To record and produce my latest CD, I used Nuendo, Wavelab, Yamaha's Dtxtreme IIS electronic drum Kit, the Motif ES keyboard, Steinberg's Halion Software Sampler and lots of cool soft synths and VST plug-ins like Groove Agent and Virtual Guitarist.


It forces you to think like a record producer and composer from the moment you plug it in. It gives me real-time access to thousands of great loops, synth sounds and sampled drums, plus it has a sampler built in.

I remix these elements live with my sticks and foot pedals. It also offers me chord voicings, melodic ideas and bass lines in real-time from each pad. I don't feel any difference in response between this electronic kit and my acoustic drums. DTXTREME II is the MIDI controller for any forward-thinking drummer/producer.



I use Halion quite a lot. I love the library of sounds and the ease of use—I never have to leave the computer environment whether I am sampling, mastering, creating loops, triggering samples live or archiving my data.

I also use Virtual Guitarist, Groove Agent and other Steinberg soft synths. I am also a big fan of the multiband EQs, compressors, loudness maximizer and other mastering tools that Steinberg offers. Also, VSTACK allows me to trigger all of these VST instruments live in real time from my PC.



Since I tend to use very dense layers of virtual synths, a large number of tracks and many instances of Halion at one time in any given composition, processing speed is everything! I like to run lots of multiband EQs and compressors on certain tracks, plus all of my effects are virtual.

I run dual AMD Opteron processors with Nuendo and I never have any issues. That VST performance window is just chillin' between 10% and 20% of capacity—my system is extremely fast. I also produce a lot of music for TV, film and video games. Dealing with large video files and music simultaneously can add an additional burden to the system, but again, the processing power I have is very intense.

 

 

My AMD system offers me the power and stability I need for demanding studio sessions and remix sessions, the latest being a remix and drum tracking session for Dream Theater guitarist John Petrucci.

I also rely on that power when I am triggering and remixing sounds live with my rackmounted PC system. When you have thousands of people watching you on stage during a solo performance, the last thing you want to be worried about is your gear. AMD gives me tremendous confidence and allows me to relax and just stay focused on making great music.

www.tonyverderosa.com

 

 

 

Cubase SX

Tony Verderosa spends a lot of time in his studio, and not only does he need tools that allow him to work quickly, he needs tools that work together. Steinberg invented the world-standard VST plug-in format, and Tony makes heavy use of plug-ins when composing. Halion 3, Hypersonic, Virtual Guitarist, Groove Agent, The Grand—they're all there, serving as his instant rhythm section, orchestra and songwriting partners.

But to fully exploit the capabilities of the VSTs he uses, he needs the power of AMD 64-bit processors. With lightning-fast front-side bus speeds, superior processing power and a massive L2 cache to efficiently run VST plug-ins, the AMD 64 is the only serious choice when you're serious about your music. It's what Steinberg recommends when running Nuendo or Cubase SX3 and what dozens of top studios and producers have chosen to power their studios.

Everyone knows the studio doesn't end at the computer. Being able to use outboard processors, MIDI synths, and various preamps and control surfaces is critical for maximum productivity. For this reason, Cubase SX3 has completely revolutionized the way it integrates with external gear through Device Maps, the creation and support of External Plug-ins and Studio Connections support.

Device Maps allow you to create MIDI-based control templates for any device that supports MIDI control. You can create your own unique virtual control surface and save that device map with your project. The External Hardware Plug-in feature allows you to set input and output levels and also adjust for any processing latency, saving those settings with a particular channel and allowing you to “freeze” the effect by committing it to a disc track. Finally, there is Studio Connections, the open-industry solution created by Steinberg and Yamaha to allow complete “one button” total recall of all your System Connection-compliant outboard gear.

Sure, working fast inside a computer is one thing. But being able to tightly integrate external gear into your work environment allows you to achieve entirely new levels of efficiency and productivity, resulting in more time to make music and less time hassling with your gear.