mettelus

Few quick comments after fiddling a little more. While the CC tracks allow you highlight a note and insert a CC curve for that note's duration (nice feature), the curve is both independent of the note and universal. What I mean here is that if the note is moved/adjusted the CC information doesn't move with those edits (independent), and if two notes are played but only one should be bent, they both bend anyway (universal). Because of the "independent" aspect, getting timing down first is crucial before any CC information is added, so that time is not spent editing the CC info twice. Because of the "universal" aspect, bending a lower note to be in unison with an unbent note on the next higher string (I have always called these "blue bends" so not sure the real name) is not possible, at least that I can find(?). While AS4 still allows transfer from the Tab view to the Riffer, there is still no reverse option, and the only export option from the Riffer is as MIDI. Even with that said, the AS4 update carries a lot of nice new features/capabilities, with the majority of them in the Strum and Riffer areas.

I do not have the telecaster, so cannot speak to that directly. Hopefully someone who does have it can chime in. Overall, "most" of the new features are universal, and only a handful of them are dependent on "new samples" (very few actually). The reason I say this is the "Another Brick in the Wall (solo)" I zeroed in on once I found it... the "raking" fx only exists in the LP and Strat (so far, the ones with new samples)... if you open that Riff up in any other guitar, the raking and fx do not sound the same (the raking actually comes up as a "scratch" fx for other guitars). That said, there have been a LOT of additional presets/riffs in V4. Most riffs have an associated guitar preset (if you load a preset at the top, you get them both at once). As I do not own the telecaster, I cannot see presets, but most of the riffs have a preset associated with them, and the riff list for the telecaster is below so you can see what is there:

+1 to this. It not only makes working much more manageable, but also accommodates time signature changes. The Riffer still cannot accept time signature changes from the host, so any "snap to grid" functionality can cause a serious headache if you have time signature changes in a song and try to use Riffer for an entire track.

I just got to delve into AS4 for a couple hours, and been working in the stand-alone ("Rectangles") screen thus far. When the app is full screen, the only sub-tab that will fill it is the Riffer so a massive amount of effort went into the Riffer, and it is possibly even tailored to the stand-alone app(??). Even maxed, I am finding myself hiding the instrument panel (upper right) to get the most out of the work area. I have not delved into the manual one iota yet (not needed to), but the updates are rather nice. Side note: The Les Paul (AGLP) and Strat (AGSC) libraries were updated, and with just cycling through presets/riffs, the introduction of the raking effect became obvious when I happened upon the preset for the "Another Brick in the Wall (solo)" for the AGSC. Loading that full preset (at the top) is probably the best example of all of the new Riffer features (and new samples for AGSC). If in the PRV, you may need to scroll down to see the "FX" row at the bottom, but the use of the raking, up and down strokes in that are great examples of how to use them effectively. As I mentioned in another thread, it seems ALL of the riffs are loaded with any AS4 guitar, so the "Another Brick in the Wall (solo)" riff can be loaded (at the bottom of the Riffer) into whichever guitar you choose. It won't sound the same, but still the best example I've come across so far.

@Roy Slough, quick question for you. Which guitar and version are you running? I have had to do other computer upkeep and only loaded a couple updates (HellRazer and Vintage Cherry) thus far, but it seems that a single version 4 guitar update installs ALL the riffs for ALL guitars (defaults to C:\Users\[username]\Documents\Ample Sound\Riff4\Guitar4). The v4 Riffer will not load prior riffs (I checked that switching to the C:\Users\[username]\Documents\Ample Sound\Riffs\Guitar and v4 doesn't even recognize them), but the Riff files that get installed with a single v4 guitar update appear to be "everything."

Sort of reminds me of the VSTIs that have volume linked to the Mod wheel... since the A-PROs are all spring-loaded, as soon as you move the Mod wheel you better not let it go or the volume dives to nothing

I always send curt messages when on my phone, so sorry about that. Delving into AS4 is on my to do list for this weekend, so I have not downloaded the updates yet; but to Glenn's point, even the "rudimentary" ones you have may be a better start. The reason I say this is that building a riff from scratch would be the best way to learn the ins/outs of the workflow rather than trying to manipulate something pre-existing (both have their pros and cons). It was mentioned in the Deals thread that Riffer got beefed up so much that it has its own manual now, so I looked that up (seems this is a work-in-progress as some sections only have headers). As for me, my plan is to tear into Riffer "from scratch" since things that existed prior may no longer be applicable. This way I will be able to catch the changes as well as the new capabilities. Regarding the gpx files (or gp3/4 depending on version), those are made with Guitar Pro, which has a lot of detail capabilities, but is not the most intuitive in some respects to a new user. Some workflow aspects still bother me with GP, so another thing I am seeking this weekend is the workflow speed between the two and if files can be transferred back and forth between them (I am not sure if that functionality has been added though - you could always import them to the Tab page as you mentioned, but not the Riffer). As Riffer got a lot of attention with AS4, I would assume this is coming at some point if it doesn't exist yet, especially since you can do something like 264 bars in Riffer now, which is enough duration to do an entire guitar track for a song.

Ample Sound has also put a lot of effort into being able to import Guitar Pro files over the years, so sites that have .gp3, .gp4, gpx files (often entire songs) are another potential source. For multi-track files, you can import them and select the track you want to work with.

In the Tack View itself, the View->Navigator Show/Hide. ALT-N was the default keybinding.

Yay, the String Visualization Mode arrives for the guitars! I won't be able to delve into the new features until the weekend, but looking forward to testing this out.

Another consideration is the amount of "live video" you are proposing may quickly become a resource/bandwidth issue on either end, depending on the resolution of that feed. Audio unto itself is much simpler and less constraining, but when you start including video you can easily start getting into issues in both areas. As Glenn mentioned, it is worth trying out to see how it suits you, but don't set expectations too high and be prepared to dumb down the video resolution if necessary. Any "remote control" aspect adds another layer of resources that may be prohibitive.

In Preferences->Customization->Display there is a setting to choose "Base Octave for Pitches" This link has more detail, but for that specifically reads, "Base Octave for Pitches. There is no industry standard for numbering octaves. By default, Sonar calls MIDI note 0 (the lowest possible note) C0. The Yamaha FB-01, for example, shows MIDI note 0 as C-2 (C negative 2). To match Sonar to that standard, set Base Octave to –2." Based on your description, you want the -2 (octaves) option. That adjusts the octave up/down based on what you are seeing in operation. Quick Edit: Jonesey posted a nice screenshot of what you are seeking in this thread.

Anyone know if he has been active elsewhere? What concerned me most with him leaving was the last post I remember included a comment about the intolerable heat in TX. I hope he is doing well.

Is O9A still the last version that has a stand-alone app? After realizing that was gone when I got version 10, Ozone fell off the radar for me. If I get into any "major surgery" on something, I definitely prefer stand-alone, but even then SpectraLayers has taken over that slot just because I like the tools and layout better (I stopped upgrading with that at 9 too, it seems, and that is up to version 12 now as well!). Inside the DAW, Ozone is still preferred for mastering work (not sure what's been added TBH), but the surgery part fell to the wayside.

@bitflipper also made a utility that does an Excel export of the installed VST(i)s from your machine's registry (last updated in 2016). Scroll down to "VSTInventory" on this page (from the old forums). The download link is still good, I just checked it. DON'T post that offload though, IIRC it also pulls serial numbers when available (which makes it even more handy to have).

The HELIX Floor is back down to its initial release price ($1299) with 75% off HELIX Native thrown in (under "Special Offers" about 2/3 down this page). That unit's cost oscillates but drops to $1299 off and on; but the HELIX Native offer can vary wildly from none to free. That is the last hardware I purchased, and was years ago already. I have not been too excited for hardware since, as that regularly gets updated with new amps/cabs/FX/patches and the communication with Native makes knob turning/settings tweaking on the unit N/A (I got sick of that over the years).

Another quick thing to check is that Input Echo (speaker icon) is enabled on the track if not actually recording. If track routing and phantom power are on, Input Echo may also be tripping you up.

That ASIO driver has been problematic since its inception. Another thing to check is the Sound Control Panel on the system and disable everything you do not actually want or use. Even if installed, apps cannot see those devices when they are disabled (NVIDIA, Realtek Digital Output, and Display (LCD monitor) speakers are all disabled on my machine). Only the Realtek Audio (for playback) is enabled, and all recording options are disabled (with no Audio Interfaces plugged in). Side note for the above... even if "Speakers" (Realtek Audio) is the default, assign something else and manually set "Speakers" as default again. What this does is forces Windows to use the Realtek when an app starts and plugging in an Audio Interface won't risk a background app locking it on you (this issue has been posted numerous times over the years). Windows will flip-flop back and forth on the "default" device if that is not manually set by the user. By setting it manually, when you open a DAW, the audio interface will not be in use (locked) and you can go about things without issues.

Have you tried using another browser? Also, if you click on the missing ones do they show up in the text field? It seems more like your browser is not refreshing the emoji window, but not sure the "why" to it.

+1 to the mobile phone/tablet idea, especially when "Please remember that the idea behind this is to get my ideas down wherever I am on our property (or just to practice) and not to mix or record entire songs." is on the table. Some ideas come and go in under a minute, so the least complex, quickest, and usable solution is the best. Lugging around things will get old fairly quickly, especially with needing to set it all up just to use them. If you want to capture things on the fly, a cell/tablet is the most convenient, and there are plenty of apps out there to choose from. Side comment specific to the above: For sketching ideas, even a single track is often useful... you can hum/sing/beatbox things, transfer those to a DAW when you are back at one, and embellish them rather quickly with creative use of filters and audio-to-MIDI conversion (if driving a VSTi). Also, depending how far away you are straying, wireless systems have come a long way (and you can remote control a DAW if within range). I use an XVIVE U2 for playing outside and it is pretty reliable up to about 50' or so.

Glad to hear! Using your interface and a DAW is perfect for setting PUPs up properly. I typically have the PUP pretty close to the high E string so using the same picking pressure you can see where that reads (DAW meters have better resolution) and pluck the low E and adjust the low end of the PUP down till it is "relatively" close to the same value (it will always have more power because low frequencies do that, but you don't want them "wildly" different).

Be careful with lumping "humbuckers" into one bin. They are not all created equal and string type, gauge, and proximity to the magnet(s) all contribute to their output. Mine "will" use the INST input at about the 9 o'clock position (just off "zero"), but that gives very little play with the input gain before hitting extremes. Again, using the LINE input if your pickups run hot (some "57" PUPs have far higher output than the originals) isn't a bad thing, and if you are truly running MIC/INST inputs that are weak (some dynamic mics fall into this category), you will want that sensitivity for when you need it. As I mentioned before, if you are seeing this only on your E/A strings, you are probably running heavy gauge strings and have the pickup too close to them. That can also cause harmonics on those strings to override higher strings, which is why shifting to LINE input and tweaking pickup height (so the hi/low Es are "close") is a better start. If you need to use LINE inputs to accommodate your guitar that is not a bad thing, as long as it picks up single notes and folks chords equally well for mixing purposes.

A couple quick things with this. First, lower frequencies have higher power, so recessing the top end of the pickup is a good way to equalize the power distribution for all of the strings. Using an AI/DAW combo works great for this, since you can check levels real-time while tweaking. You really want the cleanest output possible and distribution across the strings as even as possible. Second, like you, I have an older Saffire that is easily overdriven on INST settings with my main guitar (too sensitive and far too little wiggle room to work with... can even hear it on zero gain), so I actually use the LINE setting when recording that guitar (the gain needs to be at roughly the 3 o'clock position in LINE mode). That gives much better control of the input gain, and zeroing the gain actually mutes the guitar. I would start by shifting to LINE mode first and see how that works, then while at it tweak the pickup height to even out the power across the strings (my pickups have a visual tilt to them because of that tweaking).

I wouldn't recommend something physical for ear wax removal due to the risk of rupturing the drum. They also sell liquid kits. Debrox uses carbamide peroxide, but hydrogen peroxide works just as well (although the spray bulb from a kit is useful for rinsing). H2O2 actually dissolves the outer wax layer (can hear it fizz), so if there is a physical plug in your ear it will come out in one lump. It is also a good way to monitor buildup (no fizzle, no wax), but not something to daily or even monthly (depends on the individual). As that really falls in the medical realm, it is worth asking your doctor about. Physical instruments make me cringe, and I have not seen one designed yet that would remove a plug against the drum without risk. Just be cautious with products out there

Correct. I am not sure why they chose "notch" to describe it since notch has a specific meaning to anyone that uses EQs. Here is a brief article on it and success rates for a few studies that have been done. Quick edit: Just realized there are various methods that employ this same term, and some are, in fact, "notched." There seems to be no definite answer to which works best for whom, so tailoring to what works for you specifically is always best.