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Our sister site, ActiveDen, has some fantastic and affordable Flash resources that will make you stand out from the crowd. We feature 20 of their best site templates and audio players.

1. Advanced XML Website – Perfect for musician

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“Advanced XML Website is an Flash (AS3) fully XML driven website template that allows you to modify the whole content without even opening the source files. It’s perfect for an musician website.

It’s a very easy to manage and professional documentation is included.”

2. PunkerPop XML Template

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“PunkerPop XML Template features an eye catching and one of a kind website template fully controlled by XML and very versatile in its setup! It gives you total freedom in the way you want to setup your pages (e.g. you can have 5 text pages and 1 contact page)! Make use however you want from the 8 available template pages and enjoy full deeplinking support!”

3. Black Velvet XML Template with Deep Linking

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“Full flash xml loaded website template. Uses swfAddress to enabled deep linking to all pages on the site.”

4. Scraps XML Music Site

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“Scraps is a xml-driven site template for artists in the music industry. It contains tabs for band information and photos, five-album discography, news and upcoming gigs, links, a php contact form, and a simple music player.

“The content for Scraps is driven by 6 seperate, easy to use xml files—one for each tab (except contact), and one for the music player. This file comes with a detailed help document to make uploading your content easy to understand.

If you’re looking for a hip (yes, I said “hip”) easy to use site to get your band’s name out there, this is the file for you!”

5. Dream Music XML Website

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Features:

• Fully XML driven
• Deep linking supported
• Multiple modules can be loaded on the same page
• Includes banner rotator
• Audio player with unlimited songs support and a song purchase button
• One sub-level menu

6. Multiple Music Projects site template

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“The mbudm#004 template is aimed at individual musicians or bands/music collectives that dabble in more than one music project. Inspiration has come from people I know for whom music is their main interest and so they are always embarking on new and interesting side projects while simultaneously organising their main band or collective.

“The big challenge in making a music template is that by nature musicians are highly individual and have incredibly different needs. Because of this I have added in as much flexibility as I can so that this template can be transformed into a site that truly represents you, your band and your projects.”

7. The Music Band Template – with PHP and MySQL

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“The Music Band Template is a flash template packed with many features. It has been created for the Music Template competition from ActiveDen, therefore it has the functionality of a Music Band Fan Site. However, the template is easily customisable and you can personalise it as you wish.”

8. Dynamic Elegant Template V1

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“This is fully customizable elegant template with a lot of features. One of the biggest features is: CREATE AS MANY GALLERIES , HTML PAGES , CONTACT FORMS AS YOU WANT.”

9. Dark XML Fullscreen Web Template

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“This website template is fully resizable, customizable in the xml, and is only 29kb! You never even need to touch your flash file.

“The rollover gallery menu on top hides when you are not using it, scrolls right and left if there are too many to fit, and has a thumbnail show up on rollover. Each image is associated with a caption that shows up on rollover. There are also next and back buttons that hide when they are on the first or last image. There is even a button that makes this template fullscreen.”

10. SOLO – Music Website Template – with deeplinking

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“Featuring 3 levels of deep-linking, url error management, playlist creator, interavtive tour map and integrated twitter reader.

“Designed with a musician in mind but equally suitable for any artist/creative individual.”

11. XML MP3 Player with List (by quickyboy)

“And from the same story with the brand new FLV player, here comes the XML driven MP3 player with list!!! ”

12. Switch MP3 Player

“Many Flash projects benefit from adding background music. This simple MP3 Player lets you add music to your movie, without the distracting hassle of extra buttons, volume sliders, and unnecessary equalizer animations. The user will be able to quickly turn the music on or off.

“Inside the MP3 Player you have numerous settings such as a master volume, default on/off setting, and a randomize feature. You can include an unlimited number of songs on your playlist, all of which are loaded externally. For your convenience, the playlist can be defined both inside the SWF as an array, or externally as an XML file.”

13. Dark Star Mp3 Player Pro

“Dark Star XML MP3 Player V1.1..It can play mp3 music files from your XML file.”

14. 2 Mode MP3 Player

“Cool Aqua Style Mp3 Player. With Normal And Lite Display Mode. Drag and Drop. Easy To Use For XML Or ActionScript”

15. WeLove Mp3

Features:

• Dynamic XML driven mp3 player.
• Exclusive “open-albuns” animation.
• Customizable XML driven skins (text colours, bgs colours and background image).
• Album cover images.
• Shuffle on/off.
• Autoplay on/off.

16. Streaming MP3 Player with drop down playlist

Features:

• XML driven
• Streaming MP3 Player with drop down playlist
• Add as many songs as you like
• There is no limit to your playlist
• Just paste the mp3 movie clip in your flash file
• Save your mp3’s in the “tracks” folder, and update the XML
• All changes made through the xml
• No need to re-publish your flash file

17. MP3 Player with Drop Down playlist V2

Features:

• Streaming MP3 Player with drop down playlist
• Add as many songs as you like, there is no limit to your playlist
• XML driven
• Just paste the mp3 movie clip in your flash file
• Save your mp3s in the tracks folder, and update the XML
• Updated with Autostart and Paused mode

18. Dynamic Mp3 Player 2

Features:

• Supports unlimited number of mp3 files.
• Fully customizable – XML driven.
• You can choose between multiple settings.

19. ADG3 : Simple Sound Controller

“A simple music on/off controller, with animated levels.

“The difference here is that the music fades in or out gradually, as opposed to cutting out immediately.

“If you are detail oriented, you may agree, it’s a small difference that comes across as smoother, less harsh on the user’s ear.

“Aside from the decor in the file, the controller is contained in a single movie clip, which can be dropped into any flash project.

“If you wish to remove the rising dots animation, that’s easy too, just delete layer 2 in the mc called music player bar, in the library.

“The file size of this controller is only 1 kb, but depending on the length of the loop you choose and the compression you set, the total size added to a movie will vary, naturally.

“Included as a bonus here is one of my loops, which you can use as you see fit in any of your flash projects. Hope you like it”

20. Simple MP3 Music Player V2 + XML Playlist

Features:

• XML MP3 Player with volume slider
• Simple MP3 player, all vector, easy to skin
• Name the artist and title in the xml
• Just copy and paste a player movie clip into your file
• Streams and plays your external MP3 tracks via XML
• Unlimited playlist

Are you planning a website to show off your band or music? Which of these Flash resources appeal to you most? Do you already have a web presence you’d like to show off? Let us know in the comments.

To learn more about what you get as part of Audio Plus, read this. To take a peek inside this sample pack, hit the jump!

All loops were programed from scratch in Logic and then destroyed using various processing for a hard edge sound. WAV, REX and MIDI versions are incuded. If you have ‘Stylus’, you can import the folder ‘Tuts+ Glitched REX’ by dropping it into the Spectrasonics Sage Expander.

Here’s an example from Toby of what can be done using the pack:

Download audio file (Hard Nut Demo.mp3)

Sample Pack Inventory

6 Loop Suites

Each suite includes a full mix, alt mix, kick, snare and hi hat samples.

Included suites:

• Crunchy 96 bpm
• You Glitchy MF 98 bpm
• Da Man 116 bpm
• Hard Nut 140 bpm
• Nitro 160 bpm

12 FX Loops

12 different FX loops at different tempos, from 100-160 bpm. They were created in Metasynth and further processed in Logic.

Existing Plus members can log-in and download. Not a Plus member? Join now.

Each Tuesday we open our mic to readers and lurkers alike to come out of the woodwork and tell us your thoughts and opinion, your experiences and mistakes, what you love and what you hate. We want to hear from you, and here’s your chance.

Are there any specific topics you’d like to see tutorials on? Are you having audio problems you need advice on? Is there a nagging unanswered question in your head we can help you with?

What types of tuts do you find most helpful? Software tuts? Which programs? Generic tuts that should work on most DAWs? Step-by-step instructions about how to do something specific? Theory tuts?

What level of experience should our tuts be aimed at? Experts, intermediate users, beginners, or a mix?

And don’t forget you can tell us about tutorials you’d like to see at any time at our Uservoice Audiotuts Site Suggestions and Feedback page.

M-Audio SP-2 Piano-style Sustain Pedal

For the chance to win an M-Audio SP-2 piano-style pedal (pictured above) all you need to do is comment. Make sure to include your correct email address with your comment so that we can contact you. This giveaway is open worldwide, but make sure to get your comment in before midnight this Saturday, Pacific Eastern Standard Time.

The M-Audio SP-2 Sustain Pedal is the perfect product for keyboard players who want the most realistic pedal action. The SP-2 model is used in the same manner as the sustain pedal on an acoustic piano. This classic-style pedal works with any M-Audio keyboard. Designed to work and feel just like an acoustic piano’s sustain pedal, it has a specially designed rubber bottom that grips the floor and stays put while you play. The SP-2 is a high-quality damper pedal with expressive half-pedal capabilities.

If you miss out, check it out at Amazon.com and get yourself an early Christmas present.

Please note: Envato staff and people who have written more than two tutorials/articles for a Tuts+ site are not eligible to enter.

This track has been submitted for your friendly, constructive criticism. They have put their track (and their heart and soul) in your hands to learn and get useful feedback.

• Do you enjoy the song or track itself? Does it have potential?
• Can the arrangement be improved?
• How did you find the mix? What would you do differently?
• What do you enjoy about the rhythm track? What can be done to improve it?
• Is the choice of instruments relevant and effective for the style/song?
• Are the lyrics (if any) effective? Does the style, arrangement and genre of the song suit them?
• Can you suggest any specific techniques that might improve the track?
• Do you have any other constructive feedback?

Maybe by David White

David describes the track: “Built as excuse to play my bass, rhythm guitars are logic samples tweaked, cut and pitch shifted, synth solo was a ‘happy accident’… stumbling on how to patch an arpeggiator in the environment window. Solo played with no regard to key – voicing only, arpeggiator took care of timing. Each note hand pitched to create solo in post production. Titled to evoke ‘Yes’. I know it’s produced ‘loud’, but i was excited…”

Author’s website: www.reverbnation.com/davewhitepdx

Download audio file (Maybe.mp3)

Terms of Use: Stream only. comment freely.

Composition and performance by David White

(c) 2009 AudioMoxie™ Music (BMI)

(P) 2009 AudioMoxie™ Records

Have a listen to the track and offer your constructive criticism for this Workshop in the comments section.

Submit Your Tracks for Workshopping

Need constructive criticism on your own tracks? Submit them using this form.

Learning to play drums takes a lot of practice and co-ordination – and playing the alternatives is no easier. Drum parts can be played fairly effectively on keyboards (preferably unweighted), pads you hit with your fingers (like the Korg nanoPAD or the pads on an Axiom controller keyboard), and pads you hit with sticks (like the Roland Octapad).

The more accomplished rhythm players below look comfortable and sound natural. They’ll probably make a real drummer laugh, but they’re playing is quite believable. And the instruments they play require less space than a drum kit, and are a lot easier to plug into your DAW.

What do you think of their playing? And what do you find the best way to input your rhythm tracks?

Drumming on a Music Keyboard

Playing drums on a music keyboard is incredibly handy: you probably have one lying around, you can achieve a fairly good result (even if you build up a track one drum at a time), and many keyboard players feel very comfortable using their fingers. As the videos below show, some people get incredibly good at this.

1. Let’s start with a tutorial on how to play drums on the keyboard. This tutorial is from Revolutionaudio and covers the General MIDI keyboard layout.

2. This clip, modestly called “The Best Drummer in the World on Keyboard”, shows someone playing keyboard drums along with some recorded music.

3. Here’s a clip of someone playing drums on a Korg Triton along to some 80s-sounding music.

4. The samples are great, the playing is good, and the keyboard is cheap.

5. Here’s a guy playing drums onto some music he’s sequenced. All sounds come from the Roland Fantom S.

Drumming on a Korg nanoPAD

Korg nanoPADs (and similar devices, including the pads on an M-Audio Axiom keyboard controller), make drumming with your fingers a little easier: the pads are larger and have a rubbery feel, the layout of the pads can be customized, and they are arranged in rows, making them easier to get to. These devices are small enough to be very handy, and watching David Haynes play makes me think of them as real percussion instruments.

6. David “Finger” Haynes manages to get some incredibly natural rhythms out of the Korg nanoPAD.

7. This video shows you the how to do flams and rolls with the nanoPAD’s X-Y pad.

8. Here you see musician Jamiroquai playing nanoPAD drums to the song “If I Like It I Do It”.

9. Here’s some brush jazz.

10. And here’s the nanoPAD with Reason’s Idris kit.

Drumming on a Roland Octapad

Roland Octapads (and similar devices such as the Alesis Performance Pad) are one step down from an electronic drum kit. They have larger rubber pads, can be played with sticks, and have inputs for additional pads and pedals, yet they are much more compact than the smallest drum kit. They would easily fit in most home studios.

11. Here’s someone playing the original Roland Octapad from the 80s.

12. The next version of the Octapad, the SPD-11, isn’t just for triggering sounds – it has hundreds of its own internally.

13. Here’s someone talking us through what the latest version of the Octapad, the SPD-20, can do. Most Octapads have inputs for additional pads and pedals.

14. And Octapads aren’t just for Western music.

15. The SPD-S is a sampler with pads attached.

Which alternate drumming method do you think looks most promising? Which performance did you enjoy most? How do you rate your own playing compared with the videos? And what do you real drummers think? Let us know in the comments.

To learn more about what you get as part of Audio Plus, read this. To take a peek inside this sample pack, hit the jump!

This pack is useful to sound designers in film, games and television, and also musicians who want to add some ambiance to their tracks.

Here’s an example of one of the samples:

Download audio file (AmbientDemo.mp3)

Sample Pack Inventory

• City Crowd Ambience: Crowd ambiance just before the Norwegian Independence Day Parade Begins – talking, yelling, cars
• Close Waves Lapping 1 and 2: Anacortes Ferry Terminal – Small waves lapping on the shore with frogs in the background
• Anacortes Ferry Frogs: Dusk near the ferry terminal, frogs peeping near the marshes
• Lopez Island Birds 1 and 2: Summer morning, island birds chirping and calling
• Mount Rainier Birds and Rain: An evening at Mount Rainier – birds chirping, distant river, and light rainfall
• Mountain Chipmunk: A chipmunk chirping on a mountain hill
• Nisqually River Near: A close up recording of the Nisqually River in early spring
• Samba Band Practice: recording of a samba band practicing for an upcoming parade
• Urban Thunderstorm: Recording of a thunderstorm from under cover of a parking garage – some cars driving by occasionally
• Urban Zoo Birds: at the exotic bird exhibit – with plenty of domestic birds too!

Existing Plus members can log-in and download. Not a Plus member? Join now.

Each Tuesday we open our mic to readers and lurkers alike to come out of the woodwork and tell us your thoughts and opinion, your experiences and mistakes, what you love and what you hate. We want to hear from you, and here’s your chance.

What is your favorite microphone? What do you like about it? How did you discover it? Are you still in search of the perfect mic?

Do you use just one general purpose mic, or a variety of mics for different purposes? How many do you use at one time?

Or are you the sort of music producer that never needs or uses a mic? Do you see that changing in the future?

Winner Announced

This week’s winner (picked at random) is Justin, who won himself the album “Kind of Blue” by Miles Davis. Congratulations, Justin. We’ll be in touch with you shortly.

Your Choice of CD from Amazon.com

There are hundreds of thousands of CDs available at Amazon.com – they are bound to have something you enjoy.

For the chance to win a CD, all you need to do is comment. Let us know the title and artist of the album you’d like to win. Make sure to include your correct email address with your comment so that we can contact you. This giveaway is open worldwide, but make sure to get your comment in before midnight this Saturday, Pacific Eastern Standard Time.

Please note: Envato staff and people who have written more than two tutorials/articles for a Tuts+ site are not eligible to enter.