What Equipment Do You Need To Write Music For Film, TV & Games
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- čas přidán 9. 01. 2018
- PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE Your ideal core systems ladies and gents!
Those 'free' samples: www.spitfireaudio.com/shop/ra... ** NB YOU NEED A FULL VERSION OF KONTAKT TO RUN THESE, SORRY SHOULD HAVE MENTIONED!!! **
...and those two Spitfire libs (which you don't need to buy Kontakt for):
Albion ONE: www.spitfireaudio.com/shop/ra...
Spitfire Chamber Strings: www.spitfireaudio.com/shop/a-... - Hudba
A 2021 update would be amazing!
Or a 2024!
I think it will be nice if you made 2020 update video for this topic
agree, plus the labs are very different now too
@Brady Westin NOPE. We don't care. And, you are a dipstick for posting it on this presentation.
Nothing has really changed.
My 2 cents. I would definitely buy some speakers, even if you have a shitty room, just to rest your ears. Working crazy hours with headphones is absolutely damaging to the ears and they are your most valuable tools as a musician and composer. So, mixing mostly in headphones if you have a bad room and compose with the speakers on as much as possible. As for the rest, I would really recommend buying Omnisphere if you have only one soft synth to use. Greatest bang for your buck software you can buy imo. Spitfire products are amazing, (I own all of them) but they're really specific tools and not as broad as a sampler/synth like Omnisphere. I also highly agree with Christian in investing in a great audio interface with great converters is a must. Apogee or RME will be the best investments, even if it's not apparent right away. Working with lower end interface will just slow you down in the long run, and slow your progression as a composer/mixer.
Great vlog Christian!
I think he was saying if your room is shit - the speakers don't really matter. My room is shit, and I use regular desktop speakers which costed me under 50 quid. I really doubt there'd be a huge difference between these and studio monitors, because the space is just bad.
Agree with you about working crazy hours with headphones. Think it's even probably bad for yout psychology.
Right -- even a low-end pair of "studio monitors" will give you a very helpful sonic perspective and a break from headphones. Good point about not going crazy $$ on them until you've fine-tuned your room. Also it's sometimes nice to be untethered from wires to your head.
Can you please explain why a lower end interface will slow you down? I've been using a Scarlett 2i2(1st gen) for like 10 years and can't find a reason to switch. Everything works perfectly, the preamps are insane for this price range (especially for studio recording but I've also recorded sound on set successfully and I wouldn't pay 3 times the price just for slightly better preamps). Also the Windows drivers are a dream compared to my Fireface UC at work whose drivers crash almost daily
I agree. A cheaper set of monitors for composing and a nice pair of cans for mixing is a good solution if you don't have the best of rooms.
+ 1 for Omnisphere. It is BY FAR the best bang for buck I own. ESPECIALLY for film stuff. You really don't "need" any other synth if you got omnisphere.
Christian, I use EastWest composer cloud (aspiring for full SpitFire library!) for affordability on a stock ASUS 8gb RAM desktop PC using only my Roland stage keyboard for midi and record it into Audacity by performing it and using my cell phone metronome for clicks. I can do very little as far as high quality productions or editing. HOWEVER...."having less resources" HAS made me very resourceful and original!
Thank you, Christian, so much for your insight and wisdom that literally Spits Fire into the creative souls of us lesser composers/producers!! You are a rare and loved resource by aspirers like me!
Bro, get Reaper. Super cheap, but very functional DAW. Starts free, then only $60 after that.
I muttered "Chamber Strings" before you said it- such a great library!
thank your for this amazing video; it is even more relevant in 2022. Thank you for doing the legwork of reaching out to your network and sourcing well rounded perspectives. Keep up the good work. sincerely, the subber after watching this video
I would double underline getting the labs libraries. You're donating to charity, but it's *you* who are getting the gift. They're universally awesome and a screaming buy.
I agree with the Scarlett range interfaces some chose, especially the second gen. Very good value for the cost and multiple configurations. Very good mic pres as well.
A decent (self powered) USB hub else you're gonna run out of ports! Great lists, thanks for the tips all.
So this guy gets up from his seat and goes to the bathroom on the airplane, through the door, you hear him say loudly:
"I DO miss our little chats in airplane bathrooms!"
What do you do?
Go and join him! :-)
So, I 'restarted' my music ambitions about 2 years ago. I stopped dedicating a bedroom to my midi studio in 1999. When I 'shut it down' I had 1,000s of dollar in gear that SAT and got old.
It's been a HUGE learning curve, getting back into 'modern music production...My main midi machine back then was a Commodore 64 and a midi interface) and 'magically', I found spitfire and Christian Henson. I have not spent a TON of money, I have INVESTED a TON of time learning, watching and absorbing everything I could. I was never a 'great' musician. To me, music is a passion... not a career. Spitfire, Christian and the team have helped me accomplish what I tried to do from 1988 to today... make orchestral music that sounds orchestral. I have (so far) only spent 985.80 (us dollars) on sample libraries. The key this... when I open my DAW I feel like Vagelis or Beethoven. I am not, of course but I feel inspired and empowered.
I have modest equipment and this is just a hobby for me. I just wanted to point out that ALL of these recommendations are solid. Hobbyist or 'wanna be' professional. Thanks Christian.
Excellent resource for media composers - aspiring and established - thanks, Christian. As a media composer who's slowly built up their rig over time, I think I'm squarely in the Henson Camp. Where samples are concerned, in the beginning: GO DEEP, NOT WIDE. Focus your budget and your energy deep on GETTING TO KNOW ONE SAMPLE LIBRARY INSIDE AND OUT, rather than investing wide in a broad range of sounds. Develop an intimate knowledge of that one sound set - know what it does beautifully and compose into that. Know its limitations and compose around them. Crack open Kontakt (you'll need the paid version) and mess with the envelope, stretch and shorten and distort and filter those sounds into as many different elements as you can. You'd be amazed what you can make with just a piano sample (Simcock Felt Piano). If you do this you'll achieve a LOT of things at once: you'll save money, develop your skills as a composer and as a producer, and you'll inevitably cultivate a unique style for which your clients will seek you out. And as the gigs start to roll in, you can set aside room in the budgets for new sounds. Embrace your limitations! Go deep, not wide!
I made that mistake of getting too many samples to start rather than learning one deeply. Great advice. The number of sampled instruments or plugins won't make us better composers, just poorer.
This advice is so golden tho!
Awesome vid! Great to hear the thoughts from the other peeps at Spitfire!
Cheers Christian
According to this i am poor,possibly never will afford equipment to start.
However i do not give a damn,so my gear is:
10 years old PC(upgraded) worth maybe £100
M-audio Mtrack-£ 40(second hand)
Citronic Monitors(discontinued)-maybe £80
Audio technica Headphones ATH AD500(discontinued)-£50(second hand)
Evolution MK-149(very old midi controller:)-£ 40(second hand)
Acoustica Mixcraft 8 Pro Studio -£140
Plus all free samples available on internet and those included in Mixcraft.
I know it will not hold against any semi pro-amatour stuff but i can guarantee it is enough to make music-trust me.
And you still got the most valuable thing which nobody can buy. Your strive and will. I wish you have success with it one day!
Mine is cheaper. Cheer up bro.
Thanks for the great content Christian! I loved this video, it's basically a pat on the back for me, as I've started out quite similarly to these lists.
Here's what I've currently upgraded to and use: (as a beginner)
- HP Probook 430 G5 (Intel 8250U 4 cores, 8 threads, 32GB Crucial DDR4, 128 GB + 500 GB SSD)
- Focusrite Scarlet 2nd gen 6i6
- Sony MDR 7506 headphones
- Mackie CR4 speakers (they are quite crappy, but my room's even crappier, I just use it for composing and absolutely not for mixing)
- Kurzweil PC361 keyboard (I've had this performance keyboard for a long time now)
- Reaper as DAW (planning to upgrade to Cubase in the future for better FX's and CC automation)
- Samples: - Spitfire Albion ONE (Obviously)
- Orchestral Tools Berlin Inspire (I love the legato sections, the solo horn, solo trumpet and solo flute are beautiful, the unison 1st and 2nd violins are very useful, and it features timpani and harp as well)
- Soundiron Olympus Elements (I just needed a basic choir)
- FX: ValhallaRoom
What I'm eyeing currently is Spitfire Chamber Strings and Spitfire Percussion, as I'd like to learn to write for strings properly and would love to use a proper timpani and I need some tubular bells in my life. :)
So much fun, thank you guys for your advises... nice video!!
So much good info here! Some added thoughts: 1) Because I can barely play "Heart and Soul" I felt really stupid buying an 88-key fully weighted piano for a keyboard (Casio Privia in my case) but I found one on sale and convinced myself I would finally learn to properly play piano. Well, about 18 months later I still haven't learned how to play piano, but wow it sure is great as a composition tool! I think it's synonymous with the tip to "get to know your sample libraries" -- being able to hit all the registers quickly and find voicings without pressing an octave key. Eureka. 2) I recently got a Mackie Big Knob Studio and I'm surprised there's not more love out there for it. Two clean preamps, build-in headphones mixer, lots of ins and outs, but still easy to use and way less than Apogee. 3) Yes to SM58/57 but I do find that studio folk know what they're hearing if you say you used a Rode. The NT1 is great for anything voice, but you need a very, very quiet room without a creaky floor or you will go insane.
Great advice Christian! I wish I got some of that advice when started out some years back. I would of saved some money and a lot of headaches. I guess that's part of learning process. I totally agree too on the Albion One. It isn't exactly just a starter library, as it offers so much more, but it is a great start with a first purchase with Spitfire. It's the first one I bought with Spitfire, and ever since all the rest my sample libraries now revolve around Albion One. I hear a lot of people saying the same. Great library! Btw, the Spitfire Labs are great gems....and that Labs Soft Piano is truly a must have thats for sure!
You know? Tonight I was very very sad...and so I bought my copy of Albion One. And now this video!
Looking forward to download it tomorrow!
You've got to be the right person to do this kind of work. Doesn't matter how much gear you have.
This is an amazing point! €50k+ worth of gear & software and I still can't compose... LOL
Haha, don't be too hard on yourself. There's a composer in all of us. Whether it's sampling a lawn mower or an orchestra. Crikey, for example Brian Eno manages to make a 3 second snippet of music last 15 minutes! Doesn't matter what you produce just enjoy it. Only a handful of people have what it take to make a business out of music I guess you've just got to be wired that way 😉
Thanks Christian, very informative and not to technical.
Great idea to get other people’s input. 👍🏻👍🏻
I was learning and learning what I must start buying without spending and wasting for something I won’t use in future or won’t like it..... until I came across with your video!!! What?! All my problems are solved?! Just Awesome!!! So, I had most of the recommended gears... only need to buy Spitfire sound library, good headphones and faders 🎚🎚🎧 (my previous headphones were borrowed too 😉)
Thank you for such great video with awesome tips!
To reiterate other peoples comments and just to big up Spitfire; the LABS sample packs are a massively generous offering which they should get more praise for. They are fantasic and you could argue that there's not much else you would need really.
I mean..obviously we've all got more stuff but in a 'Desert Island' scenario and value for £ they are unbeatable. Thanks Christian and Paul
FWIW I'm probably in a minority as I jumped from Logic to Ableton on an iMac.....
Other stuff
Focusrite 6i6
KRK Rokit5's
Many sample packs, hardware synths, crazy music theory books (a nerdy passion of mine) vst's and alcohol.
I'm also going deeper into Ableton, but I never "switched." I still crack open Logic quite often and I think the two can compliment each other quite well. I helps that I haven't had to pay to upgrade Logic since buying it umpteen years ago, so no penalty for keeping it.
I have a special place in my heart for Ableton. I think it is great. I use Cubase but I think I will eventually get Ableton. My first DAW was Ableton 8 lite.It's probably good to multiple DAWs eventually if you end up collaborating with other pros. Ableton, Cubase, Logic and most importantly Pro Tools.
Been a professional sound engineer for 12 years now. I think these are great lists to get people started. Of the audio interfaces I would recommend Paul's suggestion - the RME is worth it.
ahh! a cross between an sm58 and a u47! Hysterical!! And this video is amazing.
Thank you, this is such a useful video!
why are you so cool? damn. I never got into contact with a lot of composers or audio engineers.. and. Idk. I always thought, i am the only one being such a freak. But. Hell you re cool. Subscribed. Love you. Will watch your entire channel content now.
Its definitely been a tempting journey to invest in a lot of different libraries. I've come to a point now that I've realized just how expensive it can all get it. There are just a ton of different libraries with different themed pallets. It gets pretty exhaustive the amount of different sounds you can potentially put in a song/piece or what have you. I've "settled" for just sticking to the "basics" and over time I'll build the rest of my musical palates. This is great advice and I appreciate you and your wisdom. A little biased lol but I get it. I love Spitfire, its quality and it doesn't break my pockets.
Thanks for that Christian...what a good subject for the latest vlog.
In fact, thanks too, to Homay for the heads up on the Korg Nano Kontrol 2. I've been looking for a decent compact portable MIDI controller with multiple faders and I'll be ordering one today.
At home I use a FATAR Studiologic 2001....20 years and counting! I also use a Behringher UMX610 to play in synth / organ parts, where a full weighted keyboard just doesn't feel right, but it has no multiple assignable faders...just pots and a mod wheel, hence the need for the Korg (the keyboards sit opposite one another).
I work on both PC and MAC, so it's Cubase for me and 9.5 is brilliant. I've been using Cubase since my ATARI days, so its like an old friend.
All DAWs have their USPs and I like to be familiar with others, 'cos you feel like a tourist not speaking the local lingo when working in a studio with another DAW!....."What's the key control to record, stop, rewind...help......aaarghhh!".
I know that you like the EX24 Christian (and I wish that there was a standalone version!), but I think that users may also be drawn to Logic because of the £250 subsidy by Apple! I can't justify using a main DAW that is OS specific (for PC or Mac).
Something I'd like to share (for those on the move and working on both PC and Mac)....I found out the hard way that the only way to have read/write flexibility between PC and Mac on my SSD, was to format it in exFAT. For those of you that already knew this, please stop laughing at me......we all make mistakes......
Mine was initially formatted NTFS, so although I could read the projects on the Mac that were written on the PC, I couldn't write to the SSD....re formatting to exFAT solved the problem.
I'll stop procrastinating now and get on with some work.............. :-)
Great advice! I'd really recommend the focusrite scarlet 2i2. Ive used it for a while now, it's very affordable and has great sounding preamps. My mic is a Rode NT1A, which is pretty good all round condenser. Keyboard wise, I love the Komplete controller (that's next on my buy list)
I started with an mbox, macbook, protools LE, sennheiser cans, a samson C01, a guitar and a bass, and the waves rennaisance bundle in a tiny flat. One of my first compositions got picked up by a pampers ad campaign and from there I slowly upgraded with every placement, royalty check etc. Might not have been the fastest way but it worked and my gear now has some resale value! The Samson makes a lovely paperweight. Thanks again for the great channel.
Pro-tools LE, thems were the days, did you have to by the production toolkit, surely the most expensive software unlock in the naughties.
I did! And then the upgrade to toolkit 2 with the unlock of TL Space Reverb! Avid really knows how to turn the screws. I was in Harare, Zimbabwe, so it was quite a challenge to find any products at all. I managed to find a publisher in Cape Town when I moved down here (after Zim's economy collapsed), they picked up my cues and got them out into the library world via Sonoton. Once I had a body of library stuff placed internationally I channeled that into building a half decent studio. All that is to say that at first I didn't really need to be frame accurate so it was just me and LE for a couple years before the toolkit reared its ugly head.
ha ha... this is a really useful story, maybe something we could introduce into this community 'birth stories' that give a broad overview of career path, but focus in on very pointless details like Pro Tools LE and why it cost thousands to get 5.1
About libraries: I just finished my MA Orchestration for films, and I spent months researching about different companies and sound quality during the program, I bought some other libraries that were ok, but I got my first Spitfire I could see that my life could be way better if I had chosen Spitfire from the beginning! So don't make a mistake I did for lack of information, if you love your music and value the time you work on your projects, don't wast your money in other companies, go with Spitfire! PS. I am sponsored by some of the most significant brands out there as an artist(electric guitarist), I have no sponsor from Spitfire, all I am saying is from the heart and my opinion comes from the great results of my orchestral projects.
Same for me, after I bought albion I need change all strings in previous projects, and they sounds much better!
@@rushanaprincess How much were you guys paid by Spitfire?
@@bulentkamali arround 400 dollar for albion1
I stan!
Yeah I think of Spitfire as the best quality. I do own Audio Imperia and they have nice stuff. Also Heavyocity has Damage 2 which is a nice percussion package. But Yeah Spitfire will always have a special place in my heart lol.
Awesome video! Many thanks!
I have produced a full orchestral score for Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No. 2 using Spitfire Audio's free (if you don't mind filling in an easy questionnaire and waiting a couple of weeks) BBC Discover library - it is quite literally all you need to get up and running with orchestral composition and arrangement. It's absolutely awesome and that, combined with LABS, has made me a fan of Spitfire Audio for life. So much so that I have now pre-ordered the Abbey Road One Orchestral Foundations library. Thank you Christian and team - proof that some people do appreciate being given things for free! Chris
Currently got a Dell Aurora i7 with 64Gb of ram and 4Tb of HD (about to add another 4Tb SSD), A Focusrite 2i2 (mated to a Deity S-Mic2 and my guitar at the moment), and a pair of Samson studio headphones. My DAW is Reaper, which I have loaded with tools from Izotope and Waves not to mention the outstanding Eventide Ultrareverb. The workstation is multiuse - I also model and render 3D and do a lot of Photoshop work and am working on building my Divinci Resolve chops, and my audio setup started with Voice-Over in mind (I am in a quaint little sound-booth I built that is superb). To that I have added a Kontakt S61 with a m-audio SP2 sustain pedal, which fits my studio perfectly (the S88 would have been too big - will have to wait for a studio upgrade), and I am already buying the nanoKontrol2 - happy to see that is on the recommended list. My sample kit is currently EW Hollywood Gold, Albion ONE, Spitfire LABS and various other neat sounding goodies I have collected. Am looking at the upcoming Spitfire BBC Symphony Orchestra product, though I may have to put that off for 2020. And that... is pretty much it. I need studio monitors, of course. And time to learn all this stuff. :)
Add my vote for the scarlett 2i2 interface. Cheaply priced but it sounds great. I still have the one I bought when I started out over 6 years ago and it still works flawlessly.
This is still great advice - thanks Christian and friends!
Can I just add a recommendation for the new version of NI Komplete Kontrol keyboards. I bought the S49 (mainly because of space) at the end of last year and love it. I now play everything through it and it has great MIDI/DAW controls built in.
Also, another vote for Focusrite for the Interface. I've been using the 18i20 for about 4 years now and I haven't regretted it for 1 second.
Thanks Christian, for another great video .
Great stuff ChristianThe problem with starting out with Spitfire Chamber Strings (as per your recommended list) is that they are, err... only strings. So you need to recommend at least brass and percussion libraries as well, plus maybe woodwind for those quirky hardly-notice-they're-there cues? The good thing about SCS, which you are absolutely right to point out is that they are an incredible professional-level product that you won't get fed up with any time soon! I'd put the core sample-library products from Orchestral Tools, 8dio and VSL in that category too.My gripe with Albion One that everyone else has on their list is that you can't easily write for specific individual instruments, and part of what makes my music sound mine is the instruments I choose, combining together in novel waysBut good to see someone pointing out realistic costs for starting composers. £2K - £4.5K is not an insignificant amount of money up front, but it is easy to waste just as much money getting semi-pro or worse equipment.
"they are, err... only strings." +1
The information here is brilliant - I use Cubase on a MacBook Pro and am very happy with it, but wish Cubase didn't need the bloody dongle as it isn't something I always have with me and so reduces the benefits of having a portable setup.
my 2 cents as I've had most of the gear that they listed, at £4.5 k, christians version made more sense to me, for what your getting its a surprisingly small figure, definite apollo instead of the apogee, many great free uad plugins to get you up to scratch quick n get things done)) great video
A cheap AMD Ryzen PC but with 8 or more cores and min, 16 GB Ram and 60 USD for REAPER will save a grand. and is in my eyes way better then a Mac and Logic.(been there)
Logic is by far the best composing DAW.
@@cardbored_ Cubase would like to say hello
Yep. Any conversation about gear “value” should pass over Mac directly.
Definitely. IMHO I think Apple hardware is some of the most over-priced, non-compatible garbage out there. It's anti-consumer at its core, and why I will always refuse to give Apple any money.
The only instance that I would ever consider trying to work with a Mac OS is by having a virtual Mac OS on a windows or linux laptop or PC.
@@cardbored_ What about these? www.g2.com/products/logic-pro-x/competitors/alternatives
This is the best advice. Most people will disagree but this is the truth. Macs are worth the investment and logic has some of the best built in sample library and sampler. It’s also the cheapest, full fledged software, no versions, no limitations on features like pro tools, FL studio and abelton, and it is one of the industry’s standard unlike reaper and cakewalk
Wow thank you. Superb.
NED SYN-CLAVIER 2 is a must have. They are extremely expensive and so is the Moog Synth. 150k some where around there. Both are extremely expensive but well worth the money. Esp if you are in the music film business. I remember when I first got on one at Full Sail back in 1992 it was the most amazing instrument I have ever heard.
Awesome vid. Thanks.
I have three setups - a Portastudio 24 for a no fuss/just hit record analog setup in my practice room, a Tascam 20x20 as the main digital interface, and my old mbox mini2 for mobile....but for mobile I"m considering just getting like a zoom recorder or something. Running a PC originally built in 2009 - so the mobo/cpu can use a definite overhaul. Also got a Surface Pro 4 that is intended for lightweight creativity so I have sheet music or orchestral performances on youtube on display alongside the portastudio and I use it for photography as well. I'd highly recommend fully weighted piano keys, a private practice room, and a way to practice without disturbing the neighbors (saxophone/clarinet/piano player here)
Totally agree w not using monitors at first- i use Grado 325 headphones, and almost TWENTY yrs later (!) I bought some monitors (Dynaudio Bm15's) but i dont use em for mixing cos my room needs treating (next expense!) - so they're at home used for my sampled pianos and playback of favorite music using a cheapy Audioquest dragonfly w ⅛" to L-R XLR's !!
My main purpose was to record piano stereo so i bought the best mics, preamp and a-d converter i could buy - Soundelux u99's, Gracedesign Lunatec v2 (no longer in production) and now a Mytek 8x192 ADDA w a firewire daughter card (thunderbolt to USB-c into a MacBook Pro). Michal of Mytek fame VERY graciously upgradded my old DA w this newer ADDA for a very nominal charge.
I have used DP for yrs since Altiverb ONLY worked w DP on a Mac when i started - and their midi timing is v precise - perhaps one day i will go w Logic!
Thanks so much for these wonderful videos. im a new subscriber
Im an expat from London and love all the uk scenery and people
Good stuff Christian. For those without a beach or a volcano in the backyard I might suggest a stationary exercise bike for composers of an advanced age and appetite - just saying... cheers
I absolutely agree with Paul Thompson
For people looking for a windows setup, Dell XPS 13/15 are great choices and are amongst the few laptops that can actually come close to Apple's MacBook Pros in terms of build quality.
Also for a kinda high-end interface, the UAD Apollo twin is a great choice, with great quality and it's very portable.
Thanks for the video mate, very good content as usual.
I recently got a Dell XPS 15, just before Christmas, for doing audio work such as film & game music. Apart from some of few issues regarding the pre-installed and terrible Realtek sound drivers, if you have a decent audio interface such as an Focusrite, it works pretty well. Unlike Apple laptops, you actually NEED to use a interface for this laptop, where as a Macbook you can kinda get away without one (even though its not recommended). So far, the laptop has been pretty good. Works well with Pro Tools also.
Great use of whip pans
Damn. I bought Albion one as a entry library but wish I bought Chamber strings after some time, Why didn't I watch this before?!?!?!
I also have the nektar MIDI keyboard and I highly recommend it over cheaper ones (it's still really cheap). It has a really nice feel to it
Great advice as ever Christian. Agree with everything except maybe a NI Komplete Kontrol S88 midi controller and a Avid Artist Mix - easily the best control surface for Logic currently available. (Got 2 off eBay). Apogee - absolutely. Other peoples choices of Focushite? Hmm....
Core System : Macbook Pro i5, 256gb ssd. 2xLacie 2TB Thunderbolts. Logic X - composing. Pro Tools - recording. Scarlett 18i8, £260 price you can't beat for the reliability, build quality and the customer support rocks. Samson Tech Resolv monitors, cheap and do a good job. Sennheiser HD650 headphones - Christmas present to myself after the old HD85s which to be honest did the job perfectly but.... It was Christmas. Both open back but I found shifting the metronome up 2 octaves with the headphones turned down low works perfectly well. First mic was a cheap rip of SM57 but now its Aston mics. Once again, cheap in comparison to other microphones but definitely a challenger. Build quality is amazing and the customer support is brilliant and quirky. Thanks for mentioning the Crucial HDD. I've been looking for a cheapish SSD. Do you happy to know any that work with the old Thunderbolt 2 connections? One thing that was missing.... some sort of thunderbolt dock?
Keyboard... Roland hp207e. Old and cheap, then a impulse 61 for the fancy midi stuff
I'd also advise being wary of 'incremental sample library purchasing'. Once you're setup with a good all round library like Albion One (or the composer cloud etc), if you do want to improve/expand your library palette, research as much as you can before making any more purchases. Even stuff that seems completely out of range. Then, if you can reach for something that you previously thought out of budget (but is considered better), save and buy it. I have numerous libraries that have been replaced by others, that were good but are now superseded, and now they sit collecting digital dust (If only I could get refunds!) The capabilities of sample libraries over the last 5(?) years has rocketed, and first time buyers are now in a fortunate position, particularly with all the generous sales that go on. Spitfire's in particular can make your money go much further.
Back in the day I needed a Video tape machine that could lock to blackburst, said blackburst generator to lock the studio together, vitc and smpte generators, fancy interface with smpte to MTC conversion, audio interface (Digidesign was the only game in town), decent computer, expansion chassis with DSP Farm cards, Synthesizers, 16 track ATR, Mixer, a Sampler or two, Reverb unit (AKG BX 10) a few mics, Logic, decent monitors (genelecs). These days...so much easier...
So good and so helpful, brother. I would love some help understanding external hard drives and how to use them properly/efficiently. When you are downloading a library like Albion or Chamber Strings, do you keep them on the external drive? When you are using it in Logic, are there any latency issues in real time? I'll take any help and tips, it's all completely foreign to me!
Thanks very much for the video and for sharing your knowledge! But I'd say don't waste money on Apogee right from the start! I've been using a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 1st Gen for 10 years now and that thing is a tank. I've been using it for recording in studio, on film set with a laptop, at home, on holiday etc. And I still can't find a reason to switch it. Everything works like the first day and the drivers are impeccable nowadays. And I've heard the 2nd gen is even better. Also you could also get started with a PC and something like PreSonus Studio One which is much cheaper and packs a lot of features (also has video support).
Oh the Shure SM58-LC will last for life, yes the mics life! ROFL I had a new one 15 years ago and used it less than a dozen times over a couple of years for short video tutorials. Never used on the road, never used in a band. Just on my computer table mounted on a one arm table mic stand. 7:12
I got everything you have including the computer specs except I got the UA Apollo Twin!! Works well for me!
Can you please comment on the following? A sound engineer once said to me that I don't need to have a fantastic computer with high CPU and RAM if I own a UA Apollo Twin. He said that audio interference reduce the tasks that a RAM does. Is that true?
Really interesting video. It has come at just the right time. I’m a pop / rock engineer putting together an ITB mixing setup in my house.
It’s mostly going to be used for band stuff. We will record in studios, I’ll mix at home and then return to the studio to finalise the mixes.
What are your thoughts of using headphones for mixing? I was wondering if it could get rather fatiguing on the ears?
I'm liking the new twat the camera sideways transition you've got going on in this video. Level panache: initiated.
my two cents, but one of the nicest string sounds I have is the Spitfire originals epic strings long, layered over the labs long strings. Also, the BBCSO Core is out now, and cheap enough to be a viable replacement for Albion one - you don't really need the pads of Albion, given that most daws have some kind of virtual synth built in that probably has pads apleanty!
CLASS xx thank you
Great infromative video. As always, it was a joy to watch!
I have a one question though, regarding your Mac and Logic. You always recommend using Mac with 16gb RAM, and I don't quite understand why that number is that low. Is it because Spitfire libraries are not RAM intensive? I ask that because, i see quite a lot of people and most of them are composers for movies, games etc., and they are using 64gb + RAM, some of them using even a slave pc.
Cheers, and thanks in advance!
And perhaps recommend any bags for all the lovely gears ? Which one you use ? Any good ideas ? I’m opting for mobility because I can’t really settle at the moment. Need a good shell for me to keep my stuff well stored out on the road.
Excellent video. I'm a riff creator so my favourite instrument is the piano. Many will work from a certain sound which limits the progression of organic music and will never be a classic.
We're in a era where money is more important than legacy.
We would be lying if we said today's kids are crazy about music the way we were in the seventies or eighties.
You guys are making me miss Logic. lol I made the "mistake" of venturing in to the pc gamer side of youtube and ended up ditching my mac love to join the PC Masterrace. They made building your own look way too fun. My biggest problem was switching daws though. I tried all of them and decided on Reaper. It's pretty amazing. Also GO PAUL for suggesting the P6, I have its little brother the P4 and I love it. I'm also rocking the Presonus Audiobox 96 for an interface and have the baby Presonus faderport. Thanks for the headphone recs!
I think a good approach (and I have to credit Rick Beato and his channel for this advice) this is assuming you already have a computer and invested time in training and a DAW (i use PC and Cubase btw), invest most of your money in the source i.e. the instruments (or in this case the libraries) the higher the quality the instrument (or library) the better it will translate into the rest of your work flow. The next most important thing is mics (SM 58s and 57s are great! I also recommend the RODE NT1A). I would think headphones and monitors are next, you can treat a room to sound nice, so turn your shit room into a nice room. After mic and headphones, pre-amps (or in this case a good interface) would be next. I still use my old presonus audiobox. I think it still serves it's purpose for me. But I might get something from UAD soon. Where I am torn is the keyboard. I have a old MAudio Axiom Air 32 key. I think Necktar look nice, they are relatively cheap. But as they say, buy nice or buy twice. I've been seriously looking into a hammer action 88 key. I notice Christian and some of the others use the Doepfner (or however you spell it) keys, they look rugged like they would last forever. But I'm torn whether to get the Komplete Kontrol S88 MK2 since it integrates well with NI and NKS libraries. I think the screens and stuff with the S88 MK2 might be something that breaks eventually, but the keys have LEDs that match the Kontact Player guides for each instrument. The Doepfner dont have lights or screens, they are built into a hard case with a cover. They look like they would last and take the abuse. You could probably run over them with a car and still use them fine. Either way both of those are very expensive. They are out of stock too. So it might be the Necktar for me after all haha. Either way time to upgrade, my 32 key is too small.
Nice to see Nektar getting a mention, though I do think there are issues with the touch sensitivity on their keyboards. Would anyone suggest which setting to use?
Awesome video! Thanks, guys! Do you think that cloud storage can be an alternative of an external HD for backing up projects? Because this is what I use for now, Degoo in particular.
Haha! Absolutely love the looks on the peoples faces when you do your blog-ing in the airport. :D
I'm going to do a film where I blur myself out so you can just watch them. You wouldn't believe how many people shout 'wanker' when I'm filming these, thats why I always look so uncomfortable... mind you makes that bloody journey more interesting.
ohh, I believe that! In fact, I've been noticing/seeing the peoples reactions since you started to travel a lot (say around Aug/Sept). That one guy at the start of the film who walks behind you looks really sceptical. I haven't noticed that you look so uncomfortable....
Only teens get to film vlogs publicly and get away with it. :D
I found a pair of IK Multimedia iLoud Micro Monitors. They go for around 280 a pair. And i have to say they sound impressive, i do my rough mixes and arranging on them before i go to my studio to finish it on my main monitors.
Christian I'm sure you'll not be biased about this, because you're a good guy! What do you think about East west Composer Cloud Cloud, and more importantly subscription services? I think once you have physical kit the more expensive part can be the plugins, DAW. Virtual instruments etc. I'm a student studying Composition and Music production, and I'm currently paying about £12 a month for the sSlate plugins, which are just exceptional for the money. Im heavily debating getting Composer Cloud next, but I'm really into the Spitfire thing too...I think this is the way to go for Young and 'Up and Coming Composers'. I love the sound of Albion one, and the student discount is great but I think a subscription service for Spitfire would be the icing on the Cake!
I see that he has answered you about EastWest Cloud... :D
@@zaharishtonov Hmm. Where? I don't see it / didn't hear it in this video.
I have 2009 Imac, my brother still has his 2009 macbook pro, but we needed to get a mac pro 5.1 with 64gb RAM to handle layers of kontakt multi outs and just projects that are layered up in general, as you well know. I think imac and macbook's are great for building up to around 30 tracks before the CPU goes mental. I really need to get a fader control to learn modulation, expression etc, but don't know if the old analogue mixers do that and how that is done. Not a massive problem cus the string patches in Komplete 10 don't have the expression and modulation to learn to new assignment. I really need to get chamber strings when we can afford to get it hopefully this year.
Well, I have a iMac 5k i9 with UAD quad core as my Audio interface. Use both Pro Tools and Cubase pro user (iPad Pro for touch screen) with a NI 88 Smart Keyboard with machine jam for just the faders (gives me 64 faders options). Sounds, I have all the good toys such as; Albion One, Cinematic’s Studios libraries, NI komplete kontrol, with EW composer’s cloud and a good pair of head phones. Lastly, a nice comfortable chair to seat in most people need to understand you will be seating down for long periods of time so investment in a chair will help in the long run. One more thing, invest into a gym membership most my ideas comes when I am working out 🏋️♀️ as it keeps your mind clear of foolishness ideas. Plus, without ones health you have nothing.
The SM58 is the only thing I can afford in this list.
If you can afford that get Reaper instead of logic or anything else. $60 life time updates. Does everything logic does and way more.
Hey Christian, I seem to remember a while ago you saying you were ditching Logic for Cubase. But it seems you are back with Logic (as well as the ubiquitous Pro Tools). Why is that, did version X bring you back or did you end up hating Cubase? Just curious...
There is a completely different alternative workflow to consider:
Staffpad for composition: 90 Euros
Purchase add-ons for Staffpad - Strings/Brass/Woodwinds/Perc/Soloinstruments for Orchestra by several vendors and Spitfire(there is a chamber strings version for Staffpad!): 99 Euro per section
PC with 16 GB RAM and i7 or i9: not more than 1500 Euros
Reaper DAW for mixing and editing: 70 Euros(evaluate as long as you need)
Compose and have Staffpad export stems of an excellent mock-up. Edit in Reaper. Add hybrid scoring sounds from native instruments free and awesome starter pack for electronic and sample based music (komplete start). I guess you could achieve awesome results on a budget
Edit:
Komplete start is free
You need pen input for staffpad, but it does not have to be from a tablet pc or iPad. I use it with a graphic tablet(xp pen pro) and that seems to work just fine
Dear Sir,
I would love it if you could keep in mind the budget of a person just starting up as a composer and recommend tools of the trade accordingly. Windows as opposed to Mac can be a life-changing option for us!
Great stuff,Christian.I think thats a Little bit expensive for me.I will create a budget-studio to earn some money first.What for stuff would you recommend me to acquire?
I think the Native Instruments Komplete bundle is a must have for every media composer!
I agree. you get literally everything including the strings and orchestral sample libraries. great starting point and gives you tools across the whole range, not just orchestral stuff
Thanks Christian, very useful. I use a ton of Spitfire Audio samples and my 2012 MacBook Pro with 16GB Ram isn't quite coping with it anymore (I use Pro Tools though, maybe it has something to do with that). I was considering getting a Mac Pro but now I've seen this vlog I wonder if a brand new high spec macbook pro might be just as good, if not better?
Instead of the Yamaha P45, you should try the StudioLogic SL88 master keyboard. It's less expensive and the keyboard is awesome (it seems that Doepfer keyboards are using Studio Logic Mechanism...)
Christian, I would suggest replacing the Korg Nanokontrol 2 with the Akai Midi Mix. I've sold my Korg and now I own 2 midimix's.
Hi Christian! Hope, you reply to that... How do you setup your software and session files? Do you place all of them on the SSD? Or are you running the software on the Mac, sounds on SSD and the session files on HDD? Or some other kind of arrangement? Looking forward to your answer! All the best, Simon
No answer? I am curious to know that as well
THANKS!
Universal Audio or real (non-native) Pro Tools! Latency... arrrrrrrrgh! Good call on the Babyface... great convertors, rock solid RME software. Sptifire samples expensive compared to EastWest... but you already know that. Play stopped being a total nightmare.
Why not recommend the Apogee Duet? (Any technical reason?) It’s considerably more affordable. I love mine, lasted years and whole heartedly agree with the Apogee recommendation. +1 fr the AKG headphones also. Thanks for demystifying this question for everyone!
For me having more than 2 x tracks in gives it a greater 'tail', the ADAT in also allows for possible slaving. My wife has a duet on her system and its awesome though, totally agree...
I would say basically exactly what you and Oliver said with maybe (apart from the computer) some slightly cheaper options for hardware.
Mac Studio M1 Max 32 gigs, Orchestra 2, EW Hollywood orchestrator, action strings 2 action strikes and Logic quartet or Duo by Apogee. I ran 128 virtual instruments no problems, These are my picks.
I am at an impasse. I have fought and fought to keep windows as a mainframe, but I must have wronged Bill Gates in a former life, as I increasingly spend more of my time making windows behave, than I do producing music. I have used Cubase (Cakewalk before that) all my composing life, so I don't want to change DAW, and am pretty flexible in my loyalties to Sample Libraries. But having changed from Android to Apple iphone for the first time last year, I am increasingly being driven to a Mac Pro. I may have to sell a kidney and some old gear to do it, but I can get a referb for a good price on eBay. Christian, this is your fault, but at the same time I thank you for making me decide. I have learned more from your vlogs this year, than I had in 10 years before. Please keep them coming, even if you just rant, but also take a leaf out your own book and look after yourself.
I've switched to Apple around 12 years ago. I've always loved using their stuff, though their prices have gone sky high. I seriously doubt my next studio computer will still be Apple. There are downsides to using mac. First one I can currently think of is they only make 64 bit versions for Kompakt. (See my reply above for more.) Hoping to build a hackintosh some day in the future.
This I'd great information! Also type of processor matters as well. I for one use a PC with an i7 5th gen and it works amazing. The ram is 16gb. I wouldn't go to low on a processor say like a gen 2 i5 or a i3 (intel)
Mad, I just got a XPS laptop i9 32G ram, loaded. Still pondering a XPS desktop loaded instead of a full blown, expensive Precision desktop. Anybody have thoughts about XPS vs Precision...
I've used a lot of DAWS in hobbyist and professional capacities over the years, and I can't imagine using anything but Reaper at this point. I switched over for my personal stuff 10 years ago, and haven't even had another oen installed since around 2016 (not counting ReNoise, which is a whole different thing). Runner up is Nuendo. Pro Tools was easily the worst, at least v8 to v10. At least a decade behind all of the competition.
i love Henson whos sooo funny he literally switches to him in the bathroom lmao
Thank you
This is great stuff, Christian. Thanks! What are your thoughts on the UAD Apollo Twin as a "starter high-end" interface vs. the Apogee? Seems like it would still be a step-up from the low-end Focusrite interfaces and you get a decent selection of vintage gear plugins. Not as many ins/outs, but you still have a total of 10 with two mic preamps.
Brian Landers you can’t go wrong with Apollo or UAD. Top shelf.
I've heard it's great but only included stuff here I've actually used as with the rest of my friends and colleagues. It is a totally biassed and unscientific POV based on our lives as composers and devs not reviewers! Which is why I take the piss out of myself in the station when it gets to "you know whats coming next". Yawn, but in all honesty I could say "you should try Omnisphere or Symphobia" but these would simply be pieces of software I do not own, have never used, and, from what I've heard, are not my aesthetic. The UA stuff looks good and feels good from my very brief touches with it. The company seems to stand for quality and integrity which I admire. CH
UAD Apollo is the best interface I've used, hands down. And their Plugs. No competition. I have the Twin Quad... at some point will add more inputs. I can't rave enough about the UAD... in comparison with an old RME and Apogee, which are also good interfaces.
I've been using the Apollo Twin Duo for several years now, and I love it! I'm sure I'll be using it for years to come.
One nice thing to add regarding the UAD line of interfaces is that you can employ a variety of mic pre when you are using your inexpensive (or expensive) mics, and that... is a real joy.
If I was to spend £4,500 on gear, I think I'd spend maybe £200 on audio interface and £1,000 on a PC, and instead spend around £2,000 on various software synths and effects, such as Komplete, Omnisphere, various Fabfilter plugins etc. You'd get a much broader palette of sounds that way and be able to cover more diverse styles of music.
I would say spend 1000 on software VI's and 1000 on things like piano lessons, a decent mic, etc. It's really easy to buy boatloads of VI libraries, but they sure as hell won't make you a better composer when starting out. Often the opposite, in fact.
Omnisphere is life!
Hello @ChristianHensonMusic, how many instances of Kontakts, Fabfilters, and Space Designer I can create and work with without any problem with the Macbook Pro you suggest in this video? I am a newbie and I am poor, but still I am considering to buy the products of Spitfire Audio. Thanks for your response.