Simeon Amburgey

So I am going to experiment with 48k for a while and see how it goes and will follow up. Thanks again!

OK, So I know this is probably the most basic of questions but I really respect the opinions of this amazing group of musicians and creators. So as you know from my earlier post I found myself switching interfaces while out on the road. When I first started things up, the interface (Focusrite Scarlett 4i4) was 48k by default. I am wondering what the pros and cons are as far as performance in CPU and latency since in my current situation playing virtual instruments in a live setting. You would think after all of these years I would have figured it out by now but it never hurts to get new perspective. I can’t wait to try the 4i4 when I get back to my home setup. Thanks.

You have to set up an account on IK Multimedia's website as this is where you will download all of the application and sound resources. You also use IK's Authorization Manager as well to activate the plugin and sound library. CE is a great way to get some of the Philharmonik 2 sounds but IK Multimedia is running a special Summer Sale where you can get the full version for $149 which is a very good deal especially for all of the additional sample content (over 58 GB; CE has only 10GB) that is included (including sounds from the original Philharmonik). https://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/index.php?R=INIT&FV=miroslav-philharmonik-2-family-related-products&CV=Other Filter&PSEL=miroslavphilharmonik

So all went well with the Scarlett 4i4! I was very impressed with how it performed and its smaller form factor. Being BUS-POWERED and with the MIDI In/Out jacks in the rear panel was a plus. The PreSonus Studio 6|8 requires an external power supply as it uses their Class A preamps (which sound great by the way). The MIDI and digital in and out are on a breakout cable (using a 9 pin DIN connector) which adds extra overhead with setup. In this situation, the PreSonus seems better suited for use in a stationary environment with the 4i4 being a better choice for times I have to be mobile. It is the age-old principle of finding the right tool for the right application. I have included a couple of pics below to illustrate the form factor difference. My past experiences using PreSonus interfaces have been very positive. Their build quality is rock solid and their drivers continue to improve bringing additional performance boosts and stability. The Guitar Center did not have any PreSonus interfaces on hand or I might have looked at one of the smaller interfaces like the PreSonus Studio 24c as it looked like it would be appropriate for this particular situation. Thanks again for allowing me to share, with the hope it might help someone who could be faced with a similar situation.

I know the feeling. After my original SoundBlaster LIVE, I moved to an ECHO GINA interface which was amazing for me at the time. ECHO really seemed to have had it together and was so disappointed when they got out of the interface business. I also used their Firewire interface and was not able to continue using it because of Mac OS changes. One of the things I am looking forward to testing for sure when I get things going again is comparing the latency/performance of the 4i4 over the Studio 6|8. Presonus recently updated their Universal Control driver package and it seemed to give me a boost in how the Studio 6|8 performed. Stay tuned for updates as they develop.

Well, the road can throw you some curves and I am navigating through one at the moment. These unplanned adventures can go in so many ways so I am hoping this one results in a good outcome. I normally travel with my PreSonus Studio 6|8 which is a built like a tank interface. On a recent trip, however, it looks as if the Main Output control was bent somehow during handling. There have been some unusual audio problems I am not absolutely sure to trace back to the Studio 6|8 but could not take any chances so I had to find some type of backup plan. I had been very interested in the new 3rd Gen Scarlett series from Focusrite and the Guitar Center closest to where I am staying had them in stock. I needed at least 2 additional audio inputs and MIDI support and the 4i4 seemed to be right for the job. I have not had a chance to go to the venue to troubleshoot the Presonus but I can tell you already that I am VERY impressed with the 4i4! It is BUS Powered using a USB C connector to standard USB 2.0/3 adapter and has MIDI In and Out on the rear panel which is great. The form factor is a little over 1/3 the size of the Studio 6|8 which is great to pack it into my carry on and not worry about things getting mishandled. My road computer is a mid-2013 MacBook Pro (sorry ?)I mainly use it to run HALionSonic 3, Omnisphere and Kontakt 6. I can't wait to see how it works not only on the MacBook but also when I have it working with my Windows setup at home. I will definitely follow up with more of my experiences. Please let me know if any of you have worked with the Scarlett 3rd Gens as well; I would love to hear your feedback.

Well have not been able to do much the past few days but I am liking Gullfoss a lot. It seems to do something very subtle and you can definitely hear the difference and like I mentioned before having the iZotope Metering and Tonal Balance Control really gives you more confirmation of what it was doing. Also one of the really cool features of the iZotope products is that they can talk to each other so I can have the Tonal Balance Control pulled up and make adjustments to Ozone inside of and see the results right away. The understanding of the Gullfoss terminology is still a work in progress but trial and error have been very good teachers. When I get back to the studio I am going to try Audio Mastering System. I am also looking into the possibility of some of the other "auto" or "AI" EQs and Compressors so we shall see. Well, I would say as others have mentioned in the past that the room is very critical and plugins really can't do much to improve the physical aspects of your space. I would check to see what the biggest offenders are in causing it to sound bad and try to address those as it will drive you nuts trying to work around some of these things. I think that is one of my issues as well and looking for ways to address reflections, frequency nodes, etc. Which one; Philharmonik 2? Thanks so much for the input. It is an amazing journey; the joy of hearing something click is worth jumping through all of the learning curve's hoops, highs, and lows.

I only have experience with iZotope (Ozone 8 and Neutron 3), Hornet's 31 and Gullfoss. I am really liking Gullfoss as once you understand the paradigm it becomes easier to use. What has really helped me as well is iZotope's Tonal Balance Control as you can see how the frequency balance is working. 31 is a very interesting EQ as well and as with anything there is a personality and learning curve that helps you figure out the strengths and weaknesses and how best to use it in a particular project. I will have to check out the others you mention.

I have an interesting theory behind the concept of how it functions and if I am correct it would make total sense. So many have tried the “mixing by Pink Noise” approach and that is what I think is the principle behind Gullfoss. It was something I read on the website that was explaining the naming behind the EQ. So this would make total sense as the controls of Gullfoss are sort of referencing some sort of Pink Noise algorithm against the input signal and doing its magic. I have been using the trial version and it is indeed a very interesting plugin. I also have paired it with iZotope’s Tonal Balance Control and it is impressive to see (and hear) the results. p.s. Gullfoss has nothing to do with dental hygiene ?

It was an honor to participate in this. We often forget how fast time flies by and songs like these help us to not take for granted the simple moments that are so valuable. I look forward to working together again.

OK, I found a thread over on the deals section. I would still love to hear your feedback on this. *disclaimer: I promise I tried searching before posting this ?

I have been looking at this a little bit today, it looks very interesting. I would love to know if any of you are using it and what your experiences have been? Appreciate the help.

MODO Drum features an exciting new breakthrough; "virtual masking tape" for naming and organizing your tracks providing an unparalleled realistic mixing experience! ? I like it !!!

What an am seeing is that there are NO discs but a USB eLicenser and activation code in the boxed version. This seems unfortunate really as it would be nice to have a disc or drive option as the download is around 10 gb. So There would be no point in purchasing the boxed version unless you just wanted an additional eLicensor,

@Zo, they send you the code and you use the Steinberg Download Assistant to install them. There is box ? option for the FULL version of Cubase 10 and no mention of it being available on a drive.

Confirmed here in Cakewalk by BandLab (current version). * Draw 4 16th notes into a measure * Playback * Only 2 notes sound * As you mention this is not patch specific Steel Drums: I loaded most of the Steel Drums patches and all seemed to work as expected.

Steinberg just released Vibrant which is an amazing collection of vintage electric pianos along with an absolutely killer Clavinet! 4 beautifully sampled electric pianos 40 sound presets for different genres 12 GB compressed samples Works with nearly every DAW (AU, VST, AAX) HALionSonic se included i have spent just a short time playing through some of the presets and my first thought was “this is vintage gold”. The instruments have a warmth, depth and just the right amount of dirt to take me back to my high school days playing that suitcase Rhodes in Jazz Band, which was amazing. Intro pricing is $99 (regular price $129). Check out Vibrant here!

Just got an email from Steinberg announcing their release of Spectral Layers. Just reading briefly through the info but it looks like it will be an amazing release and to top it off Spectral Layers with be ARA2 compatible which really is exciting. Here is a link to the official product page. https://new.steinberg.net/spectralayers/

I picked up Thirty One yesterday and it is a very interesting EQ. I tried using it along with iZotope’s Tonal Balance plug-in.

Yep! Available in August but pre-orders are being taken now. https://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/mododrum/

Output has just released an amazing and fun Granular Synthesis Effects plugin. I have been playing with it a little bit today and have been really enjoying the amazing creative possibilities. PORTAL is available now from Output . More information can be found here: https://output.com/products/portal I have been experimenting with this and put a short video together just improvising and playing around a little; enjoy

I have been pondering attending GearFest this year and was wondering if any other forum members would be attending? A couple of the presentations look very good especially the ones featuring @Craig Anderton. It sounds like a very fun and interesting event. It would also be great to hear from those of you who have attended past Gear Fest to share your experiences. Thanks so much!

Thanks for the link! I had been using Neutron 2 advanced in a project I am currently working on and Neutron 3 will be interesting to see how things go.

Recently I was wanting to try NOIRE and one of the requirements was Kontakt 6. It did work in the free Kontak 6 player but at this sale price I can now upgrade Kontakt 5 to K6 for $49 which opens the door for future compatibility with new libraries.

I just downloaded and installed this and it seems they have addressed the issue. I noticed the version number was something like Musicbox v1.0.3. These are indeed very interesting instruments . Thanks Spitfire Audio!