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cclarry

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    My New Antelope Audio Zen Q Interface!

    in Deals

    Posted

    I'll try to keep this brief!

    Most novices hate these interfaces because their usage is not "simple", but require
    some work and proficiency to get up and running, but IMO it's well worth the effort!

    I recently came across an Antelope Audio Zen Tour for $419.  It lists for over $2,000!
    It is a high end, 8 input, A-DAT, SPDIF expandable unit.
    I bought it...and when it came it had no power cord, so I had to order a power cord for
    it which cost $53.  I complained to Guitar Center that the description of the product
    didn't say that it didn't have a power cord, so because I had to order one they gave me
    another 10% off to compensate for it.  Once I got the PC it worked fine and I even got all the plugins
    when I registered it, but I found out that the Zen Tour doesn't support their proprietary
    AFX2DAW plugin over USB2, which allows you to use the hardware DSP resident plugins (they reside
    in the interface) within your DAW.  After further research I discovered that AFX2DAW is
    only supported by Thunderbolt or by USB-C.  The Zen Tour was both Thunderbolt 
    and USB2, but I don't have Thunderbolt, so it was pointless to keep it and I returned it, as not being able to use the plugins
    in my DAW would defeat the purpose.  I could track with them, but not mix with them!
    (mind you that just an 8 input interface of this quality would cost you even more, even without
    DSP!)

    So I found a Zen Q USB-C ( 1 step down from the Tour) for $200 (4 inputs 2 Neutrik and 2 Hi-Z) and bought that (normally $899 in store and $1000 list).
    That arrived and it was in the original box, and like new, and everything was fine, but the software that came with
    it wasn't paired to the interface so I couldn't use the plugins.  I tried everything that I could think of, but finally relented and 
    emailed support.  Within 24 hrs they had responded and had all the software that came with
    the interface paired, and even gave me the current promo software on top (except Bitwig Essentials).
    It was supposed to come with 37 Effects, but I ended up with over 90!

    The AFX2DAW is a SEPERATE piece of software that costs $199, and  I had found a coupon to
    get 10% off of that making it $180, but when I scrolled farther down on the AFX2DAW page
    there was an offer to get it and 5 plugins for $189!  10% off of that made it $170, so I was able
    to dwindle the price down a bit more! Once that was installed I was now able to use the plugins
    within the DAW of my choosing!  How it works is that AFX2DAW is a VST3 - AAX plugin that 
    you insert in the FX rack.  When you open that it allows you to chain up to 8 AFX (think VMR,
    Mixbox, Soundtoys FX rack, etc...).  I'm still in the learning stage but I have to say that I can certainly
    see why these interfaces are priced so high!  WOW!  These things are OUTSTANDING!
    While it is quite the curve to wrap your head around it and get up and running, I haven't heard any plugins that
    come close to these  You can even use the plugins as a "Hardware Insert" by routing!

    The Pre-amps have Class-leading, Studio Quality, AD/DA conversion with up to 127dB of headroom,
    Recording, mixing and playback at up to 24-bit/192kHz and near zero (imperceptible) latency!
    And the Zen Q doesn't require a power cord!  I'm ECSTATIC for what I paid!
    https://en.antelopeaudio.com/products/zen-q-synergy-core-key-features/

    Screenshot 2024-06-14 201539.png

    • Like 8

    SynthMaster 2 & Player updated to v2.9.17 with new presets, preset previews, AAX Apple Silicon and critical bug fixes

    in Deals

    Posted

    After a long while, we are glad to announce a new update for SynthMaster 2 and SynthMaster 2 Player. Our registered users can download this update inside SynthMaster 2 / SynthMaster 2 Player by checking for updates, or from the user area page on our website:

    We have some new features in this update:

    1. Added preview preset feature for presets that have audio previews in ogg format

    2. Added native Apple Silicon support on MacOS for SynthMaster 2 / SynthMaster 2 Player AAX version
    3. SynthMaster 2 now uses user email/serial from SynthMaster One / SynthMaster Player / SynthMaster 3 license key files if those products are already installed
    4. Added side-chain (audio) input for the VST3 version of SynthMaster 2 / SynthMaster 2 Player
    5. Added 50 new factory presets by Xenos Soundworks
    6. Added VST3 folder select dialog for Windows setup

    One of these new features is the ability to preview preset audio demos in real-time. In our previous releases we added support for Native Kontrol Standard (NKS), and we prepared audio previews for existing presets in ogg format. If a preset has audio preview, you will see a play icon next to the preset name, and when you move mouse over the play icon, the preset preview will start playing:

    SynthMaster 3 Beta updated with integrated tutorial videos!

    After so many years of hard work, we released SynthMaster 3 Beta at the beginning of May with 350 new factory presets and a demo version. We have more factory presets in the pipeline and hoping to reach 1000 factory presets by the end of the year!

    We also released 5.5 hours of in-depth tutorial videos on our YouTube channel for SynthMaster 3

    https://www.synthmaster.com/userarea.aspx

    • Like 1
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