MusicMan

30 minutes ago, Nick Blanc said:

Just to jump on this topic since I happen to have an i9 12th gen. I have a brand new PC, no bloat, everything up-to-date (I think, I'm checking the grapics drivers tonight). I'm an Ableton user. So I was thinking I will blast through everything I could throw at it.

The f**% idles (!) at 8% CPU load (on Abletons meter). Throw in a plugin or 2 and I'm running at a 25%. My old and crappy i5 did better than that. Support from Ableton is slow and the first thing they want me to do look at everything OTHER than Ableton.  Sure, I will update my drivers. I already did the power plan thing. 

Here's the weird thing which support ignores (besides my old i5 performing better): when I do something else similtaniously (like installing a plugin or installing an Ableton extension),  whatever needs some CPU, the usage DROPS to a cosy 1-2%. Needless to say I'm very disappointed right now. I'm guessing it has something to do with the new CPU structure, but I'm no expert. I just know it's different.

Ableton is quite a bit heavier on resources than Cubase for me. I was surprised at just how much, even when using the same virtual instruments and plugins.

You might find it's one of the drivers making too many interrupts to the CPU as well, causing DPC Latency.

If you haven't done already, I normally go into device manager and disable anything that isn't required. I also look at what applications start up with the computer and disable anything not essential too.

5 hours ago, Hugh Mann said:

Under Rosetta, most of my x86 software worked within a month of release. Now when you are talking re using old parts, you are no longer comparing bananas to bananas are you?  ( didn’t want to say apples, lol) . I agree they rip you off on ram and ssd space. Even so, it’s not that different in cost. Maybe a few hundred more if you upgrade the ram and ssd. But you get really high quality  everything. So it’s still pretty even, when you account for the quality of parts and materials used. Like the laptop screens. Excellent. Color calibrated. Lots of quality things like that. 

I wasn't referring to the M1 change, but more even just a number of the yearly OS updates that quite often render applications incompatible because Apple decided to change something without caring about the impacts for their customers. But that's OK, because the applications they sell, which let's face it are the only ones they want you to buy will be compatible. Unfortunately some of the developers are no longer in business, so they will never be updated.

Windows PCs often support things almost indefinitely. Hell 32 bit plugins from 10 years ago still install and run perfectly. My DAW doesn't natively support them, but some DAWs still do and most importantly the underlying OS does. Apple OS updates often break them so they don't work in any DAW, or even install.

Back on the parts, for HDD, looking at the Mac Mini to upgrade FROM 512GB to 1TB is about $200 or so I believe. To buy a Samsung 970 EVO Plus M.2 2TB NVMe hard drive outright for a PC, is about the same price. Not just to get an extra 512GB, but to buy from scratch.

I looked at the Mac Pro to check the upgrades, but when I saw the starting from prices, the argument for Apple being cheaper/similar is already lost, even if they paid you for a hard drive upgrade ?

As for CPU, no, I'm not talking old parts. Brand new parts, just a more current generation. Like we know, often a couple of generations ahead, the cheapest CPU will be faster than what was the flagship at times. So in a few years, you could simply buy a much better performing CPU and drop it straight in with AMD. That's where Apple just can't compete. Even if people go for the lot and upgrade the CPU, Motherboard and RAM, then it's lightyears cheaper than a new Apple, so your TCO over the life of your PC DAW just gets further and further ahead.

I still can't see it being anywhere close to even. If I spent the same money on a PC build as a Mac Pro, it would be ridiculous.. I'd just be buying the most expensive best parts just to get there!! Or I could easily buy the same spec, for less money and even still have money left for a new instrument, some awesome mic pres, or other bits of audio hardware.

I do agree on the screens. I like their screens ? But even then, with all the money  saved, I could buy a couple of top end non Apple screens and still be in front.

Apple looks better from an aesthetics perspective I'd say and marketed amazingly. But I can't agree that they price similarly and I've owned both.

11 minutes ago, Hugh Mann said:

when you spec out for equal items and the quality of the components,  materials, design, etc..,  its pretty even.  I'd say cheaper in time saved.  

By the time you pay for new versions of software due to Apple dramatically changing the OS and making them incompatible, I'd say not ?

Also super easy just to upgrade components with PC, so the second build is often quite a lot cheaper.

AMD in particular is good in new ranges of CPUs traditionally being compatible with older motherboards as well, so people can sometimes get away with very decent upgrades, for crazy cheap by the time they need an upgrade.

Internal storage is so overpriced with Apple as well that if you're matching internal for internal, there's even less chance of Apple competing on price.

Apple has some advantages, but price for me isn't one of them.

I went from producing on PC to trying Apple for a number of years, then back to PC and couldn't be happier ?

7 hours ago, Paul Young said:

Wow 3 iLok activations.  Is that the same with all Softude stuff?

(are ya listening Waves)

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say no.. Waves are indeed NOT listening ?

But I'm sort of glad.. it makes me not listen to the Waves sales, or anything they sell in general, so I save money ?

Pretty great price if you add a loyalty or survey voucher and one of the nicer Pultecs I reckon ?

3 hours ago, LAGinz said:

I guess I’m still not understanding fully your last point. For me, the objectionable “hardware” aspect of ilock is the USB dongle, which is not required for machine-based ilock licensing. I see the underlying ilock “driver” as software rather than hardware, and not materially different than the “product managers” most software companies use.

If your hard drive fails, OS corruption etc then you lose you licences. Yes, some devs might grant you replacement ones, but that's not guaranteed. They may have even gone out of business.

In my opinion, iLok wouldn't be so bad if they automatically covered and protected against that.

Some people buy the hardware key and pay a yearly amount for that protection, however it's still more hassle and a yearly cost than other traditional methods.

1 hour ago, mibby said:

So I looked on JRRshop.com and didn't find it.  Then I remembered the "blow out" section had a different shopping cart. Well, it also has a different "My Account" too! I found it in https://blowout.jrrshop.com/customer/account/  but NOT in https://www.jrrshop.com/customer/account/

That seems odd. (?)

I knew it was a different part of their store/system, but didn't realise it had a different account part as well!

I guess once I've got the serials/codes from my spoils I never go back in there enough ?

2 hours ago, mibby said:

Yep!  I was thinking it was BestService, but I don't see it in my account...

I thought it was JRRShop from memory

9 minutes ago, cclarry said:

Bundle is GONE!  Obviously a mistake...

They're really not safe making mistakes with you around ?

Thanks for posting the bundle!

I wonder if that was a pricing error for the bundle at $15. Given that El Clapo on sale at Best Service is now $15.

Lars' link is now dead/404.

Also when I bought the bundle it was called the "El Clapo Bundle" which I thought was unusual, whereas the bundle now on Best Service is called "Claps, Stomps and Snaps Bundle" which is more what I expected it to be.

Either way for $15 it was a good one ?

That's not a bad price for the bundle. I don't recall ever seeing it that cheap before! ?

2 hours ago, telecode 101 said:

Hmm.. looks like this deal is still live. Has anyone on here switched from Cubase to Mixbus? Thoughts?  I make .. this kind of music. (In memoriam to the late Alan who passed recently.)

 

I use Cubase and bought Mixbus the other day. I'll always produce in Cubase I'd say, but I like the idea of exporting stems from Cubase and then mixing in Mixbus.

Performance wise, Cubase is better. If you're purely recording audio, or have a fast enough computer, that may not matter, but otherwise worth keeping in mind.

Mixbus is kinda fun and different and does get a nice warm sound.

I did notice that some plugins didn't work though. A couple have been updated and now do.

Basically Cubase is better, but Mixbus is different and that makes it a fun option to have ?

2 hours ago, Sander Verstraten said:

Are these an upgrade compared to the Amplitube IRs in terms or quality/responsiveness?

I got Wall Of Sound with some freebies ages ago and was quite impressed with it all really.

Lots of options/control, decent exciter. I mainly used it for acoustic, or just certain elements with other guitar sim gear for crunch, or heavier stuff, but it often works well in that scenario too.

Getting these gets you Wall Of Sound free from what I gather, which is more than just IRs.

36 minutes ago, Fleer said:

Nah …

Out of curiosity, was your New Year's resolution to avoid by anymore plugins by any chance? I'm sensing a trend in these comments ? Haha.. 

That's not to say I won't still buy it at that price anyway ?

18 minutes ago, ZincT said:

Just about the only left to get for me would be Train II using my monthly voucher. Maybe worth it for 14.99.

I was just demoing it then.. it's nice.. but also getting pretty hard to talk myself into needing to buy another amp sim! ?

30 minutes ago, kevin H said:

Are there any WUP or group buys for colonoscopies? That will make this thread go into overdrive hahha

I thought WUP was the colonoscopy ?

Now to get back on topic, which I presume wasn't colonoscopies or cabals, Happy Birthday @cclarry !???

Happy holidays all, or whatever you choose to call it that allows some time off work and some festivities with family and friends! ?

Regardless of anyone's religious beliefs or not, it can be a great time of year that everyone can enjoy.. apart from credit cards.. you've all cost me too much money... lots of fun.. but too much money ?

3 hours ago, dubdisciple said:

If you don't own already, it is a nice pickup

2 minutes ago, Fleer said:

Only got twelve of them. 

Yes, but like Brian and Fleer mentioned, they're given away free even without purchase regularly, so most people have at least one licence! If it was the Standard version, instead of Elements, it might be useful.

The plugin itself is ok, it's just not going to do much as an incentive for people to buy as something else would.

The underwhelm is strong in this one ? 

12 minutes ago, tom said:

I wouldn’t do this, have tried in the past and led to a lot of minor issues like plugins deauthorising, etc. Not worth the hassle. Acustica should really only give user option of downloading sample rates they want, massive bloat the current way

This makes total sense to me. Same as there's no point installing plugin types I'll never use. I pretty much only install VST3 these days unless there's an issue with the VST3 version for some reason, or they don't have one available.

Most installers allow you to select only VST3, but still, frustratingly, some don't. Acustica is good in that way at least, but I like the idea of also being able to trim them down by only choosing the required sample rate too. Great idea! ?

Thanks, I was missing this one ?

4 hours ago, PavlovsCat said:

Most of us -- me included -- hate WUP, but there's no question about the quality of their effects plugins. It's excellent. 

Yes and no for me.. (Not on the hating WUP part.. that should be unanimous!) I think they have a couple of gems, but a lot of their stuff has been surpassed by the newer companies these days.

For the most part, I've been able to replace everything Waves, with better non WUPped plugins, at similar, or often better prices on sale, with less restrictive licences ?

The only time I'd consider Waves, is if they do something unique, otherwise if it's a compressor, EQ, channel strip, or anything that any other good company makes, I'd always buy from the other company instead.

I'd rather support the companies that are fair and support, as well as listen to their customers ?

That said, I do love 1 of their compressors and still rate it higher as an emulation than any of the competitors I've tried (unfortunately!). NLS summer is somewhat cool and unique too.

Everything else, I've always found better options ?

Just now, mibby said:

Can you load the licenses up on an iLok dongle if you have one?  Or does it just make too much sense to only have one dongle?   (OK, get your minds out of the gutter everyone.)

Lol... it is a slightly unusual name they chose ?

It would be nice if you could! But not all devs went with iLok, so you might end up having 3 or 4 these days:

iLok, Waves, ViennaKey (eLicenser - same as Cubase) and there's more... 

5 minutes ago, aidan o driscoll said:

Yeah TBH my main plugs are all at least Dual Lics. I have the USB for Waves, Black Rooster and Overloud

Same  It's pretty rare for me to buy anything that only includes one license.

Apart from Cubase, but hell even Steinberg announced they are providing 2 licenses for the next version (I think even 3 now!), so Waves is definitely slow to adapt to the market and their customer's needs!

Even for those with only one machine, when the time comes to upgrade, it's so much easier just being able to run the old and new systems in parallel for a while. That way there's no time pressure and you can work on projects with either machine