AndyB01

My son has a Behringer UMC202HD he uses for his DJ stuff. I borrowed it to test on my laptop as my Focusrite was playing up and I was extremely impressed with it. A very solid little unit that sounded every bit as good as my Focusrite 2i4 Gen 1. I also had a Behringer GMX110 practice amp for a few years and it was a grand bit of kit. Andy

Having a few older siblings, as a kid I heard a lot of Motown, James Taylor, Moody Blues, Simon & Garfunkel, Carole King & The Beatles. In the 70s I would listen to most stuff but 10cc (not considered cool), Supertramp, The Eagles and Queen were stand outs. I discovered prog (and Genesis specifically) in 1978 and subsequently became a big follower of their stuff and Hackett's solo career. I kind of passed on the whole Punk and New Romantics vibe but Simply Red, Dire Straits, Alison Moyet, Billy Joel, Elton John and Level 42 were all on my play list, together with Chris De Burgh (especially his less commercial stuff). My kids say I stopped buying music in the 80s 😂 (they're probably not far wrong there), but I was also blown away by an eclectic mix of artists from Oasis, Anita Baker and Beverley Craven to the possibly more obscure like Mike Silver, and Gretchen Peters. Real songwriting craft does it for me, every time. Other notables include Stevie Wonder, Bowie, Deep Purple, George Benson and George Michael (but not in his Wham days)! 😂 I think I've been influenced to a greater or lesser degree by any number of the above, but in recent years I have really got into classical music - mainly because it's brilliant to work to and blocks out external sound without the distraction of lyrics - but that's a whole different thread... Andy

I'm 58 Gary, I kind of get it (but then again I'm also a Genesis fan). 😂 The Wall is overrated - I agree - with one single exception: that guitar solo on ABITW Part II. One of my favourite riffs of all time. Andy

I've been mulling over this problem, over the years I've accumulated piles of crap and I would say I only use around 20% of virtual instruments and effects on a regular basis. I'm considering a nuclear laptop rebuild and re-install of just the stuff I actually use. I am sure some of the old stuff is causing regular blue screens and crashes. However, I also have a nagging 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' at the back of my mind. Andy

I've got some Shure SE425s I've had for years - not cheap but if you get the right foam inserts they do insulate well and sound pretty good. They are brilliant plugged in direct to my Yamaha SLG200N silent guitar. Also great on planes for when the babies start crying (not that I've needed them for that recently). 😂 The SE535s are even better by all accounts but I can't justify that much outlay. Andy

You nailed another one here Steve. Great job. Andy

All good here on the Sony MDR7506 cans Nice kick back groove Andy

Nice work - the vocal really shines. I'm in two minds about drums and further instrumentation, I think I've ruined many a half-decent ballad over the years by adding a drum track but then again maybe it would add something - all you can do is try some and see which you prefer. On balance, I like this as it is - very well written and performed - I enjoyed the listen. Andy

That's no easy riff to solo over - very impressive chops on guitar and generally all round (love the driving bass track and the sax too). Ending was top drawer! Andy

Been using ATI for years, earlier versions could be flaky but recently it's been very reliable and fast. I use it with a removable drive alongside an always-on cloud backup solution from a different provider (as a cloud sync backup won't save you from ransomware). There are lots of good workable back up strategies, the important thing is that they work and you prove it with regular test restores. You just can't put a price on the value of your data, it never ceases to amaze me how careless some people are. Andy

I'd agree with you and to be honest, EzKeys would be my prime candidate for a UI upgrade. I find the small window is a real pain to use.

Only a point update but even so, I had some hopes when I saw there was an update in Product Manager - perhaps we were finally going to get a scalable full-screen UI like EzBass? Sadly not - just a few bug fixes. 🙄 https://www.toontrack.com/release-notes/ezdrummer-2/ Ah well, maybe next time... Andy

I know how many great songwriters we have on here so I thought I'd spotlight a fabulous (in my view) recent album by Tim Minchin. Musicality and eclectic mix of styles aside, the lyrical craft alone is simply phenomenal. Warning, the odd couple of songs have the odd expletive - just in case that matters to you. Check out "Apart Together" (I found it on Amazon Music but it's probably on most of the popular streaming services). Highly recommended Andy

What a lovely, understated track; you've certainly mastered the art of less is more here. A fitting finale (if it is the finale) to Wookiee's Private Parts & Pieces. I'm currently working on an instrumental track, built entirely from Scaler. If I can get anywhere near this standard, I'll be very happy. Andy

I hear the bottom end that Wooks is hearing but I actually quite like it, as it gives something of a baritone guitar vibe - so I wouldn't overcook any correction. Nice fingerstyle guitar chops too btw - very well done. Andy

Feeling very 'Purple' after listening to that - fabulous! Andy

Most Scaler users probably know this already but as a new user I'm still on the learning curve. For me, the eight chord limit per pattern was a cause of frustration, I could see how to add more patterns but not how to easily switch between them when using midi capture. Turns out, if you display the patterns in grid view and lasso them all with mouse (click and drag) you get a set of key switches starting at C1. Who knew? 🤷‍♂️ Anyway, if you were (like me) wondering how to do this, now you know. Certainly makes midi capture a damn site easier. 🤦😂 If anyone else has any tips and tricks for Scaler, please share. I need all the help I can get (as you can probably tell). Andy

I don't know about Zappa but I do know I really enjoyed this track - surprises around every corner and great guitar work. Well done. Andy

Great vibe on this Allan, really enjoyed the listen. Very well crafted as always. Andy

I thought this had a chamber feel to it - could definitely use some development and definitely worth pursuing. Andy

In a word: perfect. I loved it. Brilliant! Andy

Ripples by Genesis - specifically the version on Steve Hackett's Genesis Revisited II album with lead vocals by Amanda Lehmann. A truly incredible and completely perfect blend of menace and vulnerability and a massive improvement on the Phill Collins original. Gives me spine tingles every time. Andy

Ah the joy of backing tracks - your honesty is commendable! 🙂🙂

I really love that heavy, driving snare and different instruments playing the same melody line - very neat. Piano mixed maybe a little left in my Sony cans but it's not too out of place. Some very cool chops on show here (love that Hammond btw). Andy

An odd observation but I like the fret noise on the acoustic - because I can hear you working the instrument to get that great tone (which is superb btw) - how did you record that? Oh and the lead isn't too shabby either 😉😂 Great job. Andy