Craig Fowler

Thanks for the heads-up! I couldn't pass it up at that price...I'm sure I'll get around to installing it someday!

The WG2 combines white grand & sister, right? I've always liked that VI! Somehow, I've never ended up buying Black Grand or TVBO...could this be the time?! ?

You guys are lucky; we're up to about $9 per gallon here in NZ. But as to the original question, yes ? The last time I was in the market, I thought the G&L's Tribute line was the best import series. Honestly, I probably prefer the MIK ASAT Special I had to the USA model I replaced it with.

That's the spirit!

I'm no Simeon, Christian, but I'd pick VSL CFX as my single favourite acoustic library. If you couldn't bring yourself to use e-licenser, I'd pick VI Labs Modern U. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't invest in 20-30 other libraries too, just to make sure you've got your bases covered.

How's the playability compared to some of the better sampled instruments (e.g., Modern U) and Pianoteq? I in no way 'need' this, but a C7 is a piano I don't actually have covered well with other libraries (though I have 3 versions of the CFX ? ). I was sort of expecting to upgrade one of my VSL pianos from standard to full this month, but the discounts aren't good enough to make me pull the trigger which means I'm looking at OTS instead.

I still plan on picking the Vox up at some point when it's on sale, just because there are so few halfway decent sims out there covering that ground. But I agree; there's part of me that really likes Nembrini stuff, but I like the Kuasa set up + a few others that they don't get much use.

So...pianos are my weakness. Can I justify this to myself on the grounds that I don't have a Fazioli? With all the other excellent pianos I have, is there any point shelling out for a collection that's what? 7 or 8 years old at this point? Someone talk me in or out of it!

Those things are louder than any 30W amp has any right to be! I had one and just couldn't make use of it!

Where'd you get the spare parts Bapu? I thought it was just me acidic ear sweat that had melted the transducer covers!

That Trace in Amplitube is really good. I have an early 90s Trace combo that (I think) was a series or two before the one IK emulated, but the sim is uncannily close! It also sounds like nothing else, which...can be a blessing or a curse!

Nice to see a fellow Eden fan! I agree that it would be nice to have some more options in terms of bass amp sims. I'm pretty happy with what I've got (all the IK and Bx Ampeg stuff + the IK Trace Elliot/Softube Eden). I'd be interested in a good Hartke and a more valvey Trace. The price is a really tough sell when there are *already* really good Ampeg options available, and I think the gains are more incremental in the lower frequencies (at least with my hearing), so this offering would have to be really special to make me shell out that much.

It depends on how extreme the felting is. "Heavy" felt can transform the sound into something thick, soft, and plummy. I prefer a lighter felt which just mellows/tames the attack. My upright used to have a light felt, and it could almost feel like playing a rhodes at times. Alas, it wore through and was replaced with a really thick felt that's kinda deadened it. TLDR; a felted piano is a thing of beauty!

It's very useful - quite different from most grands!

Vertikal's worth having!

I feel anxious just looking at that GUI...

Get thee the Eden bass sim if you don't already have one you like (or even if you do!)

BARGAIN!

I feel validated! I *like* the ODS, but the Train II is one of the few sims where the sounds I can get from it actually resemble those in the demos.

Be interested in your verdict on Train II - it's one of my favourites.

I really want the Clarent; I'm just not doing enough music at the moment to justify yet *another* amp sim! It sounds pretty terrific though.

Feel better, Marc! Here's something you can kill time doing if you feel up to it - try out the new Nembrini DC30 and let us know what you think!

The problem with Simeon is that he makes everything sound good ?

There's a post from the VSL account at the Pianoworld forums saying they're shifting from e-licenser to iLok (no dongle required), so I wouldn't read subscription into the changes. Maybe Steinberg just can't be bothered to make the dongles anymore ?

I thought those demos sounded really impressive @Bajan Blue. I'll be getting the Clarent at some point!