-in Ableton, Reaktor, New Graphics Tablet
I went ahead and upgraded to Ableton Live Suite while it was still on sale. I did a bunch of Reaktor tutorials on building synthesizers in Reaktor while I downloaded Live. Also, my Intuos 2 finally died, so I had to get a new graphics tablet. I went with an Intuos Pro. It’s a nice tablet.
Push or “What Happened to Today?”
Push, I choose you! I chose it over Maschine because I think it’ll work better with the way I like to write music. Maschine has a lot of strong points, too. I lost track of the majority of a day messing around with Live and Push. It’s fun stuff. Also, the monitor stand is almost done! It just needs finishing.
Reason Book and Other Stuff
I’m turning the corner on the cold. My Reason book showed up. It’s awesome~! I’m also agonizing over getting Push or Maschine.
You Komplete Me
Komplete showed up today. Installing took a while, but just skimming the surface, it looks like a ton of fun. I also picked up SynthMaster and Chromaphone, which are also on sale, as well as a second monitor for photo and audio editing work.
A+ Certified (Part Two: Pass!)
Man, that was nerve-wracking. Part two of the A+ exam was trickier than I thought it would be. I know a lot of this stuff just because I’ve been messing around with computers all my life. I’ve built every computer I’ve used for the last 20 years. (Except for laptops.) But if you ask me … Continue reading
A+ Part One: Pass!
Passed the first part of my A+ Certification. Woot. Now I have to get ready for my sis and nephew’s visit this weekend. Part two is in ten days. Gotta hustle!
Miku In The House // New Computer // Glass Coming to the RTP
Tenso delivers my software in one piece. The new Miku v3 software installs/runs just fine. The new computer is up and running. I upgraded to Cubase 7.0 full version, and Google Glass is coming to Durham on Saturday. I’ll check it out.
Getting Stuff Done Music
The hunt for good ambient sounds/music never seems to end. I heard from Tenso that my Vocaloid software showed up safely. I may use them more often for shipping stuff from Japan. Also, my desktop is dying, so it’s time to build a new one: one with the best airflow ever. (And an SSD!)
They Got the Computer Store, Too!
Mid-week shopping to get supplies for class, something surprising happened to the computer store, and I heard some mysterious warning sirens.