jerrydf

Right, who else has an anniversary coming up?

OK, that's an iRig keys i/o 49 registered. Now for some s/w. I got the keyboard from Music Matter, Preston, UK, with a very good one-day delivery.

Thanks ms - that's bad news. So I've located a UK dealer using the map on the IK website (so I assume they're authorized). How does it work then? If I order and receive the keyboard, how does the system recognise the purchase so I can qualify for the software? Thanks also Simon - Yes I saw Thomann, I didn't know they'e billing, etc. So on the Thomann site, what you see is what you get/pay for? I may go or them, but are they "authorized" to qualify for the group-buy? The popup on IK (I had to re-sign in on another browser without the cookies so I could read it) - it basically says that VAT is charged at standard rate up goods value limit of £135. Beyond that - anything goes, apparently. Thanks Jerry

Hi all, especially fellow Brits in the wonderful "sunlit uplands of Brexit" (or so we're led to believe). I'm considering the I/O keys at 299EU, and I have a question about purchasing physical gear from IK in the UK: What is the situation with purchasing physical gear from IK? Where do the goods come from? Has anyone in the UK done this and if so are there import duties or other nasty unseen tariffs which may arise? I know IK has a message which states that standard VAT is charged for goods value up to £135. Jerry

This is getting an awfully crowded market! I was about to chance the Taylor Davis. Now this ... on top of the ten or so other violins and fiddles I have. I must admit, with Indiginus' past record, it will be an excellent instrument. I have a few of their instruments and as we all know, they're top of the pile stuff.

Yes. Gypsy Quantum Leap on the EW Play platform. The library includes quite a few instruments with a number of accordions, percussion, etc. The violin is the best of the instruments there. It's quite a throaty thick sound, not really a fast folky fiddle, but good at what it does. However I think the Joshua Bell is way ahead of Gypsy in terms of tone and usability. Bolder would be my other choice.

It depends on the sound you want. Some styles and articulations are difficult/impossible. I don't use a keyboard for playing, I write straight into the PRV and hand-write the control lanes. I've played in bands with fiddlers, so I know fairly much what to go for. I'm trying to learn fiddle (for 10 years or so!) and I know what manoeuvres are possible when you go from one string to the next, or for double-stopping, etc. The same goes for all instruments - know what a player can do with them. I don't play drums, but I have a set of drumsticks here to try out what is possible in terms of getting around the kit, not having a three-handed drummer, etc. Here's Embertone's Friedlander (plus Addictive Drums, Sonokinetic Accordian and me on guitars and bass, in Cubase) - Ruby Lake Two Step Another Friedlander - Some Other Stomp This has East West's Gypsy Violin (plus Kontakt library Uilleann Pipes) - For All The World Jerry

Fretman - I still haven't explored all the articulations and possibilities - there's an awful lot here! At lower velocities you can get a real scratchy soundwhich may be close to what you want. There's no doubt that this is a huge professional instrument. Even then, I think there may be occasions where Bolder (and maybe Red Room) fit better with various requirements, but Joshua Bell really has a great range of possibilities, including different violin tomes. You can certainly get an excellent fiddle here, nt just the classical violin. I'm still trying to get around all the keyswitches, etc. Personally (and I use violins exclusively as fiddles for folk/country/celtic/cajun, etc) I'm really pleased with the J Bell .

I don't want to get saddled with another library I'll never use

There's a quick and easy video on registering their software. Here it is:

That's a great documentary. Hal Blaine, of course, was their drummer, and kingpin of the group. But there was also Earl Palmer who was equally proficient. For the Wrecking Crew film, Tommy Tedesco has some great stories! And Carole Kaye is still a top bass player.

Yes, I have that one, but I don't think I've ever used it. It's ok, and as you say, you get what you pay for. With Bolder and Friedlander I've never felt the need to invest any time in it. However I'm finding the Joshua Bell is really excellent, especially at $99 for the Essential version. It's between that and Bolder. When I first got Bolder I had a problem with it and Dennis really worked well to resolve it. Top developer!

After all that I've just taken the plunge with Embertone's Joshua Bell Essential. It has a fantastic tone which can easily support the folk/world requirements. The Essential version seems sufficient for most of what I need, although I've only just acquired it and I'm still low down the learing curve (but it seems quite usable). There is an upgrade path to the full version if required.

Thanks Dave, nice comparison. He probably didn't have the best demo for each. You can't transfer a set of midi notes from one vst to another; you have to hand craft them to play to their respective strengths. His first tune with the RR Bluegrass was way too choppy and ideally would have had slurs on some notes to remove some of the repetative hard edges. I'm loking at the Taylor Davis at the moment., I'd come across this before, but forgot about it for a while. jdf

Yes, that's the deal! I think, certainly as far as violins and fiddles are represented in virtual instruments, violins are smooth, sweet and full ranged, whereas fiddles are that bit rougher. As I mentioned, I often use either Embertone's Friedlander or EW Diamond Violin as a fiddle, but I tend to notch up a band around 1.5kHz to give it that impure tone! I'll proably add a bit of compression and even distortion (Ashley MacIsaac style). However, you're also correct in that it is the way the instrument is played, often with some more overstated attack on a fiddle. I'm amassing quite an armoury of violins and fiddles now in my repertoire of Celtic/folky fiddles. Looks like I'll succumb to the SWAM out of pure curiosity before too long. Maybe tomorrow *... Jerry * Maybe Tomorrow - flip side to the Everly Brothers Wake Up Little Suzie.