The site is interesting and informative, and always worth a visit. Want more? Join the Plus program where you can access source files and bonus tutorials.

Here is a roundup of this week’s tutorials and articles.

A Guide to the Electric Guitar

Jun 26th in Instruments by John Boswell

This article is a general overview of the electric guitar. We cover the woods, acoustic sound, construction, necks and fretboards, pickups and hardware and show you how to purchase and maintain an electric guitar that you’ll love for years to come.

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How to Use Saturation Effectively

Jun 30th in Production by Mo Volans

Saturation is an often misunderstood process, sometimes written off as basic distortion effect, too subtle for most uses. While this isn’t entirely inaccurate, saturation has a lot to offer and can impart a true analog flavor on our mixes if used correctly. Most saturation plug-ins are pretty simple devices, but the real key to using the effect is understanding how it works. Let’s take a look at the process in detail and then we can go through a few examples of a few saturation plug-ins in action.

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Mastering: You Can Do It Yourself (With a Little Caution) — Audio Plus

Jul 1st in General by Joel Falconer

In this week’s Audio Plus content, Bobby Owsinski brings us the first of two tutorials on do-it-yourself mixing — the common pitfalls and techniques you can use to make your own mastering efforts sound that much better than the average mixing engineer’s attempts. Bobby is the author of many best-selling audio books including The Mixing Engineer’s Handbook.

To learn more about what you get as part of Audio Plus, read this. To take a peek inside this tutorial, hit the jump!

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This week in our series of interviews of AudioJungle authors, we meet…

Lyden (Jonas Ranum Brandt)

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from, what do you do for a living?

I am from a little spot in Scandinavian called Denmark (the Little Mermaid and the Mohammed cartoons) living in the middle of Copenhagen … wasn’t very fond of school, or visa versa, quickly “left” and started looking for challenges in the “real” world.

I have been working practically all my life, from cleaning assistant to JAA/FAA-approved Receiving Inspector at the airport, and now the last four years with my own company as a full time freelance graphic designer.

This is what I love and will be continuing with the rest of my life. I really don’t consider my “work” as work literally spoken. I have a strong passion for design and music and love what I do; I just see it as privilege to combine work with pleasure.

2. How long have you been composing music and what got you started producing?

I have actually been composing sense childhood, but it has first been the last couple of years I have been more focused in bringing my ideas to life.

I really don’t know what got me started, but one thing for sure is when listening to music, I get this strong irresistible need to create my own.

3. Do you play any instruments? Do you have any formal music training?

Yes I do play the piano fairly from the sheet. I have been receiving some musical training when I was a kid and as an adult, but am practical self-taught as a sound artist. (I prefer to name myself that - there are too many obligations when naming yourself a musician.)

I don’t play in any band or similar constellations, but only use my ability to produce and play mainly for my own and my closest friends’ pleasure.

4. Could you describe to us your home studio and the equipment and software you typically use to produce audio?

Yes I have listed my current setup below in details used to maintain and produce my music.

Hardware:

• Yamaha monitors MSP10
• Altec Lansing reference monitors
• Channel One channel strip
• Konnekt 24D Audio Interface
• Axiom 25 Midi Controller
• Yamaha Clavinova

And yes you have presumably already guessed that I am a huge “fan” of Apple.

Software:

• Logic Studio
• Amadeus Pro
• Audio Finder

Third Party Plug-Ins:

• Albino
• Blue
• iDrum
• Nexus

I do have a lot more third party plug-ins, but the ones above are almost always used in my productions.

5. Could you tell us a bit about how you typically compose and then produce your audio? Describe your creative process.

As mentioned earlier my favorite creative progress is when I have no clue of what I am doing. This however not always leads me to any “success”, but always leaves me with an interesting result.

Making music in the instant moment gives me a lot of pleasure. This is “sadly” not a process you can choose when ever you like, so normally I like to build complex stuff and slowly split it into simple tones. I do like “complex” music but love the silence between the tones even more.

When composing I normally start out with three or four chords but almost always end up with two. The hard and interesting thing is to get two chords to sound of much more than they really are, and it is funny how many ways you can combine and play two chords.

6. What genre of music do you enjoy producing for and why?

First, this is not my main income so I don’t have to produce for any specific genre. However I tend to produce mainly ambient music, which is maybe where my heart leads me?

For now I have no direction at all, I produce and create only what comes to mind and when I fell like it. And to be quite honest I think this will be the path for me in the long run too.

7. What kind of things inspire you to create music? Do you have any musical influences?

It’s “funny” with inspiration, with some of my own personal favorite tracks I have no clue where I got the inspiration. When evaluating at the end, I can only “assume” that it’s the unconscious inspiration that leads the way to “success”.

Being aware of the source to inspiration makes me quite often fail in the progress. Inspiration is there for me and you. Use it, but use it with care. Remember to let your own readings lead the way, not the opposite.

If I should name some specific things that really inspire me, I would say that the melancholy that occasional shows its face in our lives has a very strong effect on me.

I do compose best when a bit sad actually. Not blue or dancing happy, but near the middle. Musical influence, well, I can only say yes, yes! From my parents always playing all kinds of music to everywhere I listen.

8. What genres of music do you listen to in your spare time? Do you have any favorite bands or artists?

Yes absolutely, I am no different than the rest of the crowd. I do have a passion for classical music, but I listen to it all.  I have definitely no boundaries when it comes to music, every genre have its place in my heart.

I do however have some favorites of my own listed below:

• Keith Jarrett as a unique piano player/musicians
• William Orbit as a musicians and brilliant producer (remember Madonna Ray Of Light Album?)
• Massive Attack as an innovative band and I would claim them to be pioneers in their field
• Jeff Buckley, need to say more? God rest his soul
• Jan Johansson a Swedish piano player with a lot of heart, God rest his soul
• Tricky just turn up the volume
• Yann Tiersen as a musician and producer
• Nitin Sawhney as a musicians and producer
• Eva Cassidy, as a musician and a fantastic interpreter. God rest her soul.

These are just some few favorites, can’t name ‘em all. To me music without some aspects of storytelling just passes through … the ones above gives a good example of excellent audiotive storytelling!

9. What is your advice to other AudioJungle authors regarding how to create a successful portfolio of audio?

It really depends on what type of success you refer to, but I believe a combination of following your heart and knowing your target must be the way. Sounds easy? It’s really not. But I will encourage you to do so.

10. What do you do to market your AudioJungle files?

I have to very honest here; I really don’t spend a lot of time there. I should presumably be doing some more focused marketing.

I do however put a lot of work into presentation of my work and believe it has its benefits. I have been creating the usual accounts on Twitter and Facebook etc. I just don’t really believe in the effectiveness of these.

11. What are your three favorite tracks in your AudioJungle portfolio and why do you like them?

I think my current personal favorite tracks would be the ones I don’t get tired of listening too, I have provided a few examples, which also shows some variety of my work.

Reveal

Angeldust

Eavesdrop

12. Apart from yourself, who is your favorite AudioJungle author and why do you like them?

I have one in particular, SINSoundProduction, I love the storytelling in his work, the melancholic moods, the instrument choices he makes.

Just one thing for sure I am missing: please let us have some more tracks or even better an album, and please consider this to be a request from me to SINSoundProduction.

13. If you could change anything about AudioJungle, what would it be?

I am uncertain if this is a three wishes comes true? But if I should choose one I would really like to see some improvements to the licensing options. I know Envato staff are currently reviewing licensing, so no worries there!

14. Could you tell us about some of your audio projects outside of AudioJungle? What have been some of your biggest audio successes so far?

I currently have no other projects outside AudioJungle besides an album I am working on. This takes “unfortunately” a lot more time then supposed. This will be a mixture of my work, with violin, guitar and some backing vocals.

15. When you aren’t busy creating music, what do you like to do in your spare time?

I do have a passion for photography and spend a lot of time on my bike searching through every little unexplored (for me) corner.

And if given the choice to choose what to be in my next life, I would presumably go for a fish. I love water and swim 2-3 times a week. The rest of my time goes to my family and “work”.

View / listen to Lyden’s AudioJungle portfolio.

Do you still listen to records? My second son does, and has recently gotten hold of a very old record player (in a large wooden cabinet) from his grandfather. He collects LPs and singles from op shops, and has quite a collection.

If you prefer the sound of vinyl, our gadget this week might interest you. It was found by our site manager Scott recently on the interesting and entertaining DVICE blog (”powered by SciFi” - I love that!). It’s called the ‘Void’ LP Player, and it looks a lot more modern than my son’s record player. It’s almost cool enough to get me buying records again!

Designed in Korea by Rhea Jeong, the thing that sets this player apart is the way that it spins the records in mid-air. I also love its modern, minimalistic look. At first glance I thought that it might be an air current keeping the record in the air (or maybe a small Star Trek tractor beam), but it all works by magnets. The red ball above the record contains both needle and speaker, so although it doesn’t have a retro look, it probably does have a 1920s sound.

Designbook, who have seen the designs for the player, describe it like this:

The record player uses a carrier and dock outfitted with a magnetic and auto-calibrating control system which carries the LP into thin air as it is playing music. A self-running record player shaped in the form of a red sphere, contains a needle, amplifier and speaker, spins around the record, bringing the music to life.

The ‘Void’ LP Player has been reported widely on the blogs, and there is a lot of skepticism about the device in both articles and comments. Engadget conclude, “Designer Rhea Jeong’s Void LP player seems devoid of reality.”

Though the player is still just a concept, something this cool deserves to exist, and I wish Rhea lots of luck.

Author: lyden

File: Audio Logo Pack 04

Description: Not just one free file, but eight, courtesy of lyden! This eight-pack of varied and versatile audio logos are perfect for podcasts, Web site intros, TV and radio commercials, video productions and, well, just about anything!

The audio may be short but it is professionally produced and will sound sensational in your next project. Be sure to download for FREE any time throughout July 2009!

Download here

You are granted ONE free usage of the item in a project either commercial or non-commercial. You may not use the file in multiple projects unless you purchase licenses in the usual way. You may not redistribute the item in any way. If you need a different license for this file, you may purchase it here.

A big thanks to lyden for providing the free file! Here are some of lyden’s other great files:

reveal:

longing:

void:

Give a roar of applause through the jungle to AudioJungle author Slavador, who made 38 sales in May.

According to his profile, Slavador lives in the jungle in Jamaica, which I suppose is very appropriate for an exclusive AudioJungle author. His profile features house music, ambient tracks, and a large selection of sound effects.

He has been an AudioJungle author since November 2008. Since then he has uploaded 120 items, made 393 sales, and has achieved an average rating of .

Best Selling Track: News Theme

His best selling track is News Theme, an dramatic news theme featuring a string ensemble and percussion.

Featured Track: Morning Sun

Slavador’s feature track is Morning Sun, a relaxing ambient track featuring chorus piano, muted guitar, pads, and an interesting electronic percussion rhythm.

Other Tracks

Here are two more of Slavador’s most popular tracks that I enjoyed:

Dream About You is a house track with a Beverly Hills Cop feel.

Stand the Siege is a dark cinematic suspense theme.

Congratulations, Slavador. Thanks for making your home in the jungle!

Author: musicformedia
Track Name: Extraterrestrial
Duration: 2:14

Beautiful piano piece encapsulating both the intrigue and beauty of science fiction. The awe and wonder of encounters with alien beings perfectly captured in this epic cinematic composition. Kubrick and Spielberg would be proud.

Purchase this track

Creating music can be fun, frustrating, rewarding and time-consuming. Computer technology is a great leveler, bringing the fun and frustration to just about anyone. It’s “affordable”, not cheap, but musicians have always been willing to spend money on quality.

Over the next months we will be running a series of articles on digital audio workstations (DAWs), which allow musicians to record, edit and play back their music. The first time I heard the term “digital audio workstation” was in the mid-80s in an article that described Roland’s new D20, a multitimbral keyboard with a built-in sequencer, allowing you to create and record music on one device.

Today, while some DAWs are integrated devices (see this article for some inexpensive options), the most popular (and most powerful) are computer solutions using specialized hardware and software. This article will introduce you to them.

DAWs Are Not Just Software Programs

When we talk about digital audio workstations we often focus on the computer software, but the term correctly refers to the entire ecosystem, including the computer hardware, computer software, audio interfaces and peripherals.

A standard computer running Audacity does not really qualify as a DAW, though some may debate that. But fortunately it is possible to get started with digital recording with a standard PC and some free software:

• 8 Free, Cross-Platform Apps for Musicians
• 7 Free Digital Recording Apps for Windows
• 29 Music-making Apps for Linux

As you get more serious about digital recording, you will need to invest in more gear:

• A fast computer with lots of RAM and disk space. There are some techniques for making your computer run more efficiently: 14 Tips to Make Windows Break the Sound Barrier.

• An audio interface for converting analog to digital, and digital to analog. These are usually PCI cards connected to a box of canon or phono inputs, though inexpensive USB interfaces are available for laptops. For some inexpensive options, see 8 Budget Audio Interfaces for Your Home Studio.

• A music keyboard and possibly other musical interfaces, such as a device with programable buttons and sliders that you can use for mixing, rather than having to use a mouse.

• A microphone (or set of microphones) and musical instruments.

DAWs Are Powerful

DAWs are professional specialist applications that can feel very overwhelming until you get to know them. Like computer aided design and desktop publishing applications, they come with a long and difficult learning curve. It is probably better to master one DAW than have a passing familiarity with several.

Most DAW interfaces are based on a multitrack tape recorder metaphor, and include transport controls, tracks, and a mixer. This makes DAWs a little easier to learn. But they also have many features that traditional tape recorders don’t, including:

• automation (though many high-end traditional recorders include this)
• cut, copy, paste and undo (like a word processor)
• the ability to record both MIDI and audio
• basic music notation display, though if you are serious about notation you may need a dedicated program
• the ability to master from multitrack down to stereo.

Many of the DAW programs started with different focuses, for example MIDI sequencing, softsynths, loops, and sampling. As features have been added, they cover much of the same ground, and have become increasingly competitive.

DAWs Are Expandable

You want a DAW that will grow with your needs. You need it to adjust as you invest in better computers, a new mixer, and an expanded digital interface. Good DAWs are capable of more than you initially need, allowing them to work with increasingly complex hardware, and saving you from having to learn a new system.

Good DAWs are also expandable in terms of software, by allowing you to extend their functionality with plug-ins. The most common plug-in standard is VST. There is a huge range of plug-ins available for most DAWs, some costing many times more than the DAW itself.

A List of Well-known DAWs

Many DAWs are available, and we will have a close look at some of them over the next months. Leave a comment to let us know which ones you would like covered.

There is no definitive “best” DAW. They come with different focuses and philosophies, so you’ll need to do some research and try out some demos before deciding on which one suits you best. You will also need to consider which are available for your operating system and computer hardware, which suits your budget, and whether you need to collaborate on music projects using a particular DAW.

Here are some popular digital audio workstation applications:

• Ableton Live is a professional loop-based software music sequencer.
• ACID Pro (Sony) is a DAW that developed from a loop-based music sequencer.
• Ardour is an open-source DAW for Linux and Mac.
• Audition (Adobe) was formerly Cool Edit Pro, and features a multitrack, non-destructive mix/edit environment and a destructive-approach waveform editing view.
• Cubase (Steinberg) is a music sequencer and DAW originally developed for the Atari.
• Digital Performer (MOTU) is an intuitive program that lets you record MIDI and audio tracks side by side.
• FL Studio, formerly known as FruityLoops, started as a pattern-based music sequencer.
• Koblo.com is an online (cloud computing) DAW with a focus on collaboration - it is still in its infancy, but looks promising.
• Logic Pro (Apple), a DAW and MIDI sequencer originally developed by Emagic.
• Nuendo (Steinberg) is an expensive state-of-the-art digital audio production environment.
• Pro Tools (Digidesign) is a widely used DAW.
• REAPER (Cockos) is a Rapid Environment for Audio Production, Engineering, and Recording.
• Reason (Propellerhead) emulates a rack of hardware synthesizers, samplers, signal processors, sequencers and mixers.
• SONAR (Cakewalk), a traditional DAW now owned by Roland.

Which DAW do you use? Are you happy with it, or saving up for another? Which DAWs would you like us to have a closer look at? Let us know in the comments.

Author: leto
Track Name: Sahara
Duration: 2:13

The sense of sand dunes and hazy heat waves are perfectly captured in this cinematic and dramatic score. Action and adventure awaits the weary travelers as they journey the searing hot and precarious desert.

Purchase this track

The site is interesting and informative, and always worth a visit. Want more? Join the Plus program where you can access source files and bonus tutorials.

Here is a roundup of this week’s tutorials and articles.

Mastering Your Sampler’s Synthesis Engine

Jun 20th in Production by Mo Volans

You may not realize it, but the software or hardware sampler you own is likely to contain a powerful synthesis engine under the hood. If you haven’t explored it fully you may be missing out on a valuable resource in your studio.

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How to Set Up Creative Delays in Reason

Jun 22nd in Mixing & Mastering by Gönenç Giray

It’s always been fun to play around with devices in Reason. When it comes to creating a unique device, synth or effect, you have limitless possibilities. You could call it playing Lego with audio devices. In this tutorial I will continue building blocks and explain three different ways to set up DLL-1 devices within Combinator.

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How to Create More Expressive MIDI Music — Audio Plus

Jun 23rd in General by Joel Falconer

In this week’s Audio Plus content, Ryan Leach teaches you how to make those artificial sounding MIDI pieces come to life with a kit of effective techniques. While the screenshots for this tutorial are taken in Logic Pro, the content is not Logic-centric and is equally useful and valuable in any software that deals with sequenced music.

To learn more about what you get as part of Audio Plus, read this. To take a peek inside this tutorial, hit the jump!

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40 Sites that Help You Choose the Right Microphone

Jun 24th in General by Adrian Try

If it’s worth recording, it’s worth recording well. To do that, you need a quality microphone. Purchasing your first microphone is a lot more complicated than you may have imagined. And discovering your favorite mic can take years of experience and experimentation.

The job of buying a new microphone is an important one—and an expensive one. It can be a very complicated one. Fortunately, the Internet is filled with pages of useful advice and recommendations about microphones.

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