Carl Ewing

It has quite a different sound to RC-20 (especially reverb / echo). And the bitcrush is quite a bit different than some others. I really didn't like Retro Fi when I demo'd it, so I would say VYBZ is superior. But I have a lot of lofi plugins and a prefer a certain sound. For lofi multi-effects I would put in order: XLN - RC-20 (great all around) Unfiltered Audio - Lo-Fi AF (love this plugin), Byome / Triad Freakshow Industries - Mishby, Dumpster Fire, Backmask AudioThing - Wires, Speakers, etc. Excite - Lifeline (just got this - it's amazing) Abberant Audio - Sketch Cassette WavesFactory - Cassette Thenatan - Vybz Neold - Warble Amplitube 5 (underrated for lo-fi) Stock DAW plugins STDs. ... ... Waves Retro Fi. Hehe. I think Vybz is a no-brainer for 10 bucks. Comes in handy sometimes. Edit: Oops confused RC-20 with Lo-Fi AF when it comes to reverb. Corrected.

Anyone know if there is a benefit to RX8 elements over what's already in RX7 Standard? The elements are on sale for $20, but it doesn't seem there's much of a difference with the core modules that are already in RX7. Honestly, I can't even see a reason to upgrade from RX7 to RX9 at all. Hmm.

I'm still amazed how terrible the installation process is for audio software. Obviously some developers are better than others. I've been running the app 'Everything' for file search on Windows, and I can sometimes find a plugin / instrument's files scattered across 20 different folders - plugin formats all over the place, documentation over here, presets over there, samples over there, images over here, files in Local app data, files in Roaming app data, files in generic users, files in admin user, files in 64 bit program files, files in x86 program files. Native Instruments seems to be the worst...and has been the worst since like 20 years ago. And if you...god forbid, delete the 32 plugins, which you sometimes have no choice to install, some manufacturers will consider that a "broken installation" in the installation manager. I think iZotope behaves likes this. "How dare you delete our precious 32-bit files! And did you delete the Russian language documentation! Plugin no longer work. Please reinstall it all again as punishment." It's what I love about the Plugin Alliance installer. Simple UI, can select exactly the format I want, filter by what I own, select plugin, installs in like 3 seconds. Almost no bloat at all. Somehow installing a PA synth takes 3 seconds, uses maybe 3 folders, but a Native Instruments synth takes up 20 folders on my drive and needs to install every single plugin format on the market. Worst offenders: Native Instruments, Waves and iZotope. Anyway. Another rant.

Modobass is a hell of an instrument. Pretty much replaced all of my electric / acoustic bass libraries. Very impressed with that thing. Although bass is probably one of the easier instruments to emulate - and easier to bury in a mix if it doesn't sound 100% perfect. Like Mododrum as well, but definitely limited in its capabilities.

Another sample library platform! Yay! You get a sample player, and you get a sample player! Y'all do the same shit, but hey, why not have 30 of them in various stages of bug fixing and endless updates. To all developers - the second your "fancy new sample player" crashes an important project while on a deadline, I won't touch your software again for 2 years. I'm talking to you East West Play.

I feel I shouldn't answer this, as I my adventures through LimeWire back in the day definitely introduced me to some companies I still use (legimately) today. But that's probably not what you meant.

Oh my. I will soon have an extra USB slot! As someone often on a mobile rig, this is seriously a welcome change.

I got quick support email from them in December. Directly from "Natan" who is the main guy. Email used was thenatanstore@gmail.com Response was very quick too - replied within 12 hours.

I'm talking about the sound of their libraries specifically. Think it was pretty obvious what I meant.

Man, Spitfire needs to diversify. I think they have that dramatic airy orchestra covered lol. I think a lot of their catalog is starting to sound very dated, since that "sound" has been used so much for almost a decade now. Maybe they need to hire some heavy metal guys and inject some life into their future products. Even that Aperture freebie, considering the amount of amps used, sounds like something for dramatic underscore. I get sleepy just visiting the website now. Perhaps a new Felt Piano and "Ultimate Cello Harmonics" are in the works?

Done exactly this many times, including right now. Travel with a fairly substantial mobile rig, all centered around laptop. It adds a level of stress....a certain level. High level you could say. Every time someone at the airport security has to handle my gear I realize my life is in their hands. No cloud backup, but everything on multiple redundant portable drives...that at certain times are all within a couple feet of each other. I take drugs for this.

Have they updated that Engine player yet? So sad about those incredible libraries - likely get a tiny fraction of their potential sales because of that horribly coded, horribly designed, monstrosity of a sample engine. Someone on VI Control said they got a reply from the developer who said they refused to change the horrendous almost unreadable-on-4K UI because they were "waiting for people to get used to it". Ridiculous.

Oh - I have no experience with the AMEK. Usually don't pick something up until I've used it extensively in a few projects and know I will use it regularly. I'm on the Mix / Master subscription, and slowly picking up the things I use so I can eventually drop the subscription. This will never happen of course. There's always more. And ya, I already picked up a lot of stuff with vouchers / subscription voucher. There's only a couple left I'm looking at.

Big Al and Bx_Opto. But I'm not the one that asked.

$20 voucher will reset again in 24 hours. Code: MEGA-SALE-20OFF (no minimum purchase) So if you use it today, it'll reset again this time tomorrow.

Got email that $20 voucher can now be used again. You know - I think the point of me getting subscription was that I would use the yearly voucher to get everything I wanted and then end the subscription. Last year, that was 5 specific plugins. But through the year I picked up those 5 with the various sales / subscriptions. Plus an additional 10. Then I got 5 more with the yearly voucher. And there are still others I want. It never ends. It's like a nightmare. Haha. (cries)

Not sure if you have it - but iZotope Nuetron 3 has a very good transient shaper, that's both single & multiband. There's also a very good one in Native Instruments Komplete. And worth a look is Waves 'Smack Attack' which often goes on sale for dirt cheap, and has some features many others do not (i.e. visualizer). If you use it, there's also a multi-band and full-spectrum shaper inside Cubase. Also one available for free for Ableton Live if you use it. A couple free ones: Flux's 'Bittersweet V3' Aubrun Sound's "Couture" Sleepy Time DSP's "Transient"

Some prices are same as voucher. Some are more expensive and some are cheaper. For example: VSM-3 is $39.99 with Xmas voucher. But current sale price is $69.99. My cart earlier today was just around $210 (with xmas vouchers). But now it's $285 with current sale prices. Arrgh.

So that deal wasn't actually 48 hours. I got the email with all 48 voucher codes 14 hours ago. But they are all invalid already. But now I notice that on the email it said "10 hours remaining". Lol. It's Christmas day! Give us till boxing day ffs. At least they now have yet another sale, but prices aren't quite as good as with voucher. Trying to use my subscription voucher, but missed the "all vouchers" window thinking I had another day to decide. These are more stressful deadlines than my real job.

They really should have made Metric A/B and Streamliner the same plugin. It seems like a complete waste of resources to have one plugin that does A/B referencing & metering, and then another plugin that also does A/B referencing + metering + streaming referencing. I own Streamliner but I'm trying to figure out what additional purpose Metric A/B would serve (for the price), other than having additional reference track slots.

Curious if this company is being absorbed by Native Instruments. Quite a few products on the NI page that aren't even on the Evolution website, and that is an NI walkthrough video featuring products that I don't even see announced by the company either. Weird! The Evolution world percussion series is one of my favorite libraries ever - hoping they are staying an independent developer though. Really want that Vocal Colors: Bronte, but doesn't seem to be for sale as a single product.

Looking for some Akai and Roland format. Got a couple Iomega Jazz drives that haven't seen use in a while. Where are those SCSI cables?

I will have to start the annual purge shortly. Have WAY too many at the moment after demoing basically every plugin on the market during the BF sales. I'm sure I can't remember which I bought anymore. Enough lo-fi plugins to start doing drugs again for sure.

I do a lot of work with touchscreens and touchscreen software Metagrid (for iOS). Cubase's 'project logical editor' and "logical editor" for creating macro control of countless functions is second to none imo. You can see Junkie XL and Hans Zimmer's setup using the same concept, although I think they use Touch OSC for touchscreen. There basically isn't a single function in the software that can't be assigned to a macro and then assigned to a button on an iPad. Most importantly: you can create macros using an algebra editor inside Cubase. So you can create functions like "Select MIDI CC Value 1 + Compress MIDI Velocity +/- 5", and assign + and - to different buttons, and you then have micro adjustments of MIDI CC values right on a touchscreen. Can also be used to, say, select every 2nd note, or every 8th note, or align every 3rd note to bar grid, or mute every note above a certain velocity, or whatever. It's endless. If it can be done with math / algebra it can be assigned to a button. Since the equations can also use track names, you can have entire view commands on touchscreen, so if you have a project with 100 tracks, you can have a button that hides everything in the project except anything with "brass" or "strings" in the name. Can be done for track types as well. Here it is in action: Not sure how extensive this type thing is in Logic, Pro Tools, etc. but as far as I know the logical editors (algebraic macro building) is unique to Cubase / Nuendo? And I can't live without it. This is what the logical editor (midi) and project logical editor (project & audio) looks like. It takes a while to learn but it's insanely powerful):

I almost picked up all 4 (with 60% off you can get viola, violin and bass for $115 and get cello free.) Then I realized I recently picked up Komplete 13 CE upgrade and hadn't even installed the Cremona quartet. Lol. Maybe I try that first before blowing more cash! lol.