Tonos Calls Far-Flung Musicians to Jam

Site/software combo provides a recorder on your desktop and a virtual studio of colleagues.

Mark Richardson, special to PCWorld.com

Not long ago, musicians had to be in the same room to collaborate. Now, virtual collaboration over the Internet is possible through a tool on a music Web site backed by some music-industry heavyweights.

Making music with Tonos involves using the company's multi-track digital recording software, called TC8, together with the Tonos site. The TC8 software costs $29.95, but you can preview the 3.1MB download free for thirty days.

First, musicians record tracks at home using the TC8, then upload the tunes to the Tonos Web site and advertise for collaborators. Other registered Tonos customers can download existing songs and add their own instrumental or vocal parts. The site and software were set up by Carole Bayer Sager and Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds, among others.

Building a Virtual Band

The TC8 interface is similar to an analog recording console. Each of the eight tracks has a fader to adjust levels and a pan control to create a stereo mix. A small bank of effects, including distortion, compression, and chorus, can be added to each individual track. The TC8 operates at a 44.1-kHz sampling rate and 16-bit depth for CD-quality sound.

To record with the TC8, you patch a microphone or instrument into your computer's sound card, click the button that corresponds to the track you're working with, perform the music, and click stop. As with any multitrack recording software, it's important that your soundcard is full duplex, which means it can play and record sound simultaneously. This lets you hear what you previously recorded (such as a guitar part) while recording another track (such as vocals).

The real power of Tonos comes from a part of the Web site called the Collaboratory. Let's say you've recorded the vocal and guitar parts of your own song at home using the TC8, but you need somebody to contribute a drum track.

You can upload your song to the Collaboratory and advertise for a drummer. A musician from across the country could download your song to his or her TC8, add a drum track, and return it to the Tonos Web site. You can then retrieve the embellished song from the project folder and save it as a.wav file, ready to burn on a CD.

A Chorus of Resources

The first step in using the Collaboratory is to go online and register with Tonos. You'll enter such information as your preferred instrument, style of music, and any relevant personal data. You can then search for projects to join, preview clips from potential collaborators, or create a project of your own by uploading it from your TC8.

Songs uploaded from the TC8 use a Qdesign compression scheme to give file size and sound quality comparable to an MP3.

The TC8 software is primitive compared to most popular multitrack recording packages, and experienced home-recording artists will especially miss having a visual interface for editing tracks. But at price of $29.95, the TC8 isn't meant to compete with Cakewalk or CoolEdit. For those just getting started with home recording on a PC, the TC8 offers ample flexibility and is very easy to use.

The online, collaborative component of the Tonos experience is where the product shines. Searching for and joining projects is a snap. As a bonus, the site is loaded with contests, forums, and information for both amateurs and those looking to make a career in music. Tonos should become even more powerful as the number of registered users (and potential projects) grows. It can certainly help you turn the Internet into your virtual recording studio.