TheSteven

OK seeing it now! Thanks.

All I'm seeing is the 'mark site read' button and it marks things as read for the entire web site.

Might be nice if I had a touchscreen lying around.

Simple Monsters - current version is v1.3.0 no change log Last year (Sept 2022) the latest version was v1.1.3 (which is what I had installed). According to their blog in December 2022 they added Native Apple Silicon Support & VST3 in the latest Dehumaniser 2 (and probably Simple Monsters at that time as well or shortly thereafter). So if you previously bought Simple Monsters (I got mine at a sale at PluginBoutique) download your update from your Kroto account: https://www.krotosaudio.com/my-account/downloads/ Note: PluginBoutique only has v1.1.1 so no point going there looking for the latest update (assuming you bought it there). Edit: also if like me you're creeped out by tinyurl.com links here's a direct link to Krotos website: https://www.krotosaudio.com/dehumaniser-simple-monsters/

Hi Aaron, I've been watching your demo video. It looks very promising (nice GUI/graphics, interesting functionality, etc.) but still in the process of wrapping my head around its capabilities and the various controls etc. For various sections I had to keep rewinding to catch what changes you were making in the GUI so that I could relate them to what changes I was seeing or hearing. It kind of prevented me from getting a better feel on APU. Note: I haven't read the manual as I wanted to first check out the video and see if this was something I'd be interested in (no offense intended). Please consider momentarily highlighting what's being tweaked or showing the mouse cursor (for example Camtasia has the ability to highlight a circle around the mouse cursor so that it's easy to follow). Not trying to be overly critical, just sharing some feedback. ...Steven

I get what you're saying but... isn't that true for all DAWs and orchestration libraries? It's only successful marketing that really make you think otherwise.

I had that too! It was terrific! I could sync my DAW (Seq +) up to a 24 track machine and add acoustic instrumentation & vocals. In the '80s I enhanced my engineering income by working with a number of Middle Eastern composers/arrangers. I would have them come over to my apartment and we would record all the MIDI parts on Sequencer Plus and then take them into a 24track studio and bounce them to tape. Then we'd record the acoustic parts (hand drums and other percussion, orchestral tracks) then finally the singer would show up and perform his or her vocals. I remember one time the arranger forgot to verify the key of the song with the singer and she couldn't sing it. We had to rerecord all the pitched instruments - the MIDI stuff was easy to fix as I just transposed them in SEQ+ and we redumped them to tape, but there were no decent audio pitch transposers in those days so we had to book more studio time and redo all the strings (real violins, etc.), oud, santor, etc. Eventually my orchestration clients realized that they could buy their own computers and software and learn how to do what I was charging them for. So I gradually transitioned into building custom computer rigs for them and training them how to use them (they were going that route anyway, might as well capture some income from it before it entirely evaporated) - that was how I ended up transitioning into computers, IT and programming. One of my early programs was a database program for an arranger I worked with to track his contacts and expenses.

They (Voyetra) teamed up with Turtle Beach and released DOP http://www.vgmpf.com/Wiki/index.php/Digital_Orchestrator_Pro I had it (still have the disks somewhere) and it was capable of recording audio. I think Turtle Beach thought of it more as a vehicle to move their hardware (soundcards) and not as a viable product in itself. From what I recall it never really caught on big. Don't recall it being heavily marketed (compared to other audio products, though I recall it being advertised in the back pages of Electronic Musician and other magazines). I loved it. I didn't have to buy a MAC to record audio! Soon Cubase & Cakewalk had DAWs that could record audio** on PCs and DOP (which AFAIK never got out of v1) was just left behind. Turtle Beach never further invested in DOP or sold its interests. **maybe they already did and I just didn't have the money to consider them... Maybe my memory's a little murky so might be off on a detail or two, but I went from Voyetra Sequencer Plus Gold to DOP to Sonar 2.x...

That's tempting even if I haven't used one in years... (as that little voice whispers 'you could complete your collection' and another part of my brain responses 'yeah like you really wanted to') There were a couple I had wanted to pick up at one point, sure I've got those bases covered by now... But still...

As mentioned Nomad's creations were previously praised and regarded as solid plugins. They are maintaining their plugins - see changelog below, but no VST3 versions now and probably (AFAIK) not on the horizon. If lack of VST3 isn't a concern and you've been lusting for a particular plugin in it might be a good time to grab it. Change log Version 5.13.6 (Build 051306) - Aug 2, 2023 (Mac only) MacOS 10.13 or later is now required Pulse-Tec EQs v1 and Magnetic v1 are no longer installed by default Authorizer has been updated. Previous authorizers will no longer work. EULA has been updated Various fixes in installers/uninstallers Version 5.13.5 (Build 051305) - Sep 15, 2022 Permissions fixes in some cases Version 5.13.4 (Build 051304) - Sep 8, 2022 (PC only) Fixed presets install location Version 5.13.3 (Build 051303) - Jul 21, 2022 (Mac only) Fixed authorization on some Macs with multiple users (Mac only) Fixed Studio Channel SC-226 AAX not being available in Pro Tools Version 5.13.2 (Build 051302) - Jan 10, 2022 Fixed authorization with some email addresses Edit: Note if you have Nomad plugins and wish to update them Nomad Factory Downloads

There is a way that you can avoid using another program to fix corrupt patch names. You can also use a hex editor and directly change the "." to a space (value 20) in the syx file. I was playing with it briefly last night spot checking various syx ROM libraries and found there are other patches whose names contain periods (sorry was experimenting as opposed to deep diving & didn't note which ones) and after fixing it they will import OK. On import - if there is a period in the name the name is truncated at the period. - if there are duplicate patch names the last one processed overwrites the previous (which is why there is only one 'E' patch). Just keep a backup of the file, as it's possible to corrupt the file if you edit the wrong data.

Confirming (belatedly) that FM8 does show up in your DAW as both an instrument and as an effect. There's a trick to using FM8 as an effect processor - it will have no output until you route the output as explained in this video. Note from what I remember on my (Windows) system Ctrl clicking on setting didn't work, I think I had to right click...

"Rejoice, rejoice, we have no choice - but to carry on" *Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Carry On I wish I had spent my money on hardware instead.

Thanks for posting this. The electric Pianos & Organs have been missing a lot longer than 2004. I remember discussing this between '87 to '89 (odd memory - I don't remember who I was discussing it with only where and that locks in a time frame) that the banks had an "E" patch but not the pianos or organs with others DX7/DX7II owners and we just accepted it as a known glitch. So the DX hardware couldn't import the bad patch names either.

So if you remove the "." from the file name FM8 imports them OK?

Yes, FM8 Factory only has the 2 Reed Instruments. If you unselect FM8 Factory from filter you may see more presets as then you'd be applying filter to your entire library. A number of soft synths also come with an FX version. As you correctly surmised - it's so you can use the synth's FX section as an effect VST.

I've heard similar complaints with other DX synths. Apparently not all softsynths import/interpret the syx files the same. Another thing maybe be because the FM8 was modeled after the DX7II, if the Arturia's DX7 V was 'accurately' modeled after a DX7 that might also account for some of the differences. Per EvilDragon on GearSpace about DX7 (hardware) vs FM8 sound differences: "The math is the same, yes. Now, it depends on the calculator which does that math. DX7 had limited CPU power and I would think that samples in it weren't calculated as 32 or 64-bit floats, which is what FM8 is doing. That's why FM8 sounds "cleaner" and not as "grungy" - it has more precise calculations."

There's another page on this website that has DX7II patches: https://yamahablackboxes.com/collection/yamaha-dx7ii-fd-synthesizer/patches/ You can import the 'voice' patches (16 banks, 32 patches each) into FM8 but not the 'performance' syx files. Another source of DX7 Patches: https://homepages.abdn.ac.uk/d.j.benson/pages/html/dx7.html#patches 4 Brian Eno DX7 patches - these are just the settings, you'll have to enter them manually and save them) or download the PDF here: https://reverb.com/software/presets/reverb/2715-brian-eno-yamaha-dx7-patches

Ah ha! I forgot where that site was!

Don't know if it helps you but from what I recalI most of the issues are on non-windows machines. Regardless, the dev keeps updating his plugins so I assume the issues will get ironed out eventually. I don't know if I'll use it (don't really use these type of plugins) but I bought it anyway. At $3 it's a cheap way to support the developer.

... double post due to stupid frikin missing edit button...

Main differences I've seen/heard about... CPU usage is lower with FF. Didn't know about this, handy to know. + to FF Analog Emulations - not in FF I'd consider this a solid win for Kirchhoff if it didn't nuke your settings when switching models. As currently implemented this for me is useless, hope they fix this soon. Possible bonus points to Kirchhoff but needs work. Dynamic EQ More advanced options than FF, but no auto mode. So to me is a 50/50 for both. 50/50 to FF/Kirchhoff. Kirchhof has a variety of filters not offered by FF. + to Kirchhoff Kirchhof has a Mixed Phase mode (linear phase for hi frequencies) + to Kirchhof? I've stopped using linear phase eq - because greater hit on CPU, I can't say I've heard the difference, and supposed issue with ringing (that I haven't AFAIK experienced). I'll have to play with this (Mixed Phase mode) to see how useful it actually is. Is there some other difference I'm missing or misstating? I have both (thanks to my lapsed Forever29 subscription) but haven't really dug into the Kirchhoff yet because ProQ3 is my go-to EQ plugin and haven't had the need for the advance surgical features.

Slightly different opinions on Kirchoff EQ

Original sounds? I don't know - I've had it too long to recall what came with it and what I added or downloaded from my DX7II. At one point there were multiple places on the web where you could download the patches from the original ROMs that came with the DX7. Same for the DX7II which had its own initial patches. I opted for FM7 because to my ears it duplicated the sound of my DX7II - not the DX7. I never really cared for the DX7, always thought it had a transistor/metallic sound and every time (now I'm dating myself) a band brought one into the recording studio I always had to massage (EQ, compress, add FX, etc.) the crap out of the tracks to make them sound good and work with the other instruments. When the DX7II came out I was wowed. It had the warmth & brass that I always thought the DX7 was missing and was stereo instead of mono. I was impressed enough that I took out a loan and bought one. I know a lot of people can't hear the difference between the DX7 & DX7II but that's on them (a lot of people can't taste the difference between butter & margarine either), maybe that I was constantly working with them in a professional setting made the differences more audible. As always YMMV. Nowadays when I listen to a DX synth or a one that can do DX I no longer judge it against Yamaha hardware I judge it like I would any other soft synth - tonality, presence, quality of the patches, etc..

As far as my opinion/taste on DX patches - I don't care for most of the piano type sounds that seem poplar & string imitations. I do find it excellent for lead synth, bells, electronic type sounds and sound fx, some of the basses are excellent (depends on range needed as most fall apart if played too high or low) and some pads. FM7 was used for the bass on this track, DAW: Project 5.