Brian Walton

Wanted to try this one, but I detest the pop ups on the web site. If this guy really is selling at the rate implied, he is filthy rich. What is the authorization and licencing system like?

I did quite a bit of testing using a 50s era Les Paul Jr and a Custom ESP (not the metal kind, one built for tone with custom wound pickups stright from Lollar himself into the best sounding amp ever made, a Trainwreck Rocket. Out of about 20 different cables (mostly high end) The Evidence Audio Lyric HG was the cable that was the most pleasing to the test group (David Gilmour's guitar tech came to the same conclusion, for what it is worth). This is not a robust cable due to the solid core design, so Studio use is fine. I use the Lava Ultramafic for stage use. Don't get too caught up with all the hype though, yes unbalanced cables can sound different, but realistically even with great gear, the person listening to a recording isn't really going to hear a difference. Keep cable runs short (10ft) and that will prevent a lot of the tone suck and make sure the Capitence isn't too high or too low as too low can sound brittle and too high will make things dull.

One of my closest friends was the guitar player on Take Me Home Tonight (Derek Ferwerda of www.theguitarroom.org ). Might see if he wants to record a little something in honor of this.

I'm going to throw out a counter argument to the "you need to play it" first thought. I used to believe in this theory, but over the years determined that generally has more to do with somoene that already knows how to play a bit. Yes, the guitar needs to be playable - but that judgement is better suited for someone with actual experience once you have a playable guitar pretty much any of them will be fine as long as you are commited to stick with it and learn. The first guitars I picked out for myself to learn on (acoustic and electric) were terrible matches for me. I would not want to play either one today for more than 2 minutes. That isn't becuase they were cheap entry level type of instruments. I have a Tanglewood I bought for $150 that projects better than my $3500 Taylor (over priced these days). As I developed my skills, feel, taste and ear I started to realize certain necks work better for my style. When you can't play, these just are not things you have a feel for. My advise it to buy a used guitar, have someone that knows what they are doing help in the evaluation before you commit to it (i.e. make sure it isn't too difficult to play and doesn't have a warped neck). Learn some basics on it, likley for a year or two and then go shopping again once you have a better feel for the dynamics of it all. I bought 4 Tanglewoods all for $250 or less sight unseen. The only one I didn't care for was becuase it sounded Thin, the playbility was perfectitly acceptable...as were all of them and that one (which I bought for under $100, would absolutly work for a beginner and even intermediate player that isn't a tone junky (I sold it to a friend that has been playing for over 20 years). Ignore acoustic guitars with electrioncs, they will be garbage at the price point you are looking at and just an added cost. As for the make sure it has a case argument, again I challenge that notion as well. If you are just playing it at home getting started you don't want to be stashing that thing away in a case necessarily. I leave my Tanglewood out on a cheap stand so I can grab it and play for a few minutes and put it back. If I really want to play for a while I'm pulling out a $2000+ instrument out of a case. When you learn you want it accessable. Now if plan to take it out of the house as you first start, sure get a cheap case. I've heard Guitar Center has a pretty good Used Guitar Return policy (where you could find a used one in another state and have it shipped to you and then returned to a local store), or at least that is how it was a few years ago. Might consider looking into the ins and outs of that. And with that, have a friend that has played for at least 10 years make the call if it is good enough to start on once in hand.

You are absolutly right. I just added it to 12 track mix on each track as the default settings. The max peak via the master bus changed by 0.6 db. (turring the effects on and off through the same passages via the FX button) I think I had a buss compressor on with my previous test. I would agree that the NLS or even ProChannel way of changing settings would be ideal. But I do like what it is doing when setting it subtly.

Not when it is actually a problem with the way S1 designed the GUI handeling. They were not passing the buck. My initial testing suggested that it wasn't added actual db increased but only percieved output (similar to what happens with a compressor/limiter). Of course this depends on the actual settings in the plugin you use, but what ever I was doing was not increaseing actual output by any obvious db measure...though it did sound louder (more saturation clearly added). Of course you can actually incause the db output by increaseing the input knob in the plugin.

If that is what it looks like in S1 then, yes, it looks horrible. Looks beautiful in the DAW that matters though, Cakewalk. 😁

Just tried them out on a couple tracks. 100% worth the install!

Anyone have issues getting the liscence from AudioDeluxe? I've order a fair amount from them, but don't recall having to wait a few hours for processing on a weekday. Looking forward to this, love the note they have about the authorization process, will look at their other offerings if this one sounds good. Would love to replace my WAVES NLS with something like this given the authorization methods.

I'm working under the assumption that someone buying a month of plugins hasn't been mixing for decades. If the market is a band that just needs a sort term solution for a current project, they likley don't have the experince to do a full project quickly, do it well enough quickly to commit to tape, may very likley need more time and want to revisit over time, as this probably isn't their full time thing. I've been recording for over 20 years and anything I've recorded more than a couple years ago I still think...I bet I could make it sound better today. Not to metion I'd never commit effects to stems as my intended storage state. Sure I might include that as part of the package, but no way would I want to imprint something that I can do better in the future to such a format. Add to this the notion of being given lets say 20 plugins you have absolutly no experince with prevoiusly and say...mix an album in a month, sounds like a disaster waiting to happen for anyone less than an absolute professional to me. A month sounds like a long time, but few people want to mix for hours a day every day. I wrecked plenty of recordings over the years by doing such a thing (too much reverb or the wrong style of compression come to mind). Think about how much better ...And Justice For All would sound if the band had the sources and decided to actually remix and re-master it given access to un alterned orignal recordings ok, and a lack of spite for one band member. (just one clear example that came to mind).

Places like Waves let you test drive for "x" period of time, so that becoemes a free option under such a scenario. I can't imagine many users would find a lot of value to subscribe and use for a single month and then not be able to tweak and mix with them again (i.e. needing to start from scratch or completely commit to the steam mixdown). I could see a band paying for a couple months to mix/master after doing the in home recording. But just doesn't seem like a large market or a money making opportunity if that is what the company is going after. Who knows, a $300 plugin also doesn't have a real market these days in my mind either...which they seem to also offer. 😂

Certainly Look cool. But without something really unique like a Binson, not sure I'd get a lot of use out of them after getting Boz's delay for $30.

Not for free. JamStix is what I use. Far more complex than Garageband's "Drummer" though.

The real question is if "in the box" amp simulation works for you. If the answer is yes, then it offers a bump in experience and quality for that specific funtion. As for me, Amplitude just isn't a good enough experience, marginal improvements don't get it there. Price in my book is too steap for what it provides if you have an interface already, from my perspective.

Pay a minimum of $25 in one single payment and you get all the software in that bundle. Yes, installed and authorized SF12 pro on two machines from this deal, after adding the serial number they give you to my Magix account. It works.

I just wish the polyphonic audio worked better. Given the cost of Studio 4, I still have to spend a lot of time in the PRV making fairly major adjustments even on sources that are not that complex. Agree that Editor is the upgrade that starts taking the package to the next level though. I personally don't use the tool nearly as much as I should, if it provided "perfect" audio to Midi translation, I'd use it all the time.

From what I've seen, once you register with Magix (and redeem the code) the Magix site hosts an installer program. Of course a back up of an installer is always a good idea, but not 100% sure these on the bundle site will be the ones to archive. Given these require authorization, unless they turn the authorization servers off and installer might not be of much use (should the day come where they are not in business).

I'm pretty sure the only question here is if SF12 is worth $25. Not postiive but I think 64 bit and VST3 were added to that version (over 11). Also wondering about the temptation myself, at least we have a few days to decide.

I run Cakewalk on 5 machines all of various ages (though all on Win10). No real issues to speak of for basic recording, mixing and editing. Oldest a custom pieced together i3 machine with only 2 cores and a 3.1GHz CPU. Newest a Lenovo T470.

It might have some PC going on, that that isn't the special sauce here in my experience. Check out some demos should help give a better idea of what is going on. I have v1 and v2. I still haven't gotten into some of the new v2 options. Even with a great mic and a great kick I still find myself using squatch to modify the sound to fit the track.

I've only messed around with InstaChord for a few minutes, but as someone that has played guitar for over 25 years and only spent hours with a Keyboard.....it seems like a good tool for individuals that lack keyboard skills and knowledge to easily play more complicated chords with a more realistic feel. Altering the timing of when each note is hit within a chord that is played takes a bit of time on the "programming side" and quickly switching between some complicated chords (and strum/picking) style patterns takes actual dedication to learning the instrument. To me, tools like this are aimed a little more directly at the non-keyboard players that still want to get some of those parts down, or the experienced keyboard players that want to better simulate guitar parts. I think the Youtuber's I watched fall into the latter that rave about it. The "guitar voicings" with picking patterns certainly gives a feel that from a keyboard player perspective is more difficult to pull off. Those of us that have played guitar for 20+ years, sit here and think, well it doesn't sound that authentic and wouldn't that be easy to play on guitar? That is the crux of a plugin like this, to assist in an area where one's skill might lack in a area. For me, I likely don't have a lot to gain from the guitar voicing piece, but do have something to gain from the Keyboard voicing and chord + action programming. Will see how that works out when I actually invest time with it. Just as I use EZ Keys on occasion to work out an idea from a different perspective. It is easy to fall into ruts when you play an instrument (such as guitar) for a long time and nothing feels new or interesting.

I've had problem after problem with Waves authorization. However, if you upgrade that often, I'd think you would have the deauthorization process that many manufacture's require down to a science. It isn't just WAVES that requires deauthorization to keep your license intact with hardware changes. And yes, I think it is annoying. As for the once a year recovery, I'm wondering/betting on the fact that you would have to be WUP'd for them to give you the time of day. I had one plugin that was stuck on v9 which should have kept working along my v10 ones, but it didn't and the only way they would provide assistance was if I WUP'd that one. So the notion they will continue to work, is false.

Welcome! I've paid hundreds for Sonar over the years with the standard package and upgrades. It is full featured and well thought out. It is amazing Bandlab bought the program and released it for free to the world. It was (and is) my DAW of choice even with money as no object. I personally think you are right on the money that the Chord Track concept is the primary feature that is lacking to draw in more users. However, I think the changing the key on the fly function is far less needed than the basic idea of having a compositional tool that doesn't rely on the user's ablity to play a midi-keyboard or analog instrument to get basic song ideas and structures down. That is what is needed (in my opinion) to bridge the gap for the entry level music creator and a fully professional DAW (which Cakewalk is). This tool would also be valuable to intermediate - and even advanced musicians.

Back in the Gibson owned days I always had the grandiose idea of Using Reason as a rewire plugin in Sonar. However, the reality was the few times I tried it always felt clunky and the synths I had with Reason at the time really sounded more dated than I remembered them being. With so many good (free and cheap options) that can work as a VSTi within Cakewalk, I ended up moving on. That being said, I do not have the latest and greatest full blown Reason version. The general concept is a good one and I'd imagine Craig has a workflow that is much improved on my own personal experiment with it. I did not realize Reason removed Rewire on the recent "lite" versions. I think I bought 8 to get the functionality in the 64 bit environment. Previously I was using an old, but full blown version in 32bit land. After moving strictly to 64 bit, I got the lite version to see if the concept would work for me. As noted above, it didn't seem like it was worth the hassle and I never liked the idea of basically the recource hog of effectivly running two DAWs at the same time. (Did not run tests to determine how much that idea is rooted in reality)...perhpas another area Craig could shed some light on. I even have an unopened Reason Essentails box that should be in the Rewire era. Bought two at the time given I work in multiple environments (and didn't want to have to rely on the included Reason dongle. (note I bought lifetime updates with Sonar, so I had more in the box synths than the current free Cakewalk offers currently).

I don't think you would have lasted a week there. The "deals" are not good enough and the bottom floor they let the customer service reps can work with do not get agressive enough. You would have spent your day pointing customers to better sales. Think about how many times you have posted a "sweetwater" related deal..... 😂