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Post by mrholmes on Mar 29, 2021 11:49:15 GMT -6
I have never used an amp sim. I suppose I could be persuadeed if shown one could give me more than the actual amp choices I have here. I tend to track bands a lot, and capturing performances is my approach. I guess an amp sim could facilitate that. I like (real) tubes, though. All those amp sims sure do clutter up my plugin selection menu. I should work on hiding (again) all those UAD plugins I don't own/use. Overloud THU Rig Player Profiles are a nice addition if you track a Signal in parallel another fun game would be to give a player the THU signal on the cans instead his real Amp my guesswork is no on us going to notice that he is not playing the real amp. I did not touch my real Amps since THU ... a bit pre compression hells to make the play feeling over real.... Sometimes they cut 50% of the Wup. Bu I didn’t bite either and own a dead waves bundle....
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Post by svart on Mar 29, 2021 12:12:03 GMT -6
Can't say I've regretted anything I've purchased. I've used all the ones I've bought on one thing or another and have simply found other plugs that might work better on some things. I don't think there's any that just plain sucked or anything like that.
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Post by drbill on Mar 29, 2021 12:19:34 GMT -6
Of all the plugs I've bought in the last 5-8 years, there are very few that have become lifesavers and "must have's". Most end up in the rarely used unless I'm bored and want to experiment category. There are a few that get constant use, but unfortunately, most of the R&D seems to go into the GUI vs. the sonics.
There always seems to be the "instant love" thing that quickly falls into the "see ya later", not really doing it for me thing.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 29, 2021 13:22:23 GMT -6
Of all the plugs I've bought in the last 5-8 years, there are very few that have become lifesavers and "must have's". Most end up in the rarely used unless I'm bored and want to experiment category. There are a few that get constant use, but unfortunately, most of the R&D seems to go into the GUI vs. the sonics. There always seems to be the "instant love" thing that quickly falls into the "see ya later", not really doing it for me thing. Outside of the Tokyo Dawn + De-Edger bundle, PSP, and Fuse, I use pretty much only one or two plugins from every brand, eg U-he Satin and Colour Copy, Klanghelm SDRR2, PA Neold and SPL dereverber. Lots of them have plugs I never ever use that are more toys than tools. All I really want is the Oxford bundle and for Fuse to do a plexi because his tweed plug was good. Maybe the MDWEQ6 if I ever get my demo license in. I really like the Tokyo Dawn and Sound Radix approach of just making tools and not toys, not focusing on analog modeling and licensing. PSP makes some of the best plugs and has some of the most offputting GUIs to the eyes over the ears people.
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Post by gravesnumber9 on Mar 29, 2021 15:16:26 GMT -6
For those suffering with Ocean Way, I feel that. It was very expensive and for a long time, I never used it. But I have heard tracks from a friend who uses the re-mic features, and I actually thought he went to proper high end studio. The thing is, I went to great lengths to get the mics I have, I sure don't want to switch them out. But, that said, I now use the Ocean Way reverb on bus 1 for every track. If you carefully dial it in so the reverb isn't obvious but you hear the room, it warms up the tracks in a good way, EQ-ing the low end out a little. I then vary the amount of it on certain instruments, like a little more on drums, and it helps with the drums sounding like they're a little further back in the soundstage. Agree that OW can be very useful at times but, requires some significant arm wrestling / tweaking with it to get it to sit right. It's a narrow sweat spot between too much / unappreciable. I found a setting that sounded good and have basically made that my "room sound" for my studio. I make minor tweaks to the EQ curve but not much. I track pretty dry (home studio) so I use a little bit on most everything and a lot on a few things (percussion, sampled drums if I use them). It took a while to find something that translated so I'm afraid to touch the settings!
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Post by Ned Ward on Mar 29, 2021 15:36:37 GMT -6
Have to add to the list, eMagic's Logic...
I had been using Opcode's Studio Vision Pro from 93 until OS X when Gibson bought it and mothballed it (much like all their other acquisitions), and needed a new sequencer. Went to the Hollywood GC and asked and was told Logic was the closest to Vision... stupidly bought it and it never worked... this was back when it was still eMagic. Looking back, I am scratching my head why I didn't upgrade my existing copy of MOTU's Performer, which I had used from 86-93... But the money spent on Logic was definitely money down the drain.
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Post by Ned Ward on Mar 29, 2021 15:42:30 GMT -6
I have never used an amp sim. I suppose I could be persuadeed if shown one could give me more than the actual amp choices I have here. I tend to track bands a lot, and capturing performances is my approach. I guess an amp sim could facilitate that. I like (real) tubes, though. All those amp sims sure do clutter up my plugin selection menu. I should work on hiding (again) all those UAD plugins I don't own/use. Just looked at your gear list and I'm wiping the drool off my keyboard. Amp sims could be good for when someone wants a high gain amp sound that you don't have - thinking Mesa, soldano, etc. And since I've never played through them, I end up taking the time to tweak the patches to sound good for the track vs. worrying what a real 50 watt Plexi sounds like...
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Post by jpanderson80 on Mar 29, 2021 15:47:02 GMT -6
Of all the plugs I've bought in the last 5-8 years, there are very few that have become lifesavers and "must have's". Most end up in the rarely used unless I'm bored and want to experiment category. There are a few that get constant use, but unfortunately, most of the R&D seems to go into the GUI vs. the sonics. There always seems to be the "instant love" thing that quickly falls into the "see ya later", not really doing it for me thing. Outside of the Tokyo Dawn + De-Edger bundle, PSP, and Fuse, I use pretty much only one or two plugins from every brand, eg U-he Satin and Colour Copy, Klanghelm SDRR2, PA Neold and SPL dereverber. Lots of them have plugs I never ever use that are more toys than tools. All I really want is the Oxford bundle and for Fuse to do a plexi because his tweed plug was good. Maybe the MDWEQ6 if I ever get my demo license in. I really like the Tokyo Dawn and Sound Radix approach of just making tools and not toys, not focusing on analog modeling and licensing. PSP makes some of the best plugs and has some of the most offputting GUIs to the eyes over the ears people. Big fan of TDR here too. I want them to work on a dedicated saturation plugin, but idk if it will happen. Vlad and Fabien's dedication to doing things "right" ITB is amazing. PSP... A while back I did a blind test for ITB compressors and the PSP OldTimerME won for me. That thing has something special. Or at least it did on my test track. REGRETS: Waves WUP, Sknote Disto... I just never use it enough - even in mixing work.
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Post by srb on Mar 29, 2021 17:24:01 GMT -6
I have never used an amp sim. I suppose I could be persuadeed if shown one could give me more than the actual amp choices I have here. I tend to track bands a lot, and capturing performances is my approach. I guess an amp sim could facilitate that. I like (real) tubes, though. All those amp sims sure do clutter up my plugin selection menu. I should work on hiding (again) all those UAD plugins I don't own/use. Just looked at your gear list and I'm wiping the drool off my keyboard. Amp sims could be good for when someone wants a high gain amp sound that you don't have - thinking Mesa, soldano, etc. And since I've never played through them, I end up taking the time to tweak the patches to sound good for the track vs. worrying what a real 50 watt Plexi sounds like... ****************** Ha...thanks, Ned! It's true I'm a little light on true high gain amps here. I figure I can get real close (and have) with proper pedal selection in front of a Dr Z or a Vox. I'm a gutarist...and an old school one at that; which means, I don't own any guitar amps that are not tube. Not one. I never have. Until I bought a Dr Z amp about 10 years ago, I didn't have an amp made after 1967. Before that it was 1973 (I should probably list that JTM 45 head I once owned...as a high school student...in the 'regrets' thread). I think my never having been a big fan of the high gain sound has something to do with not owning a pure high gain machine. As we say here in the mountains, I'm a bit "quare" about some things: I'll use a plugin that models other kinds of equipment (including tube gear), but I won't use an amp sim! Let's not talk about modeling amps.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 29, 2021 19:16:05 GMT -6
Outside of the Tokyo Dawn + De-Edger bundle, PSP, and Fuse, I use pretty much only one or two plugins from every brand, eg U-he Satin and Colour Copy, Klanghelm SDRR2, PA Neold and SPL dereverber. Lots of them have plugs I never ever use that are more toys than tools. All I really want is the Oxford bundle and for Fuse to do a plexi because his tweed plug was good. Maybe the MDWEQ6 if I ever get my demo license in. I really like the Tokyo Dawn and Sound Radix approach of just making tools and not toys, not focusing on analog modeling and licensing. PSP makes some of the best plugs and has some of the most offputting GUIs to the eyes over the ears people. Big fan of TDR here too. I want them to work on a dedicated saturation plugin, but idk if it will happen. Vlad and Fabien's dedication to doing things "right" ITB is amazing. PSP... A while back I did a blind test for ITB compressors and the PSP OldTimerME won for me. That thing has something special. Or at least it did on my test track. REGRETS: Waves WUP, Sknote Disto... I just never use it enough - even in mixing work. Molot GE hasn’t been getting the hype it deserves. The same with the original. On insane, it’s one of the best digital compressors ever. It’s the original scaled up to 1000 and totally functional with ideas from everything from the 1176 to Waves Renaissance Compressor. People just don’t want to learn to use it. It makes other plugins sound awful, especially if you use a high shelf after it. Oldtimer is great. I just think the ME has finally been surpassed for mastering by the Neold V76U73. It works really well. The only recent waves plugs I liked were the needle ballistics in the vu meter and the rs124 but Oldtimer does that and more.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 29, 2021 19:21:08 GMT -6
Worse ever thing I regret spending any time with: The Softube Kerry King Marshall. It’s the worst amp sim ever to the point that I would rather have spent another 100 bucks on a cool toy plugin I used on one mix than the 45 minutes of my life wasted demoing this irredeemable piece of shit. It’s worse than Simulanalog, Waves Guitar, and what’s built into Logic, Cubase, and Reaper.
and Simulanalog is 100% beeswarm and razor wire sear. Waves GTR is so lofi it sounds like a Sega Genesis game. The Softube Kerry King Signature is worse. It’s irredeemable.
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Post by the other mark williams on Mar 29, 2021 19:52:35 GMT -6
Of all the plugs I've bought in the last 5-8 years, there are very few that have become lifesavers and "must have's". Most end up in the rarely used unless I'm bored and want to experiment category. There are a few that get constant use, but unfortunately, most of the R&D seems to go into the GUI vs. the sonics. There always seems to be the "instant love" thing that quickly falls into the "see ya later", not really doing it for me thing. Outside of the Tokyo Dawn + De-Edger bundle, PSP, and Fuse, I use pretty much only one or two plugins from every brand, eg U-he Satin and Colour Copy, Klanghelm SDRR2, PA Neold and SPL dereverber. Lots of them have plugs I never ever use that are more toys than tools. All I really want is the Oxford bundle and for Fuse to do a plexi because his tweed plug was good. Maybe the MDWEQ6 if I ever get my demo license in. I really like the Tokyo Dawn and Sound Radix approach of just making tools and not toys, not focusing on analog modeling and licensing. PSP makes some of the best plugs and has some of the most offputting GUIs to the eyes over the ears people. Dan, have you compared De-Edger to DSEQ? I’ve heard of a few people say they like DSEQ better than Soothe, but I haven’t tried it OR De-Edger. I wasn’t that excited by Soothe (2). Somehow I expected more.
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Post by stormymondays on Mar 30, 2021 6:02:05 GMT -6
Only a few regrets. $29 Waves (of course): Abbey Road TG Mastering Chain. Way too complicated, the GUI is too small, I doubt I'll ever use it. I almost regretted the CLA-3A but it turned out to be useful for a session with voiceovers.
A few Plugin Alliance too: Elysia mpressor and nvelope. I'm on the fence about SPL Iron but I think it's worth learning it, some people here love it and that's a very good sign!
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Post by cowboycoalminer on Mar 30, 2021 7:56:19 GMT -6
Let's try something different. I'm sure that most of us have been there. Flash sale pops up. Smoking deal on a plugin that you've been thinking about testing out. You're under the gun and just pull the trigger without a demo. Now you're stuck with it and it just doesn't get your mojo flowing. I'm not saying that these are bad plugins. Not bad emulations. Or buggy. They just don't seem to work for what you're doing, whatever that is. Every once in a while, you'll go back and try it again on something and again, you end up pulling it back off. Other people may gush over it, but it's just not for you. Boz Digital Plus 10db Bundle. The compressor action never seems to work the way I want. The eq doesn't do anything special for me. It's just not a plugin for me. Sound Toys Decapitator - EVERYONE has been gushing over this thing for years. I love the Soundtoys stuff and use it all over my mixes, but Decap is always a struggle for me. I'm just never really satisfied with what it does. Decap is great on bass. Some heavy guitars. Not much else in my opinion. To your original post, Black Rooster. Never could get them to work. At all lol
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Post by Deleted on Mar 30, 2021 8:02:47 GMT -6
Outside of the Tokyo Dawn + De-Edger bundle, PSP, and Fuse, I use pretty much only one or two plugins from every brand, eg U-he Satin and Colour Copy, Klanghelm SDRR2, PA Neold and SPL dereverber. Lots of them have plugs I never ever use that are more toys than tools. All I really want is the Oxford bundle and for Fuse to do a plexi because his tweed plug was good. Maybe the MDWEQ6 if I ever get my demo license in. I really like the Tokyo Dawn and Sound Radix approach of just making tools and not toys, not focusing on analog modeling and licensing. PSP makes some of the best plugs and has some of the most offputting GUIs to the eyes over the ears people. Dan, have you compared De-Edger to DSEQ? I’ve heard of a few people say they like DSEQ better than Soothe, but I haven’t tried it OR De-Edger. I wasn’t that excited by Soothe (2). Somehow I expected more. I’ve never used it but they read totally different. De-Edger is basically a reverse transient designer for harsh treble transients with a ton of program dependency. It’s great and was worth the over 100 initial price. It is still is. You’ll never not use it again. I use that plus TDR Nova GE to pull down offensive stuff dynamically. Then I’ll set one of the de-esser presets in TDR Nova GE right after that for a little extra smoothness. Maybe I’ll even run the smart ops on the whole track if there’s something nasty that’s hard to hear in the upper treble and then just deresonate it too. Insane processing mode on both. If I need further de-essing or to tame an annoying high hat rider, I use the PSP Infinistrip de-esser which is like driving a tank to a knife fight. It has an almost sepia quality to it but will solve your problems. Then if things really aren’t tamed, comes my new toy, Pro Audio DSP DSM 3. This thing institutionalizes harshness and lock it in a squishy padded cell. It makes me want to get what Frindle made at Sonnox. The difference between these vs Soothe and Gulfoss is that the latter two sound like plastic. Soothe is much more aggressive than the TDR Smart Ops deresonate and you can’t control it. The attack and release behavior is much worse. So it tends to plasticize eveything. Even really harsh synths better served by notches and a shelf. It kills the performance. Gulfoss turns your mix into what some guy on the internet who only listens to modern music thought it should sound like. Sorry I don’t want When Doves Cry to have bass, I don’t want old jazz to not be warm and midrangey, and ringo to not have his cymbals that sound like they’re being sucked a pneumatic tube. Then we get sterile Giles Martin mixes.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 30, 2021 8:09:58 GMT -6
Let's try something different. I'm sure that most of us have been there. Flash sale pops up. Smoking deal on a plugin that you've been thinking about testing out. You're under the gun and just pull the trigger without a demo. Now you're stuck with it and it just doesn't get your mojo flowing. I'm not saying that these are bad plugins. Not bad emulations. Or buggy. They just don't seem to work for what you're doing, whatever that is. Every once in a while, you'll go back and try it again on something and again, you end up pulling it back off. Other people may gush over it, but it's just not for you. Boz Digital Plus 10db Bundle. The compressor action never seems to work the way I want. The eq doesn't do anything special for me. It's just not a plugin for me. Sound Toys Decapitator - EVERYONE has been gushing over this thing for years. I love the Soundtoys stuff and use it all over my mixes, but Decap is always a struggle for me. I'm just never really satisfied with what it does. Decap is great on bass. Some heavy guitars. Not much else in my opinion. To your original post, Black Rooster. Never could get them to work. At all lol Black rooster to me is like a parody of old gear. What a modern producer wants vintage gear to smell like instead of it smelling like burnt dust, pcb rosin, and rotting capacitors and sounding fairly cleanish with a unique timbre that he might not even hear on his entry level monitors from guitar center. The 1073 plug they make is way too smooth. Where’s the steely, distorted resonant high shelf? Fuse is the same programmer’s own company and much more vintage sounding. You don’t hear it unless you push hard or take it off. The plugs are also better behaved or misbehaved in the case of the pumping, overshooting 515 compressor he modeled and the great sounding but subtle until you make it oscillate VCL-25A. The VCL-4 models a recreated LA4 with modern parts and is much more useful than the Black Rooster and UAD plugs ime. No tube vibes at all but the LA3A midrange character and spongy dynamics are not there in any plug anyway, even the praised UAD and Apogee ones.
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Post by jpanderson80 on Mar 30, 2021 10:14:47 GMT -6
Molot GE hasn’t been getting the hype it deserves. The same with the original. On insane, it’s one of the best digital compressors ever. It’s the original scaled up to 1000 and totally functional with ideas from everything from the 1176 to Waves Renaissance Compressor. People just don’t want to learn to use it. It makes other plugins sound awful, especially if you use a high shelf after it. Absolutely. The only regret that people should have is not getting on the Molot GE train sooner. LOL Tremendously deep feature set. I decided to not buy an LA2A because of it. Neold V76U73 - I'll check that out. Admittedly... In the comp category, I feel very comfortable.
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