Russell Posted October 21, 2022 Share Posted October 21, 2022 As a singer / songwriter my use of Cakewalk is almost completely live recording. The only synth instrument I ever use is Session Drummer 3 or Addictive Drums. And even that is using MIDI loops I bought from somewhere else. I use Guitar Rig and and Amplitube but don't think that's the same thing. I record live Vox, electric and acoustic guitars, bass, mandolin and a wee bit of banjo. I have really been wanting to add some pedal steel or resonator slide guitar to some tunes. I tried my hand at something called Momentum which had some cool audio samples but I have not been able to make it sound right or good. Pretty sure it's just me and my inexperience with synths. Is anyone here using these instruments successfully? Lame question but, is there one that's *really* user friendly and easy to learn that truly captures the sliding aspect of these instruments? Any recommendations, advice or directions to beginner tutorials would be greatly appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fret_man Posted October 21, 2022 Share Posted October 21, 2022 Indiginus' resonator is very good and works well playing live and doesn't break the bank. It's a dobro: https://www.indiginus.com/the-resonator For lap steel, see  2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abacab Posted October 21, 2022 Share Posted October 21, 2022 I will add Indiginus' The Steel. I have that and The Resonator. I'm not a guitarist and picked those up to see what I could do with them. They are very intuitive, and the developer designed the instruments to be very playable for keyboardists. For example, you can control a pair of chosen articulations solely by velocity, using adjustable high velocity or low velocity switch points, with sustains in the middle. Standard keyswitches are also available. https://www.indiginus.com/the-steel-electric-lap-steel-guitar  2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackson white Posted October 22, 2022 Share Posted October 22, 2022 @Dega sounds like we might be coming from the same place. Indiginus and a couple from Orange Tree are the only ones I've heard that didn't totally bum me out and can be useful in a mix. However not a kybd player and not a fan of the Kontakt UI/workflow. There are many expert users out there but it's a bit of a learning curve to get them to sound like what you might be used to with a naturally played instrument. I got close to making the commitment when I lost my network of live players, but it would take some effort to get anywhere near as productive. jmho of course... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russell Posted October 22, 2022 Author Share Posted October 22, 2022 1 hour ago, jackson white said: @Dega sounds like we might be coming from the same place. Indiginus and a couple from Orange Tree are the only ones I've heard that didn't totally bum me out and can be useful in a mix. However not a kybd player and not a fan of the Kontakt UI/workflow. There are many expert users out there but it's a bit of a learning curve to get them to sound like what you might be used to with a naturally played instrument. I got close to making the commitment when I lost my network of live players, but it would take some effort to get anywhere near as productive. jmho of course... That is *exactly* my concern . . . not being versed in piano or keyboard I'm not sure I can fit another new instrument and mindset into my tiny old brain. I watched a number of videos on the Momentum plugin and those folks were getting some killer sounds out of the pedal steel - I download the plugin and the free steel samples and all I can make is noise lol - Other than trombone in grade school I have been a guitar and stringed instrument guy since I was 14 and that is a looooong time ago. Always learned and played by ear and never learned any music theory or had any lessons. I'm pretty sure that's why I struggle with any synth I've ever tried to use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterX Posted October 23, 2022 Share Posted October 23, 2022 Ample Sound Lapsteel may also be worth checking.    2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackson white Posted October 23, 2022 Share Posted October 23, 2022 On 10/21/2022 at 10:04 PM, Dega said: That is *exactly* my concern ya, i feel ya. the challenge is getting a keyboard/prv to play a sample that sounds like what your brain already knows how to do. kinda like having to cook dinner with only the tools in your garage. i never bothered with samples based on the sound alone, but they've gotten way better, more diverse and authentic (=usable) and the enhanced implementation of articulations such as you can find here with CW are key to emulating a "performance". the challenge with something like Kontakt imho is sorting out the UI (it can be done), getting setup in CW (there are good tutorials), efficient note entry (keyboard players have it easy, but there are pitch to midi options) and learning how to edit/map articulations in the PRV to give the samples interest. if you want easy, just drop some loops in there. if you want something original, it's gonna take time to grind through it, kind like starting out playing any instrument. the fact that it's even an option is something to consider. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Fogle Posted November 3, 2022 Share Posted November 3, 2022 Impact Soundworks Pedal Steel is one of the best sounding pedal steel plugins I've heard but the $179 US suggested retail price is a pretty expensive entry fee.  Pedal Steel requires the version 5.7 Kontakt Free Player or higher. It also works with the full version of Kontakt 5.7 or higher. This is the only plugin webpage I've seen that actually states what instrument was used while recording the samples. The MIDI files used to create the examples are included in the download. It's worth taking the time to download the manual, look at the videos and listen to the audio examples. Another great sounding pedal steel guitar plugin is Tod's Virtual Pedal Steel Guitar. The price is $149 US but the plugin comes with a STEEP learning curve. The website even suggests looking at the tutorials prior to purchasing. Requires the full version of Kontakt 5.8 or higher. There is a world of difference between a lap steel and a pedal steel guitar. The pedal steel guitar has foot and knee pedals the musician uses to adjust string tuning in real time. The crying sound most people associate with a pedal steel is the musician operating the pedals to create that string bending effect. That sound is close to impossible to replicate with a lap steel. If you want to look at a different lap steel, Orange Tree Samples has their Slide Lap Steel for $79 US. It requires the full version of Kontakt 4.2.4 or higher. However, of the two I prefer the Indiginus product because of the interface. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveiv Posted November 3, 2022 Share Posted November 3, 2022 Why not a real one? https://www.thomannmusic.com/harley_benton_slider_ii.htm 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russell Posted November 3, 2022 Author Share Posted November 3, 2022 11 minutes ago, daveiv said: Why not a real one? https://www.thomannmusic.com/harley_benton_slider_ii.htm LOL I have actually been considering that . . . As pretty much everything I record is "live" with a real instrument except drums (Session Drummer 3 and Addictive Drums) I was thinking maybe I can figure out how to play one. I bought a mandolin at a yard sale and managed to learn that and I have recently been fooling around with Open G tuning on one of my acoustics. I think lap steels and resonators are always Open tunings so it might be worth a shot. Funny how the real instrument is also so much cheaper than a virtual one . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveiv Posted November 3, 2022 Share Posted November 3, 2022 13 minutes ago, Russell said: LOL I have actually been considering that . . . As pretty much everything I record is "live" with a real instrument except drums (Session Drummer 3 and Addictive Drums) I was thinking maybe I can figure out how to play one. I bought a mandolin at a yard sale and managed to learn that and I have recently been fooling around with Open G tuning on one of my acoustics. I think lap steels and resonators are always Open tunings so it might be worth a shot. Funny how the real instrument is also so much cheaper than a virtual one . . . If I could start all over again, I would never buy any virtual instrument other than a decent drum library. I have a lot of regrets. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjoens Posted November 3, 2022 Share Posted November 3, 2022 49 minutes ago, daveiv said: Why not a real one? https://www.thomannmusic.com/harley_benton_slider_ii.htm Talk about a STEEEP learning curve... Takes years to get good at it 2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russell Posted November 4, 2022 Author Share Posted November 4, 2022 2 hours ago, sjoens said: Talk about a STEEEP learning curve... Takes years to get good at it 2. I'm just guessin' here but I think learning my way around a keyboard to control the synth versions would be harder. As I already play guitar, bass, mandolin and a bit of banjo, lap "guitar" would be a little less steep of a climb . . .🤠1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjoens Posted November 4, 2022 Share Posted November 4, 2022 I always wanted to learn so let me know how it goes... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackson white Posted November 4, 2022 Share Posted November 4, 2022 18 hours ago, daveiv said: I would never buy any virtual instrument other than a decent drum library. I have a lot of regrets. vsts? sample libraries? 😄 sounds familiar. i hate "programming" drums but it's become a fairly productive option given the requirements for tracking space/gear/players/schedule/etc. There are some excellent/usable drum samples (BFD works the best here) and finding the MIDI features in CW to be best in class as loops/grooves don't work for me. VIs are good for blocking out string arrangements and layering in world/synth sounds to add interest/timbre to a project. struggling with horn sections atm. 15 hours ago, Russell said: learning my way around a keyboard to control the synth versions would be harder yep, same here when trying to emulate strings & frets. i can hack at keys a bit (hey, it's a percussion instrument...) but capturing a nuanced performance on a virtual instrument is always (mostly?) a 2 step process (notes then articulations when ur a hack). and that's only if you have usable sounds to begin with. a couple of the newer samples/libraries are making me reconsider the potential, but not there yet. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeeringAmps Posted November 6, 2022 Share Posted November 6, 2022 Surprised that Dave @bitflipper hasn't weighed in (maybe everything he uses is covered). One of the best slide/steel players on the forum. Does it all on the keys... t Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bitflipper Posted November 6, 2022 Share Posted November 6, 2022 Anything can be a slide guitar with nimble use of the pitch wheel. Mostly, I use Zebra2.  But if I'm feeling lazy, I do keep an arsenal of sampled bendy instruments on hand. None of them do it all, so selection is based on the particular part. The STEEL Lap Steel Guitar, The Resonator and Delta Blues Acoustic Guitar, all from Indiginus SLIDE Acoustic and SLIDE Lap Steel from OTS Young Love, Glorious Steel and Smoked Lap Steel patches from Omnisphere  Here's a tune I'm currently working on that features The Resonator. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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