Audio software, synthesizer capable

Going for making my own video music, instead of the royalty-free route (can RF be applied on “commercial” videos anyway?) I’ve been searching for software to do the trick.

Don’t know how these packages work, though I do play piano, I’m on an extreme budget right as it so happens, I could manage with the pc keyboard.

When going through the mic, would like to alter my voice somewhat, perhaps disguising it.

Anyone familiar with what might meet my needs?

Although I have never added music to a video, I believe a lot of those that do use an electronic keyboard. I have two of them and they both have microphone attachments and recording capabilities. Price-wise, the new ones they can be as inexpensive as under a hundred dollars to costs which range in the thousands. I’d look to eBay for a bargain if you are on a budget. :slight_smile:

My small, 61 key keyboard has multiple rhythms and backgrounds you can add. My full-size 88 key keyboard doesn’t have the rhythms but is does have several symphonic capabilities, including percussion, and you can record several “tracks” and play over them, merge them, etc. You can also add voice recording, but I don’t know if you could “disguise” your voice.

Can this be done with software alone and a pc?

I don’t know because I have never tried it. I do know that there are downloadable piano apps. I imagine that some of them are probably touch screen. I don’t have touch screen but I have tried out a few that use the keyboard. I didn’t see the quality of sound there , but I suspect that has to do with your computer sound card and speaker system. What I didn’t like about the ones I tried is that you used your keyboard to “play” them. It was kind of like learning where the keys were all over again and as far as hitting sharps and flats, that seemed to be on a “need to know” basis as I could find little documentation that explained it. However, I haven’t tried for a couple of years so either new applications or even older ones probably show measurable improvement.

I used to create songs with Magix Music Maker. It’s not a software for professionals, but you can still create your own songs and soundtracks with it.

I’m wondering about copyright…when you make music tracks with these programs. Does each maker retain a copyright when its partially “pre-made”. Especially when you go to sell the site with the vids attached. Along with how unique a sound you can attain.

Also mulling over whether I can take a mic, add my voice narration and edit the pitch, etc through Music Maker.

If you create a song or soundtrack yourself, then you are the owner of your compositions and can use these in commercial products. But it’s best to do a search on “Magix Music Maker copyright” or something similar to get more detailed information.

If you record a copyrighted song, even if you change it a bit, it is still copyrighted although it might be a “derivative work”. If you are thinking of adding contemporary music to your videos, it’s best to ask for permission from the copyright holder first. Even though there are tons of You Tube videos that have embedded music, I would rather be safe with permission than to have to fight some rock star with deep pockets in a lawsuit.

you can hook up a midi keybord, or a keyboard with usb or midi out, to the free audacity, then you can download some free dx or vst plugins etc and install it into audacity (or another host), to give it all kind of sounds.

I have an Edirol midi keyboard connected to my pc through USB, and I also have a Roland G-800 arranger workstation hook’d up through its midi out port. I am using a M-audio Delta 1010 soundcard to hook it up. Host application is cubase, but audacity has support for plugins as well.

Using a midikeyboard and a softsynth, you can play all sort of instruments like, drums, cello, guitar, piano etc… if you play piano or know music notes and theory, you can program many of these synths without a midi keyboard

There are a lot of free plugins to choose from, just google around a bit.

You can change your voice in a similar way, just dl a free EQ, delay chorus compressor, pitch shifter plugin and start to rock, or get ohmboys and start tweaking :smiley:

There are a lot of free software for all this, so there is really no need to spend a truckload of cash when you are first starting out :slight_smile:

Some interesting options being offered here…

If you want to create music on your PC you are after something like a “sequencer” which will let you use software synths (VST/DX/etc) to use a keyboard with or to fill in manually with a “piano roll”, similarly for drum machines, or recording audio with a microphone and adding effects to it to manipulate it however you like.

The “big boys” ($200+) of the sequencer world are Cubase and SONAR on the PC, but both offer cut-down versions for much lower prices (<$65). There are completely free alternatives like Sampletude Silver, [URL=“http://www.audiomelody.com/software/kristal/”]KRISTAL, and [URL=“http://www.audiomelody.com/software/temper/”]Temper as well. My personal favourite, however, is [URL=“http://www.audiomelody.com/software/reaper/”]Reaper - which is free to fully try and just $60 for limited commercial use (check the [URL=“http://reaper.fm/purchase.php”]license). If you’re looking for VST synths and other instruments as plugins then head over to [URL=“http://www.kvraudio.com/”]KVR

You could also try the “studio-in-a-box” packages like Reason or Orion, but they are relatively expensive if you’re on a very limited budget.

If you think a sequencer is overkill, you could just use a synth like Propellerhead’s famed ReBirth RB338 which mimics the Roland 303 synth and 808 and 909 drum machines. It’s a bit long in the tooth now, but is now free and lets you make pretty reasonable dance/EDM music with little effort.

@masm50; fantastic recommendations! Thanks! :slight_smile:

Pleased I could help! :slight_smile:

I’ve spent a bit of time playing around with Trackers. They can be quite a fun way of making music. There’s a bit of a learning curve but there is a very good free one called [url=http://openmpt.org]OpenMPT.

It might be quite of a long shot, but if you can find a Yamaha EX5, they are a quirky synthesizer/sequencer/effects bank that you can do everything in the unit without hooking up via Midi. Certainly it is easier to use a Midi device like this using a program like Cubase, but in a pinch I have written commercial music on this device that was quite well received.

The reason I cal the EX5 quirky is that many people had trouble using the unit as it is a cross between midi sounds and sampled wave-forms. It also has a sample on it so you can record clips into the flash memory or connect a (shudder) fast SCSI hard drive to record the wave forms. The multi-tamberal layers on it were very advanced for the time, so it has excellent analog sounds (like the original Moog, strings, woodwinds, and horns) It also allows one to build wave forms crossing samples with oscillators and you can create some wicked club type sounds. The effects are reasonably good. I’m not sure if these are coveted units due to the usability issues, but I did not have a problem using it and learning its’ ropes so most of you should be ok.

If you willing to set up a Linux computer then there is a host of free audio Midi mixers, sequencers and non-destructive audio editors.

I can’t suggest any keyboards as I can’t play myself so I’m not informed at all. As a free software to mix channels and add effects I do have a suggestion: Audacity. You may want to compare it with those others that have been mentioned.

There are various software available online and you can easily download other good option is different audio apps that can make the video niche. especially if you have made a video on the trip it has blurry images and weak voice that isn’t audible for everyone we can make it perfect by using these apps.