Starship Krupa

4 minutes ago, InstrEd said:

the Coffee House thread about us Star Trek Nerds

Wait, what? Locking on coordinates....

(Android. Dark Matter)

9 minutes ago, synkrotron said:

perhaps it is the free thing that is bothering me...

Perhaps you would be more comfortable with this book of selfies by Kim Kardashian.

It is not free.

There I go forgetting another thing that these threads have taught me which is:

3. Things that are available for free, like sunlight and air, are inherently of lesser utility and deserving of lesser respect than things for which one must pay money, like this book of selfies by Kim Kardashian.

A better question in February 2019, 10 months after the first release of Cakewalk by BandLab: why does this subject continue to hold such a fascination for some people, one that shows no sign of ending?

Me, I think I'm done. It's like trying to explain when a 4-year-old asks why the room gets bright when you flip the light switch: no answer will ever be satisfactory.

I can say that I have learned some things from these spirited discussions. For instance:

1. Nothing's ever free, and DAW software that is distributed under a freeware license will at some point extract an unspecified "payment" from those foolish enough to use it without being in a constant state of sub-clinical paranoia. You'll see. Laugh now. You won't be laughing when this unspecified bad thing eventually happens.

2. Nothing can make sense in the world except things that are within the grasp of my own personal understanding, no matter what my age, education or experience. This especially applies to software industry and online social media platform business strategies.

In other words, if I don't get what they're doing, they're either doomed or up to no good. 🤨

(or both)

Why is Google Chrome free? Why is Audacity Free? Why is MediaHuman Audio Convertor Free? Why is MusicBee Free?

Mostly I skim topics here, but sometimes I remember there's that other subforum and check to see if there's anything I can answer. I've asked one question, which was on the topic of the best laptop to buy for running Cakewalk, and it got no answers whatsoever.

I figure if a fat target like that gets no answers, Q&A is probably doomed.

This forum is still new, so I figure the people in charge of running it will sort it out into logical subforums as they develop.

I think a good split would be for people having Issues, like installation, hangs, glitches, problems getting a controller or interface to work, stuff like that, and then a different sub for discussing Using the Program. Like how do I use the Matrix or whatever, or here's a slick way of doing something that I came up with.

On 1/30/2019 at 11:16 AM, Kevin Walsh said:

To me Reaper's UI is like watching a 1970's cheap action movie.

Wow, that's vivid. I, too, have tried and been put off by Reaper, but for me, it was just the basic difficulty of getting started with it. It took me over 45 minutes to figure out how to arm a track for a recording.

I think it's too powerful for me. The people who like it say it's really powerful and I think it has too much power for me.

Wow, @Rico Belled, nice detailed reply.

I won't claim to "know my stuff" as well as you seem to, but I've tried a few VSTi's and have a couple of oddball favorites I wonder if you've tried. If you have, I'm curious to know how you liked them.

My favorite Rhodes is the mda ePiano, which has recently been given a sharp GUI by Dead Duck Software and renamed DPiano-E. It's freeware and it's old, but when you lay into it it barks like a Rhodes should. It sounds just like my old Stage 73.

My favorite grand is Pianissimo by Acoustica, better known for their DAW Mixcraft. It's a hybrid of modeled and sampled. Light on size and CPU, high on verisimilitude.

I was sold on DB-33 when I downloaded the demo and nailed the intro to "It's All Too Much" within minutes.

For some reason, that was always my acid (tee-hee) test for Hammond organ emulations. I guess it has key click, all the trimmings.

It's convenient to do as I've done and add your system configuration to your signature so that people can see what kind of hardware you're dealing with. Or at least mention it in your first post. Processor, RAM, disk, video, etc.

With things like your issue with deleting a track, you have the right idea to try it with one of the demo songs, so what happens when you delete a track from one of the demo songs? Does CbB lock up?

Gaming, gotcha. Might have done a bit of that myself back in the day....Macromedia had a (gasp) T1 in '97, and I used to crawl home at 11PM with raw red eyeballs and aching finger joints from 5 hours of Quake deathmatching. Thought that hearing the shells bouncing from one speaker to the other on my Yamahas was pretty cool. Via the same damn Realtek chip they're probably still using....

Oy, what a pain, then. I wonder if there's some Policy Editor thing that people could apply after each silly Windows 10 update that would ensure that the onboard audio was once again turned off.

There has to be an easier way to go about this business.

@chris.r, I heartily endorse the Windows 7 plan. If you tune it well (by that I mean turn off most of the visual fruit salad), spend $30 and put an SSD in there, you could squeeze a lot more useful life out of that system. A fresh install of Win 7 64 on an SSD system drive? Shoot, it'll feel like you got a brand new computer.

And as far as Microsoft's security updates....sigh. You have to weigh how important they really are. My understanding is that you've been running an "unsupported" OS for some time now and the sky hasn't fallen. Those security updates cover every little thing that pops up, and for MS' business customers to feel safe they have to include some really obscure exploits that we individual users are not likely to ever be vulnerable to as long as we stay behind a good firewall and don't do anything stupid as far as clicking on sketchy email attachments. If you run 3rd-party anti-malware software, I don't think you have anything to worry about.

Windows 8 introduced some annoying things as far as the UI went. They were really pushing for everything to resemble tablet computing I think, and made it less mouse-friendly, IMO, YMMV. I was one of the people who hated it on sight. You can switch over to something that looks more like the Windows 7 interface, I think.

Some say that by the end of Windows 8, MS had ironed it out and made it less annoying, but by that time, Windows 10 was ready to go. I just leapfrogged it. Maybe it's better than 7.

20 hours ago, John Sandlin said:

I went to the BIOS and disabled the onboard audio there. I'm pretty sure my console has a better DAC than the motherboard of my computer. Since windows can't even see the onboard audio (to include also the HDMI audio to my video monitor) it won't even try to install those drivers.

Wait, I thought everybody did this.

It's one of the first things I do when I get a computer, kinda like downloading my favorite browser.

Disable onboard audio, download drivers for audio interface, download VLC, Firefox....

So there are audio people who leave that thing turned on in their BIOS.

All this time I've been reading these posts from disgruntled audio people complaining how this or that Windows 10 update switched their HD Audio back on and thinking "wow, I wonder how Microsoft manages that?" Every so often I'd been checking my one system that I upgraded to Windows 10 to see if they had somehow circumvented the laws of physics, but no, not so far.

For those of you who leave them turned on when you are going to go into Device Manager and disable it anyway, why, pray tell, leave a spurious audio interface enabled on your studio computer? Do some BIOses not allow you to disable them at a hardware level?

According to what M posted (kinda James Bond, isn't it?), support@cakewalk.com should work.

Dang, 1000's of support tickets. In one way that's actually great news, in another....whoa.

(I just hope that very few of them are people wanting help with Sonar X2)

Have we passed the test here on the new forum? Can we get a link from www.cakewalk.com? Maybe we can take some of the load off. The link from the Help menu in Cakewalk is pretty fab.😊

Do these performances take advantage of the ability of exhibitors to stay after hours? 'cause the cavernous reverb sounds like you used Hall C. 😂 I wonder if someone has an "Anaheim Convention Center Hall C" impulse I can download for REMatrix.

I just looked on the NAMM Show 2019 map, and 😲!

For those less familiar with the layout, to say that BandLab's booth was in a "prime spot" is an understatement. It's the first one you would encounter as you come in the main entrance toward the Marriott end, the Marriott being the hotel closest to the Convention Center, and also the location of Yamaha's displays and a major food court.

Quite a coup to secure that spot.

Awesome use of the cavernous Anaheim Convention Center reverb!

Thanks for the tip on Dragonfly, TheSteven. I must check it out.

A freeware favorite of mine is Orilriver, which takes turns with BReverb and TrueVerb on my reverb bus. It has all the controls I want on an algorithmic reverb, including high and low cut.

My man @Steev, I'm looking at you, doodly-dawg.

Crack them knuckles and gimme the skinny on the best value in a laptop for my buddy who wants my advice on putting together a music computer. I haven't gotten a budget number from him yet, but his needs are not great. Audio only, no orchestral samples, no Superior Drummer, no big use of soft synths, no zillions of plug-ins. Really, if he ever gets past 4 tracks, I will be pleased and surprised.

And don't worry, I will be recommending a Scarlett 2i2. 😁

So, based on the grand thread o'waggin' weenies, I am leaning toward recommending something Ryzen powered. 16G of RAM, 500G SSD. External 2TB spinny drive for archiving projects.

That's all I got so far. As a consumer of processors (all hardware, really), I let the enthusiasts and gamers buy the highly expensive latest ones while I lay back and get the ones that were among the fastest last year and are now good deals.

All right, you got it, go.

22 hours ago, Larry Jones said:

I hope no one takes upon themselves to decide which posts are valid or appropriate and which ones aren't.

I'm thinking Deals could go, maybe? 😊

And did I ever find out that one neglects the current intel of otherLarry at one's peril.... 😢😊

Super-duper metering plug. Nice.

The relationship between loudness and level and how one sets up one's meters and whatnots are things that I've not yet 100% grasped and will calling upon your wisdom if you're up for sharing it.

Right now I still have to run my files through the Orban program to make sure they're fit for distribution.

I need to get to where I can just set Cakewalk up like I used to have Mixcraft set up, that is, where I understand the relationship between what the dancing lights (or plug-in) on the Master strip and the exported file are, but Cakewalk's mixer is (thank heaven) different from Mixcraft's.

I'll start another topic on it when the time comes.

Neutron is another box of modules, with presets, like Ozone. With Neutron you can change the order of them easily. One of the wizards I think is supposed to identify "honk" frequencies, but it doesn't do much of a job of it. The GUI is typically sex on wheels, all black grey and orange like a Harley, and hold the skeumorphism.

In Neutron Elements the modules are EQ, Compressor, Transient Shaper, Exciter, and Neutrino.

Of those, I find the first three to be useful. The compressor has three detector modes, a vintage or modern switch, and graphical sliders to filter the detection circuit. The EQ is a good graphical parametric, and the transient shaper strikes a nice balance of capable and easy-to-use. 3 modes and 2 sliders for more or less attack and sustain. It's my current fave transient shaper. As for the other two, I prefer the coloration in the ProChannel.

So, no, nothing functionally except for the transient shaper that you don't get with CbB, but if someone were new to compressors, the one in Neutron Elements would be simpler and more straightforward, as well as more versatile, than the 1176 clone in the ProChannel.

Some of the presets are pretty nice, I must say, in some cases infuriatingly so, just like with its cousin Ozone. 😂 Most of them need the threshold on the compressor set lower so that the thing actually starts to compress a bit (or are my tracking levels too low?).

11 minutes ago, witch_wyzwurd said:

Obviously, you're going to try to play me with debate tactics. A run around in circles game. You know, the "I stated the question/concern, yet you'll just say I haven't, even though it's clearly published within this thread" game. Call me out? On what? What's your conspiracy theory about me? I asked a question. I raised my concern. It was answered on page 1. I thanked the person who helped me. Enjoy trying to diminish people who ask questions or raise concerns about things that happen every day. Feel lucky...many people would love to live in the world you do, where there's no slippery slopes and everything can be taken on the merit of it be given away for free, and to raise questions or concerns is a moot point because it's gullible to believe people and/or corporations aren't always 100% trustworthy. My bad! Got another attack? If so, I suggest you go back and read up on what has already been answered.

I have no conspiracy theories, no tactics other than to point out logical fallacies and repeat my question.

You seem to think that there is some greater danger involved in using Cakewalk due to the fact that it is distributed via a freeware license vs. software that is distributed via a commercial license. Unless I got that wrong, in which case I shall humbly apologize.

I am asking you to tell me exactly what that danger is. What bad thing might happen? What are we at risk for?

We know your car salesman might hide his "freebies" in the price of the car, the club owner might cheat us on the door, the telephone rep might wait for the next Guns 'n' Roses album to pick up the phone, but what might happen if we use Cakewalk?

To use your language, I do not "live in a world" where I accept the vague hints of just any person on a forum regarding the "slipperiness of slopes" inherent in different software licensing models.

If anything, I'm trying to be the opposite of gullible. If there's a danger, I want to know what it is! Tell me!

3 minutes ago, witch_wyzwurd said:

I asked a question. Do you have problem with questions? If someone asks a question about a concern should they get plummeted? Are you the thought police or something? Do you one day hope to shut down communication through insults? Does that make you feel more intelligent? Does that make you feel as if you've won an argument? Are you suggesting that the tech industry and online companies have never been less than honest? Do you live in a world where a bunch of people work at complex things for free but yet disseminate their product to millions of people at a tip jar based income (and I said halfway up page 1 that I didn't know they sell other products)? If you're given something for free, do you just shut up and take it and not ask a question or raise a concern for fear you might ruin some unknown thing for other people even though your question or raising the concern might actually help them? Accept my apology for not praising a tech company who bought a software program I've been using for over a decade like they're a deity.

The block of text you quoted was not a response to your question, of course. It was a response to something you said later in the thread. Which was....

Quote

As far as analytical data and the undo-button thing, I'm guessing you're being snarky as anyone who knows about the internet and data collection knows that no one is sitting around selling data about undo-button clicks. Lol! And even if that was the case, I wouldn't understand why anyone would be okay with it just to get something for free. That's a hell of a slippery slope.

I asked you to tell us what, exactly, you thought was at the bottom of that slippery slope. I'll spot you a few and say "further down." Do you have a problem with answers? 😁

To answer your questions, in order: No. I don't know what getting "plummeted" means, but I'll say no. No, just someone who's tired of people stirring up fear, uncertainty and doubt without talking specifics. No. No. No. Ha, no. No, the programmers and support people definitely get paid, and Cakewalk will make BandLab money, just not as directly any more.  Most of the time, yes, unless I am aware of a real danger and have something concrete to warn people about.

There ya go, 9 answers, and I didn't even break a sweat.

3 minutes ago, witch_wyzwurd said:

Btw, I hope they have a tin foil hat for me when I walk into the car lot and doubt the salesman when he tells me about all of the freebies that come with my car purchase are free. Or when the club owner tells me we don't need a contract for my performance. Or when I'm told that the customer service rep will be back on the line after putting me on hold for 20 minutes. The list goes on.

Go ahead...pat yourself on the back...trust in everyone...in everything...you're about to get taken for granted around the next corner. No, not you...that's never happened. Conspiracy Theory! Attack!

You're giving examples of gullible behavior that have no relation to the matter at hand. Buying used cars or playing nightclubs or talking to a service rep have nothing to do with using Cakewalk.

I know exactly what the dangers are in all of those situations, so I know how to handle them, what choices to weigh.

You have implied that there is some danger, or dangers, in using Cakewalk because we don't have to pay money for the license. I'm calling you out here: what is this potential danger?

5 hours ago, chamlin said:

Great! I'm sure all will enjoy. Loved those guitar cases too!

I noticed that. The tuck-roll shiny vinyl gig bag in the YouTube video still looks great.

The page says that the sale started on January 16, but I don't see it mentioned here, and I didn't notice it until now, so here she is:

Save up to 80% off a selection of Air Music's fantastic instruments including DB-33 Organ, Mini Grand Piano, Loom Classic Synth and Boom Classic Drum Machine. All now only £17.95 / $19.99 for a limited time.

That limited time being until February 4th.

I have DB-33 and it's really good, and the Leslie emulation may be used as a separate VST. I have no experience with any of the others, but IME, AIR's stuff will be well worth the discounted price.

On 1/17/2019 at 7:10 PM, chris.r said:

I was lucky to get it free while it was being introduced 😋

This. Every kick and snare track I've done since then. Gatey Watey on all of them.

It's not like I couldn't duplicate what it does with other high-tech gates I have like Unfiltered Audio's G8, but dang, with GW it takes seconds. Threshold, frequency slider, done.