This post was written as a guide based on @LD-W's post on freeware for music composition. What is difference from his post is this one will go in-depth on my experience in composition with the free instruments, their functionalities and the good/bad about them. Also, hopefully I get sometime around to make guides like these into a series.

All of these tools and plugins I shared work across platforms. On Mac and Linux, these Win tools can run out-of-the-box with Wine without extra installation. All the DAWs I shared have native port for Mac. The best thing is these Win versions can also be installed on Linux/Mac via Wine if you preferred to work with the Win version.

A - DAW FROM NOTHING

Supposedly all you have is a computer, something really budget, like those really generic $300 laptop you got from Best Buy. You either have Win 10 or 8 pre-installed, or a Linux like Ubuntu.

The recommended DAW that I have worked with for years on multiple platforms are:

TRACKTION WAVEFORM (Win/Mac/Linux)

This is the closest thing to professional DAW can get for free on different platforms. Its UX/UI was designed after Ableton Live. I've used Waveform along with the discontinued free versions (Tracktion 7) for major projects.

FL STUDIO 20 FREE TRIAL (Win/Mac/Wine)

The flagship DAW for all levels from noobs to pros (by @EvilRaccoon). I haven't really bought FL 20 and still using the Trial/Demo version, because its trial features already fulfilled my needs for a powerful DAW for scoring.

There are two plugins by Blake Robinson that were developed to fix the missing features of FL Studio in film/game scoring: BRSO Articulate that to replace FL's MIDI Out for keyswitches in plugins like Kontakt Player, LABS or SINE player. BRSO Accumatime for replacement of Fruity Player to sync tempo change when scoring a video.

REAPER (Win/Mac/Linux)

Possibly the best shareware DAW out there that has complete functions even after evaluation ended. There is also a BRSO Accumatime version for Reaper.

ARDOUR (Win/Mac/Linux)

Can't include a budget guide post without FOSS. Ardour is possibly the most usable FOSS DAW so far, totally beats LMMS.

Why not other DAW? Problems I've encountered while working with other DAWs:

Cakewalk - Win only, doesn't work for Wine. Even if you have a decent PC, lagging and crash are main problems. The DAW's memory management was poorly developed and will spike when you have multiple instances of plugins opened. Hence the crashes.

Pro Tools First - Same as above. Also, incomplete and limited features. But what even more frustrating is the iLok protection that require you gotta be online all the time.

LMMS - Buggy as hell and incomplete features. Decent for beginners but after sometime you gotta move on.

Renoise - Free version is fairly limited, I don't recommend tracking for beginners.

ModPlug - Same as above. Features are KISS and handy but only if you are familiar with tracking.

SunVox - same as above. But using it for sound design is really cool.

B - YOUR ORCHESTRA PLUGINS

I'm gonna list the plugins based on its versatility and usability:

Spitfire BBCSO Discover

Orchestral library with good features for a complete orchestra setup. Lightweight and work out-of-the-box. Two-week wait time to get the lib. Here is an example I used it in latest track:

There is a small problem I encountered tho, when you load up multiple instances at once in FL there will be some hiss from CPU spike. I think they have fixed this in latest version of their plugin.

Spitfire LABS

If you are looking for deep-sampled intimate sounds, LABS have everything you need. My favorites from the library are Dulcimer and Frozen Strings. So far there haven't been problem with it. I used LABS in most of my composition.

Versilian Studios Chamber Orchestra CE 2

The best free orchestra for a long time before the other free stuff came along. Made by Newgrounders like @Troisnyx. Run on Sforzando

Orchestral Tools Layers and SINEFactory

Are you looking for full mic positions with your mixing? Layers is possibly the best free library that has almost full features of an AAA orchestral plugin. Dynamics, round-robins and the comprehensive mic positions. As its name said, Layers is for layering your instruments with other libraries. But it's also good for solo uses of basic composition. It's the only free lib that can go from soft to loud sounds with few tweaking.

SINEFactory includes three contents: String Ensemble with sustain and spiccato. Grand Piano, and 'Gearbox' which basically with 13 different percussion articulations. All three are on Full Mix, single mic.

ProjectSam The Free Orchestra

It's more like a series of Kontakt instruments rather than an orchestral lib. A lot of the patches came from older libraries like Symphobia and True Strike. What the benefit of TFO is you can jam it in a lot of big & wide sounds in trailer music, which is what ProjectSam libs are known for.

KeepForest Ferrum Free

Basically the ultimate free percussion library. I'm sad that Drumic'A was pulled but Ferrum replaced my needs.

Embertone Arcane

Quirky lib, but I really like the patch originated from Friedlander Violin.

Etherealwinds Harp II CE

By @Etherealwinds. Decent samples for solo instrument.

Keyzone Classic

Insanely well-sampled piano instrument.

Sonatina Symphonic Orchestra

The OG free orchestra library. This lib is over a decade old, way older than some of you. And it's still a decent one that can be used for small compositions and sketches. Run on Sforzando

Why not other libraries?

VSL Big Bang Orchestra requires USB dongle, which a bit stupid for a free library. Other than that stuff like

C - WHAT ABOUT THE HYBIRD STUFF

The stuff I use for hybrid compositions, aka a lot of wubs and brams:

SYNTH

Zebralette

Vital

Helm

Surge

VK-1 Viking

Dexed

Autogun

Bazille

Podolski

Helix

Mikro Prism

SFX

Guitar Rig Player

Reaktor Player

Supercharger

Filterstep

Finisher Micro

TO BE CONTINUE

I figured that the Frontpage post can be used for something helpful. Transcript included.

Please stay safe, stay warm and care for each other!

Transcript:

- Choose 1 room to inhabit

- Move all furniture to external walls

- Move your mattress to the center of the 1 room

- Block pets from leaving that room, put all needs in it

- If your fridge is warming up, put all perishable items in trash bag and place outside, form snow around

- If you have plants, move them in the room with you

- If you have a small space heater, move it in that room with you

- Hang thick blankets or large towel in all the windows

- If a sunny day arrives before power, open curtains when sun hits directly, then put back up

- Wear multiple layers of clothing

- If your pets are too cold, put socks on their feet and/or other clothing you have that fits them

- Roll clothing or towels and block all door and window gaps

- Throw all your dirty clothes on the floor, covering every space you can

Your body heat will warm the room if you remain in ONLY that room.

You want to use anything you can to add insulation between you, and the outside.

Hence covering and blocking all floors, windows, and walls

Now isn't the time to have a clean house, it's time to survive.

Late addition thanks to a friend of mine:

If you have, or can get, bubble wrap, tape that to all windows, as it creates a kind of double insulation!

https://zipzipper.newgrounds.com/news/post/1142820

500 years of struggle by Black and Brown people to demand that their lives are matter. But speaking up about it, even for their allies, are quite a hard thing around here. But it should never be a difficult or controversial thing to say Black Lives Matter. Because black lives do matter. And I'm glad @ZipZipper wrote a song about it, you should check it out.

✊🏽✊🏽✊🏽

Possibly the most awesome, fun, authentic and experimental album I have worked on.

RESILIENCE is a fun album to experiment, improvise and innovate. I have discovered so many new composition, mixing and programming techniques on how to make music more colorful, fun, authentic and unique. Things I have improved in this album:

• Better mixing & mastering - No more sloppy mix & EQ. I also learned how to properly do wide mixing without sacrificing dynamic.
• Superb percussion programming - This area of my musical skill is continuing to excel and flourish.
• Authentic guitar arrangement & composition - Hey if my music start sounding like mainstream pop/rock/RnB it's because I'm doing it on purpose!
• Shorter track means better quality - Shorter length means I have more time and space to spend on perfecting the productions.

The focuses of RESILIENCE is about surviving the Collapse, yes, the collapse of ecology and human civilization. While being a doomer is fun, unfortunately it isn't a realistic way to look at our world. Survival is a collective responsibility and this album is inspired by that spirit.

Enjoy!

Freedom of expression can never be bought or sold

My music once again moving onto new chapter. One day I'd finish this album I swear.

When this album get released that's when Covid is over

These works will be the new stuff included in the WIP album Resilience

Made with free instruments. Maybe too much reverb, dunno.

Also made with Ferrum Free Edition, it's on Kontakt Player :)

Enjoy. :3

Ever since my ATH-M50x broke (last year), I never got another headset. Since then I have been mixing frugally with a cheap pair of Sony headphones that came with my Walkman. Why? It has slightly better bass than the other cheap $20 Sony headphones, however the downside that I have to sacrifice a lot in the mix is because the Walkman headphones is loudness-boosted, meaning that it's much louder than actual level. So I have to mix really quiet. Compression came along as a band-aid for the problem, but soon it ruins my quality because I just use to Gullfoss treatment for everything. If y'all heard the stuff featured in Deadswitch 3, those were made with the ATH-M50x which explains why I could do the wide mix so easily. Next month I'm gonna get another ATH-M50x tho. No more weed, I'd stay sober a month for the headset. :)

PS. It's also a reason why I haven't made new work recently. Thanks to @Seprix for showing me the light with actual advice and I was an asshole toward him. Go check out his works, he's more pro than me.

Stay tuned.