![]() They allow you to remap controls, select between sounds by pushing buttons on your controller, play multiple sounds at once (layering), and sequencing through sets of sounds (like, for a complex song, or for the songs in a set). These aren't cheap, but if you do anything complicated they're worth the money. There are a few like (IIRC) Brainspawn Forte, Chainer, and others. I'll appreciate all the input I can get on that! One of these days I want to collect a list of the best free sounds (soundfonts plus softsynth plugins). The stuff at is WIndows only, last I looked, but I think he's working on Mac compat.) Of course, while VSTi is supported on both, you need the executable format compiled for whichever machine you have. (These are standards for plugin softsynths for Windows. Meanwhile, be on the lookout for good VSTi/DXi plugins. (I use Native Instruments B4, but probably more because it existed first and I'm used to it.) You just can't beat VB3 for the price. And anything else he has have days of fun finding out which ones suit your kit. While you're there, get MrRay73 or whatever his latest Rhodes is, as well as his Wurlitzer sim (can't remember the name offhand). You pay one tiny fee (like $12, last time I checked) and you can use ALL of this guy's stuff. All these play soundfont files, so you won't have wasted your time with any killer soundfonts you love.įor Hammond Organ, on Windows, go to and get VB3. One of the problems when searching for soundfonts is a soundfont usually include LOTS of instruments done poorly, rather than one done well, and it's hard to sift out all the crap.Įventually you may replace sfz with a great product, and there are many. A good forum for your questions too, though most of the audience is a bit more advanced. If you like Rhodes electric piano, also download my free jRhodes3 soundfont, which I created as a labor of love.įinding more good soundfonts is quite a chore these days, unfortunately, but you can find places to look at. HOWEVER, none of them are dirt cheap, whereas there's a great free soundfont player called "sfz" - google it and download it. There are lots of proprietary formats, and most of the proprietary sample instrument players have significant features (like "convolution engines" to emulate resonance), which can make better sounds for things like acoustic pianos. Soundfont is really a file format, an open and standardized one, to implement a "sampled instrument". Especially if you like vintage keyboards like Hammond Organ.Ībove I mentioned "soundfonts". With Windows, you'll need to do a bit more research, but there's LOTS more cheap and free stuff. With Macs, there's also a program (Logic) that's a pretty decent 1-stop shop, but which you can expand to your heart's content. Except for spending quite a bit more money. With Macs that's true too, but you can't go wrong getting the same Mac everyone else uses, whatever that is these days. However, with Windows there are more choices, and it's possible to get a system that simply doesn't work for audio. Folks with Macs post on forums with nearly the same questions and problems as folks with Windows. As a nerd friend for help with this, because you need a reputable brand, and it can be confusing (sometimes). ![]() If you're buying a laptop, carefully price getting the laptop with minimum memory and buying memory online to max it out. (Windoz was smaller then too, so don't think you could get away with that now.) The small memory footprint was a huge pain though. I've been using a laptop live for years, including a Thinkpad T20, which I think was about 750 MHz, 256MB RAM. You don't need much computer, but more memory is good, especially if you use soundfonts. It's limited you get your 16 MIDI channels to put different sounds on, and if you can easily pick the MIDI channel from your controller, you have 16 sounds on tap very easily. Is there a better software program for playing live? Is there a cheap one (or free) that I can learn on until I figure out if this will work for me? How much computer is needed? Are there other black boxes that are required? (Firebox?)įor a great little free VST host, google for "VSTHost" by Hermann Ssssomethingerman - you'll find it. ![]()
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