Commission Update: Canpages Text 411 Ringtones

We are pleased to announce our newest AdHack commission which is for Canpages Text 411. This commission calls for the creation of ringtones advertising the new canpages 411 service.

Now before you say “I don’t know how to make a ring tone,” I’m here to tell you it’s easy!

Even if you have no audio production experience (or money to buy programs). I hope to prove to you that this is a great project to learn about audio advertising creation. Even if this is your first shot at it. Why? Because the final audio file is only five to eight seconds long!

So if you are new to audio production keep reading. We’ll talk about some tips, tricks, tools and resources to get you going.

If, on the other hand, you’re an audio Jedi, you might want to skip straight to the Canpages Text 411 commission details.

But I reccommend you take a glance through the links and sites below. You might learn something new. Or have your own recommendations to share with the community in the comments.

The Scoop on Free Audio Programs

One of my favorite DJ jokes from my time in the club scene was:

“What do you call a DJ withouth a girlfriend?….Homeless.”

Believe me, there’s more truth in that joke than I’d like to admit. Ha ha.

That being said, I’m here to show you some free and cheap ways to generate professional-sounding ring tones.

Do not underestimate free audio programs. Technology has come a long way.  In fact, my car stereo has more power in it then the amplifiers used for the first Beatles concert.

Wav Editors

A wav editor will allow you to cut, blend, effect and edit audio files (mp3, aiff, wav, etc.) and one of my favorite freeware editors is this:

This is a great free program that works on all operating systems and versions (mac, windows, linux). In fact, this program is so great that I would get carpal tunnel retyping the entire list of features packed into this powerful app. So instead I’m just going to link to the Audacity feature list.

And don’t be scared by that list of features either. Sometimes audiophiles and engineers, like many professionals in other fields, like to use big fancy industry words to describe very simple concepts.

To help you get started, Audacity has done a great job making a wiki-style tutorial page.  It even has a link right at the top for “How to make ring tones.” How lucky is that?

If you want to kick things up a notch and add in your own digitally composed music, I reccommend FLStudio:

FLStudio requires a windows operating system. It is, however, fully useable on a mac if you have Bootcamp or other windows parrallels up and running.

If you have never used a virtual drum machine, synth or step sequencer before, this program has a bit of a learning curve to it.  It’s also not free, but you can download a full demo version to get started.

The only restriction on the demo version is you can’t save project files. You can create music and export to mp3 or wav, but you can’t save a re-editable project (unless you get the full version, of course). Other than that you have full access to the software.

I recommend FLStudio to anyone who wants to try their hand at digital music production. The best part is that it requires nothing more then a computer and sound card. But it has the ability to expand into other professional audio hardware and software when you’re ready. This is a very powerful program in the hands of an expert and a great learning tool for any currious newbie.

Bonus tip: register for their forum and you get access to their full video tutorials too.

Where to get sounds?!

Now that you have your audio programs ready to roll, you need some audio samples to play with.

We’ve talked about Soundsnap before in our resources page, so now let’s talk about it again.

It is an amazing archive of sounds, loops, and musical riffs. All of the sounds are free and at your disposal. Try whatever you like. Experiment with bad ideas.

And there you have it. Some great programs, tools, resources and information on audio production for you to get the ball rolling.

Also, If you are new to audio production and have questions, just ask me!

Write me an email and I’ll do my best to help you out or at least point you in the right direction. Or if you’re already an audio guru and just want to chat, hit me up!

Corey Rollins: corey [at] adhack.com.

Tags:
411, Audacity, audio applications, audio tips, audiophiles, canpages, Corey Rollins, FLStudio, ring tone, ring tones, ringtones, SoundSnap, wav editor

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