AudioSauna: Creating Music In PCLinuxOS For Free

by Alessandro Ebersol (Agent Smith)

AudioSauna is a fully featured digital audio workstation (DAW).

It enables using several advanced polyphonic synthesizers, samplers and live effects in real-time in the browser.

The computer keyboard is also used to create melodies. The available audio effects include delay and reverb. A mixer tool provides access to mute, levels, pan, solo and AUX1 and AUX2. A virtual analog synthesizer offers various kinds of filters, ADSR envelopes, distortion, chorus, bitrate and unlimited transposition, portamento, polyphony and more.

A frequency modulation synthesizer is also available. The advanced sampler lets users import MP3s and .WAV files. Users can also sample level, pan, fine tune and transpose.

And what is better, in the convenience of your favorite web browser. Yes, that's right, AudioSauna is a site that loads a Flash application that is a complete DAW software, no installation, no registration nor anything. For free, you will have a powerful DAW software without spending a penny.

Features

• Save and open songs and export songs as audio files
• Use your computer's keyboard to record melodies with AudioSauna
• Sequencer with pattern arrange and piano roll modes
• Mixer with level, pan, mute, solo and AUX1 and AUX2 levels
• Built in aux effects: delay and reverb
• Snap to grid

Virtual Analog Synthesizer

AudioSauna's virtual analog synth is a classic two oscillator subtractive synthesizer.

• 2 analog oscillators with amp envelope, SAW, SQUARE, TRIANGLE, SINE and NOISE waveforms.
• Various filter types including LP and HP
• Osc 2 can modulate the Osc 1 with true FM
• ADSR envelopes for amplitude and filter's cutoff
• LFO for amplitude and filter's cutoff with 3 waveforms
• Built in effects: distortion, chorus and bitrate
• Unlimited polyphony, portamento, transpose, 40+ presets

FM synthesizer

AudioSauna's FM-synth brings the classic 80's sound to the browser!

• 4 sine wave operators with amp envelope
• 8 FM algorithms (based on Yamaha's DX-21)
• Various filter types including LP and HP
• ADSR envelopes for amplitude and filter's cutoff
• LFO for amplitude and filter's cutoff with 3 waveforms
• Built in effects: distortion, chorus and bitrate
• Unlimited polyphony, portamento, transpose, 40+ presets

Advanced Sampler

AudioSauna's sampler is the most advanced stereo sampler of all the online audio applications.

• Import mp3 and wav files
• Layering, key range mapping, auto-mapping
• Normal and ping-pong looping, reverse
• Sample start, sample end, loop start, loop end
• Sample level, pan, transpose, finetune
• Various filter types including LP and HP
• ADSR envelopes for amplitude and filter's cutoff
• LFO for amplitude and filter's cutoff with 3 waveforms
• Built in effects: distortion, chorus and bitrate
• Unlimited polyphony, transpose, 40+ presets
• High quality interpolation

Workflow

With 10 tracks, the intuitive customizable synthesizers, samples, effects, etc and a less complicated interface, make AudioSauna a good program for the future composer / music editor. But, unlike many applications that work using a simplistic approach with drag-and drop, this application does not.

The application favors a realistic interface that gives the user the illusion of working with an actual mixer. Sleek silver dials shine beside simple slider buttons and numeric settings. Keyboard keys line the left side, above additional rows of silver dials and sliders. The experience has a modern yet realistic feel that works exceptionally well for the application’s intended purpose. The only downside is that new or inexperienced users may be intimidated until they get the hang of each function.

Basically, making music is setting the rhythm, the drums (the drumline), accompaniment (bassline) and the solo (the main instrument), functions that can be easily accessed with AudioSauna (Sampler, FM Synthesizer and Analog Synthesizer).

Verdict

Although there is a limit to the amount of preset sounds that are available, AudioSauna has potential to help you compose a good variety of music. In some aspects, composing the actual music itself may be easier in this application as opposed to others simply because of the note structure and the visual aid of the keyboard. Although it would be better to have a wider range of preset beats and sounds, you can upload your own sounds, in order to increase the application's functionality. As long as you are patient enough to learn the controls, AudioSauna may be valuable as a free alternative to electronic music creation.

Recording your music and exporting it as .wav can serve as a base, and, with the help of Audacity, you can record the voice track of the music and mix it later, thus having a reasonable production studio at zero cost.

There are several channels on Youtube with tutorials for beginners in AudioSauna, then there is enough material to help get started with the program.

URL: http://www.AudioSauna.com/studio Requirements: Web Browser with updated Flash plugin.