Brian Walton

These are at least installed (also SSL Comp not pictured), but have quite a few more NLS, Omni, SSL Channel got replaced with PA plugins (I have all the channel strips but Amek Console 9099 is the go to) H-Comp - depends on the job but (PA, Toneboosters, Melda, IKM) J-37 tape (A few options while IKM Tapes are way more recourse hungry, they also sound better to me) SSL Comp = PA options Sibilance is pretty good but Melodyne Studio is much more powerful (and expensive). I'd just use PA Lindel Desser if I didn't have Melodyne and was tyring to get away from WAVES non-sense. Berzerk Distoriton was free - lots of options to replace that one. (also note that most WAVES plugins sound fine overall. The regret is single authorization, pricing (even on sale), WUP that means no support after a year unless you buy the plugin again, no updates that are not paid ones, and treating customers poorly with the afformentioned practices and until recently none of them even resized).

Those would be at the top of my list of regrets. Only one I have I don't regret is the background noise removal for vocals that came out not long ago. All others are no longer used and take up scanning time and are worthless to resell as I'd have to pay WUP and then get someone else to pay more than that for them which is impossible.

This is one of the only ones that comes to mind. Those in the OP, I'd honestly disagree with BF pricing. Most people are not paying $150+ for a sample library these days. It isn't the early 2000s anymore. (Yes some do but there are tons of options for fairly cheap). I like Valhalla DSP but $50 no longer feels like BF pricing when you can get amazing verbs for $10-30 regularly. $50 seemed like a bargain years ago, today not so much. While not every single day, I'd say Plugin Alliance is on a every month BF schedule for those on the mailing list. We saw so many lust worthy plugins for $15 so often people got burned out. Last year's BF didn't offer much, but we had so many deals leading up to it who cared?

Yes, it is sad, I've never used the free MWavesFolder but yet keep thinking well maybe I should pay to get the "MB" version as more in my melda collection is a good thing, right? I also think that this one adds the new GUI options that the free one wouldn't have. Which in turn might make me more likely to actually use it.

Don't let me convince you it is needed. Make sure it works for your workflow. I still think the thing is annoying in the sense that this shouldn't be a plugin but built into the DAW itself. We should all be requesting it on a Cakewalk roadmap for example. Mixing by opening plugins (levels or panning) is super annoying.

@Peter - IK Multimedia I could open a support ticket on this but it seems that any profile one creates and also downloads from the "user" tone models do not sync to other machines that are also tied to my account. This seems problematic to keep things similar across machines as it would be quite labor intensive to manually match across multiple machines. Also is there a way to transfer these things manually? If I create a profile (and also have presets downloaded) from one machine and put them on another? That could at least serve as a work around until product updates are made.

Ahh you are correct. While I'm a fan of the digital v3 as an eq plugin. Forgot about the tiny pan knob. I'd argue it is a whole lot clunkier to use when you are working on a mix for placement and takes up more CPU. If this is the EQ you use on every track and you don't put anything that inadvertently puts more stereo info after it, it is an alternative and also usually more expensive unless you got it for free or part of the soundwide bundle . The point isn't that the pan knob is the only plugin capable of the technique. It seems to be the only one clean and purpose driven for it. You could pin 20 of them on your screen and actually create the stereo mix. Digital V3 you might be able to do a folk duo mix.

Yes, they are well respected and make excellent stuff. I think if they updated the UI look you would see them get a little more attention. Sonically they all punch above the price point. Also note they tend to have some stripped down versions you can get for free which gives a good taste of the sonic quality and if you will bond with the looks/interface. The UI is rather utilitarian but can also tend to be on the boring side of things visually

Uploaded a King of Tone profile (done on Default quality - Evidence Auido Lyric HG cables used with the AXE I/O and King of Tone (high gain mod version) Capture took 5 hours. GXT280 (yeah it is old) GPU onboard.

Well the easy thing to do is put a bass monizer on the bus and then send everything to it. But that doesn't give freq cut over on an individual track basis. I remember Boz's posts about alternatives (such as in reaper). But as he also points out the CPU usage is a lot lower with a PAN knob.

This is one that does have some similar overlap I think. Using the tilt knob. But I also do not recall it being as effective in wider pans. I haven't used it in a long time, but it does other things also and you have to be careful not to color the sound which isn't the intent of a Pan. The BX plugin also has far less control over the cut over for the "mono" part. 250 ceiling can be limiting depending on the intent and use.

The concept is genre neutral. When you pan an instrument left or right (to any degree) using a normal panning knob in a daw the way it places it in the stereo specturm is unnatural in headphones. it is very much "all sound is coming from that direction" once you use PanKnob it can keep some low frequeny content "in mono" in the middle and pan frequencies above that range left or right. If you mix rock, jazz, funk, pop, trying to give some natural instruments in a space feel it excels at helping that. But same concept for any genre even without traditional instruments. You don't really realize how wrong panning knobs can sound until you try it. (Again headphones are a must here)

I have mix box, and the auto-pan function doesn't do the same thing nor would I try to make it do the same thing with manipulation of other parameters, which I don't think is possible as far as I know. If curious, I'd suggest running a demo on an existing project. Reset all your pan knobs to center. Put this plugin as last in the chain and then pan your mix with that. Wearing Headphones. The difference with what this does compared to traditional panning options while listening on headphones is significant. You just have to experience it. If you only listen on speakers for playback, it isn't really going to matter all that much.

Most DAWs have the built in panning function as post effects rack. So doing a "mono" on the bass still ends up panning everything. Putting Boz as the last in the chain (and NOT using the DAW panner means you can actually mono below a certain freq and then pan above. Digital V3 does not have a panner function inside, so it isn't capable of the same function. ProQ3 - don't quote me on this - I think it could technically do it, but it isn't exactly a good layout compared to a L-R-C knob. And I'm guessing it is a bit resource intensive given the capabilites of the plugin. PanEQ I'm aware of but haven't used it yet. I was always under the impression that as the name implies has a focus on actually making EQ adjustments within the spectrum of LR and that you certainty don't want to have "humps" of eq when the only goal is pan LR. Maybe it can do it without that, but again the interface isn't optimized for the task that is for sure. Boz also have Mongoose that "monos the bass" but without a pan function, that doesn't really do the same thing.

As for Panner - As someone that mixes both on speakers and headphones. I can't imagine mixing on headphones without it anymore. Used on every single stereo mix. It isn't like things like room simulaiton where the use is to test and make sure it translates. It serves an actual mixing function to make the panning sound more natural and is left on for the actual project output. I literally think Cakewalk and all other DAWs need to build in this panning function into the DAW workflow itself (basically as an option to swith on or off) I agree with having a few limiters for sure as I don't use one limiter for everything. But this one just didn't get any use from me and I've had it for years. Pan Knob = total must have if you create music for headphone consumption, IMO.

I paid $29 for it or so a long time ago. I personally don't care for it based on other things I have. Good interface (though not resizable) and good features on paper. But never became a tool I used. Haven't checked CPU usage. I own most of boz's plugins. This one of the few that I should have passed on. But this is all time low territory so give it a demo if you don't have a collection of limiters.

My desktop computer has a very old Nvidia card in it. Haven't tested that yet. Laptop just has Intel graphics and I'm going to need the portability to capture anything other than my boutique pedals. What I'm really after with this tech is grabbing PTP Handwired Tube Goodness.

Started to capture the yellow side of my King of Tone as a test run of the process without mics. Had to abort the process after an hour of processing and it was only up to 25% on the default quality setting.

Have quite a few of them that are on sale already. If I didn't, honestly the only ones that would be peaking my interest would be the Melda ones (EQ, Compare, AutoAlign) at $12 each And Boz Panner at $12 I actually use more than anything else on that page. (though still disappointed that he hasn't done a Pro Channel version - even after he did a V2 release) The Transmutator is one of the United Plugins I don't have. But I also expect I'd get frustrated with the routing setups to actually use it. Firepressor is a decent deal for $12 for those that didn't already grab it for less that one time. Don't have the SSL vocal strip, but I'm guessing that is an all time low price.

Yeah, this is why I'm specifically asking about the AXE I/O as it has an re-amp out. It has two Mic Inputs (or two instrument inputs) but I'm not sure if the ReAmp out is tied to one of those "input channel slots" Thus wondering about getting a two mic setup potentially all within the same interface. I have one incoming (and since IKM is the only company I can think of that won't let you download drivers/control software without registering a product) I'm not sure what the options are in terms of routing. I'd certainly expect that using Instrument In 1 would both record the input and also send that exact same signal back out vie the re-amp....but that would then most assuredly get rid of a 2 mic capture on a 2 input device.

They have given away some really great things in the past, but I wouldn't count this as one of them. Even if they were giving away an actual tube screamer pedal, I'd literally gift it to a beginner in an underprivilaged community.

Anyone have a diagram for capture setup and routing for AXE IO? I realize that IKM is pushing the new TONEX Capture box, but with the bundles with AXE IO (and the fact it has been on the market for ~3 years) would be helpful to have diagrams for that capture setup also.

Never compared all of them but bx_crispytuner was just ~$15 and that is what I would have grabbed if I was in the market and didn't already have it to see if it was good enough. If you are using it "live" as in live in front of a crowd with a PA, depending on the setup this can be tricky as mic bleed can be more than you think it is which also gets processed. If "live" just means real time in the studio recording enviornemnt, then not much to be concerned about.

I thought the same thing, but those also don't seem to include everything (ex the only amps I'm really interested in are the Dr Z ones - Z Wreck and MAZ18). I'm guessing for now this is more of an option to potentially try a sub set without having o start a 30 day trial for way more than you could consume in the entire collection - not sure. Each of thse boxes does indicate which product tier they are included in. From the marketing perspective, it seems to me like it is a way to draw you in to what is actually available in terms of gear modeled as the "browser" it completly unwieldy in this respect as the preview images of gear are somewhat generic unlike in somehting like amplitube where you have a clear picture of each amp (TONEX you have a generic picture and it could be used 40 times for a model of the same and even different amps).

I haven't really tested the differences but I do have some of the add on papers. They are PNG files and don't appear to be special from a technical perspective. https://www.escapemotions.com/community/forum/t/2605/how-to-make-custom-canvas-paper