Aspiring musicians?

[SpaceMonkey]

I was just curious... I did a cover-version of the Freakylinks website theme-music a while back. Every now & then I crank out a fractured electronic tune or two, for my own warped amusement.  Totally a hobby, not too serious.

The neat thing is that all the software I use-- from the drum machine, sample-player, synths, to the multitrack recorder-- is freeware. Anybody with a pc these days,  can have a recording studio & dozens of synthesizers & retro-intrument emulators, totally free & legal-- if you just know where to look.

So, I was wondering among the Freakers, Yes-Sayers,  Burkittsvillians, & Blair-Witch-lovers here... Anybody interested in putting together a Haxan-lovers'  compilation album?  If there are among us,   8 to 10 creative souls willing to compose a song or 2, we'd get enough songs to make up a decent length c.d.    We could focus on Haxan projects; make songs like "The Skunk-Ape-Stomp"  or  "Coffin Rock-abilly"...  

And if we didn't use samples, or any copyrighted audio, we could just give it away for free download,  no legal hassle!  

(Heck, if we asked realllly nicely, maybe we'd even convince the Haxanites to host the d/l Maybe??? )

I could post some links to some free audio stuff, answer some simple questions about how to install & use vsti's (virtual instruments)  & plug- in effects, etc.... at least about what little I have learned, self taught as I am. Just to get people started...

[Nightmaretony]

Still gotta learn how to use vsts, but do count me in.

[SpaceMonkey]

Well, vst plug-ins require a "host" -- they don't run by themselves, they require another program to host them in.  Most editor & multitracker type thingies will support vst plug ins.

VSTi's specifically, are VST instruments.  Normally I use this little host right here:

http://www.hermannseib.com/english/savihost.htm

You don't even have to have a Midi keyboard to use them. The SAVIhost has a virtual keyboard you can click with your mouse... OR, your actual keyboard keyboard  -- the one with letters on it..is actually playable & provides up to 3 octaves!  

4 rows of keys-- the very bottom row, the ZXC line, has the white keys of the lower octave, the ASD line right above that, has the black keys for the lower octave.  the QWERTY line of keys is the white upper octave, and the black keys for the upper octave are on the line of numbers.

Pressing SHIFT will drop you down an octave.

Same guy that made the savi-host, also made the vsthost:

http://www.hermannseib.com/english/vsthost.htm

You can do the same with you keyboard or mouse & an instrument... but also, wit vsthost you can add effect plug ins.

As for the effects, I use these mostly:
http://www.kjaerhusaudio.com/classic-series.php

Okay, I am gonna gve up my main source for freebie audio!  LOADS of vst instruments, effects, et cetera, many of them free, can be found here:

http://www.kvraudio.com/

Up at the top right, it says "quick links are hidden. click here to view them" -- then you can choose to search by name, for an instrument, an effect, a host...

But each program has a line that tells you what PRIMARY TYPE of software it is...which is a LINK. Like this page:

http://www.kvraudio.com/get/126.html

ahhhh yes, the "Organ one", found alphabetically.  

You may not like this particular organ-- but you DO want an organ sound.  Just click "organ" where it says  "primary type: organ". You get a list of EVERY type of organ kvraudio has listed--  telling you whether it is free or not. You just click around until you find a much much cooler free organ -- like THIS one, the PHIBES:

http://www.kvraudio.com/get/314.html

[SpaceMonkey]

http://www.genkienglish.net/genkijapan/koto.htm

I actually used this flashfile to play a solo in a song I did.  It doesn't sound great, but you can screw with the sound a little bit with effects & it is listenable.

[Nightmaretony]

Thanks once again. I did find the Savi host and it works out nicvely with a Theremin plugin and some synth patches. I upgraded my Anvil Studio to handle VSTs, still struggling with it(not sure how to get the VSts crankin in there  (helluva powerful system, I dont use Protools, thanks. check out www.anvilstudio.com, main program is free and you pay for add ons to make it more powerful...

If you get anywhere out by Los Angeles sometime, you will have to stop on in.