MisterX

The best results in removing reverb that I was able to achieve in terms of quality was thanks to this free AI standalone app, called Ultimate Vocal Remover GUI:

https://github.com/Anjok07/ultimatevocalremovergui/

direct link to win setup file:
https://github.com/Anjok07/ultimatevocalremovergui/releases/download/v5.6/UVR_v5.6.0_setup.exe

It's primary purpose is to remove/separate vocals from audio (as well as stem separation to some extent), but it also has a great external AI model for reverb removal/isolation, to be found here:

https://github.com/TRvlvr/model_repo/releases/download/all_public_uvr_models/Reverb_HQ_By_FoxJoy.onnx

It's not perfect, but still much better than all the other stuff I've tried so far (incl. Accentize, Acon, Izotope, Steinberg, SPL, Sonible, Zynaptiq, etc.).

Pros:
1. Capable of removing (in most cases) reverb from both music and spoken audio, and not just reducing it like all the other ones.
2. No significant artifacts left behind.
3. Free to download and use, installs and works completely offline (you may download additional models on another machine and place them in appropriate folders manually).

Cons:
1. No plugin version, standalone only.
2. Very slow processing speed on CPU, decent on GPU.
3. No audio editing capabilities, can only process whole files.

Please let us know what worked for you. BTW  does anyone know if is there's a (simple) way to teach a piano sustain pedal how to trigger FX bin (or individual plugins within it) on and off?

Before you build a custom DIY sustain pedal you may want to disassemble the existing one and check if there's room for changes inside. I recently changed the polarity of my Roland pedal by resoldering the "hot" cable to a different pad on the tiny PCB inside it (since there's no physical polarity switch on the pedal housing). It takes no more than 15 minutes. Plus half an hour for cleaning, if it's 20 years old, like mine

Mirax Labs vstPlayer may be worth checking.

1 hour ago, Laurence Levin said:

Does EZDrummer and other plugins offer the option of choosing a VST2 or VST3 form? If so, what are the logistics of using a VST2 version? Thanks!

Depends on version.  For exapmle EZDrummer v3 does not support VST2, AFAIK.

16 hours ago, Byron Dickens said:

Speech-to-text can't even get it right when I'm sending a text about the groceries.  How am I to think it would work any better for operating my DAW?

And even if it worked it would force us to wear headphones all the time, because of interference between voice and music from speakers.

Ample Sound Lapsteel  may also be worth checking.

That's weird. Usually dead horses full of bricks sound great. Try to kick it harder. 🙃

2 hours ago, fret_man said:

!! What? I've got to play around with this. I wonder how you specify which notes of the chord will be articulated? I don't remember seeing this in any of their MIDI demos. Gonna go look again...

This has been a great discussion. I'll check out the various videos as well.

Seems like it is possible to trigger hammer-ons in strummer mode, however not directly inside strummer panel. You'd probably need to either press "F0" key on your musical keyboard or input this note manually to corresponding track in your DAW, right between 2 chords.

13 minutes ago, abacab said:

That demonstration shows he is using a MIDI pattern in the piano roll to trigger the additional articulations during the strums. They are not actually part of the pattern bank in the Ample VSTi.

I assume that piano roll technique might be possible with any strumming engine, as long as those articulations are available via keyswitches.

I also doubt it's currently possible inside the program (Riffer maybe?), nonetheless it's good to know, that it works outside and sounds OK.

4 hours ago, mettelus said:

Similar to my previous post really... I think the hurdle with the OP is stummers are inherently focused on a chord (as a whole), with variations to those notes only. The D->Dsus4 mentioned in the OP is a chord change to the strummer, so if set to ring a D could be played, and then just the G of the Dsus4 (the strummer is forced to switch chords), but whether that would sound like a hammer on would be up to the VSTi. Strummers seem more geared to simplifying backing tracks, so you can fire off the chords of the song key with one finger. If keying an entire guitar chord by hand, it undermines the strummer's basic intent.

Although VSTis have gained incredible realism, the play of a real guitar allows for a lot of precision that is difficult to replicate, e.g., strings fretted, others bent in the same chord. As mentioned above, I think that is far easier on a guitar, so it is worth considering options to achieve this (tracking at odd hours, noise reduction software that allows a capture/removal, etc.). It is also a situation where an electric could be used and then converted to an acoustic once tracked.

It is an eye opener to play with a VSTi then realize, "Ugh, I just spent 15 minutes making realistic chords I could have tracked in 20 seconds :("

Exactly, as for Ample Sound Guitars a chord change (plus a keyswitch) is required  to achieve this effect, but the result sounds quite convincing to me. Although I can't agree that recording a real guitar is always the best option, since you'd need a top instrument, good recording conditions and equipment as well as some basic knowledge to achieve what professional VSTi vendors are capable of. We also need to keep in mind, that there are non-guitar-players among us.

I guess Ample Guitars may have what you're looking for:

[Tutorial] Strum Legato in Ample Guitar

Somewhere in the middle of the clip there's also a topic on using hammer-ons (and pull-offs) switches while strumming.

Take a look at this thread:
https://discuss.cakewalk.com/index.php?/topic/26721-percussion-plug-in-recommendations/

2 hours ago, Tezza said:

(...) Bandlab is like the first generation but on-line, which makes it new and interesting and captures a particular market. Cakewalk is like the second generation, very good for integrating hardware and recording real instruments alongside typical  DAW uses, however, there is lots of competition here between DAW manufacturers. But the third generation is mainly captured by FL Studio and Ableton Live, Bitwig etc. What on earth will the 4th generation be doing.

 

It'll be a self-composing, self-listening  and self-reviewing, fully autonomic iDAW.

10 hours ago, Zaquria said:

Toontrack EzBass

or

Spectrasonics Trilian

Seems like sampling range of EZBass is not complete for strings other than G string. Therefore everything played beyond 4th fret on lower strings sounds IDENTICAL to notes played in lower position on higher strings (including open ones). Which is simply not true as far as real guitars are concerned, since the same pitches sound a bit different on different strings. And probably that's why the program will neither let you choose your left hand position nor string you'd like to play on, see:

https://www.toontrack.com/forums/topic/ez-bass-questions/page/2/

Apart from that - well featured and nice sounding VSTi.

8 hours ago, Zaquria said:

Fixed that for you.

Damn, I don't have a banjo! Would you lend me yours?  😜

But seriously, as for network activities - believe it or not - there are other solutions in existence, so there's no need to use your audio workstation to do the job. This could be laptops, tablets or even phones. You may also run systems from Live CD's or from a multiboot disk. In a desktop (or better yet - tower) environment you may swap multiple systems installed on removable disks, thanks to mobile racks mounted in drive bays. Also disk cloning may be an option for some.

Are you following the point, Mr. Scruggs?

Guys, John B is absolutely right. This whole security paranoia has to end, eventually!
if you're concerned about your privacy and online safety of your audio workstations there's a couple of tricks and rules to follow. So, all you have to do is:

1. Install 900 microsoft security patches to your system and keep updating 150 times a year, at least untill 2025
2. Set firewall rules for hundreds of various programs and plugins (+ check their efficiency everytime you set them).
3. Tweak your OS settings to prevent dozens of potential privacy leaks
4. Get a strong antivirus protection aqainst millions of security threats
5. Keep checking regularly if all those settings, tweaks and rules didn't change due to system updates, as well as to software or human errors
6. Make sure your network drivers are up to date
7. Backup your system daily, just in case:
 
a) some of your software or drivers don't work as expected after next Microsoft update
b) your system gets compromised despite strong protectiom measures

8. Make sure you don't login to Widows with your refrigerator password

Sure, for some lazy growlers out there even these few simple steps won't be worth the hassle, since they stubbornly claim that offline way is the easier and safer one, but hey - modern approach to cybersecurity is to accept the challenges, not to avoid them! So don't be a cowardly computer redneck, don't go offline, It's so 90's...

1 hour ago, mdiemer said:

A really smart Fridge would refuse to open once you hit 20 lbs. overweight.

Mine will lock itself up if there's no internet available. And then there's this voice message from Fridge Assistant:

"Access denied,  Error code #007: Face recognition system unable to verify user authorization on remote server. Please check the connection and reboot your kitchen. When in doubt feel free to contact our AI chat bot via landline. It probably won't understand you anyway, but hey, it's the age we live in!"

3 hours ago, mdiemer said:

Mine isn't. (...)

Lucky you! At least you don't need to sign in to your Whirlpool account just to get the door open.

4 hours ago, John Nelson said:

My refrigerator is connected to the internet.  Just sayin'.....

It's the age we are living in.

Does it need internet to accept cookies?

Tools like JamOrigin MIDI Guitar 2 or MIDI Bass (VST plugin and standalone version) are capable of performing audio to midi guitar signal conversion in realtime. Free trial version available here:

https://www.jamorigin.com

11 hours ago, mdiemer said:

Ouch, that hurt!

Only joking. They've probably never heard of Cakewalk 😉

"Security Paranoia", Chapter One:

- You'd better switch to Win 10 as it is much safer than previous systems. It receives constant security updates, whereas others do not. You know, those bad, bad hackers never sleep. They can break almost any protection including NASA ones, so we need to have eyes around our heads all the time.

- So breaking into my firewalled system won't be much of a challenge for them?

- Eeehm...probalby not.

- But that's exactly why I prefer to go totally offline with my workstation!

- You're paranoid.

tbc.

1 hour ago, mdiemer said:

(...)  Steal my music? Who would want to do that?

Guys from European Union of the Deaf?
But seriously, if stealing other people's ideas wasn't relatively common, there'd be no patent laws in existence.   And certainly no copyright institutions like US Copyright Office and its equivalents in other countries.

2 hours ago, bdickens said:

I guess you missed the point, which is: how can you be sure that any software is going to be around forever?

No, I didn't. It's pretty normal that software disappears from the market, and that's exactly why periodical activation scheme is so dangerous.  Once such an app is gone users can't work on their projects anymore, even if they still have suitable OS and hardware. And that's a good reason to consider introducing permanent Cakewalk licenses (be it paid ones), at least for those, who don't like the vision  of waking up with an empty bottle on the desert someday.