Mastering Digital Audio Production: The Professional Music Workflow with Mac OS X

In today's digital studio, audio engineers blend loops, effects, and many other tools from multiple programs. This comprehensive guide shows you how to integrate a variety of production tools for the Mac OS X platform into all stages of audio production. From single applications to complete suites, you'll discover the software toolsets that are best for you based on your skills, budget, studio resources, and music genre and how to incorporate them into a coherent workflow.

Including best practices, real-world examples, and interviews with audio professionals, this book pulls together all the programs and tasks you need, whether you already have a complete studio or are just setting one up.

Coverage includes:

• Optimizing Mac OS X for music production

• Composing a new song with Propellerhead Reason

• Getting the most out of Ableton® Live, Pro Tools®, and GarageBand

• Mastering AU, VST, and RTAS plug-ins

• Choosing the right MIDI keyboard for your needs

• Exploring virtual amplifiers, drums, and other virtual instruments

• Using Apple Loops and creating your own

• Exporting finished sessions and mastering file formats

Valuable Companion DVD with Extras

The DVD is packed with more than 50 products for the Mac digital studio, including trial versions, freeware, virtual instruments, loop libraries, and plug-ins. You'll find popular applications, demos, samples, and loops, including:

• SONiVOX multisamples, loops, and plug-ins

• FXpansion BFD and Guru

• Zoyd

• Bias Peak Pro and Peak LE

• iDrum virtual drum machine

• Audacity

• SoundToys TDM Effect Bundle

• Native Instruments Reaktor, Absynth, and Battery

• Destroy FX

• Camel Audio CamelPhat, Cameleon 5000, and more

Master the Tools and Tasks of an Integrated Studio Workflow, Start to Finish

Discover Best Audio Practices and Key Techniques on Mac OS X

Gain Insight and Inspiration from Real-world Examples and Interviews with Studio Pros

Unleash Your Creativity and Explore Your Own Musical Stylings

Create Professional Quality Audio — at Any Level, on Any Budget