mettelus

Alas, no, but Schwartz is okay.

It is possible it has been nabbed by another app on your computer (or ASIO is locked to another device), did you try shifting CbB into another driver mode and back?

I am glad you got it working. Depending on things you did before the Gibson era, your legacy account might have a bit in it. Many of those installers are offline, so is worth copying/pasting the SN/reg codes from your account into a document for safe keeping (I went so far as to download all of the installers just in case).

IIRC, that was simply a SN/Registration Code (offline) initially, but was converted to work with the Cakewalk Command Center (I just checked this and the certificate has expired on the site, but it is still there). If you downloaded/installed from the CCC, that is also what should activate it, but you can also download the offline version from your legacy Cakewalk account.

A friend of mine an I were screwing around years ago with "Godzilla" and suddenly he stopped and asked, "How are you doing that?" Of course I was confused and he specifically pointed out the vibrato. I have put bass frets in everything I have redone and tend to use my ring finger a lot to squeeze and bend while leaving my index stationary. I never thought about it at all till he mentioned it, and it sort of made me self-conscious at first. Taller frets will give vibrato from pressure alone, but he has a couple PRS McCarty's and would never consider modifying them at all (I don't blame him), so I just winked and told him, "Welp, it sucks to be you then 😀"

+1 to this... I mentioned this in my first post (custom GUI and not cheap), but it is definitely worth trying out. The "demo mode" had an obnoxious phrase in it when it first came out, but they changed that to simple noise. The presets/FX in that are nicely done too, but one reason why I grab that one most often is the guitar itself can be tweaked in more detail than others. It was $249 when first released (now $199), but goes on sale for down to $139 at different sites. IIRC, the demo doesn't have a time limit on it, just the noise added. They went into a lot of detail on the performance, so is worth trying out (be sure to also refer to the manual, as the MIDI map on that has some nuances also built into it (harmonics, a realistic "stop," an such)). If you get into that one, you definitely want to take the time to make an articulation map for it.

I think you are right that it was Iron 1 (Focusrite freebie from way back when).

I assumed this was the case when I saw the list... which reminded me... I also forgot to mention above that the "Analyze" functions can be used on files on disc. This is also a reason the song list is so extensive, since it can just chum through a file for the overall output. In some ways this plugin comes across as a leaner variant of iZotope's Tonal Balance Control (on the mastering side of things).

Quick side comment on VSTis (in general)... bear in mind that some go on sale with pretty steep discounts. Both Iron 2 and Carbon were given away at some point years ago. Just keep that in mind when looking at VSTis.. many have sales early summer and BF so unless you need something "right now" it may be best to monitor them.

Might need to step back for a second to be sure basics get covered here. Sans additional pedals, an amp alone will typically have 5 control knobs on it (Gain, Bass, Mids, Treble, and (often) Presence) and that is pretty much it. Of course the guitar, pickups, specific amp, and performance (e.g., palm muting deadens the harmonic high end at the bridge) play a massive part in the tone, but the amp itself is where a lot of the basic tone resides (which can also be pre-staged on the guitar with volume/tone there). For the amp itself, those 5 knobs are what to learn intimately to best tone match a given song (some guitarists only have a guitar and amp available, so varying those controls (only) needs to cover the basics across the board, i.e., what do I adjust to shift from metal to jazz?). Metallica (and a lot of other metal guitarists) tend to run high Gain, Bass, Treble (6-8ish) and low (scooped) Mids (3-4ish)... palm muting knocks the treble down when chugging. You can Google amp settings for a lot of popular songs and get ballpark numbers to start with. The reason I mention this is that the above is not as dependent on the VSTi as it is on the FX chain/settings (IIRC, TH2 had a free Artist Pack with Enter Sandman as one of the presets). As you have Guitar Rig, you might be better to focus there and use a dry VSTi to tweak a simple amp/cab combination in Guitar Rig to set up tones you are seeking.

I will say there is a plethora of EQ profiles for this guy (a literal truckload of songs over various genres)! Most are for master targets only though (only track targets are guitar focused), but it does make EQ Matching a lightweight task (it automatically adjusts the "Analyze this" to match "Analyze ideal" (or preset), and allows you to copy/paste/save between those two columns).

Another quick comment with this guy... computers default to "Automatic Network Discovery" being enabled when loaded, so check networking options and shut that off for both Private and Public Networks. What that does is ping to find new networks like every 3-4 seconds and is a high priority task. Even from a simple security standpoint, you don't want your computer trying to reach out and connect to everything it can find on its own (always manually connect devices). That particular setting has historically been the highest latency culprit over the years.

Roger that. I have never quite melded with Kontakt, but it has the advantage that the GUI isn't dramatically different between instruments with core functionality. Definitely kick the tires (demo) different libraries and see which GUI/sample set work best for you (the re-amping aspect will remove the embedded FX from that comparison). Things with proprietary GUIs (Three Body Tech, Ample Sound, and the like) have a disadvantage of a learning curve, but the advantage at times that more keyswitches are exposed. Keep "articulation maps" in mind as you progress... setting them up can be a bit of a hassle; but once done, they will make life a lot easier for composition once you settle into your preferred work flow. For your situation, you could also fiddle with re-amping a free guitar VSTi (dry output) with Guitar Rig (focusing on workflow and tone), then back fill that VSTi library with one that you meld with later on so that you can take your time evaluating which VSTi you like best.

A couple quick comments on this: If samples were recorded properly and are incorporated into the VSTi properly, the age is irrelevant. Internal FX can be the undoing of some VSTis as many try to incorporate the "whole shebang" into the VSTi. Some are lackluster/limited with this and do not include goodies like IR capability. As long as the samples are pristine, you can offset this limitation by bypassing all FX in the VSTi (dry output only) and re-amp that through a guitar VST that you prefer (THU, Guitar Rig, HELIX Native, whatever). If the tone of ones you have tried do not fit the bill, try that route out with them. Metal specifically has a lot of low end focus many times, so the 8-string Shreddage 3 Hydra would be worth trying the re-amping with (I am not familiar with it, but some VSTis have a lot of hoopla involved in shutting off all the internal FX and running dry). The workflow internal to the VSTi (and sample quality) are what I would focus on more. Personally I use Three Body Tech's Heavier 7 Strings (straight-up since the guitar has amazing tweaks internally) or AmpleSound's Hellrazer (re-amped, but that one is also a little more finicky (con) even though it has 9 strings (pro)), but that is not to say they either are best in any way, just personal preference.

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.