Audio

Music Production

Top Podcasts For Learning Music and Audio Production

February 2, 2017 | Michael Hoffmann | Comments Off on Top Podcasts For Learning Music and Audio Production Share this

For those looking to expand their knowledge about the field of audio and music, the task to find good information can be daunting. The internet is full of message boards, forums, and tutorials about how to create, mix, master, and implement audio. It can be difficult to filter through the massive amount of information to find useful tips and advice for improving these skills.

In my own searches I’ve come across a number of podcasts that provide coverage of these specific topics. These podcasts range from covering specific aspects of mastering and mixing music to wider discussions on events and trends in the game industry concerning audio. Today I’ll be sharing a few of my favorite music and audio production podcasts that have helped expand my knowledge of these topics. This is by no means a complete list, but I hope it can be a good jumping off point for anyone else looking to learn more about the audio world. (more…)
Music Production, Software

Black Friday Deal: Heavyocity Virtual Instruments On Sale

November 24, 2015 | Michael Hoffmann | Comments Off on Black Friday Deal: Heavyocity Virtual Instruments On Sale Share this

Virtual instrument company Heavyocity is having a Thanksgiving sale on its products starting now until December 6th. The collections and individual instrument packs are available for up to 50% off. These include Gravity, Aeon Collection, Ensemble Metals Collection, Evolve, and many more.

All of the instrument libraries run on Kontakt 5 and require at least the Kontakt 5 Player to be used. If you’re a composer or sound designer who’s been eyeing any of Heavyocity’s virtual instruments, now may be the time to grab them. You can check out more of the Heavocity Thanksgiving sale on their main website.
Music Production, Software

Black Friday Deal: Impact Soundworks Orchestral Libraries On Sale

November 24, 2015 | Michael Hoffmann | Comments Off on Black Friday Deal: Impact Soundworks Orchestral Libraries On Sale Share this

Two of the orchestral sample libraries from Impact Soundworks are on sale this week to help kick off Black Friday deals on music software. The first of these is the Bravura: Scoring Brass Complete library for $249 and the second is Rhapsody: Orchestral Percussion for $99.

If you already own any individual instruments or lighter versions of either library you can contact Impact Soundworks to get a special discount on the upgrades to the full versions as well. The Essentials version of the Rhapsody library is also available for $49.

Both the Bravura: Scoring Brass and the Rhapsody: Orchestral Percussion libraries have been reviewed here on OSV. The sale runs until November 30th (Cyber Monday). So if either of these libraries are on your wishlist, be sure to grab them at a discount while you can on the Impact Soundworks website.
Featured, Gear, Software

Rhapsody: Orchestral Percussion (Review)

October 29, 2014 | Michael Hoffmann | Comments Off on Rhapsody: Orchestral Percussion (Review) Share this

Here on OSV we primarily focus on soundtracks and remix albums for videogames. However, every once in a while we like to take a look at some of the music software that’s available for composers to implement in their virtual instrument libraries. Such is the case with today’s review. This time around we will be looking at Impact Soundworks new percussion library Rhapsody: Orchestral Percussion.

The software, as the name implies, is focused on providing a realistic orchestral percussion library for composers and musicians. You won’t be dealing with any synth or electronic drums in this program. The primary focus here is on acoustic instruments, both from western and eastern parts of the world. Impact Soundworks has created and released various types of instrument libraries over the years. These have included guitar libraries, vocal ensembles, and a hybrid synth program, the latter of which we reviewed on OSV earlier this year. This new instrument library was designed by Dickie Chapin & Andrew Aversa. Like their previous products, the program is designed to work with any DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) through the software application Kontakt 5. For this review, I’ll be examining the program, analyzing how well the instruments work, and the overall quality of the product for the end user. With all of that said, let’s take a look at Rhapsody: Orchestral Percussion. (more…)