Making computer music

HarryHoudini

I've got a couple of questions for anyone with any experience of making music with their computers.
I can play some guitar but to be honest I'm not very good, my coordination is all over the shop, I just don't think I'm suited to the instrument.
I've a good ear for music though, I can spot interesting parts in a song and I know what would sound good and what wouldn't.
I've recently become interested in making electronic music, mostly sample based, however I'm having trouble extracting the samples I want from their respective songs.
Lets say for example I want to sample a cool guitar hook, however there is a drum beat playing along side the guiar sound, I don't want the drum sound in my sample, is there a way (through filtering or whatever) of preserving the guitar sound whilst eliminating the drum beat? Are there any known applications that can do this kind of work?

I've been using Reason 3.0 to make my drum loops however I find it a bit fiddley for loops, can someone recommend anything better (not fruity loops, its rubbish).

I'm gonna have to invest in a new sound card, Cubase VX doesn't work too well with my soundblaster audigy 2 so I'm thinking of purchasing an M-Audio Audiophile delta 192, what are peoples experiences with the Audiophile line of cards or should I be looking at something else?

If anyone can help me with any of the above I'd be most grateful, or if anyone knows of a good site/forum to find the answers to these questions (I've googled them but not with much luck).
Cheers.

Eoin Madsen

HarryHoudini wrote:

Lets say for example I want to sample a cool guitar hook, however there is a drum beat playing along side the guiar sound, I don't want the drum sound in my sample, is there a way (through filtering or whatever) of preserving the guitar sound whilst eliminating the drum beat? Are there any known applications that can do this kind of work?

No and no.

If you have elements common in the left and right channels (often vocals, snare, kick, sometimes bass) you can remove them by inverting the phase of one of the channels and mixing them to mono.

You can do EQ to reduce prominent frequencies of components but I'm sure you've tried this by now and realised how limited it is. There's no software to do it because it's more or less impossible with current technology.

Kingsize

audiophile cards are cool ive got a delta 24/96 on my pc.
personally i use live 4 on the laptop & sonar 3 on the desktop.
I also use adobe audition to cut up bits of loops etc.although there is the facilty to in this in sonar im just used to the basics of audition.Sonar also allows you to "Groove Clip" your samples which basically acidises them so they
follow the master tempo.
Eoin is right there really is no other effective way (yet) of isolating a guitar solo or whatever