pseudopop

(My post last week was banished into the abyss for some reason, so let's see what happens with this one. If it disappears too, I give up.) This week the free game on Epic Games is Them's Fightin' Herds (a repeat from before). “Them’s Fightin’ Herds is a 2D fighting game featuring a cast of adorable animals designed by acclaimed cartoon producer Lauren Faust. Beneath the cute and cuddly surface, a serious fighter awaits!” Get it here: https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/thems-fightin-herds Free until: March 13, 3 PM UTC Steam rating: Mostly Positive / Very Positive Steam page (for reviews & more info): https://store.steampowered.com/app/574980/Thems_Fightin_Herds/ Gameplay video:

This week the free game on Epic Games is Moving Out. "Moving Out is a ridiculous physics-based moving simulator that brings new meaning to "couch co-op"! As a newly certified Furniture Arrangement & Relocation Technician, you’ll take on moving jobs all across the busy town of Packmore." Get it here: https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/moving-out Free until: October 31, 3 PM UTC Steam rating: Very Positive Steam page (for reviews & more info): https://store.steampowered.com/app/996770/Moving_Out/ Gameplay video:

This week the free games on Epic Games are Empyrion - Galactic Survival and Outliver: Tribulation. Empyrion - Galactic Survival "Build and explore in a true space sandbox survival adventure. Construct mighty capital vessels, sprawling planetary settlements, and vast space stations in your galactic journey to discover the mysteries of Empyrion." Get it here: https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/empyrion-galactic-survival-fbd99f Free until: October 17, 3 PM UTC Steam rating: Mostly Positive Steam page (for reviews & more info): https://store.steampowered.com/app/383120/Empyrion__Galactic_Survival/ Outliver: Tribulation "African Mythology meets Survival-Horror and Souls-like! You play as the soldier who mysteriously ends up in a supernatural realm, of which her only way out is to partake in an ancient ritual... or so she believes." Get it here: https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/outliver-tribulations-679884 Free until: October 17, 3 PM UTC Steam rating: Positive Steam page (for reviews & more info): https://store.steampowered.com/app/1236930/Outliver_Tribulation/ Gameplay video of Empyrion - Galactic Survival: Gameplay video of Outliver: Tribulation:

This week the free game on Epic Games is Bear and Breakfast. "Bear and Breakfast is a laid-back management adventure game where you build and run a bed and breakfast...but you’re a bear." Get it here: https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/bear-and-breakfast-77c209 Free until: October 10, 3 PM UTC Steam rating: Very Positive Steam page (for reviews & more info): https://store.steampowered.com/app/1136370/Bear_and_Breakfast/ Gameplay video:

(Sorry I'm late. I was out of town.) This week the free game on Epic Games is The Spirit and the Mouse. "Bring kindness and light to the people of Sainte-et-Claire as Lila—a tiny mouse with a big heart! Explore a quaint French village, make electrifying new friends, and do good deeds for those in need in this lush narrative adventure game." Get it here: https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/the-spirit-and-the-mouse-42390b Free until: October 3, 3 PM UTC Steam rating: Very Positive Steam page (for reviews & more info): https://store.steampowered.com/app/1679210/The_Spirit_and_the_Mouse/ Gameplay video:

This week the free games on Epic Games are TOEM and The Last Stand: Aftermath. TOEM "Set off on a delightful expedition and use your photographic eye to uncover the mysteries of the magical TOEM in this hand-drawn adventure game. Chat with quirky characters and solve their problems by snapping neat photos!" Get it here: https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/toem Free until: September 26, 3 PM UTC Steam rating: Overwhelmingly Positive Steam page (for reviews & more info): https://store.steampowered.com/app/1307580/TOEM_A_Photo_Adventure/ The Last Stand: Aftermath "From the creators of The Last Stand: Union City comes a new singleplayer rogue-lite action adventure. After you are infected by the zombie virus, set out to explore the apocalypse and find hope for your colony. You can make a difference. Don't give up." Get it here: https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/the-last-stand-aftermath Free until: September 26, 3 PM UTC Steam rating: Mostly Positive / Very Positive Steam page (for reviews & more info): https://store.steampowered.com/app/1266840/The_Last_Stand_Aftermath/ Gameplay video of TOEM: Gameplay video of The Last Stand: Aftermath:

This week the free games on Epic Games are Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland and Super Crazy Rhythm Castle. Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland "When Tommy, Chuckie, Phil and Lil see a commercial for the new Reptar video game, they pretend that they're in a video game of their own! Toggle between beautiful 8-bit and HD art, select your favorite baby and play solo or co-op!" Get it here: https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/rugrats-adventures-in-gameland-737402 Free until: September 19, 3 PM UTC Steam rating: (only 8 reviews so far...) Steam page (for reviews & more info): https://store.steampowered.com/app/2633950/Rugrats_Adventures_in_Gameland/ Super Crazy Rhythm Castle "It’s Super Crazy Rhythm Castle, the chaotic rhythm adventure! A puzzling co-op mashup unlike anything you've ever heard – work together to think outside the box while keeping your combo. Solo, or with a band of up to three friends … … Can you conquer the castle?" Get it here: https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/super-crazy-rhythm-castle-e3b464 Free until: September 19, 3 PM UTC Steam rating: Mostly Positive / Very Positive Steam page (for reviews & more info): https://store.steampowered.com/app/1812560/SUPER_CRAZY_RHYTHM_CASTLE/ Gameplay video of Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland: Gameplay video of Super Crazy Rhythm Castle:

This week the free games on Epic Games are Football Manager 2024 and Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts. Football Manager 2024 "Craft a world-class team ready to dominate your rivals in football’s most prestigious competitions. Progress never stops when you’re pursuing footballing greatness." Get it here: https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/football-manager-2024 Free until: September 12, 3 PM UTC Steam rating: Very Positive Steam page (for reviews & more info): https://store.steampowered.com/app/2252570/Football_Manager_2024/ Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts "Become the ultimate assassin in the most realistic modern warfare sniping game available. Engage in an immersive single-player campaign across large, open-ended maps. Tactical thinking, stealth approach and precision in execution of long shots required." Get it here: https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/sniper-ghost-warrior-contracts-c772b9 Free until: September 12, 3 PM UTC Steam rating: Mostly Positive Steam page (for reviews & more info): https://store.steampowered.com/app/973580/Sniper_Ghost_Warrior_Contracts/ Gameplay video of Football Manager 2024: Gameplay video of Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts:

This week the free games on Epic Games are Fallout® Classic Collection and Wild Card Football. Fallout® Classic Collection Fallout® Classic Collection includes Fallout 1, Fallout 2 and Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel. Get it here: https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/bundles/fallout-classic-collection Free until: September 5, 3 PM UTC Steam rating: From Mostly Positive to Overwhelmingly Positive Steam page (for reviews & more info): https://store.steampowered.com/sub/45615/ Wild Card Football "Wild Card Football is a fun pick-up-and-play arcade-style football game featuring 7v7 team-focused gameplay with the unique Wild Card system that lets you change the course of the action in an instant with special power-ups and rule-breaking abilities." Get it here: https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/wild-card-football Free until: September 5, 3 PM UTC Steam rating: Mixed Steam page (for reviews & more info): https://store.steampowered.com/app/1206370/Wild_Card_Football/ Gameplay video of Fallout 1: Gameplay video of Wild Card Football:

Here's a direct link: https://www.pluginboutique.com/product/2-Effects/53-Multi-Effect-/7464-Finisher-RETRO Finisher BOOST is also 75% off: https://www.pluginboutique.com/products/10391-Finisher-BOOST Virtual Bassist Rowdy 2 is also heavily discounted: https://www.pluginboutique.com/product/1-Instruments/64-Virtual-Instrument/6261-ROWDY-2

This week the free games on Epic Games are Gigantic: Rampage Edition and The Callisto Protocol. Gigantic: Rampage Edition "GIGANTIC: RAMPAGE EDITION is a premium and definitive release of the original 5v5 MOBA Hero Shooter, GIGANTIC. Choose a unique hero and team up with other players to control objectives. GIGANTIC: RAMPAGE EDITION includes a new game mode, cross platform play, new heroes, new maps." Get it here: https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/gigantic-rampage-edition-03f532 Free until: August 29, 3 PM UTC Steam rating: Mostly Positive / Mixed Steam page (for reviews & more info): https://store.steampowered.com/app/1924490/Gigantic_Rampage_Edition/ The Callisto Protocol Get it here: https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/the-callisto-protocol Free until: August 29, 3 PM UTC Steam rating: Mixed / Mostly Positive Steam page (for reviews & more info): https://store.steampowered.com/app/1544020/The_Callisto_Protocol/ Gameplay video of Gigantic: Rampage Edition: Gameplay video of The Callisto Protocol:

This week the free game on Epic Games is Death's Gambit: Afterlife. They are also offering Starter Pack: Albany for the free-to-play World of Warships game. "Death's Gambit: Afterlife is a challenging 2D action platformer with deep RPG elements. As an agent of Death bound to his service, unravel the mystery of Siradon and discover the true price of immortality." Get it here: https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/deaths-gambit-afterlife-b5f411 Free until: August 22, 3 PM UTC Steam rating: Very Positive Steam page (for reviews & more info): https://store.steampowered.com/app/356650/Deaths_Gambit_Afterlife/ Gameplay video:

Thanks guys. You're probably right. I've learned my lessons with IK, but sometimes I forget them.

What do you think: is it worth paying $42 to upgrade my SampleTank 3 MAX? OR: Is it worth paying ~$167 for Total Studio 4 MAX, which includes ToneX MAX (new for me), and would also upgrade my Modo Drum from 1 to 1.5, Modo Bass from 1 to 2, and AmpliTube MAX from 4 to 5, in addition to getting SampleTank 4 MAX? I already have most of the Syntronik stuff from a group buy and the old content from TS 2 MAX. Bought separately, ToneX CS and ST4 MAX are currently about $80 in total, so that leaves $87 for the other upgrades.

Well, shucks. And here I thought I had struck gold. ☹️

I just noticed that this is now available at Plugin Alliance as a special PA_EXT deal: https://www.plugin-alliance.com/en/products/physical-audio-preparation-2.html @Craig N Are you interested in organizing another group buy? Edit: The deal is available for less than 62 hours.

There are two significant differences between games and plugins that make collecting games much easier and less stressful: Unlike plugins, there are only a handful of distributors* and they all reliably keep track of what you own. Tools like Playnite give you a unified view of all your games that is always up to date, so no spreadsheets are needed. Unlike plugins or sample libraries, once you've claimed/purchased a game, you can download it at a later date, even if the developer goes out of business. You don't have** to keep a copy of the files on your hard drive just in case. You can even install the game as many times as you want without having to pay for "extra download credits" or whatever after six months. I have over 400 free games from Epic Games and I'm happy to let them all just sit there, knowing that I will never install even 5% of them. * It's very rare for a game to be distributed outside of Steam, GOG, Epic Games, Itch.io, or the other platforms. ** Admittedly, you often can't even, outside of keeping the game installed (with GOG being the exception).

This week the free games on Epic Games are CYGNI: All Guns Blazing and DNF Duel. CYGNI: All Guns Blazing "An unrelenting onslaught of eye-popping visuals, ear bursting soundscapes and mind-melting action makes CYGNI the vanguard for the next generation of shoot-em ups. Outgunned, outmanned and out on your own, plunge into a sky full of hell in a last-ditch battle for survival." Get it here: https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/cygni-all-guns-blazing-98f872 Free until: August 15, 3 PM UTC Steam rating: Mixed Steam page (for reviews & more info): https://store.steampowered.com/app/1248080/CYGNI_All_Guns_Blazing/ DNF Duel "Action fighting at its extreme! Enter the new beat’em up world of Arad as your favorite character from the beloved Dungeon and Fighter franchise!" Get it here: https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/dnf-duel-07d055 Free until: August 15, 3 PM UTC Steam rating: Mixed / Mostly Positive Steam page (for reviews & more info): https://store.steampowered.com/app/1216060/DNF_Duel/ Gameplay video of CYGNI: Gameplay video of DNF Duel:

Might be cheaper at Loot Audio. For me it's 48.60 EUR, VAT included. https://www.lootaudio.com/category/plugins/physical-audio/preparation-2

Violin Intimate is now available for $35, down from its original price of $99. Recorded at Silent Zoo Studios in LA, this library features 15 articulations and over 1400 unique improvisations, ideal for creating modern soundscapes. It requires the full retail version of Kontakt 6.4.2 or above. Kayvon Violin Intimate Price: $35 (Original Price: $99) Discount: 65% off Offer ends: Not specified Link: https://www.inletaudio.com/products/p/kayvon-sesar/violin-intimate A free lite version is also available.

This week the free game on Epic Games is LumbearJack. "Grab your axe and save the environment by chopping and recycling every man-made thing in your path and solving puzzles with your charming animal friends!" Get it here: https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/lumbearjack-b5bedf Free until: August 8, 3 PM UTC Steam rating: Very Positive Steam page (for reviews & more info): https://store.steampowered.com/app/1582290/LumbearJack/ Gameplay video: You might also be interested in Humble Bundle's LEGO® game bundle. The highest tier gets you 18 LEGO® games for 15 dollars.

This week the free game on Epic Games is F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch. This has been given away before, so you may already have it in your Epic Games library. They are also giving away an Exclusive Outifts Pack for Olympics™ Go! Paris 2024 (a free game). "Explore more than a dozen unique areas in a Metroidvania style map. The Fist, Drill, and Whip are three weapons with completely different fighting styles that offer seamless switching between high combo, high damage, and long range attacks. " Get it here: https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/fist-forged-in-shadow-torch Free until: August 1, 3 PM UTC Steam rating: Very Positive Steam page (for reviews & more info): https://store.steampowered.com/app/1330470/FIST_Forged_In_Shadow_Torch/ Gameplay video:

This week the free games on Epic Games are Arcade Paradise and Maid of Sker. Arcade Paradise "Welcome to Arcade Paradise, the 90’s-fuelled retro arcade adventure. You play as Ashley, and you’ve just been given the keys to the family laundromat. Rather than washing rags for a living, you decide to turn the laundromat into the ultimate arcade. " Get it here: https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/arcade-paradise Free until: July 25, 3 PM UTC Steam rating: Mostly Positive / Very Positive Steam page (for reviews & more info): https://store.steampowered.com/app/1388870/Arcade_Paradise/ Maid of Sker "Maid of Sker is a first-person survival horror, set in a remote hotel with a gory and macabre history from British folklore. Brave the nightmares of the Quiet Ones. Do not panic…don’t even breathe!" Get it here: https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/maid-of-sker-2ae24e Free until: July 25, 3 PM UTC Steam rating: Mostly Positive / Very Positive Steam page (for reviews & more info): https://store.steampowered.com/app/826940/Maid_of_Sker/ Gameplay video of Arcade Paradise: Gameplay video of Maid of Sker:

When talking about the end result, I'm not sure I understand the difference either. If you use a completely transparent compressor, one that doesn't add any character, what does it actually do besides lowering the volume of the peaks that are above a certain threshold? Why can't you, in theory, do that with volume automation? It's not like your average compressor recognizes the different instruments in the drum kit and only lowers the volume of the snare, right? I have always thought that you can precisely replicate the compressing functionality of a compressor with volume automation. It just happens to be so labor-intensive and mind-numbingly boring that no one in their right mind would use volume automation in favor of a compressor plugin. Plus, people often want the color of a specific compressor. Of course, things like spectral compressors and other advanced compressors are a completely different thing.