mettelus

The one I am using atm is the MK710 set. It already has 3+ years under its belt and still fully functional. Historically I am abusive to keyboards, so the spring under the larger keys (like the left ctrl) give out over time or I tear the contact mat between the keys and the circuit board. The mouse is the factor I like most with them for the heavy wheel and extra buttons. I don't recall ever having one of those mice fail (the mouse is the M705).

Ouch, I didn't catch what you were trying to do before you did it... I tried their unifying software years ago and it was an utter fail (not sure if it has been improved). The keyboards and mice are chipped similar to a garage door opener, key fobs, etc., so the signal is specific to the dongle (what the Unifying software is supposed to solve). It was when I was on Win7 that I tried their unifying software, but that messed up Windows drivers on me completely. The keyboard has a bunch of buttons I never use (why I never load their software), but the metal wheel in the mouse is a feature I use a lot, especially scrolling though massive documents. In all honesty, I consider the sets consumables and end up replacing them every 4 years or so (as a set).

I only ever got Wavestation for this same reason. Navigation on hardware with limited controls is not fun as it is, but to replicate that in a GUI just comes across as lazy to me. I didn't get it to relive the frustration of paging through menus with buttons but for the the sounds. Maybe I have become jaded from the hardware manufacturers whose supporting software makes them significantly easier to tweak than from the hardware alone.

Not all instruments have all variations sampled; the Hellrazer is bridge only as well. Read the info on instruments to be sure, but they are fairly easy to tweak.

If you can find an old vintage Show'N Tell, that has the filmstrip display too!

Their software is not required if you use Win7 or better. The ONLY thing that does is allows customization of the keyboard/mouse at the expense of always running. All of the special keys/buttons are exposed to running applications via Windows automatically, so you can assign them in the apps themselves. Their software has been flaky for a while for me. I have not used it for a few years now.

Oddly enough, as I walked passed my dad's old 1940s Harmony Monterey a couple weeks ago I wondered how much it would take to make it playable. I went overboard reinforcing the body 10 years ago, but just put electric 10s on it and hung it for show. The bridge and nut were way high, and I adjusted them both too keep parts original. Still a slight bow in the neck, but the frets were high enough to get electric-like playability to the 15th fret :). 10-year-old electric strings and it is loud with wild sustain (15 seconds on a gentle strum). How I reinforced it would make a luthier cringe, but I never expected something with f-holes to be that loud. Been putting more time into playing that lately... it hasn't been played much in 40 years, so needs some love. No amp required.

LOL @azslow3, I saw the OP and was thinking I had written about this a while ago (8 years! ugh). Be careful with the routing you use for loopbacks and know how your interface works so that you do not inadvertently create a positive feedback loop! For some cases, you need to mute the armed track... just be careful with using it and know your interface.

AFAIK, the Separations folder has always been used, and you can set where that is in preferences (in Melodyne) if you want to keep it off your C drive. That folder tends to get massive on its own over time. What is saved in the (CWP) project file will recreate where you were with Melodyne (even if you delete the contents of the Separations folder). I tested that years ago (with Melodyne 3 Editor) and it worked flawlessly (just takes a little longer for projects with active Melodyne edits to load). Over time I got into the habit of not leaving Melodyne edits active when saving projects (they do make the CWP files larger), so the Separations folder becomes wasted space on the computer.

Tendon and ligament damage can take months to heal on their own. Stretching exercises are good prior to any repetitive work (sessions), but relaxing is also needed to heal (and keep warm to promote blood flow). A doctor could give you much better feedback. In my experience, they aren't as concerned if a tendon/ligament isn't severed and pretty much advise healing naturally (I had one that took 6 months). A doctor should be able to recommend surgery or not (for certain injuries that is suggested).

Couple quick questions first... are the vocals on your soundcloud yours? If so, the vocals on the "Ghosts" track left me scratching my head wondering what you are trying to do with Melodyne? (basically, your "vocals need a lot of help" comment confused me). Do you use comping on vocal takes? I would start there, so you can select the best phrases for a final take. I would recommend being light-handed with Melodyne for any touch ups desired. I tend to agree that a second totally separate track can often yield the best results (for doubling), but there are several methods to double vocals (even from one track with things such as iZotope Vocal Doubler (free)), or even embellesh a single track without doubling (i.e., a simple post production FX chain). It is fitting things into the mix where the rubber meets the road, so do not be overly critical of solo'd (dry) tracks not sounding perfect on their own.

Another perspective to consider, which has been alluded to above, is this: if a plugin has been scripted properly, any DAW supporting that format should be able to use it (where they tested it is sort of moot). I can recall countless times that Noel has gotten involved with plugin issues. He will also reach out to developers directly to resolve them. That "feature" of CbB (the bakers and their participation here) is highly underrated.

LOL, yeah, I was just getting ready to mention MXXX in response to Bit's message about Ozone being 21 plugins. Ozone Advanced is sort of a cheat since they can be separated. MXXX is the bigger cheat, since it is a shell and will embed synths if you own them. Ozone would be my vote as well if someone was going to focus on just one plugin (for purchase), with Melodyne a close second. Both were already mentioned above.

MXXX is an odd one, since it is really more of a bundle but doesn't count as one. MXXX Core is the shell, so you can use the functionality piecemeal with the plugins you own. The actual bundles have "dupes" because of this (that and all MB versions are dupes of their single band counterpart). That being said, as much as the concept of MXXX excited me, in practical use it requires a lot more thought to use. I haven't used it as much as I thought I would since a DAW FX chain using the same plugs is simpler and easier to decipher months later.

"Keyboards" have evolved so much over time, so I see it more as an tactile input vehicle. I personally have associated "keyboard" with "synth," but the sound you get out of a MIDI input these days does not need to be a synth at all. For the OP, what are you considering a "keyboard?" I also tend to associate keyboards with electronics, so a piano is always a piano for me. I came across an interesting Russian pianist (Gamazda), and she has covers of just about everything and is apparently supported very well from online performances/chatting via patreon. I noticed that she seems to play a different piano for every video too (sort of odd), so I am wondering where they all come from, but then again, her $100/month patreons are sold out, so pianos might be consumables to her.

I was going to ask how good the phantom power is on these since it is buss-powered (initial concern). The reviews don't mention this specifically (hint that it is okay), but a couple noted that the minimum gain on the inputs will still clip an old passive guitar... is that true? I didn't readily see anything about mic/inst (other than the front panel), and used to run my passives as a LINE input to my Saffire, but not sure if that is an option? Another review said it can only drive cans that are 60 ohms max (mine are 32 ohm, so not as critical).

Have you submitted a ticket so the bakers know about this?

But.. but... they include Guitar Rig 6 LE! What a weird "bundle" that is. Wow... A replacement neck is $679?? Don't but the guitar in pieces.

Check your sound devices. HELIX added a "HELIX" output sound device to my machine during the firmware update. I went into Windows sound options and disabled that device to bring things back.

The HELIX Floor update was 30 minutes (firmware). Native is a software update, so went fast. The firmware update did not overwrite patches, so the new ones will only get installed with a factory reset as @simon mentioned above. Be sure to backup first, and then you can then move patches/setlists with HX Edit.

This update was truly massive. I didn't read the release notes till after the update... "IMPORTANT! The 3.50 update process may take 30 MINUTES OR MORE TO COMPLETE. This is totally normal, as it includes significant improvements to Helix Core and thousands of IR files." 30 minutes was about right. I never had a firmware update take so long in my life. Good timing since I put 10s back on my main guitar earlier this week after using 9s for a few years! I just got done kicking the tires on the update for a few hours and it is rather nice. I spent most of my time playing with amps and the Dual Block IRs (I pretty much focused on that feature) that I didn't have time to go through all the new stuff (yet).

Very nicely written OP there Helene. Merry (early) Christmas!

I just learned an interesting piece of trivia. The first person that came to mind was Tom Scholz for "hell no" to keyboards; that was sort of the claim to fame for Boston. Then I just saw from this site: "Boston’s beginnings go back to 1969 and a band headed by guitarist Barry Goudreau called Mother’s Milk. Vocalist Brad Delp and drummer Jim Masdea were joined by a recent MIT graduate, Tom Scholz on keyboards. The band didn’t last, but its members spent time in a homemade recording studio in Scholz’s basement recording demo tapes in hopes of making a new start." Never knew that, but makes more sense in a way. For me personally it is more about how everything fits, as with all things, rather than the instruments used.

I was just looking up "Friggin in the Riggin" a few days ago and there was a version with Muppets (scenes from Muppet Treasure Island as the video). I was rolling, but not sure how the person who posted it got away with it... had like 680K views!

Mick has had hip issues for a long time, so I was always astounded by what he endured to just perform, let alone all that he did. I have nothing but respect for him. For the 40 years he has put in, he definitely deserves to remain a band member.