CSistine

For years I waited for a sale. Then I stocked up 4 delays from competitors (aside from some dozens I had already) and now I am covered. The new version has also iLok authorization, so I see no need to get it for $31. I think I'll manage to abstain from this deal! ?

I got S1 Artist with one of my interfaces, but I couldn't make friends with S1 at all. Already the startup page that seems not to be suspendable and the plugin selection that is totally bad arranged IMHO (pictures ...) put me off! Also I wonder if it is possible to disable the initial plugin scan that is nonsense in my opinion. But YMMV! For me Reaper seems to be the best alternative to Sonar/CbB, although I miss mono tracks (that default to mono plugins and pan), Radius stretch algorithms, multi-level plugin organization and Sonar's convenient PRV. Other than that I only see advantages with Reaper (completely offline activation, portable install, superfast startup and updates, almost 100% stable, batch processing, lufs/rms normalization, good plugin compatibility, minimal resource consumption, ...).

For me PA is a great example to demonstrate that subs are expensive and not reasonable in the end (at least for me and my purposes). I have purchased all from PA that I am interested in (even much more! I don't like or need the last 20 newcomer plugins). Now I don't need to pay a penny anymore, what I had to for years to come if I was on sub! Thus their calculation how profitable a sub would be for me (and I think for most musicians) is pure nonsense!

This is only the purchase cost! You hide the cost for the disk space! ?

It's a real offline authorization, i.e. that you are able to install the plugins even if you're machine has crashed or must be replaced! So far I never had trouble with their authorization!

Regrettably this is true for waveform zoom! I mean especially when I am working with take lanes, then it is a PITA that each lane has to be zoomed in again. Otherwise I have no problem with it.

I wanted to get it, but it sounds too cinematic for my purposes! I don't think it fits to songs with a drums, but YMMV.

But I like waists! ?

I still wonder if there is a prediction when the offline activation of CbB will be available again?

I hesitate ... (but I redeemed the freebie). ? I'm still on K13 Standard and K14 is no option (not enough of interest)! But if K15 will be interesting, then Glaze is included anyway (already in K14).

I don't like Player libs, because you cannot install them offline (only with Native Access)! That's why I still use my Kontakt 6 full. At the moment there are luckily not so many libs that require V7. At least not the ones I am interested in! But as always, YMMV! ?

I think it is obvious: When Larry is not here, then there grow these discussion threads like this one, instead of hunting deals! ? As soon as he is back, then there is almost no time for pribble-prabble! Then everybody is busy reading deal threads!

The only thing I dislike is their computer based authorization. It happened more than once that I lost the authorization. Also, probably I would buy more stuff, if it was not that pricy!

Wow, this OP-X PRO-II sounds great! My former bandmates from the 80s have some real hardware (Jupiter 8, ...) so I know how they should sound about and this one sounds absolutely realistic to me! In any case the presets are definitely 80 stuff! OB-Xd is also an interesting synth, but it's far from real 80s hardware IMHO.

https://www.bestservice.com/en/stratus_by_exponential_audio.html?aid=7wQapZlepeFQ2Hb2 https://www.bestservice.com/en/symphony_by_exponential_audio.html?aid=7wQapZlepeFQ2Hb2

Another company I will skip for purchases! It is getting worse and worse! Luckily I have a bunch of plugins and at least one daw (Reaper) that have user friendly authorization (completely offline). So in the worst case I am prepared! ? More and more I hate those login- and challenge response authorizations. Lately I had great inspiration and wanted to use AnalogLab for a synth part and exactly in that moment the authorization on my laptop had gone caused by an unknown reason (maybe Windows update some days before). It's really a PITA!

I have quite a lot and I like some of their compressors and Magnetite. But what I hate is that there is no upgrade to the bundle, i.e. if you have already too much, it's no point to get the bundle!

I wonder why the OP writes lead-free? To me it is clear that a soft synth is lead-free in contrast to a hardware synth! ?

Don't they have this exotic authorization service (must run all the time)? It's a pity that they didn't stay with iLok IMHO! That's the cause I am no longer interested in Antares stuff!

Now that I have checked how "smart" this gate really is, I find that it is exactly what I expected: Nothing really world-shaking! ? Essentially it is a multiband gate! You can do exactly the same thing with iZotope's Neutron Gate. Or with Reaper's n-Band-Splitters (multiband split to several tracks) and ReaGate. For drums the Oxford Drum Gate of Sonnox does the best job in my opinion (defining spill). Primarily Sonible's "smart" is promotion, nothing else IMHO (but YMMV)! Nowadays a lot of ordinary or even dumb things are called smart or AI ! ?

I would prefer the pints to the updates, really! ? There are so many updates that give more trouble and pain than joy IMHO. But YMMV! ?

My purchases this year: Melodyne Assistent Upgrade from Essentials (to have a 2nd iLok activation) D16 Group.Spacerek Wavesfactory.Suspended Cymbals Steven Slate.Trigger 2.0 Platinum Fuse Audio Labs.VCS-1 Channel Strip Though I am satisfied with my loot in general (except for Trigger 2 that has only 1 iLok activation), I have been astonished that a lot of prices were not so good compared to usual deals before Black Friday!

It is possible if you open the different drum libraries in Kontakt and assign different Midi channels. But I agree it's too cumbersome! The thing I do, if I want e.g. the basic drums from Studio Drummer and the cymbals from 70s Drummer, then I open 2 Kontakt instruments in the DAW (1 for each drum library) and I separate the MIDI of the base drums and the cymbals to those tracks.

Maybe if your always online! ?

Because of the authorization I would even not take it for free! But YMMV!