Brian Walton

I had the same dilemma and decided the only way to resolve was just to purchase something to get it. I've got a good chunk of what they released and this was a good excuse to fill a gap in one I didn't have yet.

While I get the idea of not officially supporting NEW plugins on older machines...what is implied here also seems to be that archaic versions built for that OS would no longer authorize due to WAVES changes. Plenty of other companies figured out a solid authorization system. Waves has more development money than most of those companies combined Id imagine. Just another example of poor customer service.

I'm not sure what Tomita's rig looked like, but just about all the effects guitarists use today were already available by 1973. Gilmour had already converted a Leslie for guitar use by the end of the 1960s. The Uni-Vibe was also already on the market. Phasers, Flangers, Chorus, Delay (of various types), reverb, fuzz, tremolo, vibrato, wah, and even the talk box etc were available to anyone with money. There hasn't been much in terms of a new category post 1973. Boss Slow gear (i.e. the volume automation) was one of those things that came after though.

I added it to the installs for demo when I did the upgrade. Short demo isn't exactly resulting in anything inspiring though. Yet still debating if I should buy it or not.

I would have also except I needed the pedal. Wonderful not having to run it on a computer at latency levels that are impractical with other stuff going on. Though I also get use of the desktop app. If it only came with SE I would have never upgraded to MAX. I created a profile that is better than anything IKM has done which fulfilled the dream of capturing a particular amp that is Uber rare.

I wouldn't think it will give you a "dent" in an upgrade to MAX. But unless you are getting hardware that comes with a bundle of the program. Honestly, this isn't like other SE programs where you need more. ToneNet gives you tons of free stuff - some of which is better than what IKM captured. And then there are 3rd parties that sell profiles. While some of what IKM captured and is included in a higher tier than SE is good, a lot of it is mediocre. But the platform itself is amazing. ToneX pedal gets you MAX or consider the new entry level AXE I/O which has a entry level Software bundle so you can capture your own stuff. (use JamPoints) SE at $50 is a good route if your plan is only to use captures in the software environment.

Just keep an eye on it. They run a sale every week with 4 plugins at 50% off...using the combo above with the intro discount and a referral code will get you there.

It is basically a Leslie sim and costs more (including outside the sale but does cost less than MRotary which has Multiband) I think the IKM one sounds better/more like a Leslie specifically. I haven't checked CPU usage on both though.

I don't think I've ever seen another multiband vibrato other than the melda one. Vibrato (not trem) or a more true Rotary Sim isn't exactly a go to type of a sound for me. I think most of my ground will be covered by the Audiority TubeModulator (which also includes vibe and trem sounds) along with other plugins that focus on Rotary (IKM Leslie, and Melda Vintage Rotary). Though I expect at $9, I'll cave and grab it to add to the Melda collection out of principle.

The electric guitar was one of the only things I demoed from PA and couldn't uninstall fast enough. Tried putting it through some quality amp plugins and couldn't get over how much it didn't sound like a guitar. I'm a bit in awe of anyone with the talent that can.

Seems like they dropped the mix knob on the limiter section.

Yep this was announced previously as one of the releases for the year, but this is the first time I've seen what is likely the entire UI. I have to say it looks nice but disappointed it doesn't seem to have any listen to the source and make auto adjustments under the hood as a starting point options. This is a standout feature of the competition. I like Master Desk and MDTruePeak, hopefully another $20 upgrade for those that own the previous TruePeak version.

Check your IMs. ?

It weighs nearly 40 pounds. Given that a Les Paul weighs too much - and this is almost 4 times that weight....hard pass.

Don't care about CLAP. The OP mentions one plugin (a synth in a world of too many synths including free ones) that is only available in CLAP. I'd tend to think the route to go is ask developers to use VST3. As far as I understand there is no licensing cost and therefore there isn't a major barrier to making it free. I respect that a plugin maker can make it in a proprietary format...just like some only make AU. But it tends to feel like either an experiment or a niche product if you don't use the biggest standard in the industry. A day might arrive when CLAP makes sense, but as of now, I'm not seeing a reason for the adoption across DAWs such as Cakewalk (i.e. taking resources away from other development). There are not enough products out there (free or paid) to justify it from what I've seen.

Word on caution. In latest Cakewalk version the updated Hornet seems to get stuck on the vst scan on my machine. I've deleted and reinstalled a number of times. When I load the plugin it won't allow adding EQ nodes at all. Most other functions seems like they are active though - but that is vital to the use of the plugin.

With the sales, he managed to get me to buy most of them (I appreciate the no-authorization nonsense). Most have never been used, but I install them as it seems like a good backup if some other plugin has authorization problems. I'll grab the VHS one too once it hits super sales. While I already have the DearVR stuff - would be nice to have a no-authorization needed option too. Making them super cheap isn't such a terrible idea - it makes impulse buys possible and I can say with certainty I've spent more with them than I would have if they had "normal" pricing.

Sort of. Previously you had to pay to get a normal installer (like $2) and went through some hoops to get it. Now it seems you can simply download the latest version directly from the site. Yes, there was a totally free version, but it was geared more for computer nerds from what I recall. Regarding the product itself, I tried it out before I got Gig Performer. Pretty decent for a free alternative and I do appreciate you can run it like a VST (unlike Gig Performer) and stand alone.

Exactly or less. At $59 my thought was "too little too late" Have too many other nice options already to even consider something at the $60 price point for an upgrade to little plate, which I'm not sure has ever made it to one of my projects.

Scaler 2 Amek console (full featured enough it helped minimize using different EQ and Comp on every track). For those that like the channel strip idea but always felt something like an SSL E has a barely usable comp and lack of mix knob. This could be a game changer. It isn't a game changer for everyone though. Kirchhoff EQ - didn't expect it to sound that good with big boosts and cuts with such low CPU consumption. Granted I wouldn't call it a game changer above fab filter, except I grabbed it with forever $29 so paid about $30 for it. Melodyne 5 studio for de-essing. Nothing else is that good at the task but also costs an arm and a leg. Waves ClarityVX....hate to say it, but if you are dealing with background noise on a vocal that isn't consistent, I haven't heard anything get those results close to the $30 price point. ToneX - after capturing arguably one of the best sounding amps ever made (no it isn't on tone net), I can confirm this technology while not perfect, is good enough to be very happy when playing through it. However it is only as good as the capture and there are tons of "meh" it there, including many that IKM made

The Lindell isn't a BX collaboration either. Only the Purple Audio one is Using the link at the top of the page shows the "section" of what is actually an option:

I tested and thought about the CS-5501 before I got the AMEK. It is another good option and the saturation portion is free via GSAT. I appreciated the various comp options but for some reason had trouble bonding with the in my tests. Likely a user problem. I did like the straightforward layout of the EQ. And having the multiple EQ and Comps to compound processing is a great idea with the routing but also another level of complexity and changing what is visible in the interface. Amek became my go to. But that would be my next option, there was a problem with it though at one time it was always about $80 with no discounts.

Depends on the workflow you want. I don't find it counterintuitive, it is laid out quite logically unlike some other strips. (Other than gate, which I think plugins where you see the audio are easier to set). This basically becomes your EQ, compression, gate, and limiter, and super mild saturation if you want it. It also has some stereo width control - and mono bass. Other plugins you add to this to problem solve or add extra color. Think about not having to put multiple plugins on each track and open and adjust them. This give you the main tools in a single view which 9 times out of 10 is going to save you CPU power as it is surprisingly CPU efficient for what it does. It goes on every track, and I hit the random TMT button to give the illusion of non-liniarity.

When I saw the announcement it made me wonder how much people were actually getting for these they they thought it was a threat to the business to change the model. Honestly I would have assumed you could pick most of them up used for $5-15 as plugins are generally pretty worthless when it comes to resale.

It isn't made by Brainworx and therefore not included. If they are smart, they won't deep discount it to even $50 by itself for a while. Of course this depends on what you have. Yes, I'd argue the Amek is quite a bit better than all the others. I own them all and really only use the Amek due to the layout, sound, and features. The other usual suspects that are "valuable" here: HG-2MS EQ200 SPL Iron Mastering Compressor Class A The Vertigo Plugins are also good, but seem to occasionally hit the $15 range with a generic loyalty voucher.