ArtfulSpider's music is created in MIDI format, using Cakewalk Sonar, through a Sound Blaster Audigy Platinum sound card. Primary input device is either a Roland HS-10 synth, or my little Reveal Music Star midi keyboard... All other edits are done with the mouse, in Sonar.
I was Trained in classical piano at an early age, but forcibly, so I hated it. Wasnt until about age 17 that I rediscovered the piano on my own (Grandmas baby grand) and rekindled my love for music, and opened the creative doors within myself. Bought a Roland linear synth shortly thereafter, and went nuts. Played keyboard for a Rock band, and recorded abstract stuff with another keyboardist, using an early MOOG synth, and an old ARP Oddysey. I do most of my sequencing with Cakewalk Sonar. I use a SB Live sound card, and a custom built surround sound system. Im a web developer by trade (www.artfulspider.com), Favorite music includes anything by J.S. Bach, Rick Wakeman, Pink Floyd, The Mighty Flyers, Yes, Kansas, ELP, Pat Methany, Lyle Mays, Thelonius Monk, Al Dimeola, and Beethoven.
I live in the San Bernardino Mountains of Southern California, at about 6500 ft above sea level.
Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Rachmaninov, Paganini, Pink Floyd, Yes, Rick Wakeman, Al Dimiola, Lyle Mays, Pat Methany, among many, many others, including the composers at MIDI-CONTEST.COM, who provide my primary inspiration, and source of learning.
I compose most of my work in Cakewalk Sonar. My input devices are either my Roland Synth Plus 10 linear synthesizer (same guts as the Alpha Juno II) or my little Revel midi keyboard... and of course, my mouse. I run my midi in through my Sound Blaster Audigy Platinum sound card, using MerlinGM5.1 sound font, created by Lavio Pareschi, of PixelArts. Midi files are then converted to mp3 using either Cool Edit 2000, or Creative's Media player/recorder at 128kbps... mixed by ear.
Imagination is more important than knowledge.
-Albert Einstein