Cheap Thrills
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Free and budget software Cheap thrills Music making needn’t be an expensive occupation; we round up the best freeware and shareware on the net… On the DVD hareware’s quaint, ‘Try it and if somewhat: downloadable demos of just but the software is still useful even if CHEAP THRILLS We’ve saved you all that you find it useful please donate' about every application and plug-in on unregistered, although you are ultimately download time – you'll find approach has always made an the market are readily available, and expected to do so S 35 of the utilities mentioned appealing way to get hold of music easier electronic payment has pulled a Demoware – gives you a taste of its in this feature on the DVD in software. The shareware movement has lot of shareware more into the capabilities but you'll need to buy the the Cheap Thrills folder allowed small developers to really demoware category. Still, some unique full version to get any practical usage connect with musicians and present a and affordable music software remains wealth of software options, many of – you just have to know where to look. Don’t let a program being free or which would not otherwise be available. For this feature, we’ve selected titles shareware deceive you as to its viability Recently, though, the development of with broad appeal and catered for both in your studio: there’s freeware out there the internet has changed the dynamic Windows and Mac users. A few of these that rivals even the best commercial things are free, the rest very affordable, software. Oh, and if you do find a and all can be tried out after a quick particular piece of shareware useful, do DOWNLOADABLE DEMOS OF JUST and easy download. Everything here fits please seriously consider registering it. into one of three categories: Many a promising application has slipped into obscurity because the ABOUT EVERY APPLICATION ON THE Freeware – full featured, no payment author could no longer afford to do is required what they do – it simply ends up being MARKET ARE READILY AVAILABLE Shareware – a few features are omitted charity work. cm Sequencing But what Forget your Cubases, Sonars and Logics – this about plug-ins little lot are what you might call ‘different’… and sequencers? You’ll probably notice that we haven’t included ‘conventional’ Numerology (Five 12) sequencers or plug-ins in our round-up. With regard to SHAREWARE: $85 sequencers, this is because commercial entry-level sequencers from the major publishers deliver im Coker, Mr Five 12, is a effects, as well as external MIDI devices. incredible feature sets at very low developer and performing Its MIDI output can be routed to, and prices and are hard for the small musician. Numerology was born recorded by, a MIDI sequencer. J developer to top. When they try, out of his frustrations with the software You work with a ‘session’ that they’re prone to ‘going and hardware sequencers then consists of a number of ‘groups’. A commercial’ (FL Studio, for example) or getting bought out by available for live performance. It excels group comprises a collection of another company (such as as a performance sequencing modules, plus an optional software Tracktion, now owned by Mackie). instrument, yet is very much a studio instrument with effects. You can save a The plug-in scene, on the other power tool as well. snapshot of a group’s settings into one hand, offers an embarrassment of riches, too bountiful to be Numerology is a modular of 64 presets. These can be recalled relegated to a mere subplot. We’ll sequencing studio. The closest analogy manually, or automatically in the Tracks many users trading hints on its Yahoo be addressing that particular topic would be a rack-full of analogue step view – Numerology’s song sequencer. forum. The unregistered version is in a dedicated feature later in the sequencers and other control modules. You can use MIDI to directly control capable of handling small sequencing year, but in the meantime check out the ever-definitive source of It features various sequencer modules Numerology modules or play software needs or hosting a single Audio Units info on such matters, that you connect up to construct your instruments, making the software a instrument. If you try it, be warned: the www.kvraudio.com. personal composition or performance useful Audio Units host. numbers say that a Numerology setup. Your ‘sequencing machines’ can Numerology is actively developed, purchase will be in your future! control Audio Units instruments and and if you register you can join Jim and www.five12.com 070 | COMPUTER MUSIC JUNE 2005 FEATURE CMU87.free 070 28/4/05 3:30:57 pm Free and budget software Energy XT (Jørgen Aase) DEMOWARE: £28 ALSO TRY… ave you ever been frustrated by environment lets you connect VST the limitations of your instruments and effects to your MIDI HammerHead H sequencer, wished for a more and audio system. energyXT embodies Rhythm Station flexible software studio or craved the virtual studio ideal: a set of virtual 3 PC 3 Freeware interactive live performance features? If modules and processors that you patch Bram Bos: www.threechords. com/hammerhead your answer is yes, then try energyXT. together to make the studio of your Bram Bos’ aged sampling drum energyXT is a shape-shifter that can dreams. It’s also a handy problem machine is still a worthy download. act as a fully-featured VST host, a ‘super solver. Want to add step sequencing to plug-in’ used to create your own devices your favourite VST filter plug-in? No Building Blocks by combining VST instruments and problem. Need a standalone rack of VST 3 PC 3 Demoware: $80 AuReality: www.midiworld. effects, a live performance instrument, a instruments? Wire it up in energyXT. up plug-ins and energyXT modules in org/~aureality/products/ MIDI processor and router, and an The built-in sequencer module is unique ways to make a truly personal, buildingblocks/ audio/MIDI multitrack sequencer capable and a good basis for creating powerful sequencing workstation. buildingblocks.html Modular MIDI sequencing and construction kit. Its modular your ideal sequencing tool. You can wire www.xt-hq.com processing toolkit. AmbiLoop 3 PC 3 Freeware Tu2 (Bram Bos) Renoise Evenfall: www.evenfall.com/ ambiloop/index.html SHAREWARE: $35 SHAREWARE: ¤50 Real-time multitrack sample looper modelled after the long digital delay loopers made famous by guitar ram Bos is something Up to 12 different here have always been works comfortably with superstar Robert Fripp. of a music freeware/ samples can be used in a two parallel external MIDI devices, yet it B shareware legend. His single pattern. Patterns are T dimensions in the still excels at getting the Doggiebox freeware HammerHead one bar long, with 16 steps computer music universe: most out of a handful of 3 Mac 3 Shareware: $46 Rhythm Station, a per bar. A series of patterns MIDI sequencers and samples. Its user interface is Zygoat: www.doggiebox.com A different take on the sampling drum sampling drum machine are used to make a song, trackers. Each has its own a proper blend of mouse- machine idea, offering easy pattern released in 1997, was one and long samples can be features, and whatever cross- driven GUI and the classic sequencing and song assembly. of the first successful sustained across patterns. pollination occurred was tracker keyboard interface. software instruments. This lets you blend standard usually a tracker user The concepts are easy to Tu2 is a sampling pattern-based sequencing venturing into MIDI waters. grasp, and the best way is to workstation that excels at with a more linear approach. Modern trackers have study Renoise’s excellent creating samples and loops The free version is very much to offer though, and demonstration and tutorial and assembling them into full-featured, but registration Renoise is a 21st Century songs. The free version is PRO TIP SOUND DESIGN songs. You can use prefab brings useful additions, so tracker in every sense. It remarkably well-featured – A sample sequencer like Tu2 or Renoise can offer an effective way of creating samples or make your own fire up that browser and see blends traditional tracker enough to put together interesting sounds by layering, sequencing and processing a handful of using Tu2’s instruments, step if this Tu2 fits. features with VST plug-ins complete tracks, certainly. samples. Think of it as both a sound sequencers and effects. www.brambos.com and real-time MIDI control. It www.renoise.com design and composition tool. STEP BY STEP Exploring Bram Bos' Tu2 Samples are selected in the Sound Manager. You can Each of the four software instruments comes with its Each sample slot has four ‘step processors’. Pan, Filter import existing samples or create new ones using the own step sequencer. Rage2 (shown) is a sampling drum and Distortion let you add step-sequenced automation 1 four software instruments. Optional Tu2 plug-ins offer 2 machine; Amber is a monophonic virtual analogue; Bliss 3 to each respective effect, but the crown jewel is the additional ways to add samples, and there’s even a handy is a polyphonic sampler; and Halo is a monophonic FM synth. Variator (shown here). This lets you slice and rearrange your wave editor. >> Sounds are rendered as samples but saved as patches that loops by dragging and dropping. You can reverse slices, and you can later edit. >> repeat and gate them. FEATURE JUNE 2005 COMPUTER MUSIC | 071 CMU87.free 071 28/4/05 3:31:01 pm Free and budget software Multitrack audio editing Cut up your samples or compose full tracks ALSO TRY… using these very capable audio editors… Amadeus II Mac Shareware: $30 3 3 HairerSoft: HyperEngine-AV (Arboretum) www.hairersoft.com Stereo wave editor that supports Audio FREEWARE Units effects.