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Reaper - inexpensive ($49USD), highly functional DAW software for PC or Mac OSX. Don't get me wrong. I love my Logic Studio and it would be hard to part with. Actually it is a free download. They just request that you pay for it if you like it.
It's not quite up to snuff for Mac yet (not much in the way of MIDI) but the PC version looks pretty darn functional. So if you are just starting out, why not try this out. Get used to it and save piles of money.
It is also one of the products here that I get no referral fee for. So if that alone floats your boat...... |
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Apple Logic Studio I love it! I use it almost daily. It has plug-ins up the wazoo. You are not a prisoner to one company's hardware. All of Garageband's loops come with it. You will be frustrated for the first couple weeks finding your way around but after that you will love it.
Only drawback is that is only for Mac. (although I can't think of a better excuse to buy a Mac) and Apple has made it so powerful and so cheap (at $479) that you are silly not to get it.
If you haven't used the comp-track swipe feature... You need to. My goodness! Unreal.
I just finished my first song since I upgraded to Logic Studio. It is called "Peace for Today" Check it out. I used the "Swipe" feature extensively on the vocals and the guitar solo in the extended version. |
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Presonus Firebox - This is a great unit. I have used it on location and in the studio and it always gives me great sound quality. It is also better than most if you are looking to take advantage of mics that have a range larger than 20Hz - 20KHz. If you are buying mics like that, you will know the significance of the 10Hz - 50KHz range of the Firebox. |
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Audio Technica 20/20 - This is one of AT's budget mics. However, it was the highest rated in its class at the time I bought it. I had been using the AT 4033 which is a fantastic mic and it pics up everything with maximum clarity. I found that the 2020 had a high degree of clarity only with a slightly smaller pickup field. In fact, in my relatively noisy recording environment it ended up working better than the 4033 because I could control the ambient noise better with the 2020. |
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Alesis M1 520 Monitors - These are great, powered monitors for not much money. They are my main nearfields right now. Lots of cut-offs and boosts on the back. Nice bright high frequencies. However, I think my next monitor purchase will be the ADAM A7 monitors down below. |
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AKG K701 Headphones - I played with these for a week at a tradeshow I was at. My Goodness! These headphones are unreal. Trust me. You want these if you are mixing. They have a frequency range from 10Hz to 39KHz which milks all sorts of tone from any analog signal source. Amazon also has a fantastic price on them. You will thank me. |
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Levy's Heartwoode straps (look for the "special materials" category). Awesome! These are so comfy; especially with a big heavy 5-string Musicman Bass. They are made in Costa Rica out of exotic scraps of wood left over from logging and other manufacturing. Held together by 260lb test line. I love this thing. - Thanks to Garth on this one! |
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MIDIjet Pro - This wireless MIDI device has a range of up to 500feet. It will basically transmit anything you can shove down a MIDI cable. All of this comes with a 2.7ms latency.
It has been (or still is) used on tour by U2, Beyonce, Justin Timberlake, Dragonforce, Gwen Stefani, Michael Brecker, Herbie Hancock, Bruce Cassidy, Bella Morte, Bright Eyes and the Rolling Stones..... among others.
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