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[Biggerfish]

I've never had the chance to use garageband for recording but I did see a live demo with it and an electric viola to show the realtime effects and thought it was pretty neat.

[soundofjw]

It all depends on the medium and restrictions given by the developer. For Bonesaw: The Game, I stuck with Modplug Tracker and created my sound library out using a number of my software synthesizers and Renoise. For The Spirit Engine II, I used a combination of the following tools which I now use regularly: Renoise, Cakewalk Sonar, East West/Quantum Leap Symphonic Orchestras and other soundsets, an M-Audio Axiom 61, and my pair of M-Audio studio monitors. I have a separate PC that I use for my compositions only, and otherwise remains well rested.

The composition process also varies on what I’m trying to write. Sometimes I am able to simply improvise a melody on the piano and then write each part around it, visualizing the score in my head as I go. Other times, I will score an entire piece out in notation before sitting down to record it (as I did with “Finale and A Lost Dream”). The reason I use Renoise for some pieces is because it brings together the tracking methodology I grew up with and opens up the use of my new sample libraries. I seem to write entirely different music when the music is scrolling vertically, as opposed to traditional horizontal staff lines. It is also typically music that I cannot play right away on the piano, so it seems a little less limited.

get the full skinny here

[sugarbeard]

Yeah GarageBand is actually a nice little program for fleshing out quick ideas. Quick and easy to use. Nothing wrong with that. But once you start to get into some serious composing, wave editing, and multi-tracking, I find the program starts to fall apart. It still certainly has it's place though.

Speaking of DAW's (digital audio workstations). What do you guys use / have you used?

I primarily use Adobe Audition as my main DAW on my laptop, and Ableton Live on my desktop. I've trying Logic Pro and I really wanted to get into it, but I found the learning curve was just killer steep even with past DAW experience. I may give it another try some day but I find myself slowly distancing myself from Apple. Also I've given Reaper a try. That's the open source DAW made but the guys that first created winamp. Using it, plus Audacity seems to be a good combo if you're into the open source thing.

[oxygene]

I utilise a crapload of time to make music, and it took two megacraploads^2 to actually get to a point that it was objectively worth listening to. I'd say if you are simply looking to make music for your game and are not passionately motivated about the music yourself, find someone else to write and produce it for you.

I also use Steinberg Neuendo as the base for my stuff. It's either that or Ableton Live depending on your composing style. Nothing else compares unless you are amateur.

[sloopygoop]

I use LSDJ on Gameboys, and lots of it!  I actually have a setup that lets me sync many at once, using special USB cartridges made by BleepBloop and a sync box made by Delfy Creations.

I think I might like to learn Nanoloop 2 for GBA, and Pxtone seems like a good tool to take up too.  But I haven't really used either yet besides the slightest of tinkering.

[moonmagic]

I think I might like to learn Nanoloop 2 for GBA, and Pxtone seems like a good tool to take up too.  But I haven't really used either yet besides the slightest of tinkering.

See, this is how I am with LSDJ. I know it's more robust, and I KNOW it's not beyond me, but every time I try to use it, I hit this wall of parameters to set and think, "I don't have time to do this now."

[J.W. Hendricks]

PXTone. I'm going to start (attemptimg) to use ModPlug Tracker.

[mcveighp]

I use Logic 9, Cubase 4 and Pro Tools 7.4.2, all for different things,

Logic 9 to be honest has everything you'd want midi wise and instrument wise without buying miroslav, Tho i do have miroslave, sample tank 2xl, sonic synth, Tracks and T racks 3 delux Ozone 3 and 4, i use a MK-449C midi controller, as well as a kenton midi fader. I use an Alesis IO|26 for inputting and also have idat to a focusright pre amp.

I use Ez and supiour drummer and kontack player 2 with infinaty player. Pretty solid for drums.

For guitar amp emulators theres a load free with logic 9 but i also use Amplitube 2, ampeg for bass and the fender edition also.

Total Studio from IK is also reasonably cheap atm... so you'd get most of what i've stated for a good price.

But it all really really helps, miroslav is great but takes alot of tracks to get what you're looking for as you've a different track for stac etc...

As far as it goes i'd say get as much as possible gear wise i've been saving and collecting it over the years and everything has something you'll need.

they're all tools that help you along the way!

Pete

[Bod]

It usually depends. If I have time I will sketch out something that works on the piano and then move into Cakewalk SONAR and use various VSTs including a wealth of EastWest/Quantum Leap beastys. I often find they're so nice to use. Then of course if there's time I'll head off, score it and get it recorded but that's not always possible in the case of some commissions I get which have a day or two until they need to be delivered. In this case it makes me glad to have a load of EWQL stuff and a lovely sequencer like SONAR. In the case of a film I'm scoring at the moment we'll be heading over to Central Europe to utilise an orchestra.

But I guess more importantly than anything else, it's not your qualification or "my sound library is bigger than your sound library", it's your love for music and a strong desire to succeed. And who you know, not what you know... which is so often and unfortunately the case. Mind it's also who you know and what you know, which is also coo'.

But technically uh, piano, brain, MIDI keyboard and SONAR. Mixer and moniter speakers too and a rather deep sub-woofer to make sure everything is just peachy.

[supershigi]

I mainly use Cakewalk SONAR 6 for sequencing and production.  I use a lot of DXis; my favorites being stuff from Edirol and EWQL.  I have a Korg Triton workstation which I love because it feels like a real piano (88 weighted keys... you have to apply slightly more pressure than you would with a real piano, but it's pretty close), has like 1500 different samples, a built-in distortion tube, and lots of other cool stuff.  Sometimes I'll also use Soundforge for editing SFX.

[superflat]

Logic Studio, Sonnox Oxford / Arturia / Sonalksis / Waves / NI Plugs, Apogee Duet (soon to buy Ensemble and summing mixer), Mackie 824 MK II's, Rode NT2 going through a Focusrite, a few other analogue bits and a guitar.

[sugarbeard]

Rode NT2

Uhh... can I like... have that?

[superflat]

Yeah they stopped making them, I don't think the new model is quite the same.  I really like it.  For some voices better than others, though.  I do want a Neumann someday!

[Acoustiks]

It all depends on the medium and restrictions given by the developer. For Bonesaw: The Game, I stuck with Modplug Tracker and created my sound library out using a number of my software synthesizers and Renoise. For The Spirit Engine II, I used a combination of the following tools which I now use regularly: Renoise, Cakewalk Sonar, East West/Quantum Leap Symphonic Orchestras and other soundsets, an M-Audio Axiom 61, and my pair of M-Audio studio monitors. I have a separate PC that I use for my compositions only, and otherwise remains well rested.

The composition process also varies on what I’m trying to write. Sometimes I am able to simply improvise a melody on the piano and then write each part around it, visualizing the score in my head as I go. Other times, I will score an entire piece out in notation before sitting down to record it (as I did with “Finale and A Lost Dream”). The reason I use Renoise for some pieces is because it brings together the tracking methodology I grew up with and opens up the use of my new sample libraries. I seem to write entirely different music when the music is scrolling vertically, as opposed to traditional horizontal staff lines. It is also typically music that I cannot play right away on the piano, so it seems a little less limited.

get the full skinny here

Very well said. I am the same way. When I use a DAW that is the standard horizontal way, I can make good music, but it is noting special. When I use a Tracker, everything changes, I work much better vertically rather than horizontally.

I use three main workstations, it all depends on how I fell, really. Reason, FL Studio, and Modplug. I'm looking into learning Cubase too. I usually use Reason for a ReWire client into FL, but I also use it as a main DAW too. I wish I could rewire reason into modplug! The sound librarys that NN-XT has is amazing.