XLN online installer - update available

[simon]

run the XLN online installer to update

wonder if there is a new product in the pipeline ?

[ZincT]

Thanks simon. 

After the update it said that my AD2 install needed repair so repaired it - it put those aax plugins I deleted the other day back ??

 

[jesse g]

1 hour ago, ZincT said:

After the update it said that my AD2 install needed repair so repaired it - it put those aax plugins I deleted the other day back ??

 

XLN  knew you deleted the AAX  install plugins from AD2,  so they repaired the mistake they thought you made ?

[balinas]

XLN insistence on the installation of these unnecessary 1’s and 0’s ( without me being given a choice upfront!) is just AAX backwards. I don’t apologize if this has already been said. I just have to relieve my self. 

[kitekrazy1]

Mine seems to be broken.  I get the circle happening for a long time. Closed it and fixed itself after opening it.

[TerraSin]

God I hope it's AD3. I mean, I can keep hoping but I'm starting to think they threw in the towel with drums.

[TheMaartian]

4 minutes ago, TerraSin said:

God I hope it's AD3. I mean, I can keep hoping but I'm starting to think they threw in the towel with drums.

And with keys.

[Brian Walton]

5 minutes ago, TerraSin said:

God I hope it's AD3. I mean, I can keep hoping but I'm starting to think they threw in the towel with drums.

no thanks.

I'd prefer AD2 to continue support instead of a money grab on a upgrade I don't need.

 

AD Still sounds just fine, and if you just need more grooves, there are plenty of other option on the market to add to it/map and translate to, etc.

[Feral State Sound]

31 minutes ago, Brian Walton said:

no thanks.

I'd prefer AD2 to continue support instead of a money grab on a upgrade I don't need.

 

AD Still sounds just fine, and if you just need more grooves, there are plenty of other option on the market to add to it/map and translate to, etc.

What upgrade? AFAIK the XLN player is free, there are no upgrades. 

[Brian Walton]

1 hour ago, Feral State Sound said:

What upgrade? AFAIK the XLN player is free, there are no upgrades. 

What I quoted was someone hoping for AD3....which undoubtely would be a paid upgrade, and AD2 would then inevitably no longer be supported.

[TerraSin]

Can't stay in the past. I'd like them to be better at competing with the current market rather than getting left behind in the dust like they have been. There needs to be more options in AD. I'd like more kit pieces per kit for one rather than having to setup two different instances. Sound and internal processing wise, it's not even on the same level as Superior Drummer any longer. It's certainly not bad but what's the point of not further developing? Not like they are doing much with it as it is.

[Brian Walton]

3 hours ago, TerraSin said:

Can't stay in the past. I'd like them to be better at competing with the current market rather than getting left behind in the dust like they have been. There needs to be more options in AD. I'd like more kit pieces per kit for one rather than having to setup two different instances. Sound and internal processing wise, it's not even on the same level as Superior Drummer any longer. It's certainly not bad but what's the point of not further developing? Not like they are doing much with it as it is.

They really don't need to.

More kits could be added to the existing AD2 engine, it has nothing to do with needing a different engine/version.  

My vintage guitars also still play and sound just as good as they used to.    Billboard hits have been made with AD2.  Sorry, I don't think we need something that "sounds better" getting quality sound out of the program is on the person sitting in the chair.    If top 40 hits with mega studios and budgets can use AD for a drum sound, I think we know where the bar is.  

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0qnxHbvferhyRDdOD4Loom

 

No, they are not my favorite kits (frankly Drum Core has that, and the samples they used are likely even older than AD2) , but this has more to do with the kits sampled than the actual sound.  AD 2 is capable of playing back drum recordings/samples.  Garbage in Garbage out.  As long as they put a good sounding recording into the AD2 interface it is good enough.  

SD3 is just absurd.    I don't need over 230 gigs of drum samples.  

 

I just Jamstix to run AD.  If I didn't have that my argument against all the programs is we need something that isn't just statically using midi files.  That is where the tech needs to head, not improved sound quality.  Take off all the effects in the program and use your own.  If you cant' get a usable sound out of that, the time to move to a different hobby/profession.  

 

My .02

[Brian Walton]

9 minutes ago, Brian Walton said:

They really don't need to.

More kits could be added to the existing AD2 engine, it has nothing to do with needing a different engine/version.  

My vintage guitars also still play and sound just as good as they used to.    Billboard hits have been made with AD2.  Sorry, I don't think we need something that "sounds better" getting quality sound out of the program is on the person sitting in the chair.    If top 40 hits with mega studios and budgets can use AD for a drum sound, I think we know where the bar is.  

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0qnxHbvferhyRDdOD4Loom

 

No, they are not my favorite kits (frankly Drum Core has that, and the samples they used are likely even older than AD2) , but this has more to do with the kits sampled than the actual sound.  AD 2 is capable of playing back drum recordings/samples.  Garbage in Garbage out.  As long as they put a good sounding recording into the AD2 interface it is good enough.  

SD3 is just absurd.    I don't need over 230 gigs of drum samples.  

 

I use Jamstix to run AD.  If I didn't have that my argument against all the programs is we need something that isn't just statically using midi files.  That is where the tech needs to head, not improved sound quality.  Take off all the effects in the program and use your own.  If you cant' get a usable sound out of that, the time to move to a different hobby/profession.  

 

My .02

 

[Lee D]

6 hours ago, Brian Walton said:

no thanks.

I'd prefer AD2 to continue support instead of a money grab on a upgrade I don't need.

 

AD Still sounds just fine, and if you just need more grooves, there are plenty of other option on the market to add to it/map and translate to, etc.

No way.  AD2 sucks for building drum tracks, the MIDI browsing and making variations.  I want them to make AD3 to address this.  Using other tools to make grooves defeats the purpose of having a drum instrument.

[Feral State Sound]

5 hours ago, Brian Walton said:

What I quoted was someone hoping for AD3....which undoubtely would be a paid upgrade, and AD2 would then inevitably no longer be supported.

Why would be a paid upgrade? They are still selling the AD1 kits using the AD2 engine. With AD3 for sure there will be more AD and groove packs but the engine is like Kontakt Player. That's because I like XLN, there are no absurd upgrade policies.

@TerraSin

If you like SD 3, just buy SD 3. AD 2 is a completely different product, easier and suitable for almost every hardware. You don't need a powerful computer but it is still a top notch virtual instrument. How can it be improved? The only things missing for me is a more flexible routing system (you can't route, for example... Kick In and Kick Out mics to different tracks as thery are blended) and a scalable interface.

I don't undestand the snobbery with music software. It seems that everything that you own will be crap in 4 years.

Edited April 21, 2020 by Feral State Sound

[Brian Walton]

2 hours ago, Feral State Sound said:

Why would be a paid upgrade? They are still selling the AD1 kits using the AD2 engine. With AD3 for sure there will be more AD and groove packs but the engine is like Kontakt Player. That's because I like XLN, there are no absurd upgrade policies.

@TerraSin

If you like SD 3, just buy SD 3. AD 2 is a completely different product, easier and suitable for almost every hardware. You don't need a powerful computer but it is still a top notch virtual instrument. How can it be improved? The only things missing for me is a more flexible routing system (you can't route, for example... Kick In and Kick Out mics to different tracks as thery are blended) and a scalable interface.

I don't undestand the snobbery with music software. It seems that everything that you own will be crap in 4 years.

I thinking they haven't had enough of these "new products" over the years to know how they will handle a new version.  If they don't charge for AD3 for AD2 users then great, I'm all for it.

I will say they do need an upgrade.  However, it relates to the authorization process which is horrific.  Every Windows update the program seems to think you just got a new computer it is the only program I have out of over 100 that seems to have this problem.  

 

 

[Brian Walton]

2 hours ago, Lee D said:

No way.  AD2 sucks for building drum tracks, the MIDI browsing and making variations.  I want them to make AD3 to address this.  Using other tools to make grooves defeats the purpose of having a drum instrument.

I wouldn't really know.  In my mind/experience everything other than Jamstix is effectivly static loops with some minor buttons to create variation.

Unless they are going to do a drastic overhaul in that department and create something world class and next level.  I don't see the value.  

Give the free JamStix version a test run (never used the free one myself), but once you hear what it does, I'm just not sure how you go back to accepting static midi files again.  The midi files AD or any other program/package offers would only be things I'd end up loading into JamStix to create a groove.  

 

And I disagree with your premise.  A drum VST can be used just like a dumb synth...you have to play it, mainipulate it, etc to create the sound you want.  A vst piano doesnt' play itself and if I can't play keyboards but still want to use it, there are tools like Sclaer or EZ Keys that can assist with the process.  Drum VST is no different.    Those MIDI loops it comes with are going to get used up and old real quick.  

I agree that MIDI files, Track Building, Groove Creation is in fact the weak part of the software, however - I'm not convinced a company like XLN is going to invest in the AI tech to bring that up to Jamstix level or beyond.  

[Lee D]

41 minutes ago, Brian Walton said:

I wouldn't really know.  In my mind/experience everything other than Jamstix is effectivly static loops with some minor buttons to create variation.

Unless they are going to do a drastic overhaul in that department and create something world class and next level.  I don't see the value.  

Give the free JamStix version a test run (never used the free one myself), but once you hear what it does, I'm just not sure how you go back to accepting static midi files again.  The midi files AD or any other program/package offers would only be things I'd end up loading into JamStix to create a groove.  

 

And I disagree with your premise.  A drum VST can be used just like a dumb synth...you have to play it, mainipulate it, etc to create the sound you want.  A vst piano doesnt' play itself and if I can't play keyboards but still want to use it, there are tools like Sclaer or EZ Keys that can assist with the process.  Drum VST is no different.    Those MIDI loops it comes with are going to get used up and old real quick.  

I agree that MIDI files, Track Building, Groove Creation is in fact the weak part of the software, however - I'm not convinced a company like XLN is going to invest in the AI tech to bring that up to Jamstix level or beyond.  

That's a fair argument.  Never tried Jamstix because I read that it's really difficult to use... Maybe I'll try it.  I do like the sound of AD2 although I'd like some more electronic or hybrid kits available for it as well.  

Still, I think AD3 will greatly improve the MIDI aspect.  I don't need an AI drummer necessarily but I would like much better way to create variations, different complexity levels, fills, etc.  Something more like Groove Agent or MDrummer in that aspect.

[Carlos]

Resizable window. I have been on 4k longer than a year now. Come on!

[Brian Walton]

8 hours ago, Lee D said:

That's a fair argument.  Never tried Jamstix because I read that it's really difficult to use... Maybe I'll try it.  I do like the sound of AD2 although I'd like some more electronic or hybrid kits available for it as well.  

Still, I think AD3 will greatly improve the MIDI aspect.  I don't need an AI drummer necessarily but I would like much better way to create variations, different complexity levels, fills, etc.  Something more like Groove Agent or MDrummer in that aspect.

Not going to lie, it is difficult to use if you have an exact drum idea in mind - and getting it to tame/match that does take some work and you may never get that result.  

If you are open to having a drummer that has a bit of a mind of its own, then the results can be very impressive.     

I literally used to just have the Jamstix brain installed (none of the samples) to drive other drum programs, it wasn't until I got Jamcussion - which requires you to install ALL samples to really use it properly that I loaded Jamstix's files on there.  The sounds are better than I expected generally speaking.    Would be nice to have an all in one solution, but realistically I don't want the "brain" tied down to a single application  . A translation/mapper is needed but having a program that can run another program in this area is quite useful and means I'm not tied to the drum kits or sounds of any one VST.  

The price of GA, MD, and Jamstix points to how valuable such tools are these days.    Jamstix runs periodic 50% off sales.