justsoulin

I don't quite follow the benefit of hosting a home server setup for websites over a current cheap reseller option that will be hosted on fast hardware and server location, allow for multiple individual domains to be hosted, offer updates for all the backend software, almost zero downtime ++, unless you like to do it all yourself. For me it's a time efficiency issue whereby rather than you spend the time setting up, testing out, resolving issues etc that you pay someone else a few dollars a month to do, you get to focus on promoting, marketing and selling which I get the feeling is where you need to be - earning the money by time spent selling, not with the spanners out. Just a thought Mike

It's not easy is it - I'm in a very similar if not the same boat to you. Any power into the voice and cover your ears, plus I'm having another more determined go at learning the guitar too. You want to start by looking through the DAW's forum area. There's a lot to choose from and I know you've said something to just get a beat down and record it - the basics. That means you want a package deal, where you will get music (often midi packs) included with the software. Now others will have different opinions and suggestions, but I think the simplest software to get the hang of quickly that comes with a load of drums and guitars etc you can use 'and' that down the road as you get more accomplished will still help you with what you're looking to do, is Mixcraft. A lot of the other DAW's are about creating music (I know quite a few guys who use Ableton for House type Live gigs etc) and then there's the ones for recording all instruments etc and then there are those that are more tuned in their way for producers. They all pretty much do the same thing Johhny. But they can be somewhat daunting, which is why I suggest Mixcraft, because when you open it up, choose a drum set, drag them onto the screen, copy and paste, extend or cut up parts etc, you should get the hang of it quite quickly and easily. next you'll be adding other instruments like a bass etc. So, what you really need to do is go to the Mixcraft site and look around (a good look), check out some tutorials on youtube to see how the job gets done using it, then do the same for any other suggestions and then decide. I know where you are right now, because I've been there too and Mixcraft helped me understand quite a bit about DAW's and choosing a drum type etc through it's very simple and basic screen etc. Hope this is of help.

Billy Ocean Rudi :)

It's just an 'off the cuff' idea Mike, but even with your limited time and tiredness, helping someone perhaps to learn, at least at the beginning, could help energise you with their enthusiasm and bring back reminders of why you began, or create some of the goals you want that John mentioned. As I said, just an idea. Feel better m8.

I'm not a Pro user by any means, but for simple things I like Mixcraft and when I dabble into more serious stuff (for me) I have Studio One. But I've enjoyed reading through about Reaper. I might give it a test drive. Thanks Songstuffers!

You certainly deserve it mate I sincerely hope it works out for you. I know only too well how 'getting by' to follow your passion works.

Just do a google search - how to make a CD cover

Liking the feedback on this, as it applies across the board

If you're doing live performances without a band, with or without additional kit, how do you propose to do that and what kind of music do you perform?

I'm confused. Your profile says your age isn't 13 1/2 and that you're a man? The videos in the links do not show someone who can't decide what to sing. If you're unsure how to be, find the latest Britain's Got Talent and listen to What Simon Cowell says to the young songwriters on it.

Michael, what have you done to the video? It's awesome. How you've managed to capture the images of "Katie" that inspired you to create the melody and then the writing stage of the lyrics and then putting the 2 together. Truly inspirational and it should be on MTV or similar. Fantastic video that draws you into the songs story and hooks you. Well done m8

Hiya David - thx for asking No keyboard, hope to use it to trigger sounds as well as panning etc. As opposed to having a controller with twisty type knobs, the pads (i know can be, just don't yet know how to make them so) can be used as an increasing or decreasing amount by degree, by mapping each pad to say a % of panning left and/or right. Even though the Launchpad consists of 64 pads, there are multiple 'pages' which therefore multiplies the potential control. That sounds a bit Irish. what that means is, by pressing certain buttons, I get 64 pads mapped out for 'X' midi control, touch another button and I get a further 64 pads for 'Y' midi control, touch the button again and a further 64 pads etc. I see so much potential in its use for creating 'real music' and yet a) there's no user manual & 99% of any tutorials are geared to DJ'ing & Ableton (and 'canned' music'). It will be an excellent teacher, since once I fathom out all the "how to's" for a controller in a 'non-native' environment, anything else should then be a doddle

So, I got a DAW setup - yeh, party time. I got all my plugins to link (well 99% of them) correctly - yeh, party time. I got a Novation Launchpad hooked-up and making noise- yeh, party time. But there hasn't been any time for a party You see 'between' each potential party-time of the first three lines, are a lot of things each respective company doesn't tell you. How could it with all the permutations of OS, DAW's, Plugins, Soundbank file types, Sound Card setups, Keyboards, Controllers etc. Well it could go a long way if truth be told !!!!! Take this Presonus example; they offer you a list of compatible and tested 'external devices'. But if your 'things' aren't in the list, then you set them up manually. To do this you choose which category your 'thing' fits under: New Keyboard New Instrument New Control Surface. But that creates a problem, since if your 'surface controller' acts as a Midi interface and you add it as a surface controller, it will not act as the Midi interface it is supposed to. So you have to add it as a keyboard. They don't tell you that, but they could (and if they do, I haven't been able to find it 'from them'). Then take the Novation Launchpad problem. They made it to work with Ableton Live, so that DJ's could perform amazing live sets. DJ's seems to have united to the Launchpad and have been busy creating various maps etc that will allow them to use it with FL Studio, VDJ and a host of other DJ type programs. But it has the ability to be used like a Midi keyboard, just pads to hit instead of keys, and to organise the pads in the way you want (called mapping). So if you have EZDrummer, you can create a Midi drum track quite easily. But there's little help in this area, probably in one respect due to all the permutations of OS, DAW's, Plugins, Soundbank file types, Sound Card setups, Keyboards, Controllers etc. But it doesn't stop the frustration of knowing it 'will' do the job you want it to do, but taking a lot longer to work out how to. Couple that with the hours spent going through say Youtube and people's so called tutorials that are just them showing off what they can make the Launchpad do without saying how, and finding out way, way down the line about how you setup the wrong permutations of connecting and routing a Midi external device .............. you end up not feeling very much in the party mood. People create these amazing 'map' files, but they seem to omit where you put them to work. All these little types of things just mount up in frustration and time spent tracking down answers that offer solutions aswell as joining multiple forums to ask basic questions that leave you in 'limbo land', as you wait for days for a kind person to answer your question. It's no wonder really that musicians walk away from mixing and production - they'd have no time left to make music So, if you're the kind of person who gets a new toy and opens the box and plays with it without reading the instruction manual first (requiring some doctorate in language interpretation), or you have zero PC / technical skills, or you have no patience .......... I advise you to think carefully before going down this path I mean, install Ableton and be left wondering why the 64 bit version will not utilise your 32 bit plugins, I dare you I bet you're glad this is 'my' mountain to climb now Onwards and upwards ......... as they say!

Chuck Jackson - The Silencer http://youtu.be/U75ro6etJz4 (just for a bit of fun )

And I was feeling pretty happy until you made me think ............................ and think ................................... and then getting slightly depressed ............................... thinking Knebworth Park, no idea the year but the main billing was Queen, but had a lot of other big names on all through the day to keeps us going until Queen came on at night. What a fantastic day, and Queen were just ................ awesomely excellent. About 120,000 people as I recall. Scary as hell after they finished, turned off the lights and a few miles to walk back to the coach amidst 120k The weirdest thing though, out of 120k people there spread out enmass, not knowing my brother was also going, and he's stood in front of me about 20' away. Hadn't seen him for a bit, so was a good bonus Otherwise, below 5k I can't say, as you've said must be above

Ok, so while other things have been working away in the background, I've been slowly watching a Studio One 2 video tutorial, made by Groove3. It's the intro one, not the advanced. I've already seen one by 'Ask Video', which I do not recommend you get. The presenter seems nervous, unprepared, and quite often his speech is unclear so you don't know what he's saying. Groove3's though, it's blowing me away. There's 57 video segments that slowly get you into 'just' beginning to to see the tip of the iceberg and comprehend what Studio One 2 is capable of. The guy who talks you through it is an excellent speaker, nice and clear, unrushed. I don't think I've heard him say one single 'er'. And he knows his stuff, as you would expect. And the video presentation is great too, plenty of zoomed in close ups where necessary. So if you're looking for some good 'invaluable' help, go get Groove3 - Studio One 2 Explained

Thanks Tom. If any links you got, put them in. I look for ways to view youtube as and when I can. For folks that don't know ...... I have to overcome the greatest firewall in the world

Wow, nearly 3 years on and if I could show you a graph of my rise in knowledge since I set myself a man-made mountain to climb, you'd be astounded to see and learn that ................. I'd be a couple of feet above sea level I guess. Ok, I'm not going to lie to you. I was overwhelmed by my crumbling teeth after biting off more than I could chew, and that term that is worse than the "7 worst things you cannot say on air" put together, reared it's ugly head - 'everyday life'. But I refuse to give up and I'm back at 'it' with a vengeance !!!!!! And I've decided not to do it the easy way this time I've chosen (plumped for) a DAW that isn't the most widely used/popular - Presonus's Studio One 2, which has yet to have the amount and quality of help that Ableton and Pro Tools etc have. To go into the reasons why would be wrong at this stage, as if I did I might go back into hibernation for another 3 years I also snapped a guys hand off selling a 'not so old but new to me' cheap as chips midi type controller pad thingy - that's made primarily for Ableton ............... to allow me to get 'my groove' going .............. and still I'm sticking to SOne2. How's that for determination, eh? And the best part about the Novation Launchpad is ............... drum roll please ....... that they don't think anyone needs a user guide to help them know how to make it work!!!!! So I'm relighting this blog's blue touch paper, to try and help others flailing in this area of music, through my own failings and learning curve. I know 3 years ago, what I did wrong I thought I'd be able to just get going within a week So I've picked up some know-how over this time, played around with some stuff that has allowed me to 'gently' get back in the saddle, and I've got a strategy/mantra to follow: ONE THING AT A TIME. I'm following video tutorials without rushing through to the end. I'm learning how to add VST and VST'i (Kontakt is looking a must here) I'm finding free stems to practice with I'm studying Musical Theory I know that sounds like 4, but these kind of make 1, as I learn how the DAW does something, I apply that new found knowledge to build up the practical skills using stems and effects etc, while keeping within set parameters laid down within the Laws of Music. This time I see the 'end game'. Only hope I can live upto Man O War's pedigree and go the distance

To find, craiglist - when you've got some models etc from other members

I just wanted to say well done Michael

Thx again Mike