mettelus

Damn, sorry to hear that one. I have taken to using clear plastic bags with things (mostly to keep the dust off when not in use), but they have saved me from liquids a few times. Just be careful not to "bag" them, per se, rather use as a top cover (not on the bottom too)... stomp switches won't take liquids in, but if the bag is also under the unit anything that leaks by those (those switches will poke through with use) can't be allowed to collect under the unit. The thin bags are cheap, and can cut them apart as needed to top-cover gear. The HELIX units are another alternative (LT/Floor), but also expensive. There was a really good review by someone who gigged with both the HELIX and Kemper several years back (can't find it right now), but the biggest takeaway for me was the Kemper needed extra FX whereas the HELIX did not. I got the Floor model and it has been great, but is also heavier than others (roughly 15 pounds). I had a stroke of dumb luck with mine, as it was on sale for BF that year at the original offering price and included Native for free (turned out this isn't always the case, but Native is simply the software version of it, so I was a little shocked later on that someone getting the hardware wouldn't always get the VST too). Smaller is definitely nicer to carry around, but I need the pedal controller too (which adds unit weight).

Have you tried a dynamic mic? They are far more forgiving for distance and allow freedom of movement (and adjust mic placement with your hands). When things are works in progress, I can see punching used more often, but as a tune fleshes out doing takes on complete verses/phrases would be ideal. Dynamic mics can take a bit to work with placement while moving around, but they are much less sensitive to environment (which can be the Achilles heel when sessions are spanned over a long period). I worked with someone extensively on book narration, and reading a book in one sitting is nigh impossible. A few things to speed up that work flow were: Physical condition/environment when recording... keep these as consistent as absolutely possible. Don't record when tired or in a hurry, that rarely works. Mic placement/performance... again, this is paramount to repeatability (I am a former Six Sigma weenie, so if inputs into an identical system are consistent (hopefully identical), so is the output). Background noise... this may be taken care of by #1 and #2, but always keep this in mind to check this (may need to remove it (by clip), since the first FX chain is on the track). Definitely use a spectrum analyzer as a guide for checking (SPAN is a perfect one)... some of the shifts may be things the condenser mic is picking up that you are not realizing. Clip gain... left click/drag on a waveform tends to be the simplest and fastest way to get clip gain in the same ballpark visually... this automatically redraws the waveform (yay!), so is fastest for gain matching... also, this only works on the clip being actively hovered over (regardless of which/how many clips are selected); keep this in mind. Track-level FX should be light and focused on the clip matching portion (at least initially), buss-level FX for the final pass. This is a preference thing though, so once get the hang of it can clip match with track FX off, then turn them on for mixing.

I haven't seen it hosting audio, but the VST hosting makes it much more "DAW like" (especially if no audio is recorded). One thing I have not seen yet is, with the DAW integration, will it follow a chord track (specifically changes to it) from the DAW itself. I am foreseeing situations where a DAW project will get chord track changes and not sure if I would then need to drill into Scaler 3 to replicate those. Has anyone seen anything regarding this?

Being as consistent with tracking as possible helps up front (definitely focus this one as much as possible), but even then your voice can change over the course of a couple hours. One of the better methods is to do all matching pre-FX (gain/EQ), so that time-based FX used afterward will help meld the takes. iZotope has a Match EQ (and a Dialog Match which is geared specifically for what you are asking, but that is PT only). Many methods require a clip-by-clip adjustment to a "standard" so that the follow-on FX chain will "meld" it into a seemingly single take... the fewer takes involved, the better. There are more tools involved, but what you are asking is also often used in ADR (Automated Dialog Replacement) matching for TV and film. Same tools/principles, so a Google search of "dialogue matching techniques" will give you some more insight. This link is a nice synopsis of situations/tools used for such, but there are even more methods out there... check out write ups on those and see what suits your situation/workflow best.

He also made a good point early on in that video... Scaler 3 outright will cost more ($79) versus buying Scaler 2 before the 3/25 release date ($49 with the free upgrade to 3) if you do not already own Scaler 2. Personally, I like having an older version to fall back on in newer versions get a bit more CPU-intensive than expected (won't know about 3 till it is available).

In interesting side note on Z3TA+2 ( not intending to distract from the OP)... One of the things that fed into Aux Tracks being born was that Z3TA+2's oscillators can be unsync'd from the tempo, so even running the same performance can yield vastly different results (I had posted about this on the old forums but cannot find it). In Multi mode each oscillator becomes 4 stereo oscillators, which is why it can become CPU-heavy if all 6 are used. The dynamics of what Z3TA+2 can do under the hood are extensive (a bit more than just those), so it can take some real effort to delve into it that deeply and set up patches for it.

Check your Windows Sound Settings for this quick (Sound Settings->Sound Control Panel in the upper right). Be sure the POD Go is not set as your default device, and also that Windows does not let apps get exclusive control of it (right click->Properties->Advanced tab at the top). The first app that touches an interface gets control of it (why sample rate and bit depth will lock), but if exclusive mode is enabled, that may be taking it out of the loop for use by other apps in ASIO mode.

Bear in mind that Corel abandoned VideoStudio, Painter, and PaintShop Pro (there are no 2024 editions of these). Davinci Resolve is one of the most capable/comprehensive editors on the market and the Resolve free version alone will suit most users (they make most money from hardware). Simple tutorials for specific tasks are recommended to learn or get things done. If intending to work with video in the future, Resolve is a better option to learn. For the trim edit you want, even Windows Movie Maker will do that (but is limited in what it will do if you get very deep into post-production).

I was thinking that when Shane mentioned no one would take the free piano from the museum and remembered your trailer pic! A grand piano requires a lot of finesse and know-how (especially with disassembly) to move without damaging it. A dump is a sad fate, but a school could probably use it. As much a a real piano would be cool, I always have to consider my own limitations. I get impatient tuning 12-strings, so a piano might get done once... it would end up becoming just a cool-looking piece of furniture. I have yet to tune a digital piano (or VSTi). I knew a guy who had a grand in his dining room (he played it often), but you couldn't dine in that room... kinda hard to scoot a grand piano out of the way to work on other projects. I made a similar decision years ago, so best of luck to you. Sitting in front of a computer is almost the antithesis of being creative. I play guitar mostly, so my last big purchase was actually hardware (HELIX Floor) and I use wireless so I am not leashed to anything while playing. Just being able to walk around or even sit in another room has been beneficial for me. I hope all goes well for you!

I just remembered you asked about this, so opened the Neutron 4 gate. I used a droning cello as the main track and then used a drum loop as the side chain. I did notice that you must expand the arrow at the right of the controls to specifically (probably what hung you up) enable that side chain input in Neutron 4 (see pic below). I set it to extreme gating so the drum loop was inserting steps into the audio at the bottom. I chose a wonkier drum loop than intended, so fiddling with the Open/Close thresholds was trickier than I anticipated. To summarize: The open/close thresholds are are the gate's operating points. The Attack/Release are how quickly it operates (in/out slopes). The Ratio is a compressor... anything over 10:1 is basically a limiter (nothing passes), under that is how much the gate attenuates the sound (simple compression). The Hold is simply a minimum time to stay open, regardless of the side chain. I chose the most aggressive settings just to show the "square wave," but definitely fiddle with the above to find things more suitable.

Once the side chain input is set up, fiddle with the controls (specifically the attack and release parameters) for how quickly the gate opens/closes. Not all gates have the "hold" parameter exposed like Sonitus does though, which yields a more consistent stutter effect. Side note, a more extreme example of such is iZotope's Stutter Edit, which lets you manipulate samples (that your gate example would pass) in multiple ways. While that has interesting effects to fiddle with, it often is difficult to apply musically to a piece (depending on genre). That has essentially "scenes" that can be driven by MIDI input so you can shift each FXs setup/scene on the fly. Caution since I mentioned that... Stutter Edit 2 is one of those that goes on sale for $10 from time to time (full price is like $199), which is typical for iZotope products.

+1 to the above, you will typically only see issues with power management on some "efficient" profile, or running on a laptop without it being plugged in. I only use desktops for connections, so cannot speak to the laptops much. As always, ground loops need to be considered. I am, however, more curious about how you got from there to here? Initially it seemed your setup was fine, but you wanted the ability to monitor FX. Is that still the case or has that expanded? Also, how many channels do you record in one go? I have a similar setup to yours that I use most often (AI->PA system), but record only 2 channels of audio at most (vox and guitar) in one go. Unless you are recording multiple channels, the SSL 18 might be extreme overkill, and that is in the same price range as the HELIX Floor. The reason that caught my eye is the HELIX Floor also has a single mic input, and can be set up to record DI and FX channels for both guitar and vocals. Again, that may be extreme overkill for your situation (just to monitor FX but not record them). I may have missed a post where you explained more what you are seeking.

His comment is accurate. The term "riding the fader" is another thing you might find interesting. Prior to compressors, engineers needed to manually adjust gain (real time) via faders alone. Compressors eased a lot of that need (and are one of the most used FX), but it is also important to understand compressors and their application. Rather than get a plugin the "does things for you," it is often far better to understand "common" tools and how to use them properly.

CyberPowerPC was probably the one you cannot recall... they also sell pre-made ones to brick-and-mortar stores. IIRC they have a monthly deal on things, so is worth monitoring their website and playing with build options (although they often only have a few CPU variants available). Overall, a "gaming" PC may be extreme overkill for a DAW, but the advantage to CyberPowerPC is you can dumb down things like graphics card and bump up RAM (or buy aftermarket). Dells and HPs often have proprietary hardware in them, so be careful of that (one HP laptop I saw even had the RAM soldered in, so it wasn't swappable/expandable). I got an i7-8700K from them 7 years ago and is still going. Noise is primarily from the fans (both case and GPU), but you can tweak those, and the GPU design is something to consider (a few are designed to blow air out the case like a jet engine rather than circulate air internally in the case). If you are using it as a DAW, the fans shouldn't be cycling hard. In general, most "gaming" PCs are focused on intense graphics, so have expensive GPUs and can be overclocked. Neither of these are required for use as a DAW, but the ability to add/remove hardware is a benefit for a desktop variant.

I think I sent you down a rabbit hole with the Control software. I just looked at a couple videos and the 18i20 doesn't seem to have any hardware FX with it (I bookmarked the video below where he stated this point blank). That pulls things back to either using FX on tracks in the DAW (if latency is tolerable), or using hardware FX on the mixer (if they are available).

Years ago I had a similar issue with the Staff View and one of the bakers posted the font used (for the SV note data) on the old forums. Font issues can easily arise if a person using an app doesn't have that exact font installed (Windows will choose the closest alternative it "thinks" applies; but may not fit, or even look remotely accurate in my case). Something the bakers would need to answer specifically is exactly which font is being used in these affected fields, so users seeing that issue can check to see if they have that font present on their computer (as it may not be).

That is a good point. I didn't realize the software changed over with 3rd gen, but the Control software is listed on the Focusrite download page for it. Another thing someone with that unit would have to speak to specifically is if DSP FX are included(?). The Saffire PRO 24 DSP unit I have (FireWire) specifically has "DSP" in the title because there is additional hardware in the box... I am not sure if the FX processing is available for other units that were made or not. As far as setup (and FX specifically), track FX used in CbB do not print during recording; so another option is to run FX in CbB, but I am not sure if that will introduce undue latency in your system (you want only minimal/CPU-light FX in play in CbB when tracking). Another more viable option (I am not familiar with your mixer), is that many mixers also include hardware FX (not the greatest, but often there... typically can choose 1 of 16 presets and have an FX dry/wet knob for each channel), so you can run the vocal output through a separate channel on the mixer that does have FX applied. Being on the output side, that will not be recorded, only monitored. You would need a specific output mix from the 18i20 that you only want the mixer FX applied to on that channel (e.g., vox only).

There is a really old video on how to set up MixControl that is nicely done. IIRC it was done using an 18i20. MixControl can be intimidating till you understand it so a tutorial video is highly recommended.

Doesn't the Scarlett also use MixControl software? I have the Saffire, and the routing in MixControl lets you set up various mixes (and has internal FX), so you can monitor/record mixes as you see fit. On a cell here, but Focusrite's download page shows a Scarlett MixControl for the 18i20. Have you tried that?

Depending on the caps used, the range of the tone knob might not have the same effect for sure. The bridge pickup specifically is located closer to the bridge node, so there is a higher concentration of harmonics (which will give more high end than the strings will see at the neck).

To expound on the above and give you terms you can Google for help. MIDI data (what you are using in the Piano Roll View (PRV)) is simply note data (essentially pitch, velocity (loudness), note on/off timing). MIDI is not audio, which is why MIDI files are so small. The most common method starting out is to insert a Simple Instrument Track (SIT) into a project, because the routing to connect the MIDI to the audio output (via a virtual/VST instrument, or VSTi) is done for you. "Input Echo" is another term to be familiar with, which lets you monitor live MIDI input even when not recording. The key thing for you is that MIDI is not audio... you will never hear it unless it is sent to an instrument to play it. For searching, things like "setting up a virtual instrument in Cakewalk" will focus on what you need to do. Below is a video that is referenced above for convenience.

We will see. I am still not sure if it will host/record audio tracks yet (making it more of a "full DAW") or how much functionality is embedded. Upside is that being a VST host, it "should" be lighter weight than a DAW so might be a simpler way to noodle with VSTis that don't have a stand-alone version with the added bonus that you can roll any work done into a DAW project later on.

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The C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3 directory is hard-coded for use. While some of the subfolders "can" be junctioned to another drive (I have done this with iZotope, but specifically at the subfolder level), the main VST3 directory cannot. Some apps are hard-coded to seek that directory specifically without junctions in place (e.g., Melodyne), so the main directory (and any VST3s in that main directory) must be left in place. If you want to go to the hassle for working with subdirectories, it may work with the Overloud subfolder, but you probably have other options to junction things on the C drive. To "fix" your issue that you are seeing, move everything back to the proper VST3 folder location. I use TreeSize Free to hunt down things on the C drive, and while the VST3 folder meets my "over 4GB" criteria, that one is best left alone. A new one I found after updating Windows was the the Windows Hibernation File is created and maintained even if you have it disabled (and resets on updates). Here is a post I made about that last month if interested. I work with various multimedia, and that file when I noticed it was taking up 20% of my drive.

Amplitube will accept MIDI input, so you can either use a MIDI controller/stomp box to assign program numbers (for live usage, via MIDI learn), or use a MIDI track to feed Amplitube with the program changes you want (this won't work for playing live, but will do what you are asking in the OP). In Cakewalk, after loading Amplitube, create a new MIDI track and have it output to Amplitube (if it doesn't have that option, be sure Amplitube is set to accept MIDI input.... click on drop down at the top of the Amplitube VST window where is says "VST2" (or "VST3") and select "Enable MIDI Input").