#StayHome Elements Collection
Price: 60-day free trial
One of the biggest names in music production is Steinberg, home of many important pieces of music software and samples. Steinberg is currently supporting musicians during the lockdown by offering free versions of three of its Elements pieces of software. These include Cubase (a DAW), WaveLab (a mastering program) and Dorico (a score-writing platform). All have been reviewed in MT previously, so do check back if you want to know more detail.
The bundle also includes a huge number of samples and sounds for music creation. So whatever your interest in music production, there is something useful in the #StayHome Elements bundle. If you've wanted to try the software but haven't had the chance, this is all available for 60 days free of charge!
Reaper
Price: Free till the end of June
Another DAW that doesn't always get the press of its more famous competitors is Reaper. Reaper is developed as a flexible platform that works on Windows, Mac OS and Linux. Reaper's pricing system is quite generous anyway – but the company has announced that if anyone is social distancing or working remotely, they can download a temporary licence till the end of June.
The software is a very well-equipped DAW and includes most tools that one might need in modern production. Several of my students have downloaded this and are experimenting with it at home. It doesn't include any virtual instruments – so these need to be found elsewhere, but it's a very effective solution for some people.
Minimoog Model D
Price: Free! (in-app purchases)
Moog has made the Minimoog Model D app available for free. This is a faithful recreation of the original analogue synthesiser from the 70s – this one runs on iOS devices. The touch screen interface allows users to control all the switches and knobs in a tactile way.
The sound of this app is obviously superb – it's created by the people that made the original, after all. It can be controlled via MIDI and linked into other apps for recording. The app does everything that any modern software synth can do, but it's a Moog – and free!
Logic Pro X & Final Cut Pro X
Price: 90-day free trial
Apple's flagship audio and video software is used in countless schools around the country (including my own) but one thing that is prohibitive to allowing students to access them at home is the price. One little known thing: Apple provides a fully functioning version of the software for 30 days. However, during the lockdown it has extended this to 90 days.
So, if you've wanted to explore Logic or Final Cut at home but found the price point an issue, you can now download the complete software for three months to play with at your leisure. The software installation is very straightforward and both pieces come with all the sounds, plugins and effects that are included with the paid version. There are countless instructional videos on YouTube if you get stuck.
