Friday, November 28, 2008

The Ultimate Band Shopfront

The Ultimate Band Shopfront

Hi all , your friendly neighborhood Ageing Rocker again, this week my review is not as usual a CD or Artist but a website that I personally perceive being of great use to Artist Indie or otherwise and irrespective of Genre.

Have you a CD or single’s even Mp3’s for sale ? Got merchandise you’d like to place before the public ? but wait , you don’t have a shopfront on your website , how remiss of you. LOL Shop fronts and shopping carts are pretty plentiful on the net you got lots to choose from but do you know of one that allows you to sell your products and let you keep the profits ? Yes you read right sell your stuff and keep what you get. There has to be a catch I hear you say ? If there is folks I sure ain’t found it .

The site in question is called myfavoriteband.com and it’s jam packed with features you’ll love, you can sell virtually anything here , CD’s, Mp3 Downloads, Shirts, Mugs, Hats heck whatever you got and it’s free if you wanna do all the work yourself like uploading your tracks . shipping your CD & merchandise if you do it all yourself it’s totally free with unlimited track and merchandise uploads heck they even make the preview clips of your tracks for you and you know what it looks great too. Everything is customizable to look like your site and you can even use their inline iframe system to incorporate the whole store right into your existing website. Ok you gotta be a little Computer savvy to do this but rocket science it ain’t.

But if you feel this is beyond you help is at hand for only a mere $12.99 a month myfavoriteband will do it all for you now that’s a deal.

But don’t take my word for it go there check it out for yourself heck here’s a store I built for my stuff ( http://www.tspmp3.com/derek/store.html ) and believe me I ain’t no computer genius LOL far from it .

From an Indie Artists point of view this website does what a lot of us have been looking for, for years they’ve only recently launched their services so I say go check it out http://www.myfavoriteband.com that’s my pick for the week guys and it don’t get any better .


The Ageing Rocker







Thursday, September 18, 2008

Dear Dixie Replies



Dixie back to answer your questions that you may have about
the equipment and product side of being an independent artist.

This week's question comes from an artist who's also a reader of my
blog:

"Dixie, just read your blog. I have a midi keyboard, although I am a
beginner on it. I also have pro tools 7LE. What I am stuck on is creating
a midi"style" rhythm track, then getting into my pro tools. The way I have
been able to get it over is put on it on flash drive, but then I dont get
the sounds.(from the keyboard)I would like to be able to get the sounds of
the keyboard over to pro tools. I read in the manual that it is possible,
but the manual isnt clear to me, how to go about it.. Thanks for any help...

Ed"


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So basically the question becomes how to connect a MIDI keyboard to my
computer?

Countless people are intimidated by even thinking about trying to connect
their MIDI instrument to their computer. (and the manuals ARE confusing).
Take a few seconds to go through this checklist before you get started,
because you'll need to make sure you have one or more of the following on
or in your computer:

Parallel printer Port (almost all computers have one by default)

A free serial port

A soundcard with a joystick port (such as a Creative Labs SoundBlaster
compatible with MPU-401 compatibility or similar card, in a PC)

First (assuming you've already got a computer) you'll need a MIDI interface.
This is a vital part to your MIDI setup, as it allows your MIDI instrument
to communicate with your computer. (Also, some interfaces have really cool
flashing lights, and they look neat when you use them in the dark LOL). My
suggestion for an inexpensive one would be a handly little interface found
in the Lexicon Omega desktop recording studio. Digital studios can be
pretty pricey but this little dream comes in at less than $200. I won't go
into all the specifications here--which are as confusing as the manuals,
but here's a description of what it can do:

The Omega I/O mixer provides 8 inputs which are assignable in pairs to any
of 4 simultaneous record channels featuring ultra-transparent,
high-resolution analog to digital converters to capture your performance
with pristine 24-bit quality. Two of the inputs feature extremely low-noise
dbx mic-preamps with 48 volt phantom power and TRS insert points. Four TRS
active balanced line inputs accept up to +22dBu signals to allow interfacing
to either unbalanced or professional high-output level balanced equipment.
Included is an S/PDIF input combined with an additional DAC for zero-latency,
direct monitoring of the S/PDIF source to allow simultaneous tracking of
analog and digital sources. A high-impedance instrument input is conveniently
accessible on the front panel. The Omega I/O mixer provides a peak indicator
for each analog input as well as an assignable bar graph meter for signal
level monitoring. By monitoring the signal at the A/D converters, it avoids
the problems with software-only level monitoring that can miss clipping and
ruin your track. The Omega I/O mixer also includes a fully opto-isolated
MIDI input to ensure that there is no annoying ground loop hum or MIDI
talk-through noise common with many I/O boxes and sound cards. MIDI output
has rock-solid synchronization to USB frame rate to support applications
requiring critical sync.

Lexicon Omega Desktop Recording Studio Standard


The Omega Includes

Pro Tracks Plus(TM) is an easy-to-use, comprehensive 32-track recording
suite that includes all the modules you need to track, edit, process,
sequence and mix your masterpiece. Not only does it include intuitive
non-linear editing, plug-in support, and acidized looping features,
it contains a full featured MIDI sequencer with outstanding event editing
and powerful automation features as well as soft synth support. Since the
author of our question uses Protools LE (Light Edition), this is a more
powerful version of the same thing he already uses.



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Designed entirely by Lexicon engineers, the Pantheon reverb plug-in offers
35 factory presets featuring 6 reverb types (hall, chamber, plate, room,
ambience and custom) controlled by an intuitive user interface with 16
editable parameters. The Lexicon name is synonymous with 'the world's best
reverb'. Pantheon continues this legacy by bringing "that Lexicon sound" to
your projects.

So check out the prices on Lexicon interfaces through my favorite online
equipment store at http://www.u-ni-que-music.com Through them, you may be
able to find it even cheaper than the typical price I saw out there on the
net.

Second, now that you know you'll need a midi interface, you'll need at
least 2 MIDI cables. These cables have 5-PIN male DIN connectors, and
they can be picked up at any music equipment shop, or
even bought online (check the same great store above) for less than $5.00
a piece.

Third, you'll need some sequencing software. Since the Omega comes with
a sequencing software, our artist is set, but if you choose another interface
then you'll need to find a separate package for sequencing software. The
prices of these software packages range from free to up to $1000 or more;
the more expensive packages usually offering more advanced features for
professional use. Protools can be a bit hard to pick up, so for those
of you looking for a more "user friendly" suggestion, my suggestion would be
Cakewalk's Sonar sequencer software. Let me digress a bit and explain how
it works for those that are looking to get set up.


Cakewalk SONAR Power Studio 250 Standard


I've used Cakewalk in the past, although I've moved on over the years to
other sequencers as I've understood more about how they work. Sonar 8
has been released, but my last experience was with Sonar 7. This bit is
a bit technical (for those geeks like me out there), so skip to the bottom
if you don't like a string of specification descriptions LOL.

Cakewalk products are always powered by the latest technology, and Sonar is
no exception. SONAR takes full advantage of the power of your machine;
it's a powerhouse on today's multi-core PCs and Intel-based Macs (using
Bootcamp). You can feel confident that you'll never be left behind, no
matter how technology changes. Cakewalk has been first to innovate on
Windows Vista, x64 processing multi-core and multi-processor support, and
64-bit double precision audio quality, and they incorporate it seamlessly
so all you need to think about is making music.

Flexibility-wise, SONAR gives you the freedom to configure your studio to
meet your unique needs. It's compatible with your choice of WDM or ASIO
hardware from the stock sound card that ships with your PC all the way up
to an SSL AWS 900+ console. If you're switching to SONAR you can load
presets of keystrokes from your favorite applications and you can make
your own. It features the best support for control surfaces and MIDI
controllers, and you can expand your creative abilities with DSP cards,
and third party VST, DirectX, and ReWire effects and instruments.
Plus you can customize menus, toolbars, layouts, channel presets,
track icons, color schemes, and more just the way you like it.


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Aside from what the software does, one of the best things about ANY
Cakewalk product, is it's support. SONAR is developed by musicians who
listen, understand, and respond to the discerning needs of their customers,
including Grammy and Emmy winning producers, engineers, and composers.
So when you use SONAR, you are getting a complete package that includes
regular updates, affordably priced upgrades (no leaving you in the dust as
technology changes), an unbeatable user forum (yes, you can actually ask questions
and get help!!), and the backing of world class customer service, and
support that has made Cakewalk the musician's favorite for over 20 years.
And like all good companies, they're so sure their product will sell itself,
they have a free demo version on their site. And they give free lessons on
how to USE it on their site in video form. Most people want to buy it once
they get the hang of the demo version, and of course WHERE do you buy it?
(and what's the bottom line Dixie) Check out u-ni-que-music.com of course--
they'll have sniffed out the bargains, but generally, it seems to come in
under $300. So between the midi interface and the sequencing software,
you can have a really classy set up for under $500.




Now back to our interface and how to USE it. You'll notice that your midi interface has
three spots for connectors on it. Also, if you've got access to a MIDI
keyboard, take a look at the backside of it. You'll notice that it has the
same funny looking 5 pin midi connector spots as your interface does. They
will usually be labeled as being MIDI THRU, MIDI IN, and MIDI OUT.

What does each connector spot (port) do? Lets start with MIDI IN and
MIDI OUT. MIDI IN receives MIDI information, and MIDI OUT sends out
information. Think of it as an office mail system. Information that has
to go OUT of your office, gets put in the OUT pile for processing by a
secretary or assistant. Information being delivered to you (like your evil VISA bill or employee company expense report), will be placed into your
IN pile. The same process applies to your MIDI instrument and MIDI interface.




The input port on both the interface and the instrument act as receiving
bins. Before your MIDI instrument can process the information sent to it
by the computer, it has to have this information sent in through its IN
port. When you want to communicate your performance to your computer from
your instrument, the computer must receive the information into its IN
port (the MIDI IN port on your interface). The output ports work in the
same way. Your instrument's MIDI OUT port sends OUT information to the
interface (your interface receives the data through it's MIDI IN port).
The interface's MIDI OUT port sends out information to your instrument
(your instrument receives the data through the MIDI IN port). The MIDI
THRU port is used for daisy chaining, or linking other midi devices on to
one another. To do this, run a cable from the MIDI THRU of your interface to the MIDI IN on your 2nd MIDI instrument. Note that when you play something on your primary MIDI instrument, the secondary MIDI instrument will mimic or echo it. In a nutshell, anything that is sent into the MIDI IN of a midi device is passed out through its MIDI THRU port.


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Now, here's some step by step instructions on how you should connect your

keyboard to your interface, and your interface to your computer:

Step 1: Configuring the MIDI interface

Follow the instructions by the manufacturer of your MIDI interface to hook
your MIDI interface up to your computer. Since all midi interfaces are
somewhat different, and some of them require you to install certain drivers etc, it's impossible to explain how to do that here, for every possible midi interface. If you bought a parallell port interface, hook it up toyour paralell port, if you bought a serial port interface, hook it up to the serial port, if you bought an interface that connects to the joystick port of your soundcard, hook that up accordingly. Make sure you follow the instructions and install any drivers that the manufacturer wants you to install. If you're installing a MIDI interface that hooks into your PC soundcards' joystick port (in Windows), consult your Windows help guide by clicking on your start menu, then click on the 'help icon' on how to set up a new MIDI device.

Step 2: Connecting things

Now its time to connect your MIDI instrument to your MIDI interface.
Plug one of your MIDI cables into the MIDI OUT on your interface, and stick the other end of the cable into the MIDI IN on your MIDI instrument. Now,plug your 2nd cable into the MIDI IN of your interface, and plug the end of that cable into the MIDI OUT of your MIDI instrument. So, to recap; the MIDI IN on your interface goes to MIDI OUT on your keyboard. The MIDI OUT on your keyboard goes to the MIDI IN on your interface. If you've got LED indicator lights on your interface, play something on your keyboard - your MIDI input lights should flash. (If your interface has a power switch,don't forget to turn that on).


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Step 3: Configuring the sequencer

Moving along, now we can get everything up and running with our sequencer. Getting your ports set up in the sequencer can be tricky, especially if you've never done it before, and if you're new to sequencing with MIDI.
Carefully read the documentation of your MIDI sequencer, and pay attention to anything regarding the selection of MIDI ports. Since most beginners will (and should) be using something easy like Cakewalk or similar, here's how you do it in that Cakewalk, as an example:


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On the top menu bar, click on tools, and then click on MIDI Devices. That'll bring up a window called "MIDI Ports". Now, you should see two columns, one that says MIDI INPUT, or Input Ports, and one that says MIDI OUTPUT, or Output Ports. Let's say you have a MIDI interface hooked in to your SoundBlaster's joystick port. You should highlight something similar to 'SB16 MIDI IN [330]' in the Input Ports Column. If you have a multi port MIDI interface, select all the ports that you want to have active. In your Output Ports column, make sure your 'SB16 MIDI OUT' port (or the port you want to use as your primary port; it's a good idea to select your primary port as your sound module/keyboard etc that you use most often, since it saves time if you're setting up new sequencers or simply loading in midi files to play back) is selected. Click on the button "Move selected devices to top", so your primary device is moved all the way to the top of the list.


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What's the point of this? The device that's listed at the top of the list will be your default device, so every time you load up a MIDI file, or create a new sequence, this device will be automatically set to playback your MIDI. The device(s) listed below the primary device will be listed in that order when you go to select them in the sequence view.

Now that you've got your ports selected, hit OK. You'll be back looking at the sequence view again. Create a new track by double clicking on one of the numbered rows. Your primary port should now be selected (if not, double click on it and change it, but note that this is JUST to designate the output port).




Now you should be ready to record - do a test recording by pressing "R" on your computer keyboard. Play a few notes on your instrument, and when you're done, click on the 'stop' icon, or press your spacebar to stop recording. You can now playback what you've just sequenced, by clicking on the play icon (forward arrow) or hitting the spacebar.

Congratulations! You've just made your first sequence! Now get crackin' on becoming a star.

Have a question you'd like to ask? I'll do my best to answer them based
on my unique experience as artist, producer, label owner and disc jockey. Send those questions to triplestrandprod@yahoo.com and let's make "Dear Dixie" fun and a great learning experience for all.

Dixie McCorkell CMA/CCMA/ECMA
Triplestrand Productions
http://www.triplestrandproductions.com



Thursday, September 11, 2008

What's your Favorite Brand Of Guitar "


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Dixie back to answer your questions that you may have about
the equipment and product side of being an independent artist.

Not many questions sent to me this week, so send them IN folks--give
me something hard to answer!! This week's question asks something that
has been bantered around amongst guitarists it seems since the guitar was
first created: "What's your favorite brand of guitar?"


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Hmm--it's hard to pick just one because it's usually a personal preferance
of the artist and the music and the sound they're trying to acheive.
Let's start with acoustic guitars:

Some artists swear by Taylor guitars as the only acoustic guitar for them.
Another artist across the room may sneer and say "Forget Taylor--you're not
somebody until you play a Martin". Yes people can be very snobbish about
their guitars lol. Gibson guitars get alot of followers as well for their
long history of quality instruments.


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So what is MY favorite guitar? Some of you won't be surprised, because you
see them in the hands of a lot of major artists these days, Takamine. The
quality of tone and the rich resonance you get from their guitars is second
to none in my opinion (but I think the guy with the Martin just scowled
at me LOL). Not inexpensive, but not in the price range that Martins are
either (which sets you back quite a bit). Just a good solid guitar that
will bring out the best in your music.




Now for electric guitars, there's just as much fuss about them. You have your
fan for Yamaha guitars--and all the hip shapes and colors they come it.
Another popular brand would be Peavey, another brand with a history of good
solid equipment. But the king of electric guitars in my mind has to be
the Fender, expecially the ever popular (almost iconic) Stratocaster.
Fender electric guitars as well as their acoustic models have graced the
stage with artists for decades, and most likely will for decades to come.




But there's a newcomer to the scene that's likely to give them ALL a run
for their money (and I mean money literally lol). We all know that several
of the above makers have had their instruments copied by companies from the
Asian, market--but as a whole, these instruments don't hold to the standards
of the masters, although they're a great deal cheaper. However one Asian
company, Rogue, has come up with the best of both worlds for the artist.
Rogue is a company from Korea (I know, most artists will cringe at the very
idea) that makes both acoustic and electric instruments. The prices are
incredibly low for either type--so out of curiosity, I decided to see what
a $99 guitar could do.




Expecting it to be the type of guitar one might give to a beginning guitar
player, I was pleasantly surprised. In both the acoustic and electric models,
the tone was far from the bright ringing that I expected, but warm and
expressive. Definitely a beautiful and playable guitar at an amazing price,
the Rogue line of guitars and other stringed instruments (dobros, mandolins,
etc)will give you fine instruments for learning OR for recording at a price
that won't break the bank.

So check one out today and pick yourself up a great guitar for a fraction
of the price of the major brands. Any company that helps the independent
artist keep making their music without going into bankruptcy, has two thumbs
up from me. You can find Rogue guitars as well as the other brands mentioned
in this blog on sale at all quality musical equipment stores but for the best
deals, check out my favorite at Un-Ni-Que-Music.com


The Best Gear and the Best Deals- GuitarCenter.com


Have a question you'd like to ask? I'll do my best to answer them based
on my unique experience as artist, producer, label owner and disc jockey.
Send those questions to triplestrandprod@yahoo.com and
let's make "Dear Dixie" fun and a great learning experience
for all.


Saturday, September 6, 2008

"After The Master " Dear Dixie replies


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Dixie back to answer your questions that you may have about
the equipment and product side of being an independent artist.

The question which I'm going to answer this week came from a beginning
artist just starting to get into business he's got a master of a Cd
that he just recorded that he wants to send out to various contacts to
try to get more notice for his songs. His question was "What are some names
of good quality blank Cds that I can duplicate my Cd onto?"


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In answer to this question, the first thing you need to decide is how you
want your Cd to look. One of the latest fads in Cds is ones that look
like miniature vinyl records (very retro). A good quality of Cdr that gives
this appearance yet still has top quality sound and the ability to print
directly to the disc with an inkjet printer (one that has a tray for printing
cds) would be the Verbatim Digital Vinyl 80-Minute Inkjet Printable CDR.
Combining a retro look with the rugged quality and high-performance of
today's CDR technology, Verbatim introduces Digital Vinyl CDR, a recordable
CD designed after the popular and groovy 45rpm record format. These
eye-catching discs are a great way to save delicate LP collections, burn
your personal music mixes, or make a standout business presentation. The
color-coded discs use Verbatim's original Azo Blue technology for superior
audio writing performance on CD burners and broad read compatibility on car
CD players, home audio systems, and portable CD players. Digital Vinyl CDRs
are protected with a dual-layer anti-scratch coating that safeguards data
for years to come and are backed by Verbatim's Lifetime Warranty. So grab a
blast from the past: Verbatim Digital Vinyl CDR.




Want to buy the top of the line white inkjet-printable (great for mulitiple
color cds. Then check out the Taiyo Yuden 52X Silver Spindle 100-Pack.
The Taiyo Yuden 52X Silver Spindle 100-Pack gives you 100 CDRs from a
company with a reputation for some of the best quality, most reliable discs
available. Their CDRs out perform the competition in recording accuracy and
display superior durability in a wide variety of data and audio applications.




Or are you looking for cds to do your masters on (and of course the master has
to be best quality or everything that comes FROM that--no matter what you
want it to look like, will sound less than perfect. For master quality cds,
check out the Apogee CD-74 CDR Gold Over Gold 100-Disc Spindle. Apogee CD-Rs
are a premium quality product. They are optimized for multi-speed writing
and far exceed Orange Book specifications in terms of block error rates.
Gold Over Gold blank CDs feature a gold phthalocyanine dye layer and gold
reflective layer. Ideal for archiving and mastering.




Three applications, three different cds. So decide what you need first then
check out the fabulous prices on these three cds at my favorite place to shop
for blank media (and being a record label owner and promoter to radio, I use
ALOT of them LOL) which would be at http://www.u-ni-que-music.com a site
that posts all the best finds on what you need for your music.


Deal of the Week!


Have a question you'd like to ask? I'll do my best to answer them based
on my unique experience as artist, producer, label owner and disc jockey.
Send those questions to triplestrandprod@yahoo.com and
let's make "Dear Dixie" fun and a great learning experience
for all.
















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Dixie McCorkell CMA/CCMA/ECMA
Triplestrand Productions
http://www.triplestrandproductions.com


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Thursday, August 28, 2008

Dear Dixie Introductions









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Dixie McCorkell here, owner of Triplestrand Productions.
Triplestrand Productions is a record label and promotions
company that I run. I'm also an independent artist myself,
as well as a dj for two syndicated shows called "Country
Legends In The Makin
g" and "The Americana Collection".
I've decided to start a blog that gives hints and tips for
the independent artists out there starting out in the
music industry. It can be a pretty ugly mess to try to
navigate through, so this column which I've decided to
title "Dear Dixie" will be a place for artists to come and
get the latest in advice on musical equipment, musical
software
your computer, home studios and the like. To
make things a little different, I'm going to actually let
independent artists email me questions about such things
and I'll try to answer them here in my blog. Thus the
title, "Dear Dixie". Just don't ask me questions about
relationships (go to Dear Abby for that) or ettiquette (go
to Miss Manners for those). If I don't know the answer,

I'll research it for you and get your answer up for you if
I can. Just keep it narrowed down to product and equipment
questions, the 'guts' of music making if you will. I'll
give you some examples below, but for questions for future
columns, direct your emails to triplestrandprod@yahoo.com
with the phrase "Dear Dixie blog" in the subject line.

So let's have some fun with this blog and perhaps we'll all
learn some things in the journey
--yes, even me! Now for
that example.



Pocket Songs



I spend a great deal of time each day answering questions
from the artists I promote to radio. So I'm going to start
out by answering a couple of the common questions I get from
them to get the ball rolling.

Question: What keyboard do you use in your own studios?

Answer: A couple of different types have been in use here,
but I'm a fan of the Yamaha keyboards personally, for quality
of sound and the realistic 'voices' that are included in
them. One of the latest Yamaha keyboards is the Yamaha
PSR-S900 Arranger Workstation Keyboard. Good as a stage
keyboard but fabulous when it comes to recording--even with
your own home recorder. Even better, it has the capability
to record straight into your computer in the event that you
use computer ba
sed recording software such as Pro Tools.














Now let me explain a little of what makes this kitty purr !!!


23 Super Articulation Voices
15 MegaVoices
USB audio recording
392 Voices + 19 Drum + 480 XG + 265 GM2 + 235 GS
22 Sweet!, 26 Cool!, and 20 Live! Special Voices
LAN Port for Internet Direct Connect
3 part Vocal Harmony & video out for live performance or Karaoke
Color LCD Screen displays lyrics, notation, chords and Text View
Pitch Bend and Modulation Wheels for more expressive playing
Optional hard drive recording at CD quality
Organ Flutes Voice: 9 Virtual Drawbars use Modeling
Technology

Now this keyboard won't be for everyone, because it's modeled
more in keeping the composer in mind than the first time
player. But it's flexibility and power as a workstation
more than makes up for the initial learning curve to record
on it.

You can get good deals on almost ANY Yamaha keyboard or workstation
(and alot of other great equipment) at my favorite online
store for deals, which is u-ni-que-music.com I'll give
them a plug here because they do such a good job at hunting
down the best deals there are out there. We all need a
little extra cash right now--so why NOT grab the best deals?

To follow that up, I frequently get asked for suggestions for
recording software so that an artist can record to their
computer. Hands down winner on that would have to be Pro Tools
by Digidesign. The latest version of that would be their
M-Powered 7.4 Same popular software that has been the industry
standard for years but with more bells and whistles.

Digidesign has improved it's popular Pro Tools software including
more support for M-Audio peripherals, enhanced HD integration,
increased its flexibility with the new Elastic Time feature,
a powerful real-time tempo manipulator, and more.

Change the tempo or timing of audio tracks on the fly by
simply expanding or contracting regions.

Easily create loops from any audio file analyzed for tempo and transient
information - even files from older library CDs that have
multiple loops per cut.

Audition loops and audio files in sync with your session's
current tempo with Context Preview.

Fine-tune regions with precision control over each
individual beat using the warp track view and warp markers.

Quantize individual tracks or multitrack audio to the
session grid or to extracted grooves while preserving the
original timing offsets of each track.

Choose the best-sounding time-stretching algorithm from
several choices on a per-track basis.

Adjust the Window and Decay parameter on each track to
achieve the best results.

Make quick rhythmic fixes or creatively explore grooves
and styles using Grid and Groove Quantize, which now
works on MIDI and audio events in tandem.

Ease your CPU processing load by rendering tracks using
Render mode.

Use the Render and Commit option to work on Pro Tools 7.4
sessions with earlier versions of Pro Tools (replaces all
Elastic Time-enabled regions with rendered audio files).

Comes with Digidesign's Structure Free sample player
which allows you to easily add a wide range of sounds
to your sessions (it also comes with more than 885MB
of high-quality samples).

Accepts MIDI controller data directly from ReWire
applications for recording to a Pro Tools MIDI or
Instrument track.

Supports Unicode characters throughout the application
so you can label and edit text anywhere in Pro Tools
in any language supported by Unicode, such as Japanese,
French, Greek, Russian, and Hebrew.

Whew, guess you can see WHY they're the choice of the
serious composer and producer. Again, it's not for the
beginner who is just jumping into recording their own
music. Again available at u-ni-que-music.com for a very
reasonable price for the top rated recording software in
the industry.Digi Design at present have a home studio bundle
that in my opinion is a real good buy it's their
Digidesign Personal Pro Tools Standard version.

That gives you some idea of the type of questions
"Dear Dixie" gets on a regular basis. So ask your
questions and I'll do my best to answer them based on
my unique experience as artist, producer, label owner and
disc jockey. Send those questions to the previously
noted email address, and let's make "Dear Dixie" fun and
a great learning experience for all.

Dixie McCorkell CMA/CCMA/ECMA
Triplestrand Productions
http://www.triplestrandproductions.com