PRO TOOLS M - powered

Real Pro Tools

Pro Tools M-Powered is Pro Tools. There are actually three flavors of Pro Tools, all of which share the same user interface and file format. The primary distinction is the hardware they complement. Pro Tools|HD runs on elite DSP-powered Pro Tools|HD hardware. Pro Tools LE works with a variety of Digidesign hardware including the Mbox® 2 family. And Pro Tools M-Powered delivers even more options via compatibility with dozens of M-Audio interfaces*. And at just $299.95 MSRP, now there’s no reason for not having the industry-standard DAW in your creative toolbox.








Produce with the Industry Standard—Anywhere, Anytime

The combination of M-Audio gear and Pro Tools M-Powered 8 lets you work anywhere, anytime with the industry standard in music production software. Seamlessly collaborate with anybody running any version of a current Pro Tools system, including cross-platform between Windows and Mac OS X. Easily take your projects to just about any recording studio to have it mixed by a pro. Or take your pro studio projects home or on the road with you. With Pro Tools M-Powered, owners of most M-Audio interfaces instantly become members of the largest community of digital audio workstation users in the world.






Flexible and Portable—More Choices for You

A wide variety of M-Audio PCI, FireWire and USB hardware interfaces are compatible with Pro Tools M-Powered software, giving you more options in where, when and how you work. Whether you need just a little I/O or a lot—or a desktop, mobile or hybrid system—you’ll find the perfect solution with our PCI, USB/USB 2 and FireWire audio interfaces. Mix live and in the studio with the NRV10 interface/analog mixer. Experience compact productivity with an M-Audio audio interface keyboard. And DJs can enter the world of Pro Tools with our Torq products.

Easy to Use

Elegance and power are the reasons why Pro Tools is used in the majority of professional recording studios around the world. At the same time, Pro Tools M-Powered 8 is very simple and intuitive. And once you know how to use one version of Pro Tools, you know how to work in any Pro Tools environment—from personal to pro studios. And if you want help, Pro Tools is supported by more educational materials and classes than all other DAW software put together.







Stunning New Look and Interactivity

With a sleek new look, Pro Tools M-Powered 8 is as easy on the eyes as it is to use. All of the Pro Tools M-Powered functionality you know and love is still in place—now with double the inserts per channel, more customizability, easier access to editing options and more. Customize the toolbar to show only your favorite tools and rearrange them the way you want. Tile or cascade your window arrangement. Change the color of your channel strips, tracks, regions, groups, and markers to any hue. Navigate through sessions quickly using the Universe view. And with the QuickStart dialog, you can jump right into an existing session, quickly create a new session from scratch, or start from one of the new session templates.

Pro Tools M-Powered 8 comes fully packed with a huge, comprehensive collection of music creation and sound processing plug-ins—giving you a well-stocked studio right out of the box. You get an incredible array of 70 DigiRack, A.I.R. and Bomb Factory plug-ins right out of the box, including EQ, dynamics, delay, reverb and many more. You can also create and play music with six groundbreaking virtual instruments from the renowned Digidesign Advanced Instrument Research (A.I.R.) group: the Mini Grand piano, Boom™ drum machine, DB-33 tone-wheel organ, Structure® Free sample player, and Vacuum and Xpand!2™ synths. See the complete list of bundled software.







As if that weren’t enough, Pro Tools M-Powered 8 software also lets you take advantage of a variety of RTAS and AudioSuite plug-ins designed by the recording industry’s largest professional third-party developer community. Track with powerful host-based vintage instruments from GForce and Way Out Ware. Polish your mixes with effects and mastering plug-ins from iZotope that surpass even expensive hardware. See more plug-ins from M-Audio, Digidesign and our partners.

Professional Recording, Editing and Mixing

Pro Tools M-Powered 8 software enables M-Audio hardware enthusiasts to easily access the powerful recording, editing and mixing features of Pro Tools. Now with up to 48 simultaneous stereo tracks of 16- or 24-bit digital audio, and support for up to 96kHz sample rates, Pro Tools M-Powered 8 is an ideal companion for M-Audio interfaces and audio interface keyboards—whether you’re recording solo or entire bands. And the optional Music Production Toolkit 2 expands Pro Tools M-Powered 8 to up to 64 mono or stereo tracks, and adds more effects and instruments, a multi-track version of Beat Detective and the Pro Tools MP3 Option.






Once you’ve finished your recording, you can fine-tune your performances with Pro Tools software’s unmatched nondestructive editing tools. Shape sounds, compose parts, and add effects with RTAS instrument and effects plug-ins—then create polished mixes with professional mixing features and full mixer automation.

With Pro Tools M-Powered 8, your system has even more editing and mixing capabilities. Lock regions to the timeline to prevent them from being inadvertently moved or edited. Use the Automation and Controller lanes to view and edit track automation (such as volume, pan and plug-in automation) and MIDI CC data (such as velocity, pitch bend, and modulation) without changing track views. And with ten inserts to play with per track, you can now use more plug-ins than ever before.


Pro Tools M-Powered 8 features a variety of tools that make loop-based music creation faster and more imaginative than ever. In addition to importing REX and Acid files, the Loop Trim tool also makes it easy to turn audio or MIDI regions into loops. The Elastic Time and the new Elastic Pitch features make it a breeze to change tempo/time and pitch on the fly. As a result, you can integrate a wide variety of loops and audio files with your current session throughout the entire writing process. And DigiBase—the program’s internal database—even has a Loop Preview feature that allows you to preview loops in sync, in real time, before bringing them into your session.



Transpose Audio with Elastic Pitch

As a complement to Elastic Time, Pro Tools M-Powered 8 introduces Elastic Pitch, which allows you to you to effortlessly manipulate or correct the pitch of any audio region in real time, right inside the Edit window. Easily transpose an entire audio region in semitones—up to four octaves in either direction—without affecting its timing or tempo. Fix a less-than-perfect vocal performance by altering the pitch of individual notes in cent intervals. You can also create cool sound effects by linking pitch changes with time compression/expansion using the Varispeed algorithm.

Stretch Your Sound with Elastic Time

Pro Tools M-Powered features Elastic Time, a powerful real-time tempo manipulation feature that makes it easy to change tempo or time on the fly. For musicians, composers and music producers, Elastic Time puts loop-based music creation in the fast lane, giving you the freedom to explore different tempos and experiment with loops and audio files that sync with your current session throughout the entire writing process. For post-production editors and engineers, Elastic Time makes it easy to stretch or squeeze audio tracks to fit video time frames, using high-quality algorithms that make your time manipulation virtually undetectable.







With Pro Tools M-Powered software, you can change the tempo and timing of loops, music, dialogue and other sound files without cutting up audio. Easily create loops from any audio file—even entire compositions—with the help of powerful tempo and transient analysis. Want to hear how a certain audio bit will sound in your song? The new Context Preview lets you quickly audition loops and audio files in sync with the tempo of your session. Even imported audio files and loops automatically conform to match your session’s tempo.

Pro Tools M-Powered also makes it easy to perfect the timing of performances. You can improve errant beats by quantizing audio to your session’s Bar|Beat grid—or to grooves extracted from other audio or MIDI performances using the Beat Detective™ feature, which offers better peak detection accuracy than ever before. You can also fine-tune “Elasticized” regions, with precision control over each individual beat, using the new warp track view and warp markers. You can even make the same precise changes across multiple grouped tracks while preserving timing offsets in multitrack recordings, such as with drums.

To ensure that you get the highest quality results, Elastic Time delivers some of the best-sounding processing in the industry. You can choose from several premium time-stretching algorithms on a per-track basis. You can even adjust the decay and processing window length to tailor the audio processing for each track, rather than settling for a one-size-fits-all algorithm.







Comp Tracks to Perfection

Creating flawless performances is easier than ever with Pro Tools M-Powered 8. New track compositing features let you quickly and easily piece together the best possible version of a performance from multiple recording passes. Simply loop-record multiple takes on an Audio track, view and audition the takes in Playlist view, select the best parts from the track’s alternate playlists, and copy them to the main playlist with a single click. You can also rate regions on a scale of one to five to help identify which takes you like the most when compositing playlists.

Advanced MIDI Production

Pro Tools M-Powered software’s fully integrated MIDI sequencer and editor allow you to record, edit, and mix up to 256 MIDI tracks alongside your audio tracks. Dedicated Instrument tracks combine the audio and MIDI elements of a given virtual instrument into a single channel strip to streamline your workspace. Launch your favorite instrument plug-in to get the sound you want. Engage loop recording to quickly develop a multi-layered drum pattern, then use Groove Quantize or Groove Templates to give it the right feel. Switch to MIDI Step Input to lay down a difficult passage. Turn on real-time MIDI processing to quantize your performance as it goes down





Pro Tools M-Powered 8 also features a comprehensive array of new MIDI tools to streamline production with both virtual and traditional instruments. Gain extensive MIDI editing power through MIDI Editor windows, which can display MIDI and automation data for Instrument, MIDI and Auxiliary Input tracks. Work with new features that let you separate, consolidate and mute MIDI notes; scrub and shuttle through parts; view superimposed MIDI and Instrument tracks for easier arrangement editing; color code MIDI notes by track, type or velocity; audition velocity changes; and play MIDI notes when tabbing. Edit MIDI automation and continuous controller (CC) data through multiple Automation and Controller lanes. You can even watch your musical handiwork scroll by in real time during playback.




Score Your Music
Based on the Sibelius notation engine, the new Pro Tools M-Powered 8 Score Editor window lets you view, edit, arrange and print MIDI data as music notation. Whether you want to compose music using the notation tools—or transcribe recorded, imported, drawn (with the Pencil tool) or step-entered MIDI data into notation—the Score Editor features everything you need and nothing you don’t. Write parts on a single staff—treble, bass, alto or tenor clef—or grand staff. Place and edit notes, and edit the meter and key signature on a whim. Add chord symbols such as Dm7 and guitar chord diagrams to sessions. Transcribe MIDI parts in real time. Print out a score in its entirety or print only certain instrumental parts. You can even export sessions as Sibelius (.sib) files for further finessing in Sibelius.

ReWire Torq and More

Fans of M-Audio Torq DJ software and other standalone applications can utilize ReWire within Pro Tools M-Powered for the best of both worlds. Simply send Torq software’s output streams into Pro Tools M-Powered via ReWire for further mixing and processing. Pro Tools M-Powered also accepts MIDI directly from ReWire applications for recording controller data to a Pro Tools MIDI or Instrument track. With Pro Tools M-Powered and ReWire, the creative possibilities are endless.

Control Surfaces

If you want the tactile feel of a pro console while enjoying the benefits of a personal or project studio, Pro Tools M-Powered supports both the M-Audio ProjectMix I/O and Digidesign Command|8. Both give you control over the software’s mixing and transport functionality. ProjectMix I/O even incorporates a built-in 18 x 14 FireWire audio interface complete with eight preamps so you don’t need any extra gear. If you’re a DJ, Torq Xponent gives you a familiar DJ mixer surface combined with an audio interface and RCA outputs. And now with Pro Tools M-Powered 8, you can map plug-in parameter controls to almost any encoder on your controller, and access each track’s ten inserts.

SOUND DESIGN

Sound design is a technical/conceptually creative field. It covers all non-compositional elements of a film, a play, a music performance or recording, computer game software or any other multimedia project. A person who practices the art of sound design is known as a Sound Designer.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognizes the finest or most aesthetic sound mixing or recording in film with the Academy Award for Best Sound,[1] historically given to an English-language film. The new Tony Award for Best Sound Design is to be awarded for the best sound design in American theatre.[2]

Sound Design can also be defined as: "The manipulation of audio elements to achieve a desired effect."


History

It's known that in India and China around 3000 BC there were theatre productions accompanied by music and sound. The Commedia Dell'arte style also used both music and sound effects.

Italian Futurist composer Luigi Russolo, built mechanical sound-making devices, called intonarumori, for Futurist theatrical/music performances starting around 1913. These devices were meant to simulate natural and manmade sounds, such as trains and bombs. Russolo's treatise The Art of Noises, is arguably the first written document on the use of abstract noise in the theatre; he might be called the grandfather of conceptual sound designers. After his death, his intonarumori were used in more conventional theatre performances to create realistic sound effects.

Possibly the first use of recorded sound in the theatre, as mentioned in Michael Booth’s book ‘Theatre in the Victorian Age’, was a phonograph playing a baby’s cry in a London theatre in 1890. Sixteen years later, Beerbohm Tree definitely used recordings in his London production of Stephen Phillips’ tragedy NERO. The event is marked in the Theatre Magazine (1906) with two photographs; one showing a musician blowing a bugle into a large horn attached to a disc recorder, the other with an actor recording the agonizing shrieks and groans of the tortured martyrs. The article states: “these sounds are all realistically reproduced by the gramophone”. As cited by Bertolt Brecht, there was a play about Rasputin written in (1927) by Alexej Tolstoi and directed by Erwin Piscator that included a recording of Lenin's voice. It would not be however until the 1950s, when Hollywood directors started directing Broadway productions, that sound design would start growing. Still, there was no sound designer in those plays; it was the stage manager's duty to find the sound effects and an electrician played the recordings during performances. But even though the sound designer has basically assumed these roles, time and technology have not ruled out non-sound designers having a hand in sound production. For instance, since today's audiences are savvier and can readily distinguish between live and recorded sounds, live backstage sound effects are still used (e.g. gun shots) by the stage manager (or assistant stage manager) for premium "aural illusion."

Between 1980 and 1988, USITT's first Sound Design Commissioner oversaw efforts of their Sound Design Commission to define the duties, responsibilities, standards and procedures which might normally be expected of a theatre sound designer in North America. This subject is still regularly discussed by that group, but during that time, substantial conclusions were drawn and he wrote a document which, although now somewhat dated, provides a succinct record of what was expected at that time. It was subsequently provided to both the ADC and David Goodman at the Florida USA local when they were both planning to represent sound designers in the 1990s.

MIDI and digital technology helped the field to evolve exponentially during the 1980s and 1990s. Features of computerized theatre sound design systems were recognized as being essential for live show control systems by Walt Disney World when they utilized systems of that type to control many facilities at their Disney-MGM Studios theme park, which opened in 1989. These features were incorporated into the MIDI Show Control (MSC) specification, ratified by the MIDI Manufacturers Association in 1991. The MIDI Show Control standard is an open, industry wide communications protocol through which all types of show devices may easily interact.

To create the MSC spec, Charlie Richmond headed the USITT MIDI Forum on their Callboard Network in 1990, which included developers and designers from the theatre sound and lighting industry from around the world. This Forum created the MIDI Show Control standard between January and September, 1990. This was ratified by the MIDI Manufacturers Association (MMA) in January 1991, and the Japan MIDI Standards Committee (JMSC) later that year, becoming a part of the standard MIDI specification in August, 1991. The first show to fully utilize the MSC specification was the Magic Kingdom Parade at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom in September, 1991.

Also, the World Wide Web has greatly enhanced the ability of sound designers to acquire source material quickly, easily and cheaply. Nowadays, a designer can preview and download crisper, more "believable" sounds as opposed to toiling through time- and budget-draining "shot-in-the-dark" searches through record stores, libraries and "the grapevine" for (often) inferior recordings. In addition, software innovation has enabled sound designers to take more of a DIY (or "do-it-yourself") approach. From the comfort of their home and at any hour, they can simply use a computer, speakers and headphones rather than renting (or buying) costly equipment or studio space and time for editing and mixing. This provides for faster creation and negotiation with the director.


Film
See also: Sound effect, Sound editor, and Foley artist

In motion picture production, a Sound Designer is a member of a film crew responsible for some original aspect of the film's audio track. The title is not controlled by any industry organisation, as with the title of director or screenwriter in the American film industry.

The terms "Sound Design" and "Sound Designer" were already in use in theatre and were introduced to the film world when Francis Ford Coppola directed (and his father, Carmine Coppola, arranged the music for) a live production of Noel Coward's Private Lives at the American Conservatory Theatre (ACT) in San Francisco where sound designer Charlie Richmond was resident, while the final cut of the The Godfather was being edited in 1972. In the original film world meaning of the title, as established in the 1970s by Coppola and Walter Murch, a sound designer is an individual ultimately responsible for all aspects of a film's audio track, from the dialogue and sound effects recording to the re-recording of the final track. The title was first granted by Coppola to Murch for his work on the film Apocalypse Now, in recognition for his extraordinary contribution to that film; in this way the position emerged in the same manner the title of production designer came in to being in the 1930s, when William Cameron Menzies made revolutionary contributions to the craft of art direction in the making of Gone with the Wind.

This "strong" meaning of the title is meant to imply that the person holding the position is a principal member of the production staff, with tangible creative authority, equivalent to the film editor and director of photography. This development can be seen as a natural part of the evolution of film sound. Several interacting factors contributed to this:

* Cinema sound systems became capable of high-fidelity reproduction, and particularly after the adoption of Dolby Stereo. These systems were originally devised as gimmicks to increase theater attendance, but their widespread implementation created a content vacuum that had to be filled by a competent professional. Before stereo soundtracks, film sound was of such low fidelity that only the dialogue and occasional sound effects were practical. The greater dynamic range of the new systems, coupled with the ability to place sounds to the sides of the audience or behind them, required more creative decisions to be made.

* Directors wanted to realize the new potentials of the medium. A new generation of filmmakers, the so-called "Easy Riders and Raging Bulls"—Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, and others—were aware of the creative potential of sound and wanted to use it.

* The new filmmakers were inspired in no small part by the popular music of the era. Concept albums of groups such as Pink Floyd and The Beatles suggested new modes of storytelling and creative techniques that could be adapted to motion pictures.

* The new filmmakers made their early films outside the Hollywood establishment, away from the influence of film labor unions and the then rapidly-dissipating studio system.

As many of these new filmmakers worked in the San Francisco Bay Area, the strong meaning of film sound designer has become associated with films made there, and the production companies situated there, such as American Zoetrope, Lucasfilm Limited (and its subsidiary Skywalker Sound), and The Saul Zaentz Film Center.

The role of sound designer can be compared with the role of supervising sound editor; many sound designers use both titles interchangeably. The role of supervising sound editor, or sound supervisor, developed in parallel with the role of sound designer. The demand for more sophisticated soundtracks was felt both inside and outside Hollywood, and the supervising sound editor became the head of the large sound department, with a staff of dozens of sound editors, that was required to realize a complete sound job with a fast turnaround. It is far from universal, but the role of sound supervisor descends from the original role of the sound editor, that of a technician required to complete a film, but having little creative authority. Sound designers, on the other hand, are expected to be creative, and their role is a generalization of the other creative department heads.


Theatre
See also: Sound reinforcement system and Architectural acoustics

Sound design is one of the youngest fields in stagecraft, second only to the use of projection and other multimedia displays. The idea of sound design has been around since theatre started, however the first person to receive a credit as Sound Designer on the poster and in the programme alongside the lighting and scene designers was David Collison for the 59 Theatre Company Season at London's Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith in 1959. The first person to be titled the "sound designer" on Broadway was Jack Mann for his work on Show Girl in 1963 [3], and for regional theatre to Dan Dugan at the American Conservatory Theatre (ACT), San Francisco in 1968. Since then the field has been growing rapidly. The term "Sound Design" was introduced to the film world when Francis Ford Coppola directed (and his father, Carmine Coppola, arranged the music for) a production of Private Lives at ACT, while the final cut of the film The Godfather was being edited in 1972.

Currently it can be said that there are two variants of Theatrical Sound Design. Both are equally important, but very different, though their functions usually overlap. Often a single Sound Designer will fill both these roles, and although on a large budget production they may work together, for the most part there is only one Sound Designer for a given production. Where such distinctions are made, the first variant is "Technical Sound Design" (which has also been termed Theatre Sound System Design by the United States Institute for Theatre Technology's (USITT) Sound Design Commission), which is prevalent on Broadway, and the second "Conceptual Sound Design" (which has also been termed Theatre Sound Score Design by the USITT), which is prevalent at Regional Repertory Theatres. Both variants were created during the 1960s. These terms are really examples only, and not generally used in practice since most Sound Designers simply call themselves Sound Designers, no matter which role they are filling primarily.

Technical Sound Design requires the sound designer to design the sound system that will fulfill the needs of the production. If there is a sound system already installed in the venue, it is their job to tune the system for the best use for the given production using various methods including equalization, delay, volume, speaker and microphone placement, and this may include the addition of equipment not already provided. In conjunction with the director and musical director, if any, they also determine the use and placement of microphones for actors and musicians. A Technical Sound Designer makes sure that the performance can be heard and understood by everyone in the audience, no matter how large the room, and that the performers can hear everything they need to in order to do their job.

Conceptual Sound Design is very different from technical sound design, but equally important. The designer must first read the play and talk to the production's Director about what themes and messages they want to explore. It is here that, in conjunction with the director and possibly the composer, the designer decides what sounds he will use to create mood and setting of the play. He or she might also choose or compose specific music for the play, although the final choice typically lies with the director, who may want nothing but scene change music or, on the other extreme, will want ambient beds under every scene, such as Robert Woodruff of the American Repertory Theatre or Bill Ball, Ellis Rabb and Jack O'Brien who were active at ACT and the Old Globe Theatre, San Diego, in the mid 1960s where Dan Dugan initially began his art. Many sound designers are indeed accomplished composers, writing and producing music for productions as well as designing sound. With these designers, it is often difficult to discern the line between sound design and music.

Some noted Sound Designers and/or Composers include Paul Arditti, Mark Bennet, Jim Van Bergen, Michael Bodeen, John Bracewell, Steven Brown, David Budries, David Collison, Jonathan Deans, Obadiah Eaves, Bruce Ellman, Gregg Fisher, Jon Gottlieb, John Gromada, Richard B. Ingraham, Abe Jacob (considered by many to be the Godfather of modern Theatre Sound Design), Steve Canyon Kennedy, Hans Peter Kuhn, John Leonard, Tom Mardikes, Tony Meola, Rob Milburn, Otts Munderloh, Joe Pino, Dan Moses Schreier, David Van Tieghem, Richard Thomas, Nancy Tobin, Darron West and Richard Woodbury.

On occasion, the director may be very hands-on and will tell the sound designer what sounds to use and where to play them. In such cases, the sound designer becomes little more than an audio editor, but this depends to a large degree on the director and his relationship and level of trust with the sound designer. There are also collaborations such as exist between Ann Bogart and Darron West in the Siti Company, where he is in rehearsal from the day one and sound is really another character of the play. Also, the Conceptual Sound Designer must build the "prop sounds" (telephones rings, answering machines, announcements etc.) and figure out how to fit them into the established themes with regard to when and where the action is supposed to be taking place. For example, using a modern cellular phone ringtone would be out of place for a phone ringing in the 1940s. A Conceptual Sound Designer uses sound to enhance the audience's experience by conveying specific emotion or information without using words.

Above all, both the Technical Sound Designer and the Conceptual Sound Designer must call on experience and "uncommon" sense to ensure that the sound and music are contributing constructively to the production and are in harmony with the work of the actors and other designers.

The union that represents theatrical non-Broadway sound designers in the United States is United Scenic Artists (USA) Local USA829 which is now integrated within IATSE. Theatrical Sound Designers in English Canada are represented by the Associated Designers of Canada (ADC) and in Québec by l'Association des professionnels des arts du Québec (APASQ). Sound Designers on Broadway working on productions falling under the League of American Theatre and Producers contracts (i.e. all Broadway theatrical productions) are represented by IATSE Local One[1], by virtue of Local One's merger with IATSE Local 922, the former Theatrical Sound Designers local union. Local One maintains a binding contract with Broadway producers for work performed on Broadway shows.

Charlie Richmond assembled a set [4] of Definitions, Communication Standards, Recommended Working Procedures, Information List, and suggested Contract Addenda to the ADC in 1990 in order to assist them in creating a Sound Design contract which finally occurred in 2004.

Other audio positions in a production that may or may not be filled by the designer include that of the production engineer.

Music

In contemporary music, especially rock music, ambient music, progressive rock, and similar genres, the record producer and recording engineer play distinct roles in the creation of the overall sound (or soundscape) of a recording, and less often, of a live performance. The record producer is chiefly responsible for extracting the best performance possible from the musicians and for making both musical and technical decisions about the instrumental timbres, arrangements, etc. On certain ambitious and complex recording projects, artists and producers have relied on sonic consultants, often credited as "sound designer", to help them to create specific auditory effects, landscapes, or to ensure an overall consistency and quality of some of the (usually unconventional) sonic elements. In such arrangements, the producer may put almost all of his or her attention on managing the recording session and working closely with the musicians on their performances and interpretations of the material; the recording engineer may dedicate all of his or her time to capturing these performances on tape (or hard disk); the sound designer may then help to create the overall sound, the integration of recording technology with musical instrument technology, the presentation that is the phonographic equivalent of decisions in movie-making about what type of lens to use on the camera, whether or not to use soft focus, and what kind of lighting to use on a scene.

In applied research in electroacoustic and computer programming for contemporary music or electronic music, the Sound Designer is a specialist who is usually there to help the composer to do the electroacoustic portion of the composition. Often, the composer comes with an idea (concept + score) and the Sound Designer assists the composer with new technology and unique equipment. Examples include sound synthesis, interaction between acoustic instruments and computers, realization of a computer program in many different languages (often Max-MSP/Jitter), gesture capture with sensors or cameras, video treatment and interaction between video and sound. Historically, the Sound Designer was often called the "Musical Assistant". Some of the many examples of research centers working with Sound Designers include Forum Neues Musiktheater of Stuttgart, IRCAM in Paris or synArt in Antibes.

Notable examples of sound design are the contributions of Michael Brook to the U2 album The Joshua Tree, George Massenburg to the Jennifer Warnes album Famous Blue Raincoat, Chris Thomas to the Pink Floyd album Dark Side of the Moon, and Brian Eno to the Paul Simon album Surprise.

[edit] Awards

Even though there have been continual, extraordinary advances in technology and even more demand for top-quality sound, sound design is still struggling to obtain acceptance. On June 19, 2007 a new category was added to the Tony Awards honoring sound design. Sound design has fast become an integral part of the design process for many theatres and sound designers often hold similar, if not superior positions in the creative team to the lighting designer and other designers.

TOP 10 HOUSE DJ

Out favorite DJs spinning and producing house music all around the world.







1. Roger Sanchez
Roger Sanchez is not only the DJ's DJ but the producer's producer. Constructing his entire new CD Come With Me from scratch, with outside assistance, he proves his skills as engineer, producer, programmer, and songwriter. Inspired by the dance Mecca island of Ibiza, the CD has already spawned several club anthems, with many more to come. To experience him as a DJ, check out his recently released mixed CD Release Yourself 5, his podcasts and radio shows, or live, as he spins all over the globe.



2. Ben Watt
Artist turned DJ - it almost sounds cliched, doesn't it? In the case of Ben Watt, the transition from Everything But the Girl to Buzzin' Fly is more of a logical artistic growth. The recent release of Buzzin' Fly Volume 3 is a testament to the music that Ben Watt continues to produces and find for the househeads of the world.



3. Frankie Knuckles
Godfather of House Frankie Knuckles doesn't really need an introduction. His nights spinning at The Warehouse in Chicago during the late 70s and early 80s is where the term "house music" came from. Recipient of the first Grammy for remixer of the year, he has worked on just about every important soulful vocalist in the past 20 years - Diana Ross, Patti Labelle, Michael Jackson, Mary J. Blige, Natalie Cole, Chaka Khan, Luther Vandross, and Patti LaBelle just to name a few.



4. Gavin Hardkiss
Since 1990 Gavin Hardkiss has been one of the biggest players in the American dance music industry. Alongside his siblings Robbie and Scott, Gavin has served as a label-boss, performance act and Disc Jockey; promoter and a key industry figure. Any devoted fan of house music has been following his career while increasingly seeing his name appearing in tracklistings and on playbills around the globe.




5. Murk
Basslines too deep and dark for Talla 2XLC's bog. Hi-hats that ring out like some particularly funky species of frog, punching through the night. And those synth hooks riding atop the groove like a painted harlot. These are the three basic components of the Murk sound, and over ten years later it still is emblematic of the primal incarnations of house and body music. In their own words, ladies and gentlemen, Murk boys Ralph Falcon and Oscar Gaetan…



6. Deep Dish
Grammy Award-winning remix team Deep Dish (Ali ‘Dubfire’ Shirazinia and Sharam Tayebi) have earned their well-deserved international reputation as one of the best remixer and live DJ teams - chosen as Best International DJ by Muzik Magazine and ranked highly on DJ Magazine's World's Top 100 DJs reader poll.



7. Armand Van Helden
It seems that Armand Van Helden has been out of the spotlight for a while, sticking to the underground scene. Fast forward to 2004 and Armand releases New York: A Mix Odyssey, a truly unique and ground-breaking mixed CD compilation blending 80s dance music from Yaz, Soft Cell and Blondie with his current productions. His new productions "Hear My Name," "My My My," and "Let Me Lead You" remind us of the brilliance of "You Don't Know Me" and "Witchdokta."



8. Junior Vasquez
If there is a person in dance music who needs no introduction, it is Junior Vasquez. As styles change and people come and go, Junior Vasquez stands singularly as one of our legends who continues to spin and produce music that clubland loves.



9. Robbie Rivera
He's Juicy and Wicked and likes Sex while getting his Funk-a-tron on, so how else do you describe the multitalented DJ and producer Robbie Rivera? With his new mixed compilation Wicked in stores and distribution through respected indie Subliminal, Robbie has a lot to hum about.



10. Joey Negra (aka Dave Lee)
Whether you call him Joey Negro, Jakatta or one of the Hed Boys, Dave Lee is well known as one of roots of the British house and garage scene. With countless productions and remixes in every DJ’s set, he manages to find the best music for his compilations and DJ sets while exploring his musicality with diverse and soul-satisfying projects. His new set Kings of Disco, with Dmitri from Paris, is just the latest gift he has given to house music lovers worldwide.

TOP 10 DJ's

Top 10 DJ’s of the World
DJing takes a lot of work. You have to learn the basics, gather your equipment of choice, keep up with the constantly shifting scene, and continually improve your skills to satisfy the demands of the clubbing public. Time and money are two things that you are almost guaranteed to sacrifice. The following are ten of the top DJs in the world. The best of the best. Some of them are legendary powerhouses, others are breakthrough revolutionaries whose recent work has launched them into the upper echelon of the DJ elite. (If there were a secret formula though, we have a feeling it might be one of two things: host a radio show; or start collecting Frequent Flyer Miles to a little island called Ibiza in Spain. Better yet, do both. ) Have you heard these names before?




Above and Beyond
It seems like trance isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Above and Beyond is a group specializing in uplifting trance that is made up of Jono Grant, Tony McGuinness, and Paavo Siljamäki. A British group that formed in the early millennium, A&B has managed to earn the support of the likes of Armin, PvD, and Ferry Corsten. The trio does double duty, writing songs and DJing (“Home” won Best Underground Dance Track at this year’s IDMAs). They having been climbing DJMag’s Top 100 since 2004, being ranked sixth in last year, and yes, they do host a weekly radio show, “Trance Around the World.”
Ties to Ibiza: played at Space; holds residency at Cream, Amnesia; recorded Sirens of the Sea on the island.



Markus Schulz
Hailing from Berlin, one of trance’s homes, Markus Schulz is a true globetrotter. You will know him, whether you’re from North America (he’s sold out shows in LA, Chicago, NY, San Francisco, and Miami) or Europe, where he has appeared at the unparalleled Sensation White. While Markus touches down most frequently in his hometown of Berlin and Miami, where he now lives, you will be able to catch him no matter where or when he’s flying by tuning into his radio show, “Global DJ Broadcast.”
Ties to Ibiza: held residency at Amnesia; “Global DJ Broadcast” debuted “Ibiza Summer Sessions” in 2006.




Sasha
One half of superstar duo Sasha & Digweed, Alexander Coe’s style has developed from his earlier dabbling in house music to a self-described “house, trance, progressive house, breaks” mix. Like many DJs though, this travelling artist would prefer not to be pigeonholed in a particular genre. He has picked up talent like James Zabiela and BT and signed them to his Excession record label. He has managed to enthral his audiences with live shows that are a joy to watch, a testament to his ability to connect with spectators and manipulate their passions through music. Among our top ten, Sasha is the only DJ who does not host a radio show.
Ties to Ibiza: played at Space, Pacha, and Amnesia


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Aly & Fila
Aly Amr Fathalah & Fadi Wassef Naguib are a trance duo from Egypt. While northern Africa is not exactly a hotbed of trance, it has now been put on the map for spawning this group inspired by the music of Paul van Dyk. Their live mixes are top-par, and “Eye of Horus” has been a hit with DJs like Armin and Tiësto – and you know that if the Dutch like it, the rest of the world will soon catch on. Aly & Fila host a weekly radio show called “Future Sound of Europe.”
Ties to Ibiza: dream is to play at superclub Amnesia.



Digweed
John Digweed is way past the “rising star” stage – this Brit has been named Top Ten by DJMag for the past nine years. If he makes it again this year, it will be a decade of brilliance. Digweed was number three in 2007, making him the highest ranked progressive DJ in a crowd of trance at the top. A DJ who has visited some of the biggest and best clubs around the world, his style of music is ever- varying; the progressive house that Digweed was known for may no longer be recognizable in his experiments with genre. Digweed’s ventures today include his Bedrock label, and you guessed it, a radio show, “Transitions,” that also produces mix albums.
Ties to Ibiza: played at Amnesia, Pacha, and Space.




Sander van Doorn
A Dutch trance (what’s new?) DJ who made his name as Best New Producer at the Trance Awards and Best Breakthrough DJ at the IDMAs, Sander van Doorn has been called the “heir apparent” to Tiësto’s throne. In a somewhat predictable move though, Sander’s style now encompasses not only trance, but also genres such as minimal, house, and techno. His resume is only growing, with expansion to American clubs like Pacha, Avalon, and Space. His internet radio show, “Identity,” airs every fourth Wednesday of the month.
Ties to Ibiza: played at Amnesia; held/holds residency at Eden (Judgment Sundays)



Tiësto
Say what you want about Tiësto, but almost all aspiring DJs would give up an arm and a leg to play at the clubs where he does, and to have the worldwide success that he’s had. This DJ has put out incredible mixes, and his shows are consistently packed full all over the globe. He is the epitome of today’s superstar DJ, and while he was held at number two last year in DJMag’s list, his three year reign at number one will not be soon forgotten. Tiësto is no stranger to enormous crowds, and what bigger stage for him than the Olympic Games? He was the first DJ to play live at the Olympic Games (in 2004), and for Beijing this year, was part of Coca-Cola’s We8 Campaign to support art and music. Tiësto also has a pretty long radio show, “Tiësto’s Club Life,” which runs for two hours.
Ties to Ibiza: pretty much every superclub on the island; currently holds residency at Privilege, the largest club in the world.




Paul van Dyk
Another established top-flight DJ, trance and techno leader “PvD” has been number one for two years. With a unique DJ image fuelled by his unique East Berlin experience behind the Berlin Wall, adapting his style and creative approach to the ever-changing times, van Dyk is also known for his humanitarian and political efforts. He’s won all the awards you could want, and has pretty much universal acclaim for his music. Even his “Vonyc Sessions” radio show is getting in on the awards, winning Third Best Radio Show at the Trance Awards.
Ties to Ibiza: won Best Club Night at the Trance Awards for Cream at Amnesia; mixed a compilation for “Cream Ibiza”; holds residency at Cream, Amnesia.




Ferry Corsten
No, he – oh wait, never mind, he is Dutch. Ferry Corsten (aka. System F) is electro-trance DJ extraordinaire. Equal parts producer and DJ, Ferry at last count has over two hundred releases, but recently has focused more on the DJing side of things. He has also been moving in a new direction of late with his music, namely the L.E.F. (Loud Electronic Ferocious) style, taking electro-house, trance, and techno to the next level. With multiple “Best European DJ” and “Best Global DJ” nominations at the IDMAs for the past few years, Ferry Corsten is a legend in his own right, as he is one year short of a ten year run on DJMag’s Top 100 DJs List. (Yes, he has a radio show too: Corsten’s Countdown, which lets listeners vote for their favourite tracks.)
Ties to Ibiza: named Best Trance DJ Ibiza in 2005 & 2007; played at Eden; holds residency at Cream, Amnesia; takes inspiration from constant travels to the island for musical productions.




Armin van Buuren
He was once an up-and-coming DJ, but now, Armin van Buuren has cemented his rank as one of, if not the best DJ in the world. Ranked number one by DJMag, Armin is the youngest to the reach the top of the polls at age thirty. This trance DJ has been behind other superstars like Tiësto and Paul van Dyk for a few years before making it. He is no stranger to marathon DJ sets lasting eight to nine hours, and of course, like any good DJ, keeps his mind open when it comes to blending genres, having mixed trance, minimal, techno, and electro. You can get a weekly dose of Armin by listening to his insanely successful radio show, “A State of Trance,” which regularly attracts listeners in the millions.
Ties to Ibiza: frequents Amnesia; recorded a live set there in 2007.




Related Posts:

* Top 10 DJ's - DJ Mag Poll Results 2008
* Sander van Doorn - Supernaturalistic DJ
* Markus Schulz - Trance DJ
* Ferry Corsten - Trance Pioneer
* Armin van Buuren Master of Armada Music

ultra mixer

UltraMixer is a DJ mixing software which enables you to mix digital music in various formats such as MP3, WMA, AAC, OGG, WAV or CDs in real time. All you need is a sound card. The DJ's turntables are replaced by two digital SoundPlayers, the "vinyls" are available within seconds through the integrated FileArchive.
No matter whether you want to use UltraMixer for a professional gig or at a private party or as virtual jukebox in restaurants, hair studios or medical surgeries - it will prove the right choice!

UltraMixer is the first DJ software in the world, that is available for the most popular operating systems Windows, Linux and Mac OS X.

There are three versions of UltraMixer available: the Free Edition and the Basic Edition for private users and the Professional Edition for high demands and commerical use. All versions are integrated in one program, and can be activated through the appropriate licence keys. This enables the user to switch to a more advanced version without any problems.

TriDef media player

The TriDef Media Player enables the playback of a wide range of 2D and 3D movies and photos on your Stereoscopic Display.

The TriDef Media Player uses our patented Realtime Conversion process to add an amazing into-the-screen 3D effect!


Features:

Play existing TriDef format files including TriDef Photos and TriDef Movies
Play a wide variety of open format 3D media files (.avi, .mpg, .jpg, etc) named in adherence to the 3D File Naming Conventions
Play a wide variety of 2D media files (.avi, .mpg, .jpg, etc) in stereoscopic 3D at run time with TriDef 2D-to-3D Conversion technologies
View thumbnail previews of TriDef Photo files in Windows Explorer

System Requirements:

CPU: Athlon XP2800+ or Intel P4 3.0GHz 512K Cache
Memory: 512 MB PC2100 DDR RAM
Hard Drive: 40 GB EIDE (7200 RPM, Ultra ATA-100)
Graphics Card: nVIDIA GeForce4 Video Card, or equivalent. PowerStrip may be required to support the display resolution requirements of your 3D Display
Network Card: PCI 10T/100T
Accessories: Keyboard, Mouse
Monitor: Supported 3D Display

adobe media player

Your favorite shows and clips all in one place
Experience the next generation of television with Adobe® Media Player software, which enables you to interact with your favorite content in exciting new ways and helps build opportunities for anyone who creates media content.


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With this evolution comes opportunity. Whether viewed on air, online, or on device, entertainment content is a valuable commodity. Those who most successfully match their content to consumer demand across proliferating media outlets will gain a competitive advantage.

With opportunity come challenges. Production processes need to be more cost-effective, addressing both content creation and distribution. Innovation across a range of processes, from production through online delivery, opens the door to new efficiencies. And advertising and revenue models need to evolve to address a changing media landscape.

Adobe can help by providing an end-to-end workflow for creation, distribution, and control of entertainment content. Always on the cutting edge, Adobe will continue to lead new advances such as XMP metadata support from planning through playback, tapeless post-production workflows, and other emerging technologies. And for specialized solutions, Adobe works with best-of-breed technology partners who know your business.

Learn more about Adobe solutions for broadcast and media ›



Adobe offers a complete solution for creating, distributing, and monetizing video — on air, onscreen, and on device
From planning to playback, Adobe delivers a complete solution for creating and distributing video content. Combining unmatched creative control with industry-leading support for tapeless workflows — including the popular RED camera — and forward-looking technologies that enable you to deliver your work to virtually any screen, Adobe's video solutions give you a competitive advantage.

For creative professionals, Adobe® Creative Suite® 4 Production Premium software offers everything you need to transform your ideas into compelling content for any screen. From the superior tapeless support in Adobe Premiere® Pro and the industry-standard motion graphics and visual effects tools in Adobe After Effects® to the interactive authoring power of Adobe Flash Professional to integrated XMP metadata support, Production Premium enables you to create for whatever media you imagine. Production Premium also combines Adobe Photoshop® CS4 Extended, Illustrator®, and Soundbooth®.

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links: http://www.adobe.com/products/

TIPS ON PLAYING MUSIC ON OTS TURN TABLE

TIPS ON PLAYING MUSIC ON OTS TURN TABLE

1. MAKE SURE THAT YOUR MUSIC FILES ARE WELL ORGANIZED,CLASSIFY THEM FIRST ACCRDING TO ITS GENRE LIKE HOUSE MUSIC,HIPHOP,RNB,TRANCE,ETC,ONE OF THE REASONS IS BECAUSE WHENEVER YOUR AT THE PARTY PLAYING MUSIC IF IT IS WELL ORGANIED YOU WOULDN;T HAVE DIFFICUTIES ON CHOOSING THE RIGHT GENRE AND THE RIGHT BPM WHILE PLAYING MUSIC...SPECIALLY IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A FULL SET UP...I MEAN SPECIALLY IF YOU CAN'T HEAR THE NEXT SONG YOUR GOIN TO PLAY OVER THE HEADFONE.
2. CLASSIFY THE MUSIC ACCORDING TO SPEED SO YOUR WOULDNT HAVE TO HAVE A PROBLEM DURING PARTY TIME.
3. DOWNLOADS THE BEST MIXES OVER THE INTERNET,IF YOU HAVE THESE YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TO WORRY BOUT MIXING OR USING THE SCRACTH PAD...THE GREATER THE MUSIC OR LIBRARY YOU HAVE THE YOUR ARE ON THE BOOTH AS A DJ...
4. MAKE SURE YOU KNOW THE MUSIC VERY WELL AND REVIEW OR LISTEN TO IT BEFORE YOU PLAY IT...AND TRY TO TEASE THE PEOPLE ON THE DANCE FLOOR...SO YOU CAN ADD A VERY NICE TEASERR SPIEL DURING YOU PLAYTIME...
THE MORE YOU PRACTICE WELL THE WILDEST PARTY EVER YOU CAN CREAT DURING THE PARTY...GUDLUCK DJS...

MY FAVORITE LOVE QOUTES...

* If i has to choose between loving you and beathing... i would use my last beath to say I LOVE YOU

* The best thing about ME is YOU

* I love you not for what you are, But for who i am when i am with you..

* Pleasure of love lasts but a moment, Pleasure of LOVE lasts a life time

* LOVE is a promise, LOVE is a souvenir, Once given never forgotten, never let it disappear...

* Two souls with but a single thought, Two heats that beat as one...

* If i know what love is... it is because of you...

* LOVE begins with a smile, grows with a kiss, and ends with a teardrop

* I get the best felling when you say HI or even smile at meh..coz i know ..even if its just for a second, i've crossed your mind...

* LOVE is like a WAR easy to begin and hard to END...

* You being in my arms.. heart by heart feels like our love would never end...