Yikes... I just produced a CD for money and all !! Help.

[pulsoc]

PLEZE SINE MEEEEEEE!

[gjm]

PLEZE SINE MEEEEEEE!

No

[SubFunk]

I also think logic is the best bang for the bug, you get a killer additional DAW a plugin bundle that is worth twice the money of logic alone, waveburner that does everything essential to create CDs and soundtrack pro plus mainstage...

Peak is in my book a killer, but really only the full pro xt version...

[gjm]

I also think logic is the best bang for the bug, you get a killer additional DAW a plugin bundle that is worth twice the money of logic alone, waveburner that does everything essential to create CDs and soundtrack pro plus mainstage...

I have been looking at the options all day. Logic is the only product I can find decent looking tutorials for ala macprovideo.com. Might be strange, but I might be swayed to buy the product with the best tuts available. I DL'd DSP Quattro documentation and demo. Even though I read the PDF's, it gave me no 'how to's'. I am already using GarageBand a lot for my teaching, so there is the loops suite available as well. Still it all makes me feel very small, considering I don't even know how to burn a cd

Flip side, I talked to wifey and she said I could have my quad core back (no conditions yet) and I was thinking about SF10 pro. I already use Acid studio and some of my students use Acid express. I can see a market for school holiday 'camp' teaching kids how to use acid express to make backing tracks etc. Feed back from parents has been very positive.

Mmmmmm

Thanks subby

[H20nly]

^ I just got soundforge 9 about 2 weeks ago... it is truly cool.

[UKRuss]

whoa...I think this is all getting way pricey for kids CDs.

Once you've sorted your recording and mixing path do that what you record begins to match each other , it's just a question of some home 'mastering', by matching levels using a limiter. Ensuring you have a snip of blank at the beginning and end of each rendered track, then stick them in a playlist in iTunes, pop in a blacnk CD and hit 'burn as audio CD'

No money needs to be spent here...

[gjm]

Thanks for pulling me back to earth. Spent the day researching... head spinning... time to invoke the KISS clause.

Thanks to all. G.

[UKRuss]

Rave, you should have just said all that earlier man!

[leedsquietman]

Itunes can burn a CD, but forget about CD text, crossfades between tracks, no plugins and it won't help you with any volume inconsistencies, throwing on a normalizer by itself won't just do it - the point of recommending the other software was for reasons of audio editing, mastering plugins built in to help with this and support for 3rd party VSTS, vastly detailed statistics, clipping detection and restoration tools, etc.

All of which is not available in Live without external plugins (audio editing yes to a point but in a crude way). If the source going into Itunes is not consistent, Itunes will do nothing to fix it.

The other options - get Ozone or T-racks to do the mastering part, and use Itunes to burn.

[SubFunk]

for the really super quick and easy n' dirty way you guys are right, but if he wants to learn how to make decent and consistent CDs in the future, then what leedsquietman said!

[contakt321]

whoa...I think this is all getting way pricey for kids CDs.

Once you've sorted your recording and mixing path do that what you record begins to match each other , it's just a question of some home 'mastering', by matching levels using a limiter. Ensuring you have a snip of blank at the beginning and end of each rendered track, then stick them in a playlist in iTunes, pop in a blacnk CD and hit 'burn as audio CD'

No money needs to be spent here...

+1

Simple, easy and free

[contakt321]

Itunes can burn a CD, but forget about CD text, crossfades between tracks, no plugins and it won't help you with any volume inconsistencies, throwing on a normalizer by itself won't just do it - the point of recommending the other software was for reasons of audio editing, mastering plugins built in to help with this and support for 3rd party VSTS, vastly detailed statistics, clipping detection and restoration tools, etc.

All of which is not available in Live without external plugins (audio editing yes to a point but in a crude way). If the source going into Itunes is not consistent, Itunes will do nothing to fix it.

The other options - get Ozone or T-racks to do the mastering part, and use Itunes to burn.

Itunes CAN do CD text
Itunes can set blank space between songs
Garage band can create crossfades

[leedsquietman]

Itunes cannot balance your mixes so that everything is not clipping and is at the same RMS level. It doesn't have spectograms or phase scopes (metering), or any kind of mastering plugins. It does not do a detailed stats analysis as in dedicated audio editors or mastering programs such as Ozone. gjm needed other features as well as CD authoring.

This was my point - gjm was concerned about volume levels all over the map. The CD burning part was less of an issue.
ITunes is still lacking many features in that department too, although it is fine for basic, bread and butter CD authoring, if your mixes are ALREADY finely tuned / mix finalized / pre mastered.

[SubFunk]

Itunes cannot balance your mixes so that everything is not clipping and is at the same RMS level. It doesn't have spectograms or phase scopes (metering), or any kind of mastering plugins. It does not do a detailed stats analysis as in dedicated audio editors or mastering programs such as Ozone. gjm needed other features as well as CD authoring.

This was my point - gjm was concerned about volume levels all over the map. The CD burning part was less of an issue.
ITunes is still lacking many features in that department too, although it is fine for basic, bread and butter CD authoring, if your mixes are ALREADY finely tuned / mix finalized / pre mastered.

This is a given my friend but in reality he is recording some kid bashing the keys. Baby steps and all that. Shit he hasnt even burnt an audio cd.

you are correct, rave... but i understood that he wants to learn how to do it properly in the future?

[gjm]

Apologies in advance for this long winded post

To summarize, I want to add appropriate finishing touches to recording projects that I do for my clients and my self.

The scenic route now follows...

I very much appreciate this conversation. I was gutted yesterday after spending the day researching Peak, Logic, Sound Forge and DSP Quattro. My head was spinning. However, after sleeping on it, here are some thoughts for clarification.

Three years ago when I started out doing what I am doing, I went through a major shift in life and career. I had significant commitments financially, and worked my ass off building a client base. Within a year I was fully booked with a waiting list and have been so ever since. Early on I was asked by parents and adult clients about recording. It happens quite a bit, but I turned away the work because I did not have the gear and did not know how to do it. I could have done this 6 times in the last year already.

As a way to further promote my place in my local community, I am now preparing for payed gigging. There are a few opportunities in my community to get paid while getting low level public placement, a chance to get out and about. This is part of my strategy to further the relationships I already have with retailers, schools, and community leaders by 'living by example.'

Personally, I also fancy myself as a bit of a composer. Not only instrumental stuff related to my teaching, but also personally as a way to express thoughts and feelings to key people in my life.

So even though Rave is right that its just kids bashing out 'chopsticks' type stuff, there is a bigger picture that I am committed to. On the one hand, its about $$$. I have a captive audience and there are 'add on sales' that I am missing. I have a chance to charge at a higher rate per hour than my lessons because of the perceived value of the activity. I am all for making more money, after all I have mouths to feed. On the other hand, I have a few personal objectives, 1) to record collections of my original classical guitar oriented music that I use for teaching purposes 2) Just plain selfish music making.

I am already fully committed to a professional life of music in some form or other, its already my day job. Balancing the various activities is an ongoing challenge. The recording/producing stuff is definitely not the main thrust of what I do (or want to do), its a supporting activity. I need to find the right balance of investment in time and finances for the desired outcome. I want to deliver an acceptable product. Yes its not for mass public release, but its for paying customers.

I hear what UKRuss and Rave are saying. I have to sort out my recording chain and general skills. I have invested in some gear and a studio/teaching room that is not really pro standard, but would easily allow me to meet my objective when used well.

I also hear what leeds and subF are saying.

The truth is that I am a dimwit in the recording arena. Its taken me a long time to make small steps. I have to do all my learning by making mistakes or getting advice via this and other forums. I just simply do not hang out in Audio Geek circles. The fact remains though that I would like to continue investing in myself and my business in sensible and appropriate ways.

Thanks.