Hey everyone!

First, thanks for this "reminder" message that made me feel more comfortable
with finally stepping out and asking a few questions.  I'm a newbie to
cSound - a major newbie.  I'm a classically-trained pianist, and I've never
had the exposure/instruction to electronic music making until recently when
I decided to try to learn some stuff on my own.  Partially this comes from
buying a year ago my first ever keyboard (before I just only played on
acoustic pianos), I bought a Kurzweil PC2X because I got to play a Kurzweil
152i and was blown away with the realistic touch and sound.  The portability
and versatility factors definitely sold me into getting caught up to the
21st century of music.  Besides, I never have to have it tuned!  LOL

Anyway, to make a long story short, in my quest to learn how to record on my
computer from my keyboard, I ran into cSound and I thought that it would be
fun to learn to make music in a totally different way than I've known
before.  However, I have never done any computer programming (though I've
always wanted to learn - I consider myself a person who learns very quickly,
and I've always had a hobby/interest in electronics and mathematics).   I've
started with the Tootorial on the csound website, but I still feel pretty
clueless.  Should I try to learn about computer programming first, or is
that not really necessary?  I did get cSoundAV working and did the first
couple of Tootorials, and I got cSoundVST to open but when I put in my orc
and sco files, and tell it to Perform it doesn't do anything - it doesn't
create a sound file, nothing.  What am I not doing or doing wrong?

So, mainly what I'm asking is if anyone can recommend a good book or website
or something that would help me get from the classical-music world to the
computer-music world?  I've already done a lot of reading about analogue and
digital audio, and the basics of MIDI, but it seems like there are either
beginner books that only have about that stuff or advanced books that are
way over my head.  I do plan on getting Boulanger's cSound book soon, but I
thought I would get something else supplemental for understanding sequencing
and synthesis.  I'm planning on buying Cakewalk's Sonar4 HomeStudio soon,
and will slowly progress up to Sonar as I have money for the upgrades.  I'm
a PC user, with WindowsXP.

I also was recently given by a church a Yamaha DX7, which is in good working
condition, so I'm also trying to learn more about synthesis on it. So, if
anybody knows a good place to start with it, I'd appreciate it.  I was able
to get the manual for it from the internet, but don't know really where to
start.

What is funny is, being 30-years old and part of the "computer generation" I
consider myself to be pretty knowledgeable and adaptable to computers, the
internet, and most forms of technology, but I feel totally like a fish out
of water trying to make this leap.  Cursed be all those piano teachers who
thought that pop/rock music and keyboards were beneath them and beneath a
"true musician"!  I'm kidding, but it is frustrating to feel like I've had a
whole world kept from me.  Don't get me wrong, I appreciate my training, and
I still love classical music, but I also like pop and rock and folk and jazz
and I want to be able to play like that and to make different kinds of
music.

So, I'll say thanks ahead of time, and that I really love the list!  I don't
understand what you guys are talking about most of the time, but it is
awesome that we are all trying to make great music in so many different
styles and methods.

Christine Myers


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