TW5011

A number of developers don't like VST3, and Steinberg is trying to force people to not use VST2, so that's part of this. Certain features don't work right in VST3, like with MIDI implementation (there are workarounds but they're not officially supported and not ideal). If I recall correctly, there is talk of there being some type of wrapper that compiles CLAP plugins into VST3 and AU without any extra work, so it might be even more efficient than having to support both. I think this was discussed in u-he's subforum at KVR, but I don't have time to search through it all.

I didn't see this posted already (and even searched), so I'll share it, even though I figure it's already been posted. Sweetwater is offering an extra 10% on gift cards through 6/21. This can be applied to software and hardware, with only 8 brands excluded. https://www.sweetwater.com/shop/gift-cards/ Bonus: GearFest (upcoming in a couple of weeks) often has special prices on items, but you have to call in (or attend in non-Covid years) to get the deals. So if something you want is on sale and you can get it during GearFest with the 10% bonus gift card, you can get a really great deal. I've done this a few times in previous years.

They really ought to figure out some way to redeem the rewards money another way. At first it seems exciting, but after you never have a use for it, it means nothing. Or it can be frustrating when they say you have hundreds in rewards money but nothing to use it on. Perhaps they could find some special plugins or loops that you could buy with it, so there's at least some use for it. But, rant aside, I did take advantage of the extra 10% off. That is a nice bonus.

I like the Brak reference! I used to watch Cartoon Planet in college -- so much randomness. Regarding the building of these fart art songs, I can't speak for Mr. Farts, but I know the guy who made the one I linked to, and they are often made with loops. There's actually more to it than you might expect -- well, not the arranging, but the process. The "songs" are a fun break from real work, and often each one is an exercise in learning a new plugin (whether a demo or just bought). Since these songs are not intended to be released (most aren't, but a few did get online), there's no pressure. It's easier to experiment and try new things when it's not a client's project nor is it your own music (which can have its own pressure of trying to make it special). It's a chance to get back to the fun of making music and mixing where there's no pressure or expectations whatsoever. It doesn't have to be good -- just funny! So these short goof-off sessions are fun and experimental and useful for exploring what new plugins can do. The songs are typically shared with just a few guys who appreciate this kind of stuff. The guy rambling is his brother (and it's been chopped up to be more random), and then it's sent to him under a facetious label name and he gets a bill for the remix. It's all in fun and leads to a lot of laughs. Here's another one (they all have the same artwork), this one features the Dmitry Sches Tantra plugin later on in the music to add variety. I figure most of you know about the plugin already. It works surprisingly well to create background rhythms. The one after it in the playlist is a remix of a construction kit that was a Gospel-style groove that got ruined (or made funny) by sound effects. It features a number of well-timed farts, which reminds me of a band I used to be in, where a couple of the guys had what we called "active gas on command", where they could fart at almost any time. Fortunately they usually kept it under control during gigs, but practice sessions were something else. And there's some road trip stories...

Simeon makes every library sound great! But is there a limit? Can Fart Man sound impressive? (Still can't believe there were no samples in the promo video!) I have heard some music with flatulence in it, which is funny (at the right time and place), although I hesitate to say it's impressive. (I will admit that I've added some of these songs to the soundtrack for a guys' road trip before, mixed in with real songs, and it can lead to funny "inside jokes" from the trip.)

Yeah, I get it, but at the same time, these are technical people who should understand the value of not wasting lots of storage space on the C drive and the idea of having options to customize it. There's also the concept of making a good first impression. But I also know some people in corporations don't care. Sometimes I wasn't allowed to make my apps look better -- only if it provided functional benefit. And I've known developers who couldn't be bothered to even align their text on the GUI on software being sold to enterprises (which would take mere seconds to fix). But I'm just ranting... first-world problems... Let me refocus my perspective. I'm thankful for all the music-making tools I have now, most of which didn't exist when I started making music. I'll go work on some music now.

Several installers drop AAX files there without asking. It shouldn't break anything to delete them, but at least in the past, some installers (like XLN and Native Access) will say the install needs to be repaired. As a former programmer, it irks me how lazy some of those install programs are. I understand they're probably doing it so all bases are covered for users who don't know or don't care what gets installed. But for users who care and know what they're doing, the "advanced" option that some devs use is a great option. They should always let you choose -- it's not complicated at all to develop nor should it be too complicated for the user (who could just opt for default if they want). I don't care for the need to repair notifications. For other devs who pollute the hard drive, I wrote a script that removes all UAD and IK T-Racks plug-ins I don't own so they don't show up in the VST scan. But I shouldn't have to... I'll go yell at some kids walking on my lawn now...

To add another angle of perspective here (meaning I'm not arguing with what was said before but there are multiple sides to this topic), I saw a study that showed that most people's preferred musical tastes are set when they are 13-14 and don't change after that. Personally I'd include the entire teenage years, but the point is true for a lot of people (not all, of course, but probably most). So there's the style / genre we prefer, but like someone said, there's the experience -- and the resulting nostalgia. That's a very real effect. We can even find ourselves enjoying a song from our teenage years that we didn't really enjoy back then, just because it takes us back to a simpler time, when we had more free time and less burdens of life. Also, when we revisit past music eras, the music is often the "best of" or "greatest hits" version. But back in that time, there was a lot of crap, even on the radio. Modern music hasn't been filtered like that yet. And if we're listening to modern radio, it might be more likely to sound the same, because so many stations decide on one small niche to play, without much variety. And to go with what someone said, our version of "real music" or "good music" is based on what we like, and that discussion happens with every generation. At one point parents complained of kids with their distorted guitars... Bands that are now classic were once controversial, even The Beatles, Elvis, James Brown, etc. I find the whole discussion interesting, but honestly my approach to music my whole life has been "if it's good, it's good", meaning it doesn't matter if it's new or 20 years old or 200 years old, nor does it matter what genre it is. I've found songs in all genres that I enjoyed (although some are more difficult than others to appreciate), and I continue to search for new music (when time allows). I still occasionally go back to the music of my teenage years, which can bring back good memories, but I also try to make new experiences with music that's new to me. There's a lot of great music out there, still being made even, but you have to either search for it or find a curator (blog/forum or playlist creator) that has similar tastes.

FYI, some credit cards don't charge a foreign transaction fee. I know some Visa cards don't. Saves a couple of dollars...

Since GearFest is online only this year, be sure to call in to see if there's a better price. Usually in-person you can get a better deal than online during GearFest, even on items already on sale. I just called in and was able to get a discount. Most manufacturers limit the publicly advertised price, but during a big convention like this there are special deals sometimes. (Hopefully next year it will be held in-person again, because it's a great time and it's free to go.)

Here's what I use for live performances and walking now, since my more-expensive IEMs died. I've had these about a year and a half and a half, lots of use, with no problems. They fit well in my ear (though YMMV of course). The sound is quite detailed for the price and sound better than the previous name-brand ones I got years ago that cost several times more. I wouldn't mix with these, but they have a detailed sound and surprisingly good bass (which is tight and not overly boomy). The midrange is slightly "forward", but not harsh. They give a different perspective than my studio monitors and high-end headphones. They have 5 drivers in each side. Of course there are better ones out there, but at $39, they are much better than you'd expect for that price. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07L6DCCB5/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

That's the one I was looking at too. At ThomannMusic.com, when I went to the desktop version of the site, it presented the price in pounds and it didn't look like a good conversion for me, but when I went to their mobile site (link below), I suppose it figured I was in the U.S. and the price was converted from euros and was already set at $99. I paid with a Visa card so there were no currency conversion fees, and the total charged was $99.49. https://m.thomannmusic.com/meldaproduction_mspectraldynamics.htm?o=0&search=1606338656

One of the Melda plugins I'm looking at is a little cheaper at Plugin Boutique and ThomannMusic.com (though have never bought from the latter).

I go through them, because while there are some useful files (to me), there are a number of large files over 100MB each of things like outdoor areas or ambiences that I won't ever use. So even just a quick go-through can remove many GB. So for what I've kept of the GDC downloads from 2015-2019, they take up just over 2GB. They could also be batch converted to 16/44.1 if you don't work at higher sample rates, which would save a lot of space, too. Side note: While going through them, I also make notes on folders or sounds that I will use so, just so I can find them without spending time searching in the future. I don't spend a lot of time on this, usually just making broad category notes, like weather, cars, weapons, gaming sounds, etc. To each their own, of course. I've just accumulated so many samples that I don't want to spend much time looking for something that I vaguely remember wanting to use. I recently had someone ask me for an "action packed high speed cinematic car chase soundtrack" to use in a funny song, and it was easy to find the samples I needed.

This is what I suspect, too. Obviously don't know for sure, but private equity firms have a history of strangling companies to take money for themselves and leaving destruction in their wake. This has happened to many American retailers, such as Toys R Us (I know it's popular to say Amazon and/or online shopping was their downfall, but the numbers say otherwise). Guitar Center is struggling to avoid bankruptcy after this happened to them (they almost defaulted this summer but managed to extend their debt two more years). Here's an example of how it works: https://theweek.com/articles/761124/how-vulture-capitalists-ate-toys-r https://newrepublic.com/article/145813/cause-consequences-retail-apocalypse Often the company is bought with debt financing, then they must pay back that debt. Then "fees" are paid to the new owners for improving the business, usually hundreds of millions, then real estate is sold off and rented to the companies (as the article above says, Sears/Kmart had to pay $200 million in rent on properties they once owned, and the owner spent $6 billion to reward shareholders). Expenses are cut, often cheapening the quality of product/services and massive layoffs happen (to save money). The company is made to look good financially (if you don't read the balance sheet closely), sold off, then the company struggles with mountains of debt, while the private equity firm made millions by destroying a company and the livelihood of the employees. To be fair, not all private equity firms are evil. Some actually help a business and I hope that's the case here. But there's a number of bad ones out there. All that said, another possibility is that NI just got too big for its internal vision and strategy and leadership experience. This happens to a lot of corporations (which I witnessed at a local company that grew into a billion-dollar IT corporation). There are "growing pains" to deal with, and it can cause problems with software development and creative vision. I'm not too worried about NI, since the IP they have is really valuable in this industry. If it did end in bankruptcy, someone would want to buy the IP. They have a good business model and many good products and valuable branding. Someone would want to keep it going.