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I was just going over the "12 new" Syntronik Synths that IK is including in TSM 4, to see what was actually "new". I have Syntronik 2 MAX and was curious about what extra you are getting here in TSM 4. I only found 1 synth that is not part of my Syntronik 2 MAX collection, the Synth-X. https://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/synsynthx/index.php?p=info It appears that this synth was released after the other current IK bundles were released, so it is a "single" one-off that is apparently making its first appearance in a bundle (unless I'm overlooking something). So if you already have Syntronik 2 MAX, you may want to consider this redundancy. This all reminded me of a big strength of the Syntronik collection, the lesser known synths that have not really been emulated elsewhere. I had a play with one of them today, the "Sorcerer" (included in Syntronik 2 MAX and Total Studio MAX 4). It has some really nice tones and character!!! I have a lot of other different Moog emulations, but there is something special about this one! From the IK description: "The Sorcerer offers the distinctive timbres of the legendary Moog source, two fat analog oscillators through the legendary Moog 24 dB per octave transistor ladder filter. In many ways, the Source was a programmable Minimoog capable of generating massive basses and superior leads."

never mind...

I prefer the Humble Bundles! More budget friendly!!! 😂

As far as I know, you are the only person other than Larry that ever went negative! 😂

Just FYI, the FULL version of Saurus 4.0 is on sale for $69.

Resistance is futile... you will be assimilated...

I passed on it a few times thinking I could duplicate that with a few things on hand. But the demo seems like a nice one-stop-shop! Be nice to grab at the next sale!

Plugin Boutique had it for $19 last year. Should have jumped then! 🙄 The sales listed at this link are no longer active (expired). This is just historical info... https://musicsoftwaredeals.com/price-history/rc-20-retro-color-by-xln-audio/

Never tried using anything but the Toontrack factory MIDI, other than the Bandmate in EZD3. Assuming that EZkeys 2 will inherit the EZB and EZD3 user folder features, it should be good to go with your own MIDI. I didn't intend to make it any more confusing...

I wasn't the one asking. That was @mettelus.

EZdrummer 3 MIDI:

Here is what the EZbass manual says about user libraries. I assume that EZkeys 2 will be similar: Also:

Unless I am mistaken, that only applies to "Bandmate" where you can drag and drop your own MIDI there in order to find matching MIDI in the EZkeys 2 MIDI library. I haven't seen anything related to adding you own MIDI styles to the EZkeys libraries. "Bandmate: Get chords and grooves based on your own audio or MIDI". EDIT: after reviewing the user manuals for EZB and EZD3, I can only assume that their user folders features will be included in the new EZkeys 2, which will allow for external MIDI files to be used.

My Maxgrade from TS 3 is $299, minus 50 Jampoints it's $249. All I really would like from the current offering is MODO Bass 2. That is $149 by itself, minus 50 Jampoints it's $99. Probably wait for a sale on that one!

EZkeys 1 uses proprietary MIDI packs. You can select a genre and style, then see a list of available songs and song sections to browse and audition. You can edit/arrange them in the EZkeys song track (or the new grid editor), or drag the MIDI parts into your DAW. The styles and variations are designed to allow you to find the best match in your EZkeys collection to work with your song. The larger your collection of MIDI packs, the more effective the Bandmate and Tap2Find assistance will be. They are new to EZkeys 2. Personally I just collect MIDI packs when they go on sale, and ignore the addon sound expansions. I consider them unnecessary unless you just desire some for inspiration. But since you can pipe the MIDI out to any other VSTI, you are not limited to the stock sounds. EDIT: if EZkeys 2 is patterned after EZB and EZD3, then the user folders feature should allow use of external MIDI patterns.

The Dual Delay and Trance Gate are pretty cool effects as well... https://kilohearts.com/products/dual_delay https://kilohearts.com/products/trance_gate

https://www.tone2.com/saurus-update.html Saurus 4.0 (free update) The update to v4.0 is a major update that is available for free for all Saurus users. New features - interface: GUI with 20 different sizes (with and without keys). Native support for WQHD, 4K, 5K and 8K UHD displays. GUI can be scaled from 66% up to 300% by clicking in the lower right corner. Reworked and enhanced graphics. Smoother animations and more responisve controls. Support for hardware-acceleration. Ultrasharp graphics with enhanced HiDpi and Retina Display support. Automatic detection of the ideal GUI size. Completely rewritten GUI code. More contrast for the LCD displays. The animations are faster and smoother. Fine-tuned some coordinates in the interface. Re-sizing the VST3, Standalone and Audiounit works more reliable. Fine-tuned some colors. Removed the demo-version timeout and added a voice-over. Patch browser can now also be opened by clicking on 'BROWSER' or the display on the upper left. A finger is shown when hovering over 'BROWSER' to indicate that the control is click-able. Enhancements - sound quality: The audio-engine now uses 64-bit precision instead of 32-bit, which results in a higher sound-quality. Slightly enhanced sound of the automatic micro-tuning. Enhanced sound of the Reverb https://www.tone2.com/saurus.html

Yes, Snapheap is a very useful tool, but it is $29 payware. Not included in Essentials, as it is currently* one of their "premium" products. *Kilohearts did include Snapheap in a limited time special offer last year, but that's no longer available. https://kilohearts.com/products/snap_heap

Ran across this Music Radar article, "Here are our 5 favourite effects in Kilohearts Essentials, the biggest free plugin bundle on the internet": https://www.musicradar.com/news/kilohearts-essentials-bundle-guide

Be careful if you do buy it on sale. Or you might end up buying ALL of the rest of the sounds to complete the collection for it like I did!

I have been using Cakewalk on and off for 25 years. And I'm still learning new things about it. And I'm a geek! Yes, there is a huge learning curve, but I suspect there are very few others like John that know every nook and cranny... Most users probably never need to know everything about Cakewalk to make music with it. Just define what you want it to do for you now, and focus on learning those tools.

That there is the "Deal of the Month", for sure!!! 👍

As Sander mentioned, Granular is only a sound generator within the Phase Plant synth. Approximately similar to the one in Arturia Pigments. They did also add a sample editor, which is available in the premium kHs Convolver effect (for editing IRs), but that effect is not included in "Essential".

You would expect Toontrack to at least offer an upgrade for the old merchandise. As you have already paid for it, but not gotten any use of the product yet. 🤔