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Set your view in Task Manager to show a separate graph for all cores/threads. Whenever I encounter breakups in the audio, it's usually when the load on the first core/thread is running high, while the others are still idling. I think this is normal as the VSTi is most likely single threaded...

Their entire product range would benefit with a wet/dry switch for those that prefer to use 3rd party FX plugins in the track, or mix buses. But in all fairness, you can torn the amp knob setting to clean, and then turn the knobs for delay, chorus, reverb, and drive to zero, which is probably not totally dry, but workable. Then insert an amp sim of your choice and get some new flavors. Though when they add MIDI phrase drag and drop and instrument mode, I might be interested! ?

I found a few other Ligon presets that did break up after I leaned into some heavy handed polyphonic chords. But then I am running a CPU released in 2012. ?

LOL, exactly!!! ? Not a huge fan of the Apple empire, but I did buy an iPod once. Might even consider a used iPad in order to mess around with the latest mobile audio apps on iOS...

Seems like the web server is running on an old Pentium 3 in the back of the garage... right next to the email server... ?

I think it would possibly be easier to fork the VST3 SDK with an open source team on GitHub and start from something almost everybody has working today. Then evolve it into something new and standardized. Probably easier to get the buy-in from DAW and plugin manufacturers. Instead of starting from scratch.

Nice essay! By the way, where did that quote come from? Probably close to the truth, LOL!

I found one in SampleTank 4, and it is listed as a FM tubular bell tone. You might try searching FM synth resources for other options, as in the free DX-7 carts, playable in the freeware Dexed synth.

Bender on a Fender! ?

I seriously laughed out loud at that! ?

So what's the best "robot" guitarist available?

Hey @ZincT, are you still enjoying that new Arturia controller?

I use it too, for about a year. But if they get breached, I'm totally owned... ?

OB-Xd v2 VST3 displays the programs in the host VST window in at least CbB and Reaper. May be others... Or you can use the VST2 version in other DAWs that do not. The VST2 works in the same fashion elsewhere. However, the previous advice is the only method I am aware of for switching banks in any version. Cakewalk w/ VST3: Reaper w/ VST3:

You probably heard about the new MIDI 2.0 spec.? Yep. 30+ years in the making. This is exactly the kind of thing I believe would be helpful to the plugin industry. Call it PLUGIN.org or whatever. If we had one wrapper that would play both older and more recent versions of plugins in the same wrapper lots of people would be happy. Or maybe just several wrappers that all work in any DAW. Great idea! Not sure how MIDI.org gets their funding. Maybe a token contribution from members keeps them going? Another benefit is all members could have input into the process. The MIDI Manufacturers Association, among others. They are midi.org. Formed in 1985. On the different specs for plugin wrappers. Just proprietary stuff I guess. Makes more work for the developers . Yes it does.

I had a credit card get caught up in 2 major breaches. Both times the issuer cancelled my card and issued a new number. A 3rd time someone used my card for a low dollar amount to see if it would go through. Called right away, cancelled and renewed, and the transaction was quickly backed out. The bigger risk IMHO, is when you use a debit card for an online (or anything besides the ATM machine) transaction. The hacker now has access to YOUR bank account! It would be a more stressful process to get the bank to give you your money back. Especially if bills are due! When a credit card gets hacked, it is the banks money that gets stolen. So they have more incentive to deal with the problem quickly. It's still an account in your name with the potential to affect your credit rating if not dealt with promptly, but in my experience most banks are willing to offer 'no risk' credit card fraud options.

A little broader question about standards. Why is MIDI.org in charge of the MIDI standards? We should probably have a better digital music interface considering it's taken several decades to get where we are. And then there is this IEEE Standard Association committee that decides how our Wi-Fi works (IEEE 802.11x), among a zillion other technical things: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEEE_Standards_Association Sorry to ramble off topic, but in my opinion standards are the glue that holds the world together, and informs manufacturers that the products that they produce will be compatible with other manufacturers. We have entered an age of interconnected things. A lot of time and effort by experts in their respective fields must work together to develop standards. So yes, I agree that the path of least resistance is probably what leads to a standard that is accepted by the majority. [/ramble off]. Final thoughts on plugin interfaces... why do we still have VST, AU, AAX, and others, rather than one for all?

Dimension LE was included in Sonar 7. You could try installing that plugin with the original Sonar 7 installer disc. I don't see it in my legacy Cakewalk account products list. Maybe it was never a standalone product with it's own serial? [Edit]: Wow, that's weird. I just inserted Dimension LE in Cakewalk by BandLab and got the registration message too! Maybe it was only licensed for Sonar? [Edit 2]: Just figured out that you could click through the registration prompt, and continue using the plugin. Just hit 'cancel'. I get this prompt each time I open the plugin UI, and have to cancel the prompt each time. But if I close the plugin window and save the project, there are no nags when I reopen it, until I open the plugin window again. Weird that this is the only legacy Cakewalk 32-bit plugin that behaves this way here.

That's literally a problem in itself, LOL!!!

Yes, very nice update!

Well I already have Sparkle, and the Dandy Bass with the new V2 features. I need to try out the Carbon demo. It would be nice to have the latest features in a guitar, so I will probably just wait to upgrade to v2 of Sparkle when it comes out. I had some fun learning my way around Dandy this weekend. MIDI drag and drop for the phrases works, and if you hold a key or chord when you drag, that is what you get in the MIDI clip in your track. Nice! Picked it up on the last day of the intro pricing. Very versatile sound, you can range it from mild to wild. Sounds best with a bass amp and cab simulator insert.

Ujam must be getting ready to release v2 of their guitars. Their latest guitar edition, Carbon appears to be the only guitar with new features such as MIDI drag n drop, and instrument mode. Wonder how much a v2 upgrade would be?

Maybe not, but it seems to be where all the cool kids hang out. ?

I've actually been thinking about acquiring a used or refurb older model of iPad for that purpose. All of the cool music apps are written for iOS. That appears to be where the mobile music market is happening today. I believe I once heard a developer mention that there are still some issues with audio on the Android so that many have been shying away from that platform for mobile audio development.

I would agree that Structure 2 is much more CPU friendly than SampleTank for example. Yes, I have the AIR and SONiVOX collections. Picked them up on sale a few years ago. Most of the AIR stuff is very good, especially the synths and keyboards. However, I have run across a few bugs with Structure 2, Strike 2, and Transfuser 2. Those also appear to have the oldest UIs of the bunch, as well. No bug fixes for those in 4 years. I did go ahead and pick up the new Loom 2 because I like that instrument, even though my confidence in AIR was beginning to lag by that point. I actually have issues with all of the SONiVOX instruments, except for the 88 ensemble, which is nice. I'll just leave it there. In any case there are some great deals on those, if you can live without ongoing support and development, and especially if your budget is tight. But I think that I have finally decided to spend any further money on supported products only. Plus there is some excellent freeware available that is currently supported, and works. The TW16x is a good example of a freeware sampler. https://www.tx16wx.com/ Too bad most sample libraries are proprietary, such as is the case with Structure's.