I created and added a new trance track called Back and Forth.  Go to the Ph D(J) music page of this website to find the link to Sound Cloud.

I have added a new SynthMaker CM tutorial for creating a simple balance-volume control module.  The module is nothing special, however, a work-around the non-accessible or not included primitives/modules limitation in SynthMaker CM, is provided.

Audio TutsPlus website has a new set of tutorials on Mastering, broken into 6 modules http://audio.tutsplus.com/sessions/mastering-elements/.

 

Adam Szabo has short, beginner tutorials discussing synthesizer basics such as ADSR desciption, waveforms, filters, etc.  It uses the free vst plugin Synth1 for reference.  These are a good starting point to understand vst plugins http://www.adamszabo.com/.

Music audio mastering seems to be a mystical processing of music audio files to prepare them for production/publishing.  There are countless articles and how-tos on the internet and books available on the subject.  It is quite amazing what can be done to music after the fact.  Studio/sound enginers have access to a vast array of sophisticated electronic music/sound processing equipment.  Their years of experience guide them in adding just the right amount of compression, EQ, limiting, and many other effects to a music track.  Being without means to submit my music for this kind of expensive processing (there are some on-line and other mastering websites that can master a music track for a reasonable cost within the reach of an Indy or DIY musician, such as Disc Makers http://www.discmakers.com/soundlab/ , but I am too cheap to do that) I began searching for a software process to master my music and found an excellent, concise tutorial at Audio Tuts Plus website, How To Master A Track In 15 Minutes or Less , http://audio.tutsplus.com/tutorials/mixing-mastering/how-to-master-a-track-in-15-minutes-or-less/.  I use the free audio editor: Audacity with vst plugin capability along with the guide, to master my music.  It will never rival tracks mastered in a studio, or professionally done, but for my purposes, it will suffice.  I also find that most music loops, if professionally created, require little mastering.  Take a look at the Audio Tuts Plus tutorial and give it a try on your music tracks.