AndyB01

There is no best, just difference (albeit with a little crossover). EzKeys is functionally much richer and deeper than Scaler imho. The quality of the instruments in EzKeys is better (but these cost extra and for many are not the primary appeal). There are a lot of midi packs for EzKeys (or you can use your own midi loops) covering every genre you can think of - these are also add on cost and can become both addictive and expensive; look for six-pack deals. Scaler will take you deep into music theory so great for both practitioners and those keen to learn. It has a more limited composition grid but can produce very usable midi parts played by external VSTs - you just have to get your routing right. Both have a lot of online videos that show you the key features. For me, EzKeys ability to take a simple chord track and play in the style of multiple midi packs is a great feature and the best customisable virtual session pianist I have found. I have both and enjoy them equally but I use them differently. I will admit to using Scaler less since EzKeys 2 came out. If I could only have one, I'd definitely keep EzKeys but others may disagree. My advice, spend some time on YouTube before you decide, no doubting that Scaler is fabulous value for money and is often discounted. Andy

This is tragic and yet sadly believable. They build the walls of these new build properties out of tissue and dope and wonder why you can hear a gnat fart next door. I can both relate and confirm, the entire country is FUBAR. #LedByDonkeys For ease of reference, you can sign the petition here: https://chng.it/VJ5MQFHkbp

I'm neither surprised nor especially disappointed by this news, I also purchased the 'lifetime licence' back in the day, but I have zero expectation of that being honoured or of receiving a preferential discount. Different company, different times, different business model - it can't always be that sons have to pay for the sins of their fathers. Time to let it go in my view (appreciate others will disagree). An issue for me is consistency, I have put a deal of time and effort recently into learning CbB and establishing a consistent workflow. If I have to re-learn a significantly different product and pay for the privilege, I may as well re-direct that effort into S1 Pro - as I already own a copy. However if the new version remains functionally and visually similar to CbB, then I'm likely to stick rather than twist - as long as the price is right. Wait and see I guess. Andy

After months if ongoing investigation I believe I have finally identified and resolved the problem. Certainly heat was the primary problem and the thorough clean and new thermal pad have fixed that - beyond doubt. The secondary problem was shutdown within a few minutes of starting up for the first time. This, it turns out, is a battery problem. It's an old battery and apparently it's something to do with the battery not holding sufficient charge which forces a shutdown. If I remove the battery - problem solved. So where to source a new battery? ?? Preferably from somewhere reliable that (a) doesn't lie about being UK based when they're actually shipping from and based in China and (b) isn't going the sell me something that will burn my house down! All suggestions for reputable suppliers who will ship to UK welcome. Andy

Can't help but agree there - the rest of it ain't too shabby either - guitar solo was ? Just fabulous work all round, gets ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ from me. Andy

I listened to both (original first). The tempo of the first really does showcase your piano chops but I definitely prefer the rolling tempo of the second - sounds a little more expressive too in terms of light and shade. Impressive stuff either way, you have great talent and use it well. ? Andy

I have a Scan laptop (it's just a re-badged Clevo under the hood). I've had quite a few issues with it - overheating being the main one and random shutdowns for no good reason. It's an i7 7700 running 32Gb RAM with twin SSDs - about five years old. Getting a new thermal pad fitted and a thorough professional clean has helped - but not eliminated - the random shutdowns and even after five years, I still have no idea what causes them. It was RTB after a few weeks and came back to me as 'no fault found'. All in all, they seem to use decent components but mine also has a pretty noisy fan - I work almost exclusively on cans so not much of an issue in my case but would no doubt drive some others insane. Their desktops may be better, personally I wouldn't use them again based on my experience both from a product and after sales point of view. Andy

I saw the video and commented, I thought it was harmless and certainly not clickbait. I get the points some of you are making - @bitflipper is spot on as usual - all I know is that without Mike's help on Bandlab I'd still be floundering hopelessly in the dark. Andy

Drums are really good (love the toms), the tempo changes mess with my head - in a good way - and who knew Wookiees could sing so beautifully? Definitely no threat to life here ? Great stuff Andy

Absolutely no idea, never heard of EHX POG or used it I'm afraid. I doubt it's either as good or as versatile as the POG, which costs 3x as much. However that view is based on a quick Google and no more. Andy

I saw this post and knew I had to listen to it immediately - through my decent headphones, Boy was I not disappointed - the choir (and Mrs D1968) all sound fabulous - wonderful arrangement and instrumentation too; really lets the voices shine. Hairs on the back of the neck stuff and puts a big smile on my face. Loved it Andy

Superb work - timing, phrasing and touch is really excellent. Adagio Cantabile is one of my favourite pieces and you did a really fabulous job on both. ? Andy

Unfortunately @Byron Dickens is right - it may be a harsh observation but it's true. Nothing you can do post recording is ever going to improve what is fundamentally not fit for purpose. At the budget end you will find a Behringer or T.Bone mic that will be perfectly adequate, all the way up to brands like Rode, Audio Technica, Shure and Austrian Audio at the Prosumer end. However, even this needs a dedicated audio interface, you cannot get by with on-board audio. Something like a Focusrite Scarlett Solo or 2i2 from Focusrite are good places to start. HtH Andy

It's a USB mic - not designed for recording with a DAW - fine for podcasts and such like but not music production. You need an XLR mic through a dedicated audio interface using ASIO drivers. There are plenty of recommendations on the gear forum for microphones and interfaces to suit all budgets. eBay and Marketplace also a great source if you're prepared to consider used. Andy

My son uses Ableton but he has a really old version. It's offering me the code as I am eligible so I am wondering if I can find a way to buy it for him to use - it's one hell of a saving! I'm not too sure about this requirement to have a registered version of Live Lite as he doesn't use that. I'll have to read the small print.

You do get some new grooves by default in EzK2 and you also keep access to those you had in EzK1 - see screen cap

Hmm very dark and I would say very creative - I think you nailed the theme you were going for. The drums sound wrong but also kind of right given the inspiration - as though they're being 'suppressed' - maybe that was intentional (or not); either way this was a compelling listen. Good work Andy

After a quick run through I am very much not disappointed - functionally all the innovations you expect to see from from EzD and EzB are there, but the new feature that really caught my attention was the ability to add or remove individual notes to or from chords - I have lost count of the number of times I have wanted to do this - so this is a great feature I think. Looks really good so I am looking forward to getting down to business with this when I have more time. A (very) small part of me kind of misses the pure simplicity of the EZK1 interface (I felt the same about EzDrummer), but I really don't miss that non-scalable GUI - amen to a full screen! Andy

Finally all done - had a very quick play - looks amazing ??? Andy

Installing... 10.2 GBs worth!

I asked ChatGPT to 'write' a song recently - I gave it a brief 'back story' and it produced a couple of verses, chorus and outro. Lots of cliches, a couple of questionable rhymes but I've probably written worse. ? The initial chord progression however was not so impressive, basically a simple C, Am, F and G. So I asked it to add some seventh, diminished and augmented chords. It did - and whilst some of these worked - some were fairly dissonant and not something I'd have used. Overall I was fairly impressed, not only with what was produced but the speed at which it produced it. Do I feel threatened by AI - not really - the initial bubble will burst once the hype fades, there will no doubt be a degree of push back before it finds its niche. It'll certainly be interesting to see how things progress from here.

I'll probably busk my way through it and eventually succumb to a YouTube tutorial when I inevitably get stuck. My problem is time - I literally have none to spare at the moment. Work and life is just full on so music is a rare indulgence. I'll get back to it eventually. I'm with you on the Toontrack vids. Andy

So tomorrow is the big day we've all been waiting for (well OK, not all of us). Is this going to become a thing - like #StarWarsDay or #EdBallsDay (you probably have to be a Brit to understand the last one). ? Suitable suggestions for hashtags welcome... Here's mine: #AboutFreakinTimeDay Andy

I agree entirely - very well done Andy

I Know What I Like - Genesis Me? I'm just a lawn mower, you can tell me by the way I WALK!