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[Monarch]

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Start Page...

There have been quite a few requests for adivce on Computer Setup, software choices e.t.c...so here are a collection of threads already available on DV forums that answer a large number of questions.

Of course the search function is there but clearly new forum members seem to prefer to start a thread and ask questions instead and gather the information they need that way, perhaps doing things that way avoids doing a search, which will scan for the search string but might also bring up less accurate matches as well as the desired information.

I think these thread categories will really help beginners as key talking points (for beginners) are categorised on one page for easier reference. This page will likely be edited over time as well. It is by no means a best of collection...that is subjective of course, this is simply a small collection of some of the many helpful threads started by a number of different forum members that I think will help beginners.

Where to start? Well why not introduce yourself if you have not done so already.


Computer choice

My first set up

Setting up a home studio on a budget

PC or MAC

PC to MAC Advice

Looking for help on Computer hardware

Which new computer



Set up

Room treatment

Room treatment, placement of bass traps

Laptop set up advice

Hard drive allocation


Audio interface

Where can I go to test cards?

Trying to decide which audio interface to buy

Audio interface query with answers

Help needed on sound card purchase


Control surface

Which to buy

Monitors

Which Monitor
Which Monitors

Advice needed on studio monitors

Advice on Monitor choice please

Monitor advice

Are my Monitors any good?

Decent budget studio monitors


Mics

Which Mic and what are the differences

Cheap vs. Expensive

Mics for Film and TV

Perfect Mic for vocals


Affordable mic for recording Acoustic instruments


Preamps

Which Preamp?

Why buy an expensive preamp?


Mixers

Which low end mixer

Best mixer


Choosing Software

Need help choosing a host?

Midi drum software

Workflow

Working faster and smarter

User Reviews
There is an entire sub forum here, for various product user reviews (Hardware and software) from various DV forum members, feel free to add your own reviews.

Music theory

Music theory 101


A nice way to learn music theory


Tutorials & Guides

Defintions:

A- Z Glossary

Reading material:

Classic books

Keyboards:

Jordan Rudess videos


Production Technique:

Learning Music Production

How to create a drum and bass sound


Sound design:

Synthesis resources


Performing:

Using an Electronic set Live

PA system mixer

DMX lighting Primer


DJ related:

Ritchie Hawtins set up explained

Music Organization

Vinyl or CD


What makes a good DJ ?

DJ looking for advice

Complete novice needing help



Recording:

Recording Acoustic Guitars

Recording and mixing awesome drums

Recording awesome guitars

Recording audio levels

Recording horns

Getting started Recording


Recording Electric Guitar using a DI box?

Mixing:

Dealing with clashing frequencies

Stem Mixing

Smoothing over the cracks


Tips for mixing VSTi's

Compress yourself


Mastering:


What do you think of self mastering

Limiters


Composition and arrangement:

Why is it done like this?

Arrangements


You tube Channels

Developers and Manufacturers Channels


Tips and Tricks: sub forum huge collection of all manner of guides, tips and tutorials.



HTH

[modz1]

Pretty much the first thread to be stickied on the initial post..
Simple but Genius idea and execution Monarch!

This will no doubt become something akin to an index or compendium for the entire DV247 Forums..

To help Monarch further crystallize his idea, we can all chip in ideas for useful threads which he can then add to his OP..

First, 'User Reviews'. and then this.. we salute you Sir!

[I_Am_Bic_Pentameter]

Now we just need a big arrow saying - Read This Sticky

[Khazul]

Nice one

I would go one futher and give this thread its own link on the top of the front page directing new users to it

Also shows what a reallly great all round music resource this forum has become in the few months its been going!

[Wilty]

Originally Posted by Khazul

Nice one

I would go one futher and give this thread its own link on the top of the front page directing new users to it

Also shows what a reallly great all round music resource this forum has become in the few months its been going!

Agreed, maybe a move out the 'Introducing' forum and somewhere more visable would be in order.
Its weird, I've read all those posts but seeing them all together like that makes it seem like this Forum has been about for years.

[Monarch]

Originally Posted by modz1

Pretty much the first thread to be stickied on the initial post..
Simple but Genius idea and execution Monarch!

This will no doubt become something akin to an index or compendium for the entire DV247 Forums..

To help Monarch further crystallize his idea, we can all chip in ideas for useful threads which he can then add to his OP..

First, 'User Reviews'. and then this.. we salute you Sir!

Cheers Modz!!!

I just gathered the info into a more accessible format, the info of course is 98% from other forum members efforts, I contributed a very small part. But yes as you said forum members chipping in with ideas, yes, lets take it as far as we can go....team effort

Originally Posted by Khazul

Also shows what a reallly great all round music resource this forum has become in the few months its been going!

Exactly my thoughts. I joined in September but even though the forum was only a few months old there were loads of great threads with so much info already.

The problem was many of them were slipping down to page 2,3,4 e.t.c and most people (including myself) would be unlikely to check the second, third .e.t.c page of every single DV sub forum as a new member. Hopefully this thread will eliminate or at least mitigate that problem for new forum members or beginners looking for info on getting started.

Originally Posted by I_Am_Bic_Pentameter

Now we just need a big arrow saying - Read This Sticky

Heh

Originally Posted by Wilty

Agreed, maybe a move out the 'Introducing' forum and somewhere more visable would be in order.
Its weird, I've read all those posts but seeing them all together like that makes it seem like this Forum has been about for years.

The funny thing is I found so many threads I had totally missed, while I was starting this thread. Loads of info but pushed back off the 1st, and even 4th page of a forum.

[sureno]

AWESOME post M, really i take my hat of to you mate

[I_Am_Bic_Pentameter]

How about we add Sureno's home phone number to the list?

24/7 helpline

[Wilty]

As long as the only advice you wanted was to buy a Mac....

Joke, he'd be very helpful I'm sure. Maybe not at 3am...

[sureno]

Originally Posted by I_Am_Bic_Pentameter

How about we add Sureno's home phone number to the list?

24/7 helpline

Originally Posted by Wilty

As long as the only advice you wanted was to buy a Mac....

Joke, he'd be very helpful I'm sure. Maybe not at 3am...

i really don't mind, now where did i jot my premium rate number down, i know i got it here somewhere

Hey M how about linking my glossary

[trbguy]

Great thread! Only concern is how does this thread stay updated, when there's so much good info floading in?

[Wilty]

Originally Posted by trbguy

Great thread! Only concern is how does this thread stay updated, when there's so much good info floading in?

Looks like Monarch has a full time job....

[Monarch]

Originally Posted by sureno

Hey M how about linking my glossary

Do you mean the The A-Z?

Originally Posted by trbguy

Great thread! Only concern is how does this thread stay updated, when there's so much good info floading in?

Good question with many answers IMO

It did cross my mind before starting this thread actually, many of the threads above do have similar information elsewhere on the forum...so why were they not listed?

A) To keep the number down per category...if it gets to 200 per category it would be difficult to navigate and would effectively duplicate the forum to a large degree and lose it's effectiveness as a Start page for beginners primarily anyway. But 5 - 10 threads or so per category I think makes sense.

B) The focus for the thread is really to get the information people want quickly and easily. So the focus is on placing info on the page that is not heavily duplicated elsewhere.

C) The greatest concentration of guides and tips resides in the Tips and Tricks forum AFAICT. I only took a few out from there because the concentration of threads helpful to beginners in particular is extremely high.

To post everything from there would mean duplicating that entire sub forum...makes no sense... just provide a link, which I did. I only took a few from there...a couple for the Music Theory category as that category was not covered on the Start Page.

D) I specifically went for threads that have as many responses as possible. So if in future a category has 10 threads in it and someone starts another thread that is practically identical to one or two of the threads already in that category, it is very unlikely to be added as there is no real need unless it has a very high number of responses. Say 6 or 7 pages. Certainly if it exceeds the highest number of pages of the thread that has the least number of reponses / pages in a category then it can replace a thread in that same category.

Example:
So if someone starts a new thread on mixing, its very likely most of that info will be duplicated elsewhere already. If there are 10 mixing threads already on the Start page then the new mixing thread will have to contain info not available in the existing 10 mixing threads in that category (extremely unlikely) or have a larger number of responses or pages than at least one of those 10 threads (not likely to happen very often IMO).

So just by using those 4 guidelines it will be easy to keep this page updated IMO.

Over time even 15 - 20 threads per category might be OK but its unlikely more than that will be added to maintain the Start Pages accessibility. 10 for now I think is OK. But that is just my suggestion.

Swapping out an older thread from a list of 10 with a new one that has become extremely popular and had many responses with info related to the original topic....(threads can drift off topic...been guilty myself heh) should be easy to do. If there is a thread with even richer info then it can replace one of ten. Easy.

As a new beginner going through 10 threads per category...that is quite a bit of research to go through especially when you consider each thread can have 2 pages at least, so 20 or more pages collectively per category (once ten threads are available) is quite a lot of reading for a beginner. Keeping things down to 10 threads should maintain a nice concise Start Page that gets richer and richer info wise over time. That's the idea behind it.

Modz 1 summarised it quite well as a "compendium" which is pretty accurate as that is a concise yet comprehensive summary or collection, body of knowledge...in this case forum threads from all of us on various topics, but that can help beginners (mainly) or non beginners get to categorised info very quickly .

New categrories?
New categories might be added or a slight adjustment might be made to what is already there category wise...lets see how it grows over time!

Originally Posted by wilty

Looks like Monarch has a full time job....

Heh... nah it won't take that long to maintain.

[sureno]

yep, its aimed at beginners and rookies too

[Khazul]

Originally Posted by Monarch

Heh... nah it won't take that long to maintain.

In a glimpse of the future in a deep dark cellar not so far away....

There is this poor old geezer whos been locked in a cellar for the past twenty years indexing and cross reference what he thought was just a little forums, then eneded up being half the internet...