abacab

So you are a seeker on the bleeding edge?

Whatever... 🙄

I didn't do the deal, because I am happy with my Scarlett 2i2 3rd gen, a flawless unit with great ASIO latency. Don't need the extra audio ins and outs. But comparing the overall specs on the 18i20 2nd and 3rd gen units, the improvements on the 3rd gen seem marginally better. I would go for the 2nd gen if I needed the extra capacity today!

On the contrary, XLN could be sitting on a cash cow with the existing products, and a cost benefit analysis may show that continuing to milk the cow could produce more revenue than expensive investments in new product development would. Just look at the market saturation for plugins these days, products that used to sell for $100+ now going for $29, or $10, or even for free! It's a big business risk to bring new products out in a market like this. Just look at Soundwide, and the consolidation in the music software industry, i.e., Native Instruments, iZotope, etc. https://www.soundwide.com/

I have heard that only the insider editions of 22H2 have been released to date, and that MS has committed to the 4th qtr for a public release. Probably anytime now, so I have my computer locked down to 21H2. Have no desire to be a public beta tester for new Windows feature releases, and will wait to see how the general release goes first!

Agreed that it would be cool to see some new XLN developments, as their products are solid. But I really wouldn't worry about their status as a thriving company. They are backed by co-owner, Max Martin, who is one of the most successful songwriters and music producers in history. This is probably just a hobby for him! https://www.xlnaudio.com/about Max Martin: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Martin "Martin is the songwriter with the third-most number-one singles on the chart, behind only Paul McCartney (32) and John Lennon (26)."

The real thanks goes to @User 905133for giving me the heads-up on the VM Plug-in Host feature! This turns VM into an almost self-contained host. I have also been able to load complete external FX chains via plugins like IK MixBox, Kilohearts Snap Heap, IK AmpliTube 5, and NI Guitar Rig 6. FYI: Some plugins don't always display correctly when first inserted, but I have found that by clicking the "View Editor" button on the module twice, usually closes/re-opens the plugin and then it renders correctly in the UI.

Just don't try to load the Vital VST2 plug-in into the VM Plug-in Host module. VM went POOF, crash on me! VST3 seems to work fine though.

Yes, and Addictive Drums is a great MIDI drum machine!

XLN's loss... But they haven't abandoned ship. Still pushing out maintenance updates to their software.

I think most studio pros around here moved on when Sonar Platinum Lifetime was shutdown. If their livelihood was based on their DAW, they probably wouldn't want to deal with the uncertain future of Sonar, which really looked dark before BandLab came along. There were many threads in the old forums during those dark days discussing the best DAW to migrate to. Even Bapu set up a external forum for ex-Cakewalkers in case the forum was going to be completely shut down. So yes, I think that Cakewalk is mostly used by musicians and hobbyists these days. There may be a few exceptions, but I haven't seen anything around here lately to make me think otherwise. It's possible that the "Deals" forum is unique, in that it's not exclusively for Cakewalk users, so I am including the forums "upstairs" as well in my observation.

The developer of Abyss and Novum, Peter V (Dawesome Music) is a very creative guy! https://www.dawesomemusic.com/who-i-am/ Tracktion is just the distribution partner for Dawesome Music, aka "the label", but this is exclusively the work of Peter V.

And just to clarify this statement... Having less memory than you need will definitely slow your computer down. Best to observe the Windows Task Manager to see what is using your memory and how much. If it appears low when you are using the PC heavily, add memory! Otherwise, relax!

Just commenting on this observation. More memory won't make the PC perform any faster. Any extra beyond what you need is just a waste of money, best spent on a faster CPU or more SSD storage. Trust me on this, as I have been building PCs for over 20 years.

Using the VM Mini Plug-in Host I am able to load the free Vital VST3 wavetable synth into my VM session. It's a very capable wavetable sound source! You can init the Vital preset to just get a raw wavetable oscillator sound source at the Plug-in Host outputs, for patching up with VM modules for further sound shaping. This shuts off the other internal Vital sound processing, except for the ENV1 for (D)A(H)DSR. Or use any of the other internal Vital filters, envelopes, modulations, etc., if desired before outputting audio to other VM modules.

I agree. I'm only using 16GB here, and never seem to run out of memory for my typical use. I'm not one of those users that sees a need for 100+ tracks with a heavy sampler use. There was only one occasion that I thought that I may need 32GB, or more, and that was when I imported a full orchestral template for Spitfire BBCSO Core into Studio One. It was over 100+ tracks plus sends and buses, etc. And every instrument track used an instance of the Spitfire Audio Player with its samples loaded into memory. Yep I maxed on that one, LOL! That was just a look-see, as I am not into composing for full orchestra. Was just curious if I could load a full orchestra. At most I may be actually interested in trying some orchestral section ensembles, or adding orchestral instruments to other arrangements. If you are going to be doing film scores for full orchestra, some extra RAM may be in order. But otherwise, nah!

Yes, I caught that. I'm guilty of the same thing at times, LOL! I usually scoop up interesting or dirt cheap plug-ins that I don't have time to check out right away, then forget about them. Now I make it a habit to always check before I buy! And definitely check it out! If you find NI's The Giant- Cinematic snapshots the least bit interesting, try out Objeq Delay on your favorite instrument. You might be surprised at the change in timbre you can introduce with it!

More detail from the AAS manual: Exciting an object such as the skin of a drum by hitting it with a mallet results in a complex vibrational motion. It is this vibration of the object that will create pressure waves in the surrounding air which will propagate to our ears as sound waves. In Objeq Delay, the input signal is used to excite different kind of acoustic objects. In other words, we listen to the signal through the object or as if it was filtered by its natural resonances.

I wouldn't limit it to EDM. I think it falls into the "sound design" category, one that you can use to mutate a real instrument into something unreal. Probably not for straight-up rock. But maybe more for progressive, electronic styles. As a synth guy I always look at these type of things as tools to turn everything into a synthesizer. The initial instrument is just a wave generator. Even a piano! From the AAS manual: Objeq Delay is a creative effect processor based on the combination of an acoustic filter and a delay unit. The input signal is first processed through acoustic resonators such as drumheads, strings, plates, and bars and a traditional filter module allowing to add acoustic resonances to the sound and change its timbre. The signal is then sent to a versatile stereo delay allowing for the creation of complex rhythmic patterns or echo effects. Objeq Delay is entirely based on Applied Acoustics Systems (AAS) physical modeling technology and uses no sampling nor convolution algorithms. Sound is processed by solving, on the fly, mathematical equations modeling the different types of resonators and effect components.

Phase Plant has been on sale since the v2 release a couple of times for $99. And that now includes all of the essential plugins, so no need to buy a bundle. They still have a few "premium" plugins for sale, as well as the sound expansions.

I tried the Hyperion demo. Awesome sound, but that interface and I didn't click.

For a non-rack virtual semi-modular synth, I would recommend taking a look at Kilohearts Phase Plant. Combine as many generators, modulators and effects as you need to create your own unique sounds. Your new patch view is basically a blank slate, much like an empty rack is. No patch cords though, and it's very intuitive and inspiring to work with once you grasp the basics. You have to choose from the supplied modules, as there are no 3rd party add-ons. The modular architecture is designed that way as a closed system where you can create limitless combinations. Choose from regular waveforms, wavetables, samples, and noise for your source sounds. Make use of an extensive selection of factory wavetables or design your own with Phase Plant’s advanced Wavetable Editor. Start with solid foundations to create original layers and combinations of sounds within one synth.

You made a good point about the polyphony. Many of the VM modules come in monophonic or polyphonic variants, so you have both bases covered, as needed without unnecessary patching. And with the Plug-in Host and Mini Plug-in Host modules, you can drop in many of your favorite 3rd party instrument (VSTi) and FX plugins into the rack so that they can become part of your signal flow. I believe that Cherry used the design philosophy that if it made sense to do something slightly different in software than real hardware, go for it within reason. At least that is the approach they take with their standalone synth emulations.