Ronnie James AuDio is the name of my home recording studio: I'm a broke mofo.
Well if you're broke too, for a little$$$ you can have your own studio as well.
Here's what I employ:
REAPER DAW: Its still considered a toy to most but they are ignorant. REAPER is a serious DAW with serious options. $50 for a non-commercial liscense and $225 for a commercial one. Permanently uncrippled demo.
Line 6 Toneport GX: $99 and you get a USB audio interface and (IMO) the best amp sim on the market (pod farm).
EZDrummer: Since Superior Drummer 2.0 came out Toontrack has dropped the price on EZD. $99.... But its not worth it tilll you get the Drumkit from Hell expansion $79. Total=$179
But if you're really strapped for cash, for the longest time I used the Addictive Drums Demo. Its a very small drumset (bass, snare, hats and a crash cymbal) but it sounds amazing, and is free for ANY use.
As for the rest?
ALL FREEWARE!!!
Well, almost ;-)
I
do have an endorsement from HG Fortune. So I get all that stuff for free. But even If I wasn't endorsed, I'd still be using the free synths that Guenter puts out.
Sooooo....
Download everything that these freeware developers have released and you're all set:
Ugo
HG Fortune
and
Krakli
There shouldn't be any synth sound you can't get with that stuff. While you're at it grab Audjoo's Helix, Green Oaks Crystal, and Astralis' Orgone Lite and Baby Bion.
Other points of interest (free and most excellent) are:
E-mu's Proteus VX
NI's Kore Player Free
and
Yellow Tool's Independence Free
Any style of music can be achieved with the above VSTi's.
So.... on to FX.
I get tired of hearing, "Whats the best free _____ ?" so here is the best of the best.. If you aren't familiar with any of these, just google them and you should find links for them. If not send me a message and I'll direct you to them.
NOTE: Anything listed with "CM" in the title can be obtained via Computer Music Magazine...so they're not really free but, free with an issue of the mag.
So here we go (in no order)
:
EQ:
1: BootEQ
2: ReaEQ or ReaFir
3: Posihfopit
4: Key to Sound's DynamicEQ CM
5: Antress Modern Deep Purple (excellent for the master buss)
Compressor:
1: ReaComp or ReaXComp
2: Vanilla Compressor
3: Kjaerhus Classic Compressor
4: Digitalfishphones' Blockfish
5: Antress Modern Compressor
Limiter:
1: W1 Limiter
2: Tls_Maximizer
3: Kjaerhus Classic Limiter
4: jb_barricade
5: Aradaz Maximizerv5.3
Chorus:
1: Beta_bugs MonstaChorus (fave)
2: Kjaerhus Classic chorus
3: Cobalt Chorus
4: Clone Ensemble's Bass Chorus
5: chorus ch-2
Flanger:
Kjaerhus and Togu Audio Line
Phaser:
1: Togu Audio Line
2: Kjaerhus Classic Phaser
3: NxtPhase
4: SupaPhasa
Reverb:
1: EpicVerb
2: Ambience
3: Kjaerhus Classic Reverb
4: OmniVerb
Delay:
1: Kjaerhus Classic Delay
2: Analog Delay
3: Waterfall
4: ET-200
5: Karma FX Deelay
AmpSim:
1: Dirthead
2: GuitarSuite
3: Boogex
4: Aradaz (they're all good)
5: Juicy '77
FSU (for Fuckin' Shit Up)
1: d_Blue's Glitch
2: Any of the Evil Alliance vst's
3: Rhythmic Tangent
4: Transilient
5: Scuzzphut 6
other dynamic stuff:
ADT (Automatic Double Tracking)
Ferox
X-Cita
bootsy's Nasty series
YouWaShock!
WideBug
the Antress Modern series
MDA-VST
So there you have it. With this (mostly) freeware and a little (a lot of) know-how and you can make excellent sounding recordings.
Now in the words of Brain Anderson, "Cock it up motherfucker"
-steev-