PavlovsCat

Yeah, I really appreciate when people here post about libraries and plugins they love that I don't know about. I also read -- I guess lurk -- on threads where some of the more knowledgeable folks on mixing talk about gear and check things out they discuss. I tend not to comment on those threads because I know very little about mixing. But I appreciate learning about what others have found valuable, especially in areas like effects. I've learned a bit from those discussions and made purchases that led me to try things I never otherwise would have known about.

I'd define a small developer on a relative scale to other developers. I consider the developers with one to two employees small or indie developers. Developers with 5 or more employees are still small, of course, but the ones with only one or two employees are the undeniably small operations. I have an affinity for the indie devs and you find some real gems out there, but sure, there are a good deal of mediocre and not so good ones out there too.

Okay, I vaguely recalled GG Audio. My mother was a musician and music teacher and we grew up with a Wurli, baby grand, organ and a Leslie. So, I am in love with those sounds and they're incredibly sentimental to me. I just checked out a YouTuber playing GG's B3 using a Leslie and man, that sounded like Heaven. Dead serious. Beautiful.

Spot on. That's why I'm following it. Plus Christian is just a downright good soul.

Chris, what are your favorite libraries from those devs? I have a freebie Tron library from Premier from years ago but never picked up anything else from them. Anything you'd recommend? Audio Ollie seems superb. I only have their taster, but everything seems top notch and I know the Chicago suburb they're out I'd fairly well.

I just thought of another indie developer I just love. Xperimenta Project. Everything I have from this dev is wonderful. Download the freebies to get a taste of the quality of his work; it will get your attention. One of the first libraries of his I picked up was the vibraphone Xvibes and it's superb. I fell in love with the metallaphones since playing the glockenspiel in the school band as kid, so I probably have two dozen KONTAKT vibraphone and glockenspiel libraries (as well as an actual glockenspiel down in my basement). It's regular price is $9.99, but it goes on sale every so often. Check out the demos. https://www.xperimentaproject.com/

APD also has the Xperimenta Harpsichord for $9 USD with their deal bucks or whatever they call their fake currency. I'd suggest anyone looking at harpsichords check this one out too. https://audioplugin.deals/xperimenta-harpsichord/

Their copy references "Jon Bonham," (he spelled it John), although their kit is drenched in reverb and doesn't really have Bonham's sound. But the demo playing clearly tries to imitate Bonham, especially his playing on "Moby Dick." Come on Spitfire, I realize you're not big on rock, but that's JOHN HENRY BONHAM not Jon!!! Sorry, but as a drummer, I had to speak out! John freaking Bonham. How can anyone put out a drum library influenced by him and misspell that??? Oh, the humanity!!! That said, I'll be downloading this later. Hopefully all of that reverb isn't baked in. And. FTR. I did drop the folks at Spitfire a note to correct this "great injustice" of misspelling John Bonham's first name.

Now I have to check that one out. I don't even recall listening to any upright from Production Voices. Like I really need more pianos -- and I'm sure it's the same for you. But they're so tempting! UPDATE: Okay, I remember that instrument. Of course, it doesn't sound much like an upright piano and wasn't really my cup of tea. But if it's your cup of tea, that's great. The developer is very talented.

Haha! I went through a stage -- maybe for 30 years where I was obsessed with everything Mellotron.I owned just about every Mellotron out years ago, and I wasn't really playing then, I was just fooling around on the keys, not actually playing/recording any songs. I remember Hollow Sun and the dev -- since passed on -- and I would sometimes chat. A nice guy who had a real passion for sampling. I love seeing devs like that succeed, and I used to throw him and a bunch of other indie devs back then free branding and marketing advice from time to time and even got to hang out with one, Ben from Camel Audio on a business trip to Scotland back in the 00s. Most of those devs have since gotten a lot bigger since then (or, in Ben's case, sold his company to Apple)! But I've learned more balance in recent years. I totally get what your saying and it's a very good point. You and I don't want libraries or VSTs that are merely good for the price, we want something that has real character; not a library that is cut rate or budget because it's priced low. I would say that Ben Osterhouse's libraries have character and that, to me, makes them more than good for the price, they're just good period. I'm no expert, so I would defer to someone who specializes in string libraries, but I have a few of his libraries and they're like character pianos, but, of course, strings. They really work for a certain vibe, but I don't find them something I'd pick up if I was looking for versatility. Like Sospiro. Listen to the demos. It's great for intimate, slow passages. Again, to your point, they have enough character that for me, even if I had $1 million USD to spend on string libraries, I'd pick them up because Ben's libraries have this sound and vibe to them no other string library has -- if you like the sound you hear in the demos -- and I do -- they're for you. He's one of those dev's that you can just witness tons of musical ability and he knows how to translate that into sample libraries. That's what I saw in Greg at Orange Tree Samples early on and became a huge fan, later a consultant and in time, a friend. Then, I just found out about Majetone and that's another dev that just has something really special about what he does. I mean, I picked up his drum kit library for 15 bucks (USD) and it only has two toms, and a ride/crash cymbal and he mapped that ride/crash to a single note, because he's a drummer and that's how you play that cymbal -- and before I had an injury, I was a drummer too and I totally get that, even though I'd prefer more cymbals and more toms and the cymbal ride and crash on different keys, but the sound of what he did is amazing. He's not just a technician, he's an artist. I find that about the dev behind Sound Dust. That guy is brilliant. If you listen to his demos and like the sound, all of his libraries are well executed. They're quirky. When I first discovered him, maybe a decade ago, I posted -- at KVR -- that his Ship's Piano and his Dulcitone had a very Jon Brion vibe to them and he responded, "very Jon Brion." There's nothing else out there like that. I think the dev that did Death Piano is worth mentioning too. I only own the free version -- and the problem is, the free version is soooo good, I feel like it does everything I need, so I bought a few of his other pianos. All top notch. Add Production Voices to my list. https://www.productionvoices.com/product/death-piano/

I have libraries from all of them and Andrea's a friend of mine, so now I feel like I neglected them. I just figured they're long time devs Christian probably already knows about. For Sampletekk, wait for one of their giant sales where you'll save something like 70% or so. Frozen Plain has a cool string/synth library I have that I really like. One of the bargain reseller sites has Frozen Plain stuff at a significant discount. Andrea (Pettnhouse) has major discounts around Black Friday and holidays. Download his freebies and subscribe to his email if you want to take advantage of his sales.

All KONTAKT devs... If you aren't aware of Sound Dust, the dev's really super interesting and in the decade plus I've been a fan, I've found some heavy hitters in film composing have become fans and guys like Trent Reznor. Pick up his freebies. His stuff has a very quirky vibe to it that I love, but I'm sure it isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea. Majetone is a pretty new KONTAKT dev, but I love the Zeppelin-esque drum kit he has or had on sale for only $15USD. His other libraries sound really nice too, like his glockenspiel. Pick up his freebies. AudioThing has a bunch of high quality libraries, but they've been around for a while, so you probably know them. Beautiful Void Audio makes some beautiful synth patches in KONTAKT and for various soft synths. XTant Audio is an indie developer who mostly does work for other developers including Strezov, Tronsonic, Wavesfactory, Paper Stone Instruments, Bela D and and Auddict, I've only picked up his glockenspiel so far, and it's the only dev I've actually given my permission to use a review at his site for, as I sometimes played glockenspiel in the school band as a kid and I've been in love with the instrument ever since and his is really nice and only around $5 or $6 USD. https://xtant-audio.com/product/bell-lyre-glockenspiel/ I'll update the list when I could think of more. I know I've bought from a lot of indie devs. But I know you already know some of them, like Fluffy Audio from our PMs. If you're looking for specific types of sample libraries, I'm sure that will jog my memory!

Nerds.

Just an update. I bought the library and played it and it is indeed a beautiful library that is, IMO, easily worth the full price (more than twice the current sale price). For less than $20 USD, it is the best bargain I've found all year. I will definitely be watching for Ben's upcoming sales.

I actually own the VPRE-73, but I have yet to use it. For you folks who love it, what instruments do you like it best on? I want to give it a try now that I see a few folks praising it. I really, haven't added preamp VSTs before. Of course, I'll experiment with it, but I'm just wondering what people who really love it feel it excels at, so I can try it on that.

I own and would recommend Sospiro Strings. If you can wait for a sale, you can save at least 30%. But even at its regular price, it's a bargain. I'm watching for his cello library to go on sale next. I'd suggest watching this YouTuber's video below to learn more about two of Ben's libraries to figure out if they're a fit for you. The YouTuber, Corey, does the most honest and non-shilling review videos you'll find in this space. He got my attention when he called out a developer's drum library as fatally flawed and said he told the developer about the problems with the library, but the dev refused to fix it. I know of no other YouTuber in this space that has that kind of integrity. I have nothing but respect for the guy -- this from someone who's led affiliate marketing at a major brand, wrote about, had a major book deal that encompassed that area and has a very good handle on the mentality of YouTube reviewers (most are just shilling for free products and affiliate sales dollars, whereas the most popular ones get $$$$ up front). Corey is the antithesis of the shills. If you're a dev with a problematic or subpar library or plugin, this is the last guy you want reviewing your product. That's exactly why I'm a fan. The only criticism I have of Ben's libraries is that they can be heavy on your machine, so I suspect they could be better optimized. Hopefully, at some point, that will be addressed.

I agree, it's a no-brainer. It's under priced, IMO. I mean, less than 20 bucks for what this delivers? Please if anyone knows more deals like this, point me to it. Still, I feel like if Larry was posting there'd be an extra discount code. (Yes, I still am struggling with missing our old friend.)

I've been a fan since the pre-Sound Dust Pendle days. I love the tone and vibe to this developer's libraries. They have a ton of personality. Highly recommended.

Thanks for catching this great find @MusicMan I was just listening to the video with the guitar and the demos (on my phone, granted) and really liked the sound of this reverb! Even better that it's free. I have picked up a few of their effects over the years, but honestly, I have yet to try them on anything. @mibby, I know you are into mixing. What of theirs do you recommend?

Which one? Do tell.

You guys are my fellow enablers. I see that just about everyone here-- at least the regulars -- at one time or another has bought the same library or plugin twice. That's why I appreciate Plugin Boutique's reminder when you've already bought a product. I need that everywhere.

That's basically impossible for me to pass up. Ben is very talented and always produces interesting, high quality libraries. Under $20 USD. Yeah, I'll be buying this one later tonight.

How typical am I of a Deals forum user! I watched this thread and wasn't in love with the demos for the Rock ezX but when Mark Stow posted that killer deal, for I think, $27USD, I was going to bite. Then I went over to Toontrack to find more info on the library and logged in to look at the libraries I own only to find I already own it! Oh well, I did learn to check Thomann for future Toontrack deals. Thanks @Mark Stow!

I love the tone! It's definitely not a detailed drum sample library, but it sounds soooo good and it's inexpensive. My personal pros and cons as a former drummer and lover of jazz who actually got to hang out with Buddy Rich and Louie Bellson when I was a young drummer -- two of the greats. PROS - It sounds great! - It's only 15 bucks for a KONTAKT library. - I love supported new indie devs and I love the vibe of this dev's site. It's sooo cool! CONS - No functional GU -- just a picture -- so there's no simple way to mix, you have to do it old school, the way KONTAKT libraries were a decade or more ago where it's just a series of individual drums loaded in and you have to adjust each one individually which is a major inconvenience to the point where I try to avoid those libraries. Consider how NI's drum kit libraries like the Abbey Road Series and Studio Drummer are laid out. It's not quite as polished as a dedicated drum VST like Superior Drummer, ezDrummer, Addictive Drums or BFD, but it does the job. This makes adjustments a major inconvenience. I stopped using KONTAKT libraries laid out like this because they're so inconvenient. - I'm so in love with that sound that I sense I'm going to cave. We need people to talk us down, is anyone up for that? The next 24 hours are going to be tough. What to do...what to do...

Wow, that is a great deal. I wish I could appreciate those drum sounds more though. I love most Toontrack kits, but this one doesn't really sound that great to me. But I'll be watching Thomann Music for future Toontrack deals. I'm still using SD 2 and own the first version of ezDrummer, so I did contemplate picking up their upgrade when I saw it was $75 or $79 USD. Otherwise, with SD2 running fine I was hoping that Toontrack will once again offer upgrade pricing for past customers when they release SD4. EDIT: It turns out that I already own the ezX! I just don't use it very much.