music

OSdata.com

Music Creation

    Summary: Professional music creation: composition, performance, recording, and post production.

    Note: Because of the large size of this web page, it is best to wait until the page is fully loaded before using the internal links below:

• Recommended Music System
• Musicians
• Live Shows
• Music Computers
• further reading: books on music creation

     “A fundamental shift in computing has occurred. For business users and consumers alike, what matters is being connected to the Web, not the raw processing power of the desktop computer. The most intriguing new technologies aren’t spreadsheets or word-processing programs, or the latest updates to Windows. Digital photography, digital music, desktop video editing, and high speed internet access are where the action is. A top-flight desktop computer or notebook is nice to have, but what makes that technology really rock is all the gear that goes with it. Computer manufacturers have altered their product lines in recognition of that trend. Apple’s top-end consumer model, the iMac DV Special Edition, comes with a stellar sound system, high-speed FireWire ports for transferring video, and the company’s iMovie software for editing movies.” —Fortune Technology Guide^m2

recommended system

    After numerous requests for specific recommendations, OSdata.com now includes a recommended system for professional musicians. These recommendations are partly opinion. These recommendations assume that you are working professionally in the field and are much more expensive than typical home or business systems. These recommendations are based on personal experience in the content creation field.

    Each system (both hardware and software) will need to be repeated for each person on staff (except as noted). It is illegal to buy one copy of software and then install it on multiple machines. Some programs check the network for this kind of cheating. If you are caught violating copyright law, the fines and penalties could bankrupt you, so it really isn’t worth it to try to cheat to save a few bucks.

     Professional musicians overwhelmingly choose Macintosh computers.

     The Macintosh is the computer operating system of choice among professional musicians. This is because of the Macintosh’s ease of use and true “plug and play”, combined with excellent professional and amateur music software and reliable MIDI implementation.

We are working on providing a second source.

hardware

    computer: The most commonly used operating system for professional music work is Macintosh OS 9. Mac OS 9 has built in capabilities for the support of content creation (including such technologies as ColorSync for accurate colors, QuickTime for digital video and sound, and sophisticated font capabilities for both PostScript and TrueType fonts) and is the operating system with the largest library of professional content creation software. The G4 800MHz DP (dual processor - equal to approximately one 3 GHz Pentium) is currently Apple’s fastest computer. You will want to purchase additional RAM (at least 512 MB total RAM, up to 1.5 GB of RAM, depending on your budget). You may want to swap out the ATA drive for a more expensive, but faster internal SCSI drive. Adding Apple’s optional UltraSCSI PCI card will save headaches when connecting up UltraSCSI external devices (there are other SCSI cards available, but this is the most compatible).

    Apple PowerMac G4 800MHz DP; PowerMac G4 800MHz Dual Processor, 256K L2 cache and 2 MB backside L3 cache, 133MHz system bus supporting more than 1-GBps data throughput, 256 MB PC133 SDRAM (slots for 1.5GB SDRAM), 80 GB 7200 RPM Ultra ATA/66 hard drive, Zip drive, combination DVD-R/CD-RW SuperDrive (with DVD-Video, writes DVD-R at 2x, reads DVD at 4x, writes CD-R at 8x, writes CD-RW at 4x, reads CD at 24x), three 3.5-inch hard drive expansion bays (ATA or SCSI), NVIDIA GeForce2 MX graphics card with 64MB of SDRAM with TwinView in a dedicated AGP 4X slot and 133 MHz system bus (supporting two monitors, each at 1920-by-1200-pixel resolution at 32 bits per pixel, millions of colors), Apple Display Connector (ADC) and 15-pin mini D-Sub VGA connector, 4 full-length PCI slots (64 bit, 33 MHz) with throughput up to 215 MBps and one AGP 4X slot (with graphcis card installed), built in Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000BASE-T Ethernet connector, RJ-45), Built-in 56K V.90 modem card, stereo audio out (mysteriously missing audio in?!?!), headphone jack, two 400-Mbps Firewire ports (15W total power), 2 USB ports (12Mbps each), both Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X preinstalled; $3,495

    monitor: Unless you are using your music system for graphics work, you don’t need a color accurate monitor, but you do need lots of screen space for tools and tracks. Any large monitor will do. Although not essential immediately, you will eventually want a second monitor (one for your tools and one for your work). You will need a second video card (a second Rage 128 Pro video card will run about $150). Any large monitor will do.

    keyboard and mouse: The keyboard and mouse that Apple ships with their PowerMacs are complete jokes. Neither are usable. You need to immediately replace them with a USB keyboard and mouse. Choice of replacements depends in large part on personal preference. Make sure that you get an extended keyboard and that it is one with a Macintosh “start button”. An ergonomic keyboard will be easier on your wrists, but will take some getting used to. You can get a one button, two button, or three button mouse, with or without a scroll bar wheel — again, a matter of personal preference. You might even choose a trackball or trackpad.

Adesso Tru-Form USB Keyboard for Macintosh (Ice); 79.95

Macally USB iSweet; single button mouse with changeable color “jackets”; $24.95

Macally USB iSweetNet; two button mouse with scroll wheel and changeable color “jackets”; $29.95

iBall; Macally; USB 2 button trackball; $39.95

    printer: You will want at least one printer. There are a lot of factors that can go into the decision of which printer is best for you. PostScript is essential for pre-press work and useful for general text and line art printing. Color is essential for creating proofs or “comps” of color work, but color printing is more expensive per copy than black and white printing (and if you do a lot of black and white printing, you could use up color cartridges while using little of the more expensive color inks). The pixels per inch (sometimes called “dpi”) also affects overall quality. Printer speed and ruggedness come into play if you need to do a lot of printing. Sometimes it makes sense to have more than one printer, each designed for different uses.

    For music work, your main need is printing out black and white forms, reports, invoices, and such and occassional printing of sheet music or album cover art.

    If your music staff is large or is part of a larger staff, you may want to consider the printer recommendations for print media.

    music hardware: The following are the recommendations by DigiDesign, the leaders in professional music computer hardware:

    A typical professional Pro Tools system, for example:

    Pro Tools|24 MIXplus: $9,995.00 (up to 72-channels of I/O with additional interfaces/cards)

    888/24 I/O interface: $3,695.00 (each interface gives you 8-channels of I/O)

    SCSI64 Kit: $545.00 (available at a Digidesign dealer)

    A qualified MAC with OS 8.6 or 9.0 or a qualified PC with Windows NT

    One (1) or more authorized hard drives for storing audio files (not including the internal):

Manufacturers:		Drive Families:
Digidesign		DigiDrive†
Avid		rS, iS Plus, iS Pro
Seagate		Cheetah, Barracuda
IBM		Ultrastar
Western Digital		Enterprise

† First generation DigiDrives are not supported in LVD mode.

Musicians using Macintoshes

     The following is a chart of the professional musicians who use Macintosh computers for performance and/or recording. Obviously (as more than 60% of professional musicians use the Macintosh, I have just started creating this chart and it is very incomplete. If you know of any musicians that are not yet on this chart or spot any mistakes, please send Milo a message with as much information as you can provide. Thanks.

Please help me fill in the blanks. Send more info to Milo.

Musicians

musician	instrument	style	model	notes
Bryan Adams	vocals guitar	rock			Bryan Adams
Aerosmith	band	metal			Aerosmith
Walter Afanassief				producer/co-writer for Mariah Carey	Mariah Carey
Tori Amos	vocals piano	rock			Tori Amos
Laurie Anderson	vocals	experimental			Laurie Anderson
Bare Naked Ladies	band				Barenaked Ladies
The Beastie Boys	band	rap			Beastie Boys
Walter Becker				Steely Dan	Walter Becker Steely Dan
Teja Bell		New Age
Bjork	vocals				Bjork
Blue Man Group	band	techno
Bono	vocals	rock		U2	U2
Joe Bouchard		metal		Blue Oyster Cult	Blue Oyster Cult
Jonathan Cain				Journey; Bad English composes on a Mac	Journey Bad English
Gary Chapman					Gary Chapman
Les Claypool				Primus	Primus Les Claypool & the Holy Mackerel
George Clinton	vocals	funk		Parliament Funkadelic	George Clinton Parliament Funkadelic
Chemical Brothers	band	electronica			Chemical Brothers
Mario Cippolina	bass			Huey Lewis & the News	Huey Lewis & The News
Cirrus		electronica	PowerBook		Cirrus
David Crosby					David Crosby Crosby Stills Nash & Young Crosby Stills & Nash Buffalo Springfield
Sheryl Crow					Sheryl Crow
The Crystal Method		electronica			Crystal Method
Daft Punk	band	electronica			Daft Punk
David Darling	cello	classical			David Darling
Art Davis	bass	jazz	Performa	recorded with John Coltrane, Bob Dylan, and many others	Dr. Art Davis John Coltrane Bob Dylan
Chip Davis		new age		Mannheim Steamroller	Mannheim Steamroller
Constance Denby				New Age
Didgenus	band	world beat
Celine Dion			PowerBooks	stage and lighting control	Celine Dion
DJ Keoki		electronica	PowerBook		Keoki
Thomas Dolby	vocals	rock			Thomas Dolby
Bob Donlon				the Rake’s Progress	Rake’s Progress
Paul Dresher					Paul Dresher
Brooks & Dunn	vocals	country	PowerBooks	used on stage for performance	Brooks & Dunn
EBN				they also make programs for the Mac	Ebn
Danny Elfman	vocals composer	rock soundtracks		Oingo Boingo “Simpsons”	Danny Elfman Oingo Boingo
Brian Eno		rock ambient music		uses Tom Bender’s Eliza to increase creativity created the Win 95 startup sound on a Mac	Brian Eno
Enya					Enya
Gloria Estefan					Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine
Donald Fagan				Steely Dan	Steely Dan
Fatboy Slim		electronica			Fatboy Slim
Filter	band				Filter
Fluke		electronica	PowerBook		Fluke
Front 242	band				Front 242
Peter Gabriel	vocals	rock			Peter Gabriel
Garbage	band	alternative rock	Power Mac 9500/200	www.garbage.com	Garbage
Jerry Garcia	vocals guitar			Grateful Dead	Jerry Garcia The Grateful Dead
Mickey Gilley	vocals	country			Mickey Gilley
Dave Gilmour	vocals	rock
Gina G		British rock			Gina G.
Jerry Goodman				a.k.a. Miles Goodman the Flock; the Mahavishnu Orchestra	Flock Mahavishnu Orchestra
Amy Grant	vocals	gospel pop			Amy Grant
Grateful Dead	band	rock			The Grateful Dead
Jan Hammer	composer			best known for Miami Vice soundtrack	Jan Hammer
Herbie Hancock		jazz			Herbie Hancock
Jon Hassell					Jon Hassell
Ben Heppner	vocals	opera
Johnny Hickman				Cracker	Cracker
Sean Hopper	keyboards			Huey Lewis & the News
Ice T	vocals	rap			Ice-T
Chris Isaak					Chris Isaak
Janet Jackson	vocals	R&B			Janet Jackson
Joe Jackson					Joe Jackson
Michael Jackson	vocals	pop			Michael Jackson
Jean Michel Jarre		jazz	Powerbook	TransJarre (French language web site)	Jean Michel Jarre
Howard Jones		new wave rock			Howard Jones
John Paul Jones	bass	metal		Led Zeppelin	John Paul Jones Led Zeppelin
Quincy Jones		jazz		musician producer	Quincy Jones
Stanley Jordan		jazz			Stanley Jordan
Howie B		electronica			Howie B
Kenny G	saxaphone	new age			Kenny G
Jim Kerr	vocals	pop		Simple Minds	Simple Minds
B.B. King	vocals guitar	blues			B.B. King
Cyndi Lauper	vocals	pop			Cyndi Lauper
Tommy Lee		metal		Mötley Crüe	Mötley Crüe
Ottmar Liebert	guitar	New Age	Quadra 900 (for recording); PowerMac 8100 (for artwork); Mac IIsi (for office work); PowerBook 170 (for touring)	Web page at http://www.lunanegra.com/	Ottmar Liebert
Kerry Livgren		rock		Kansas	Kansas
Cole Lloyd
Courtney Love	vocals	rock		Hole	Hole
Ray Lynch		New Age			Ray Lynch
Reba McEntire	vocals	country	PowerBooks	used on stage for performance	Reba McEntire
Madonna	vocals	pop			Madonna
Mannheim Steamroller	band	New Age			Mannheim Steamroller
Marilyn Manson	vocals	gothic rock			Marilyn Manson
Ray Manzarek	keyboards			the Doors	Doors
George Martin	producer			remixing and processing Beatles’ “Anthology”	George Martin The Beatles
Lyle Mays	piano	jazz			Lyle Mays
Paul McCartney	vocals bass	rock		Beatles; Wings	Paul McCartney Wings The Beatles
Michael McDonald					Michael McDonald
Sarah McLachlan	vocals	rock	PowerBook 5200; PowerBook 5400		Sarah McLachlan
MC Solaar		rap			MC Solaar
Metallica	band	metal			Metallica
Pat Metheny	guitar	jazz			Pat Metheny
George Michael	vocals	pop			George Michael
Lamar Mitchell	musician; producer
Momus				both recording and album art done on Macs; See web page at http://www.demon.co.uk/momus/	Momus
Meredith Monk	vocals				Meredith Monk
Mark Mothersbaugh
Michie Nakatani	bass			Shonen Knife	Shonen Knife
Graham Nash					Graham Nash Crosby Stills Nash & Young Crosby Stills & Nash Buffalo Springfield
New Order	band	rock			New Order
Roland Orzabal				Tears for Fears	Tears for Fears
Prince	vocals	R&B rock			Prince
Primus	band				Primus
Proto-Loungecore				“Slender Sherbet” CD
Public Enemy	band	rap			Public Enemy
Trevor Rabin	guitar	art rock		Yes	Trevor Rabin Yes
Lou Rawls	vocals				Lou Rawls
Trent Reznor		rock		Nine Inch Nails all NIN recordings done on Macs	Nine Inch Nails
Henry Rollins					Henry Rollins
Rolling Stones	band	rock		used on stage for performance	The Rolling Stones
Jeff Rona	composer			Chicago Hope soundtrack
Ruby					Ruby
Todd Rundgren	vocals				Todd Rundgren
Rush	band	metal			Rush
Buffy Sainte-Marie					Buffy Sainte-Marie
Ryuichi Sakamoto	composer keyboards				Ryuichi Sakamoto
Lea Salonga	vocals	musicals		original London and Broadway versions of “Miss Saigon” “Les Miserables” voice of Jasmine in Disney’s “Aladdin”	Lea Salonga
Carlos Santana	vocals guitar	Latin rock			Santana Devadip Carlos Santana
Joe Satriani	guitar	metal			Joe Satriani
Stephen Saunders	vocals keyboards drums	world beat	Mac IIfx	Nobody’s Cat
Paul Schaffer	keyboards			leader of David Letterman’s house band
Jason Scheff	bass vocals	jazz-rock		Chicago	Chicago
SEAL	vocals	rock			Seal
Gene Simmons		rock		Kiss	Kiss
Carly Simon	vocals guitar	rock			Carly Simon
Simply Red	band	rock			Simply Red
Nikki Sixx		metal		Mötley Crüe	Mötley Crüe
Squeeze	band				Squeeze
Sting	vocals bass	rock		the Police	Sting The Police
Michel Stipe	vocals			R.E.M.	R.E.M.
Sugar	band				Sugar
John Tesh			PowerBook 190; PowerBook 170	control stage sound and lighting	John Tesh John Tesh Project
They Might Be Giants	band	rock			They Might Be Giants
William Turner	keyboards	jazz	Mac Plus	This Side of Sanity
U2	band	rock			U2
Underworld		electronica			Underworld
Steve Vai	guitar	rock			Steve Vai
Luther Vandross	vocals	soul	PowerPC 6100; PowerBook 3400	PPC 6100’s to control life performance lighting effects; PB 3400 to handle lighting cues; PB 3400 to handle sound mixing cues	Luther Vandross
Eddie Van Halen	guitar	metal		Van Halen	Van Halen
Luke Vibert		electronica			Luke Vibert
Vanessa Williams	vocals	soul	PowerPC 6100; PowerBook 3400	PPC 6100’s to control life performance lighting effects; PB 3400 to handle lighting cues; PB 3400 to handle sound mixing cues	Vanessa Williams
Paul Winter				Paul Winter Consort	Paul Winter Consort Paul Winter & Friends
Bernie Worrell		funk		Parliament; Funkadelic	Parliament Funkadelic
Yes	band	art rock		last few recordings done on Macs	Yes
Neil Young	vocals guitar	folk rock			Neil Young Crosby Stills Nash & Young
Hans Zimmer	composer			motion pictures including: The Lion King; Beverly Hills Cop	Hans Zimmer

Please help me fill in the blanks. Send more info to Milo.

See also the on-line column at musicEdge.

Live Shows

Please help me fill in the blanks. Send more info to Milo.

See also the on-line column at musicEdge.

Music Computers

personal commentary

     Content creation, including music composition, performance, and recording, is one of the last remaining niche markets where the Macintosh continues to be extremely popular. Steve Jobs said that he wanted to aggressively defend the remaining niche markets. Apple could go a long way towards defending these markets (and maybe even growing the market for amateur musicians) by providing music computers designed specifically for the needs of professional musicians, either under the Apple label or through a clone license to Roland, Yamaha, Kurzweiler, Casio, etc.

    Apple used to dominate professional music use of computers, but in the last couplle of years that lead has been rapidly eroding. The technological advantages of the Mac (ease of use, excellent system support for MIDI, reasonable quality stereo in and out, and a truely excellent and flexible sound manager that supports software synthesizers and effects processors) continue to exist, but a musician has to already know about the Mac advantages and seek out the appropriate hardware and software to implement a Mac solution.

     Apple brand music computers, ordinary and high end Macs bundled with appropriate music software and including specific modifications useful for professional and amateur musicians (such as built-in MIDI connectors, high end A/D and D/A converters, and rack mounted casings in the size that is standard in professional studio and road racks), would go a long way towards generating new interest in the Macintosh for musicians, probably leading to both a dramatic increase in sales in this niche market, as well as the residual glamour and hipness lent by association with trend setting pop musicians.

     There are three obvious music computers: one for professional stage performance, one for professional recording, and one for amateur home use.

     The stage performance music computer would be a rack mounted Macintosh with heavy duty protection from the wear and tear of touring with a live band. The stage Macintosh music computer would include several MIDI connectors (maybe 16 or more) and several serial ports, be bundled with music performance software, and would act as a controller for the entire stage show as well as a sequencer and possibly even a synthesizer. Add in a set of both balanced and unbalanced professional sound connectors with A/D and D/A converters (possibly as an option), and the stage music computer could even serve as a digital mixing board.

     The recording studio music computer would also be a rack mounted Macintosh, but without the extra cost of rugged protection for travel. The studio Macintosh music computer would include several MIDI connectors and be bundled with recording studio software. Two optional add-ons would be: (1) a set of both balanced and unbalanced professional sound connectors with A/D and D/A converters for all-in-one digital recording and (2) hardware for controlling professional mixing boards (obviously, each recording music computer would only have one of these options). The processor, bus, RAM, etc. would be on the high end to provide the ability for demanding real-time and post processing digital signal processing.

     The home music computer would also be a rack mounted Macintosh, but would be a lower end processor to cut costs. MIDI connectors might be limited to just IN, OUT, and THRU. The software bundle would be amateur music composition, recording, and performance software. This music computer would be priced for the huge amateur musician market and sold in guitar and music stores. It could even be used as a budget recording or stage music computer for those who are attempting the transition from amateur to professional musician.

    And obviously once Mac OS X (formerly Rhapsody) becomes available, its extreme dependability (mean time to failure measured in months with 24-hour a day use) would make the Macintosh music computers that much more valuable for both stage and recording studio use. On stage, reliability is critical as there is no time to pause for a reboot, much less spend the time for a complete check-up of the system and main hard drive. In the studio, time is money, and Mac OS X deliver both much less downtime and a significantly faster running operating system (enhancing any speed advantages from the latest processor hardware).

    Licensing just these three music computer designs to such companies as Roland, Yamaha, Kurzweiler, and Casio would lend great credibility to the machines, introduce them heavily into guitar and music stores, and avoid any potential hassles from these clone licensees “eating” Apple market share.

further reading: books:

    A web site on dozens of operating systems simply can’t be maintained by one person. This is a cooperative effort. If you spot an error in fact, grammar, syntax, or spelling, or a broken link, or have additional information, commentary, or constructive criticism, please e-mail me: Milo. If you have any extra copies of docs, manuals, or other materials that can assist in accuracy and completeness, please send them to Milo, PO Box 1361, Tustin, CA, USA, 92781.

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    This web site handcrafted on Macintosh computers using Tom Bender’s Tex-Edit Plus and served using FreeBSD .

    Copyright © 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 Milo

    Last Updated: October 9, 2001

    Created: June 12, 1998

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