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