Brian Walton

1 minute ago, gustabo said:

What algorithm do you have Melodyne set to?

When I open it as a region effect it is set to percussion.  

I followed the instruction in this video  to a "t"   but I'm not getting the proper results (I have Melodyne Studio 4)

I used a track that has super obvious transients and I get this:

Any idea why it wouldn't line up after

1)    Setting Measure/Beat Now Time to Measure 2 beat 1

2)  Dragging the Clip to the Time Line

Result clearly isn't lining up the timeline with the audio.

Thanks for any insight.  

5 hours ago, TerraSin said:

I agree to a point. The problem I've always had with XLN is that they don't put out enough content for AD2. For a while, they were doing one new kit a year. Then it turned into every year and a half. Now it's been what, going on 3 years? AD itself was fine though I do feel we need to see an AD3 with more options, available kit pieces, etc. because let's be honest, SD3 is crushing it right now and is really the top dog in the market. AD has a long history of quality stuff and I still use them all the time but they need to do more to update it. They have always been really good about the way they update versions as well. I just wish there was more development to keep it up with competition.

I know a few full time drummers.  Not one of them uses more than 2 kits across a multitude of projects.  

I've found Fairfax 2 is a "go to" for me.  Core sound can be manipulated for all kinds of things.  

It isn't the perfect kit (my desert island kit is Billy Martin's kit in a Drum Core expansion.

But my perspective is I don't need 50 kits.  Just a couple really good ones and some sound processing.  

SD3 pricing is too high for me.  I basically never used SD2.  With AD2 I would be happy with Fairfax2 for like $65 on sale.  The other kits I have rarely get used.  

In my mind the only need for "more" is if they don't have something that works for your style already.   I use Jam Stix for the brain to drive it, so midi packs are not a huge driver for me and realistically would not need "upgrades" to the program even if they were.

57 minutes ago, TerraSin said:

Same. It's really sad how they have just let the plugin go

I hate when plugin makers start charging for upgrades and stop supporting old versions.  AD2 is just fine with me and I'm glad they haven't gone down the  lets milk our customer base path.  

3 hours ago, mibby said:

Am I the only one who doesn't own FULL Kontakt?

I don't own it either.

Not a fan of the interface, and while it does open up a lot of good libraries, even on super sale it isn't exactly cheap.  (I think about $125-150 is as cheap as it gets??)

If I was a MIDI nut or keyboard player, I'm sure it would     be worth it.  

MIDI instruments are typically just filler in most of my work, and    there are plenty of good ones (and cheap) that are not tied down to the NI software.

For those that care about these things (I do).     The one license can be used for installs on multiple machines you own as long as you are only using one at a time.

This is wonderful in a world that tends to have one or two install limits, when I own multiple machines.  

52 minutes ago, Mesh said:

Thanks for  all the useful info!!

I'm currently checking out reviews   on inexpensive Graphics Tables as I'd like for them to get the experience in using this, but don't want to spend an arm & a leg for it.   The iPad (like Brian said) are too much for me ATM .  The tablets with screens are also not feasible  for a beginning project.  

   Wacom  seems to be the popular brand. Any thoughts on the  Huion H610 Pro Graphic Drawing Tablet?  or    other recommendations? 

Never used a Huion , but have heard decent things.

I'd personally consdier something like this:   https://www.ebay.com/itm/Wacom-Intuos-Draw-CTL490DW-Digital-Drawing-And-Graphics-Tablet-White-GRADE-A/293320044238?hash=item444b3caece:g:MhwAAOSwIAJcDtAj

Or this  (gains  Bluetooth connection), and comes with some software.  

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VS3S9RT/ref=sspa_dk_detail_4?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B07VS3S9RT&pd_rd_w=AFw2j&pf_rd_p=45a72588-80f7-4414-9851-786f6c16d42b&pd_rd_wg=z46KN&pf_rd_r=JMCV7MV21WZV49GQ3KSQ&pd_rd_r=db3d634e-5073-499b-bae3-871da03702df&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyMDkxNFpWWFdGTVlFJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNjYxNTMzMlg5VUpFTEhVSlJNUiZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNDU3Njc1MjdWUVZMWlVETlBWNiZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2RldGFpbCZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

They are the smaller size, but I know full time pros that can actually use them for commercial grade art.    (i.e. they are good enough).  

(Also the Wacom doesn't need "power" for the pen, which I think the Huion does)

1 hour ago, Mesh said:

Ah yeah, good point...it's a mouse. I'm guessing not as effective as a touchscreen?

Do you still think it's worth getting? Possibly later, I may upgrade to a touchscreen.

I think it is more  of a quesiton how your kids work and interact with electronics.

Us adults have used a mouse as an input device so long it is natural.

Kids used to real pen and paper, or touch screens it can feel like a disconnect.

You could try downloading a demo to see how they react to what you have now.

2 minutes ago, sarine said:

You can get an older iPad (Pro) and Apple Pencil relatively cheap. I would recommend them over anything else for everyone except the person who doesn't need recommendations (e.g. a professional who already knows what they or their company needs / requires), but especially for kids. Just be aware of Apple Pencil compatibility (1st or 2nd gen.) if you go with iPad.

The experience on a tablet computer and apps is so much faster, more immediate and more fun when the interfaces are designed around touch input and seamless hands-on experience.

iPad Pros have a laminated display which reduce the "parallax" (i.e. the offset between the stylus tip and pixels on screen) to a minimum.

The latency on at least the newest iPad Pros is better than Wacoms.

Also, you can use an iPad similarly to e.g. a Wacom drawing tablet via wifi or USB on both Mac and Windows. Software support varies, but technically pressure sensitivity should work. It's probably not as good as Wacoms as such, and Wacom has rotation sensing which Apple Pencil lacks (and most people don't need).

 

even old ipads are pretty expensive.  You can get a used Wacom for like $25-30. , which then hooks up to a real computer with real applications .

I agree that for kids, drawing on the same surface is the most intuitive, but that is also pretty costly.  (also add in the cost of the apps).  That stupid pencil is also insanely priced from what I've seen (even gen 1)

9 minutes ago, Mesh said:

I'm thinking of getting this for my children as they love art/painting etc... do I also need to purchase Photoshop or any other software to use    this? 

Really don't want to    get into a subscription plan or  buy into an expensive system just for this....

No extra software needed.  But how much they love it might depend on the interfaces you have.

Touch screen computer?  Drawing tablet?  Otherwise you are controlling via a mouse.  That might be fine, but does have a different experience.

I'm curious if the Flame Painter 4 (with the "connector" photoshop plugin) will work with the newly release Affinity Photo 1.8 as a plugin.  

3 hours ago, locrian said:

Installing just *one* compressor will consume over 2.5GB of SSD space?!?  No thanks.

I also agree it is absurd installing all that extra junk I'll never buy (who could afford all of that?)  But I think when I did "vst3" only it dropped the expected install by about half of that (still insane).  If I didn't have the Black too I prob would have skipped as well.  

1 hour ago, Magic Russ said:

I use the VST manager to create menus,  and leave off the ones I don't have or cause problems in Cakewalk.

Perfect, got it.    

Finally got around to installing these.  

In Cakewalk, how do you get the other plethora of T-Racks VSTs I don't own to not show up in the browser?

2 hours ago, locrian said:

The plugin I mentioned (part of the Ozone 8 suite) is also called Imager. I was responding to someone who asked if they could use the Imager in Ozone, so I assumed they meant the full version.

Izotope should give the free version a different name like Imager SE or Little Imager (like SoundToys). Cheers...

True.

Ozone elements has Imager as well but functions like the "free" version.  

10 hours ago, locrian said:

You can also narrow the stereo image using Ozone Imager.

In fact, you can specify *any* width you like (in four separate bands) from -100 (mono) to 0 (normal) to +100 (wide).

Ozone Imager is a standalone free plugin, and is what I assuemd you were discussing.   https://www.izotope.com/en/products/ozone-imager.html

Yes, the very expensive Ozone Advanced (which includes an Imager module that is "advanced" will do the same type of thing and then some.    For about 20 times the cost. 

1 hour ago, locrian said:

I use the Ozone Imager on my 2-bus for exactly this purpose and it works great.

Ozone will spread out the width of all frequencies when used.

Mongoose was developed to center the Bass while then getting the freedom to spread out (add width) to anything above a cross over frequency .

I like the Ozone Imager, but IMO the Mongoose is far more  useful in the bus.    Limiting the bass at whatever cuttof you want to the "center" of the mix is game changing.  Ozone does to stereo widening very well, but I don't want the bass wider in the image, I want that to stay put (or even collapse) most of the time.   

5 hours ago, mibby said:

Mongoose is one of my favs.   So easy to use and dial in... 

+1 use it on every mix that has anything in the low end.

17 hours ago, bitflipper said:

Everybody's dancing around it, but I'll just say it out loud: automated mastering is snake oil.

Many accomplished mix engineers also happen to also be accomplished mastering engineers (e.g. Phil Ramone). But they don't master their own records. The value of an ME isn't in his expensive gear, granite speakers or perfectly-tuned rooms. The true value is having a separate set of ears that can critically and objectively evaluate your mix, in an environment other than your own studio. To that end, you'd do just as well by offering to swap mastering duties with somebody from the Songs forum.

Izotope's machine learning  with the Mastering Assistant isn't exactly snake oil.  It works plain and simple.  

AI/Machine Learning is  and actual thing and they have created a tool that makes judegements and adjustments based on what humans did with source material.

Is it perfect to get the sound you want every time?  Of course not, nor is sending it to some human.  

In this respect, you are sending it to someone elses ears...a virtual compilation of thousands of recordings that came before it and it is giving you and output that reflects that.  It is arguably the representation of far more sets of experience than your average ME that a normal person can afford.  It still has a ways to go to be perfect, but that is no different than any ME I've ever met, and I know a number that have worked on Grammy winners.   

It says it needs an internet connection.

Is that to run the program on a daily basis, or just the install?  

2 hours ago, craigb said:

Then, if you did, some idiot kid will stick his iPhone in front of your view trying to record the concert...

(And that inevitably leads to all the Police paperwork you'll need to fill out explaining why you stole some kid's phone and spiked it into a cement wall...?)

As a professional photographer/videographer few thing irk me more than a vertically shot concert on a cell phone.  

Unfortunately the ticket prices don't even put a limitting factor on admittance of these individuals.  In their defense somewhere along  the way a tipping point occurs and at the rate they pay they should be allowed to do anything they want.  ?

On 2/3/2020 at 2:19 PM, Mesh said:

Yeah Pragi, I've also only seen the live footage (very good indeed). IIRC, someone said he's very professional and the shows are well worth it (in my case, it's $152 right by the mixing booth). 

He puts on very good shows.

However, there isn't a musicain alive I'd personally pay $150 for outside of a private event to see play.  

4 minutes ago, Leadfoot said:

Is there an offline activation option yet???

nope

On 1/28/2020 at 7:28 AM, Larry Graham Alexander said:

One of the forum members sent me a private message complaining that I have posted too many of my original compositions.

This is my answer to him:

I have been composing and teaching music theory for seventy years since I was sixteen-years-old.  I am professionally trained in music composition, counterpoint, harmony, music history and various other aspects of the art.  I am not posting my works on this forum to promote myself.   I am doing it in the hopes that young music creators will listen to it and perhaps learn something they may not know about composing.   At my advanced age I have no need for self-promotion.  I receive no financial compensation for it and I do not require it.  I make my compositions available on my music site.   I make monthly payments for the use of my Internet domain.   I receive little to no income from my music works from any source.

How about just listening to what I have to offer (maybe even liking some of it) and perhaps absorbing some methods and techniques for your own use. 

Best Regards.

Larry Graham Alexander

 

What say you?

Larry

 

 

I just checked the songs forum (not a place I frequent on a regular basis here).

Sending an IM on this might be poor form, but you do seem to have far more posts on the first page than anyone else.  

If your goal isn't self promotion and to teach youngins about composition I think you could take a different approach.

Every piece is in a different thread.  You could easily create your own thread with multiple pieces in it.  If you seek to educate providing some sort of documentation on the chords, scales, time signatures, composition ideas along with your work would provide far more value than just a recording.  

If I posted a bunch of classical recordings (Bach, Mozart, etc) and said here you can learn from this, it would look like a joke.  In this context your posts offer the same thing, albeit I wonder if you consider yourself among these greats?

I wouldn't be one to send an IM such as you have stated, but I tend to agree with the assailant based on what I'm seeing.   Do you think people complain about particular individuals posting too many deals in the deals section?  Nope, because that provides value.  If you think your posts are providing value from an educational standpoint, I'd suggest you step back and think about what could be done to add real value to a less accomplished musician.  

Your music is clearly very technically competent and you are accomplished in a number of ways,  I'm not convinced your posts provide the education you seek to achieve as they are currently presented however.  

"the biggest advance in music technology in  decades" does not seem like a statement made in reality.

Recording "in the box"  

Modeling

Sampeling

Software emulation of complex hardware systems (think AXE FX, Kemper, Helix)

All come to mind

8 hours ago, kitekrazy said:

I doubt anyone has paid full price for them either. 

I'm betting this isn't true.  He has been around for quite a few years.  These price points are fairly new.   It isn't until recently the sales feel somewhat frequent.  With periods of no sales you have to imagine he still needed revenue.  

The average customer isn't paying retail on any plugin, but you can be assured some do.  And certainly have over time.