Recording Studio Software History

Recording Studio Software History

When computers found their way into homes they were used for every possible and imaginable task. Audio recording was not an exception. First music software applications were promising but from today's perspective they were very modest. This was due to limitations of computers at that time. Now we have two main streams of personal computing: PC and MAC. Both are used in professional recording studios with plethora of complex software applications.

The 1980s was a very important decade for music production and recording. MIDI started to emerge, Yamaha introduced the DX7 synthesizer, some samplers like Akai S1000 were very poplar, and first music software applications were written for microcomputers popular at that time. Various software sequencers were written for Commodore C64, Sinclair ZX Spectrum and Apple II. A real breakthrough was Macintosh with graphical user interface. It had widows with icons and a mouse pointer. Mark of the Unicorn developed Performer, the first sequencer for Macintosh.

For the history of MIDI sequencers Atari ST was also important. Designed as a gaming computer with graphical user interface it featured also MIDI I/O and it was cheaper than Mac. Steinberg Cubase and Emagic Notator were first developed for Atari ST.

First PC software applications were Cakewalk MIDI sequencer and the SCORE music notation package. However, at that time PCs with first Windows were not so stable as these days and many musicians preferred Mac for which CODA's Finale software appeared at the end of 1980s. Cubase and Notator were also ported to Mac and PC platform.

In 1989 Digidesign introduced one of the first hard disk audio recording systems Sound Tools. It was a two-track recorder/editor used with Q-Sheet software. In 1990 the first MIDI and Audio sequencer was introduced. It was Opcode's Studio Vision and used Digidesign's Sound Tools hardware for audio. 4-channel Pro Tools appeared in 1992. There was also one not so popular microcomputer, the Acorn Archimedes with an interesting software called Sibelius. It was a score writing package which was also ported to Mac and PC. Later in the 90s Cubase VST (Steinberg ) and Logic Audio (Emagic) both implemented the notation features.

Computers became faster with more RAM and disk capacity so the next trend was multi-track recording. Steinberg worked on MIDI + Audio sequencers like Cubase VST (Virtual Studio Technology). Third-party developers welcomed the plug-in feature and a new market emerged. Emagic and Mark of the Unicorn also accepted the plug-in approach. In 1990s Pro Tools introduced 64-track system MIX with 16/24 bit audio at 44.1 or 48 kHz. At that time Cubase VST, Logic Audio and Pro Tools were all available on the PC platform.

In 1999 Steinberg introduced Nuendo. It offered 96 kHz recording and 5.1 surround audio. Pro Tools offered surround audio in 2002. At that time Pro Tools became a standard for professional recording studio software. Pro Tools 5.1 proved it's capability of recording MIDI sequences and audio tracks. It's user interface was simple and powerful for either recording, editing or mixing audio. At the same time Logic Audio was the most popular sequencer on the Mac platform. Digidesign introduced Pro Tools HD (sampling at 96/192 kHz) in 2002 when new operating system for Mac, OSX become available. Cubase SX and Logic Audio were also released for OSX. Pro Tools 6.0 for OSX become available in 2003.

Some ownership changes also occurred: Digidesign was acquired by Avid, Sony acquired Sonic Foundry, Emagic was acquired by Apple, Adobe acquired Syntrillium's Cool Edit Pro software and changed its name to Adobe Audition, and Steinberg was acquired by Pinnacle. Now every leading recording studio software runs on both popular platforms, PC and Mac. And stability is not an issue anymore.

One of the big players in professional audio recording is still Digidesign's Pro Tools. There are actually three flavors of Pro Tools, all of which share the same user interface and file format. The primary distinction is the hardware they complement. Pro Tools|HD runs on elite DSP-powered Pro Tools|HD hardware and is mainly used in professional environments, Pro Tools LE used in home studios works with a variety of Digidesign hardware including the Mbox 2 family and Pro Tools M-Powered delivers even more options via compatibility with dozens of M-Audio interfaces. Some audio engineers, producers and remixers use Pro Tools hardware with third-party software instead with the original Pro Tools software.

Computers and software in music recording and production are inevitable. We can hardly imagine working with analog tapes and mixers. Digital signal processing has raised audio technology to a new level. Personal computers have evolved to a level where everybody can afford a home recording studio. Cheap hard disks allow us to record unlimited number of tracks at arbitrary sample rate. Music recording has never been easier. There are also some disadvantages with this new technology. You can easily compress music and make it louder destroying the original dynamic and life it originally had. CD clipping is also very popular. However, the advantages of using computers in recording studios are huge. You only need the right software and some skills.


Digital Voice Recorder - Recording Studio Software History

Olympus VN-7000 Digital Voice Recorder 142645 (Silver)

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Review - Best Buy Olympus VN-7000 Digital Voice Recorder 142645 (Silver) On Sale And Discount Price!


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Features - Olympus VN-7000 Digital Voice Recorder 142645 (Silver)
  • 2 GB Internal Memory
  • 1208 hours recording
  • Variable control voice actuator
  • Long Battery Life
  • Index Marks
  • 2 Playback Modes: slow and Fast; 3 Recording Modes: HQ, SP and LP
  • 2GB internal memory
  • Microphone Jack; Earphone Jack
  • Multi-Codec: HQ/SP: SubBand, LP: CELP Recording Format
  • Up to 1,200 Hours Recording Time: Large LCD screen; Variable Control Voice Actuator; Index Marks


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Home Recording Studio Basics - Here's What You Need to Record

Home Recording Studio Basics - Here's What You Need to Record

After I had blown quite a few thousand dollars in a recording studio, a sound engineer friend made a cool suggestion. "Why don't you buy an ADAT, and do some tracking at home?" So I purchased that venerable 8 track digital tape recorder and saved oodles of time and money putting all my synth tracks on tape. That was my start in home recording, and oh, the fun I've had since!

What are the basic pieces of equipment and software one needs to record at home?

There are so many ways to do this! Well, since you're reading this, you probably have a computer, so let's base our home studio on the computer. We'll start by understanding the different functions we will need filled in home recording. Then we'll understand what the best hardware and software products to do it are. In general, the principle I recommend is to use fewer pieces of equipment with more functions. That approach saves time and, usually, money. As you advance in your recording skills, you can go for more specialized equipment.

There are two distinct phases in recording a song. One is the "in" phase, referring to everything needed to get your music performance into a basic recorded form, with however many tracks you need. The second phase is the "out" phase, where you will take that raw music, process it and create the final stereo version.

The "in" phase -- sending the music to your computer

Music can be put into your computer either as audio or as MIDI. Audio is actual sound recordings. MIDI records no sounds, but only the digital instructions for an instrument to play. It is much like a combination of a pianist and sheet music. Without an instrument, he can make no music. With MIDI, you are saving the note and volume instructions to be played on the instruments of your choice later on.

Although some programs let you put MIDI notes into your computer through your computer keyboard, and other programs have music generation features that allow you to create an entire backing band without playing a note, the best solution is a velocity sensitive MIDI keyboard. It gives a much more realistic performance. For example, playing a key softer will record a softer note. Other features, such as aftertouch, allow you to add vibrato and other realistic effects.

Audio simply means actual sounds. Audio tracks will include vocals, acoustic instruments, and electronic instruments whose sounds you wish to use. You will do well to get at least two microphones. Some microphones are better constructed to record vocals, while others are optimized for instruments. In addition, having two mics allows you to record in stereo, or two soloists performing at the same time.

Receiving the music into your computer

All of this will get your music up to your computer's door. How do you get it inside? With an audio interface that has: a microphone jack that fits your microphone cable and preamp function (so that the signal is strong enough to be properly recorded), phantom power (if you use a condenser mic that needs it), a line input for synths and sound modules, and a MIDI interface. Remember the principle - less products that do more. Some find it simpler to run every audio sound, mics and all, through a hardware mixer (with phantom power and effects) and sending that pre-processed signal to the audio interface's line input. You'll still need the MIDI interface function for your MIDI recording, though.

Once your audio and MIDI are inside your computer, software takes over. For our recording we will use what's called an integrated audio/MIDI sequencer. Famous names include Cubase, Cakewalk and so forth. These programs record multiple tracks of audio and MIDI in perfect synchronization.

Now you have all the equipment you need for the "in" phase. What will you need to take the many tracks of audio and MIDI you have recorded and make a song out of them?

The "out" phase -- making MIDI into music

We mentioned that MIDI is simply digital instructions, it is not actual sounds. Now we will need to create actual sounds from those instructions. There are two options for this: external and internal.

External sounds come in little boxes called sound modules (or keyboards with their own great sounds). Sound modules have hundreds of high-quality patches that re-create every instrument in the orchestra, classic electronic sounds, spacey new synthesizer creations and sound effects. To use them, you send the MIDI back out from the sequencer program through the audio interface's MIDI output and into the sound module. You then take the audio output from the sound module back into your computer via the line input on your audio interface and record it on a new audio track in the sequencer. It is now a real sound and is perfectly lined up with the other tracks.

Internal sounds come in lots of different types. Instruments that you use from within your audio/MIDI sequencer include VST instruments and software synths. The latter may automatically come with your audio interface, or require installation like any other program. Option two is a full-blown sampler/synthesizer program, such as "Reason", that you connect your sequencer to through a software function called "Rewire." And there are also sound modules that come in the form of PCI cards that you physically install on your computer.

Fine tuning and effects

Most every song will use spatial effects such as reverb and echo. You may find that some tracks are slightly out of tune. On others, there may be a consistent buzz that needs to be removed. For all of these, you will want to have an audio editing program or plug-in. A plug-in is simply a function you can add to your basic sequencer program. Plug-ins exists for all kinds of functions, including reverb, compression, equalization, noise reduction, pitch correction and so forth.

An audio editing program is a standalone program that does all of these things. With most audio/MIDI sequencers, you can configure your software to call up the audio editing program and fix the track without leaving the sequencer.

Mixing down

Once you have all of your tracks and sounds recorded, you will need to mix them down to stereo. Again, this can be done in an external or internal fashion. To do it externally, you would need a hardware mixer. This method limits you to the number of tracks you can send independently through your audio interface and the number of tracks your mixer can handle. Nonetheless, mixers give you a real surface to work on, and often include quality studio effects, reverbs and such.

Internal mixing means using your audio/MIDI sequencer to mix down the entire song to two tracks. The advantage of doing it internally is the expanded number of tracks you can use. The disadvantage is the difficulty of mixing with a mouse on a computer screen. There are, however, hardware mixing surfaces which simply control your software program.

Mastering and burning

Once you have your stereo mix, you want to put the finishing touches on it. These touches include overall compression, equalization, noise reduction, fading in and out and bringing the recording up to a normalized level of volume. Your audio editing program should be able to handle these adequately, although there are specialized mastering programs which offer higher quality and many more enhancement features.

Then you're ready to burn your song to CD. Odds are that your CD writing drive came with a program that does just that and you won't need anything more. I did mention that you'll need a CD writing drive, didn't I? Well, now I did! And if it's MP3 you're after, most audio programs encode MP3s as well.

And that's it! Now you have everything you need to make your musical magic at home. Have fun, but I don't need to tell you that, because it just is.


Digital Voice Recorder - Home Recording Studio Basics - Here's What You Need to Record

Review Of The Panasonic DMR-EZ28K DVD Recorder With Digital Tuner

Review Of The Panasonic DMR-EZ28K DVD Recorder With Digital Tuner

Is a DVD recorder with digital tuner like the one on the Panasonic DMR-EZ28K DVD Player/Recorder really necessary if you already have cable? The answer to that question really depends on you and your cable system. Nowadays, most cable services offer both digital and analog signals. You can get analog signals with a cable-ready analog tuner while the additional digital signals need a cable-ready digital tuner.

The digital tuner equipped in this model will let you receive over-the-air high definition broadcasts without a glitch. Most high definition home theater owners will require a digital tuner to get their money's worth in HD picture and sound. The Panasonic DMR-EZ28K DVD Player/Recorder can play a variety of formats, including DVD, DivX, DVD-RAM, DVD-R, DVD-RW, CD, CD-R, and CD-RW. It features a 1080p up conversion through an HDMI. You can also record digital over-the-air broadcasts thanks to the digital tuner.

The built-in ATSC tuner is pretty reliable, locking onto a signal effortlessly even if there is a low power source or the station is further away than would normally be convenient. Moreover, the tuner easily locks onto older analog signals as well.

The Panasonic DMR-EZ28K DVD Player/Recorder's on-screen interface might first appear dated. However, it was designed to be familiar and comfortable with a VCR of yesteryear's menu and programming. This will help insure that you will not miss recording your favorite programs due to confusion. Furthermore, this model features an elegant, minimalist chassis that hides it jam-packed set of features.

Panasonic's proprietary VIERALink can connect all components of your home theater to be guided by one remote control, including your sound system. An added plus was the on-board SD card reader, which lets us slip in the SD card from your digital camera to immediately start viewing photos. The Panasonic DMR-EZ28K DVD Player/Recorder also adds a USB port for even more flexibility.

One negative on this DVD recorder is that channel surfing can be very slow, but that might be the norm for digital tuners and over-the-air HD signals. The truth is the digital world is a dynamically changing environment and until the DVD recorder manufacturers catch up with the OTA HD signal technology you'll have to live with the slow speed.


Digital Voice Recorder - Review Of The Panasonic DMR-EZ28K DVD Recorder With Digital Tuner

Olympus VN-4100PC Digital Voice Recorder

Olympus VN-4100PC Digital Voice Recorder

The Olympus VN-4100PC digital voice recorder is a phenomenal piece of equipment for the price. It measures 4 inches tall, by 1.25 inches wide, and .5 inch thick, so it is easily portable. On the highest recording quality setting, there is 11 hours and 42 minutes of record time available. On the lowest setting, 144 hours and 28 minutes of recording time is available. The recorder runs of two triple-A batteries and lasts about 50 hours on one set of batteries. When you open the box, you will find the Olympus VN-4100PC recorder, the USB cable, the instillation CD and two manuals. One manual for the recorder and the second for the audio enhancement software.

The interface of the recorder is easy to use and navigate your way around the menus. There are buttons stop, record, erase, display menu, change folder, play, and one button that functions to fast forward, reverse, and to lower or increase the volume. I know the last four sound confusing being on one button, but it is not.

There are four folders to use, A, B, C, and D. These make it easier to organize the audio files recorder. After an investigation when I get home I download all of the files to my computer, than organize them, so I only use folder A. If an investigator is in a situation where they are performing more than one investigation at a time, they can use a folder for each investigation.

Under the menu settings, you can change the recording quality, the microphone quality, voice activation on or off, the beep noise on or off, the time, and a timer for when the recording starts or stops. The timer is amazing for investigations when an investigator cannot be there to psychically use the recorder. Such as if an investigator needs to be recording in a haunted location from 3 to 5, when the most activity is reported, but they have the recorder in a different room, the recorder starts and ends itself automatically.

A feature to cut down on the battery usage is the voice activation. This way, you can set the recorder down, and it begins to record when it picks up noise. After the noise ends, the recorder stops, until noise is picked up again.

After you are finished recording and are back at your computer, it is easy to download the files. After you connect the recorder to your computer using the supplied USB cable, synchronizing files automatically begins. The one flaw I found with the recorder is that the upload time is long. If you only have an hour recording it will not take long. If it reaches the 3 hour point and beyond, expect to be waiting. Normally, when this happens, I will go do something else so I am not sitting and waiting. Now, there have been reports about the recorder deleting files as they are being downloaded, and being lost.

I have not had this happen a single time, and I have uploaded about 100 files, ranging from 30 minutes in length, to 8 hours. My computer is an HP Pavilion dv6000 laptop, and it runs off of Windows Vista. I do not know whether the problems reported have been truly due to the Olympus VN-4100PC, or if it was a problem with the user's computer. I personally do not think it is a problem with the recorder, since it has never happened to me.

I do highly recommend the Olympus VN-4100PC digital voice recorder. For the price of it, it is more than worth your money. Its slim profile allows it to be portable without taking up much room in your pocket, and produces clean and crisp audio.


Digital Voice Recorder - Olympus VN-4100PC Digital Voice Recorder

Olympus Digital Voice Recorder (VN 6200PC)

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Olympus 142070
Review - Best Buy Olympus Digital Voice Recorder (VN 6200PC) On Sale And Discount Price!


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$59.99
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Features - Olympus Digital Voice Recorder (VN 6200PC)
  • Record up to 444 hours of uninterrupted audio in LP mode
  • Pc link with USB 2.0 PORT - Upload files directly to your PC using a simple cable connection for easy file management.
  • Voice activation extends recording time and saves battery life by recording only when the microphone senses sound.
  • Recording modes - Lets you select standard playback (SP), long playback (LP) or high quality (HQ) mode.
  • Large LCD for easy, quick viewing of file locations, recording status and Battery life


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