Music-related Books

Three new books in the How to Make a Noise series have just been published. Check out this video for details.

If the video does not show, then go to youtube.com/watch?v=aRSbSEEkNik to see the video.

The key factor when creating sounds with synthesizers is choosing the right tool for the job and then using that tool properly.  These three new books each focus on different approaches to synthesizer sound creation so the musician can choose the right tool for the job.

Jumpstart Your Music Career is now available. Check out this video for details.

If the video does not show, then go to noisesculpture.com/jump or youtu.be/di193Dji-FE to see the video.

Jumpstart Your Music Career is for every musician who wants to earn a living—and to sustain a long-term career—making music. It offers the musician a path to proactively manage and develop their own career, by focusing on:

How to Make a Noise: iPad Synthesizers Edition is now available. Check out this video for details.

If the video does not show, then go to noisesculpture.com/ipad or youtube.com/watch?v=YipRB-lfTTU to see the video.

The second edition of Cakewalk Synthesizers: From Presets to Power User is now available. Check out this video for details.

If the video does not show, then go to noisesculpture.com/cakewalk-synthesizers or youtube.com/watch?v=kqVepfS9AVY to see the video.

This new book covers: Triangle II, PSYN II, Pentagon I, Z3TA+, Session Drummer 2 and Session Drummer 3, Dimension LE and Dimension Pro, Rapture LE and Rapture, and Beatscape.

Since Cakewalk Synthesizers: From Presets to Power User was published in 2006 there have been a number of changes to the featured synthesizers and the Cakewalk line. As a result, I’m pleased to announce that a new edition of the book (to be called Cakewalk Synthesizers: From Presets to Power User, second edition) will be published in early 2010.

Since the first edition four new synthesizers have been released which are featured in the new edition:

• Session Drummer 3
• Beatscape
• Dimension LE, and
• Rapture LE.

This new book also reflects the significant updates (since the first edition was published) which have been made to:

The SFZ format is the file format underlying Cakewalk’s Expression Engine synthesizers. It defines how a group of samples are structured: the samples can then be loaded and deployed in any compatible player (such as Dimension Pro, Rapture, the Session Drummers, and Beatscape). The SFZ format has also been adopted by several other non-Cakewalk synthesizers.

Beyond grouping and arranging source waves, the SFZ format allows access to a range of additional functionality in compatible synthesizers, turning them into something closer to a modular synthesizer while keeping the user-friendly interfaces.

The SFZ Tools are a group of tools based on UltraEdit which make it easier for musicians to edit SFZ definition files and to see what’s going on while they are doing this. In particular, the tools:

Becoming a Synthesizer Wizard: From Presets to Power User is now available. Check out this video for details.

If the video does not show, then go to noisesculpture.com/becoming-a-synthesizer-wizard or youtube.com/watch?v=McmLei_YgBc to see the video.

The book covers:

• The principles of synthesis and sound design, focusing on how to create the sound you want and the sound that is right for your music. These principles can be applied to any synthesizer.
• The building blocks of synthesis, looking at the elements of synthesis, the function of each element and its effect on the sound, and how each element interacts with the other elements.
• Synthesizer construction principles, focusing on the choices that are available from different oscillator and filter types, through to the audio path construction, the modulation that can be applied, and the implications of those choices in terms of flexibility, control, and sound.

Making music is only half the story if you want to earn your living making music: the other half is the business. Rocking Your Music Business:

Project5 Power! The Comprehensive Guide is now available. With SONAR Power! (by Scott Garrigus) and my other Cakewalk book Cakewalk Synthesizers: From Presets to Power User, this completes the coverage of Cakewalk’s Pro Suite.

To read more about the book, go to noisesculpture.com/project5-power from where you can also download the patches accompanying tutorial 33.