Aqua-Soft Forumsbasically all i want is an alternative for the software instrument stuff, i already have a pretty good editing program.
is there a windows program out there that has similar software intrument capabilites like GarageBand ?
Garageband Alternative For Windows
there has to be a program on windows that has software intruments, by that i mean, plugging a keyboard into my pc and using it along side a program that has software intruments.
im not buying a mac just for garageband.
Cubase.
adobe audition does this type of thing... i'm not sure how well, but i know it supports mulitple tracks and comes with a ton of instrument loops.
http://mediasoftware.sonypictures.com/prod...uct.asp?PID=906
It's free, but I have not used it. A pro version is $400.
hi, new here, but needed to chime in on this. there are loads of soft synths for us pC users. i gotta take a look at what garageband does, after i do that, i'll repost what could be an equivalent, if any. some all in one possibilities are propellerheads Reason, native instruments kontakt (or any other native instruments products, all soft synths and samplers). i'm a studio engineer that works on both platforms, and both the mac and the pC have their pro's and cons with software availability. acid pro is more of a sequencer, but can use vsti's and dxi's in it. adobe audition is also more of a sequencer or recording and mixing platform along with cubase.
Check this thread: http://www.aqua-soft.org/board/index.php?showtopic=12120. Lots of good information there 
best for notation - sibelius (cant remember who by)
best for mixing - cubase (steinberg)
best for fun - acid (sonic foundry)
Editing > Nuendo 1or2 (Steinberg)
Music effects/32bit instruments > V-STACK, Virtual Effects, Sounds & Loops (To be used with Nuendo, Cubase)
Like garage band> HALion 1or2 (Steinberg) (the above instruments will probably work with HALion, including Virtual Guitarist, Drum Machines & Sound Modules)
Hope that helps.
@funky: it's Steinberg
there is free demo. the full version is quite expensive. Anyway, my friend has this and a midi keyboard on his powerbook and it's amazing. Especailly for techoish and rap-type stuff. Worth a look
Audtion from adobe is just CoolEdit with a new name. THey got bought out.
Look for Acid 4.0 by Sonic Foundry it's a great program
i dont need a program like audition, i already have it, i just want software instruments.....thanks to all the people for their suggestions and jivebrown if you can get back to me about this that would be great.
why hasnt anyone mentioned FruityLoops?
to me that's the closest
and without all that Cubase-y confusion
Originally posted by Duckie@Apr 8 2004, 10:59 PMwhy hasnt anyone mentioned FruityLoops?
to me that's the closest
and without all that Cubase-y confusion
no offense Duckie
but, while i don't have garage band, from what i've seen, it seems that its more like Acid, than FruityLoops..
if i'm wrong, i'll edit this post, but..
Acid does the loops, like it shows on the GarageBand website.
whereas FruityLoops is a sequencer. (i don't see this mentioned anywhere on the GarageBand site)
from what little i have read about garageband, it looks like a combination of ableton live and acid pro (from the stand point of the interface and loop functioning). it just seems to add software synths to the equation. both live and acid pro have rewire support, and acid also has vsti and dxi support. soft synths can be ported into the sequencers this way. i really dig Reason, because its easy to get it up and going, and it functions as a rewire slave. this means you could use it in either program as your instruments if you wanted to. it has a sequencer, "quasi" drum machine (redrum), step sequencer, NN-19 and NN-XT which are basically on screen keyboards that can have sounds loaded in (be it strings, organ, synth, piano...), a sampler. you get what i mean? quite a useful tool in the creative process. there are also loads of soft synths out there, some free and some that cost the dough. like i mentioned before though, i'm all about the native instruments software (battery, pro 53, absynth, B4, Fm7, Reaktor...). i'll try to fix up some sort of list as to which ones i think are on point, and would work for you. what software are you using, that would be a great help in me finding out some info for you?
at the moment the only software im using is adobe audition, which is great for mixing and all but i want software instruments, i play bass guitar and guitar, so im looking at mixing those intruments together with a cool beat and some weird sounds and classical instuments.
i tried fruity loops studio out, but i dont like the on screen keyboard, and the intruments are very techno and dance based, im not looking at making dance music, i would like some classical and rock intruments, like the preview apple did with john mayer, he used his midi keyboard and he had cool instruments like acoustic guitar etc.
i would buy a mac i just dont have the money to buy one at the moment.
No need for a garageband for windows, ACID been around for a couple years now, and works friggin wonderful.
while your at it, once you guys figure out a list of soft instruments...would any of you mind telling me a good software drum synthesizer? I play the drums/drum set and I'm always looking to create beats in something...I just haven't gotten around with playing much yet (audition is the only program I have so far and just haven't gotten around to using it yet)
from what i remember of audition, it's only an editor and mixing environment. of course i only tried it briefly to see what changes came of cool edit (it's predecessor). you can load those "classical and rock instruments" into a sampler software like Kontact or the samplers in Reason. getting them into audition would take a little work though (that's if they are running on the same machine). that is what makes rewire and vsti compatible software a better bet for what your looking for. there is however a couple software possibilities on pulling the output of one music soft into another (staying on the same machine, without having to run in and out of the soundcards external in/outs). i'll try to dig up something i've recorded that has the kind of sounds you're looking for. so you can see that it can be done and sound realistic with the use of samplers and soft synths. and you definately dont need a mac to do what you're trying to do. i have just as good of a protools LE rig on my pC at home as we have on the mac at the studio. same program different platform.
thanks jivebrown, so your a sound engineer huh ? must be a wicked a job, i live for music.
if you can get a few samples of what you have recorded that would be great, playing an istrument is alot of fun and is always good to have, but i cant always get hold of a drummer and recording studios arent very cheap, so if you could help me....i would be very appreciative. 
if you like i could maybe get a sample of the type of music im trying to create, thats if you arent too sure of the style im talking about.
[EDIT] MDZ61384 i tried fruity loops and it seemed to have a pretty good drum syth, im not a drummer myself, but it seemed to be pretty good.[EDIT]
thanks very much xfodder...I will check it out. 
(even though all the song/music samples/ideas that I recorded just got erased off my iPAQ :-/ :rant: )
ACID and Ableton Live kick ass for looping, but for software instruments and notation I like Cakewalk Pro Audio and Reason.
[EDIT] Being an audio engineer-in-training, I pick these things up pretty fast. [/EDIT]