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3rd party is better if you plan to use more than one DAW, and want to use your favorite portable instruments and effects anywhere, and not have them locked to a specific DAW. However, built-in could be simpler if you wish to collaborate with others using the same DAW, exchanging project files, etc.

Yep, I hardly ever see that included library discussed. Just all the extra shiny stuff you can now buy! ?

I thought it was the same 50% off that comes up once or twice a year, that you can use on the crossgrade price.

If you are eligible for the Kontakt 6 crossgrade price, now would be a good time to jump on for that 50% off!!! I got mine for about $125 that way last year...

I still have Sonar Producer 6 and 8.5 installed on an old copy of 32-bit WinXP, on an old Dell P4 laptop, and a VM. Although I have run Sonar since v1, my existing Sonar install media only goes back as far as Sonar Producer 3 & 4. But my memory struggles reaching that far back, LOL!

But then again, when I checked this spreadsheet, I only see DX plugins for Sonar 3 & 4. But these are only included plugins, and not 3rd party. Not exactly sure when VST hosting happened in Sonar. Maybe @scookremembers when ...? Sonar Plugins Sonar 3 to Platinum https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1qNsnKBASsnsALygDDQSQ4jFW6yhZIJZcIpfwH-6qgy0/pubhtml?gid=0&single=true

I'm pretty sure that all of the Sonar series had VST support.

I hope Tone2 will honor that offer down the road, as I'm just not quite ready to buy another synth. By the way, what is your impression of Icarus 2? Is there anything unique that it can do well? For example, Icarus 2 vs. Dune 3 vs. Zebra 2? It looks powerful!

Last week I received an email discount offer from Tone2 of $99 for Icarus 2, as a Tone2 customer with Saurus 3 and Warlock.

WavesLocalServer…what is it and why doesn’t it quit when I quit my DAW? https://forum.waves.com/t/waveslocalserver-what-is-it-and-why-doesnt-it-quit-when-i-quit-my-daw/2107/5 "WavesLocalServer is a background process that is used to facilitate cross plugin communications, preset scanning, advanced plugin features and licensing abilities. This service does not collect or transmit any personal user information or usage data. The reason this service stays open in the background is to optimize loading and scanning times. We are working to minimize the resources it requires. There is no problem if the service is terminated, but it will be relaunched by the plugin once it is needed."

I haven't yet figured out what the actual purpose of Waves Local Server is... ? It appears to start running whenever I access the preset browser. If I end the task, it resumes the next time I browse presets. I see that you ran into this Waves process a while back. Just stumbled across your post with a Google search...

Waves Local Server v12.13.0.133: Improved: The Waves Local Server now loads on system startup for all users (Mac and Windows), for improved performance

I haven't noticed Cherry Audio synths to be resource hogs, compared with other current synths.

I upgraded that way from Strings Micro to Strings Elements, but bought Brass Elements later, with no Micro. I still have the Strings Micro installed on my laptop to conserve space on the single SSD, and the Strings Elements are on my desktop DAW. My laptop is just for messing around, and I was wondering if I could get Brass Micro for that instead of the full Brass Elements library.

If I already own Brass Elements, is the Micro downgrade a freebie?

That's a big LOL!!! ?

^^^ The reason I never switched to Reaper full time.

This theme almost makes Reaper bearable to look at! ?

How to Switch to a Local User Account on Windows 10 https://www.howtogeek.com/451396/how-to-switch-to-a-local-user-account-on-windows-10/

How are you upgrading to Windows 10? Did you download the Windows media creation tool and build a USB installer? If you wish to review that process, access the link below, then hit the "+" sign next to "Using this tool to upgrade this PC to Windows 10". Create Windows 10 installation media https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10 Note: there are references to needing a Windows 10 license, but it is my understanding that Windows 10 will run without being activated, with a few limitations. You can simply skip past the activation code entry, and continue on. https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/using-an-unactivated-windows-10/d7420644-fb2d-4c19-8948-0c7199e90e35

But depending on your current hardware, your existing PC may not be eligible for an upgrade to Windows 11. So you would be stuck with 10 until you get a new PC. https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/design/minimum/windows-processor-requirements

Windows 10 is good until 2025. So no rush on Windows 11 yet. Here's the lifecycle FAQ for Windows: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/faq/windows

$149 for update or upgrade? My update was $0.00.

Thankfully!

Keni, good to hear that! I'm sure you will get it sorted out. I picked up the Arturia V Collection 8 last year, and I must say that's one heck of a vintage synth collection! I was never actually lucky enough to own any true analog synth hardware, so that V Collection is enough to keep me busy with for life! Plus, the Korg Collection, which is great too, that's about half analog, half digital. But the Cherry Audio synths are probably the best bang for the buck! I picked up my first synth in 1985, and it was a digital CZ. I had just finished with a store demo of a Roland Juno something or other, and the sales rep pointed out the gee-whiz technology of the CZ, and the price point was a couple hundred lower. So I got sucked in by a couple of extra voices, patch memory, and MIDI connectivity. Looking back, I probably should have grabbed that Juno, ha! But down the road it was digital ROMplers for me from Korg, Roland, and Alesis. Now I am completely amazed at what you can get in the virtual synth world. Not enough hours in the day! And I had to build a new PC last year just to keep up... All the best!