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Post by M57 on Feb 21, 2024 12:58:11 GMT -6
Other than how well the faders function (smoothness, accuracy, wear, etc.), yeah, just general impressions would be great. Thanks!
I don't have a lot of experience with the whole CC thing. For the most part, I've been drawing in curves. One thing that is confusing me right now is the difference between Volume and Expression. Apparently they are both just "volume" controls, but Volume is like the master fader and limits the range that Expression works in. More confusing is that I've noticed on some of the Logic instruments (like horn sections), that there appears to be two volume parameters (they show up as different colors in the menu). Maybe this is something I should bring up in a different thread, or different forum.
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Post by M57 on Feb 21, 2024 6:28:36 GMT -6
Though most of their modules seem to be designed more for photo and video production, Monogram does offer an Audio Console configuration ($499US) ..which is too expensive. At that price, the FVDE makes way more sense. However, you can purchase their " Slider Module" a la carte at ($159). Problem is, you have to also purchase the Core module ($159), which all told will still set you back around $400 after taxes and shipping. Geesh! $400-500 for a 3 or 4 faders?! I'm not having a lot of fun researching this. The Mixface (what a horrible name), does look to do everything I'm looking for at a reasonable price, though it does look a bit on the chintzy side build-wise. Looking forward to @theothermarkwilliams thoughts on that.
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Post by M57 on Feb 19, 2024 10:06:42 GMT -6
The Mixface seems to be a pretty nice solution and it has a few things going for it that might be fortuitous. It has a small footprint, and I really like that it has transport functions. I use the Behringer X-Touch transport functions when mixing and tracking, but I can easily imagine I’d prefer to use the Mixface when editing MIDI. However, I still have a couple of concerns.
Apparently The Mixface has two modes, ‘DAW’ and ‘Zone.’ In DAW mode the unit maps sliders to tracks, and buttons to transport functions. In Zone mode you assign MIDI CC to sliders. One of the user/reviewers of the Mixface (Sweetwater) complained that you can’t record/edit MIDI CC with the sliders in DAW mode without assigning the CC channels to each fader every time you use it. Is this possibly just user error? As long as the transport buttons still work, it seems to me that the way to go is just to use Zone mode.
My other concern is the faders themselves. Some complained they were a little tight/sticky and expressed the hope that they might loosen with time. I suppose I can live with a shorter throw but I know they are not 100mm and I can’t find that spec on the site.
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Post by M57 on Feb 17, 2024 16:34:25 GMT -6
Whew. Hope that's helpful, man. The struggle is real. Man, is it ever! I was hoping the Sparrow would fit the bill. Most of the on-line reviews seem positive, but you've got me worried now. I REALLY want faders, and I would like to avoid haveing to reach over the keys with my left hand, not to mention to less than 100mm faders to add insult to injury. I can find a few CC fader controller solutions in the under $100 range, for instance on Etsy, but we all know I'll likely get what I pay for. Speaking of YGWYPF, have you seen the FVDE? Now that's what I'm talking about, but with shipping to the US, it comes in at around $450 ..Yikes! This one at $179+ shipping is hand made and affordable, and it received a decent Sound on Sound review. Anyone else familiar with it?
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Post by M57 on Feb 17, 2024 11:23:33 GMT -6
I think there's something to be said for tracking through hardware in that you are monitoring the actual sound that will end up in the recording, and that can be inspirational as well as informative to your performance. You can of course do the same through a plug-in, but then there's lag, right? Regardless, just knowing it's printing that way creates a different mind-set that I'm speculating works for some, but not others.
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Post by M57 on Feb 17, 2024 5:53:48 GMT -6
I don't get it. What is it doing? ..shifting time? ..altering the waveform? ..in what ways?
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Post by M57 on Feb 16, 2024 13:05:29 GMT -6
My very old M-Audio Keystation 61-ES is acting strange these days; it’s time for a new controller. I remember doing some research on this a few years back and despite the large number of options out there, I just couldn’t find something that fit the bill, mainly because I wanted something that played nice with orchestral libraries, i.e. having some nice long-throw CC faders (not rotary encoders) for things like vibrato and expression. I wanted to be able to move two or three faders at once with my left hand whilst playing the keyboard with my right.
Well, cut to the present and STILL such animals do not seem to exist, but at least there looks to be a few a la carte MIDI fader controller solutions out there, like the Sparrow, which I like! So I have a number of questions.
I’m getting a bazillion ads and emails for the Kontakt keyboards, and though for instance I have Spitfire libraries, I doubt that having Kontakt keys will make any appreciable difference. It’s mostly hype, right? It’s never leaving the studio. Besides, I’m not looking for a performance controller.
A lot of the today’s controllers are loaded with encoders, pads, buttons and faders and screens which makes them both long AND wide (and more expensive). I can afford them, but do I really need one? Right now I’m thinking lean (inexpensive) and mean, with something like another M-Audio 61-ES, which is basically a minimalist thin box with a nice row of semi-weighted keys, with the Sparrow 3x100 or 4x100 on the side. I have a piano in the studio and prefer that to piano VI’s. To date I’ve been fine with M-Audio’s semi-weighted keys, especially for lead sounds and pads, but should I still consider weighted keys for orchestral work? FWIW, I’ve been unable to find a weighted keyboard out there that isn’t full of buttons, knobs, screens, and other stuff that will eat up the valuable real estate on my desk.
TL;DNR What are you orchestral composer types using for controllers these days?
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Post by M57 on Feb 7, 2024 22:35:10 GMT -6
I've already replaced the pads on my 50X.. It's the fraying of the top headband that's the problem for me.
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Post by M57 on Dec 28, 2023 6:27:11 GMT -6
Exactly, yeah. I think there's some big asterisk that comes with that 'rule', or maybe I'm flat-out misremembering. Maybe in terms of acoustic energy it's closer to 10db? I dunno...I just move the faders and knobs till shit sounds good...🤷🏻♀️ Every doubling of distance is -6dB. I forgot about that rule. ..but what how many dB does it take to double volume, and how many to double 'perceived' volume. I kind of remember learning that those are two different numbers.. +3dB and +5dB respectively?? Hmm.. a quick search yeilded this.. Which got me to thinking; do humans have built-in compressors dialed in to approximately a 3:1 ratio?
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Post by M57 on Dec 25, 2023 12:35:39 GMT -6
Another thing, he should live in the dorms wherever he goes. You absolutely can’t make the same connections if you don’t live there. +1 Living on campus is an entirely different experience. At a school like Berklee, where all programs are music related, he'll eat, drink, and sleep music 24/7.
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Post by M57 on Dec 19, 2023 13:26:47 GMT -6
NO coupon. Strangely enough - when I pushed it through to the credit card stage ..it came up with a total with tax (not itemized) of 140.24.
Checking the "I have a coupon" box just prompts me for a code that I don't have.
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Post by M57 on Dec 19, 2023 13:18:55 GMT -6
PSP Binamp and Lexicon PCM42 plugs are 70% off now. Good stuff. PCM42 doesnt appear to be on sale, at least not on the PSP website.
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Post by M57 on Nov 24, 2023 16:41:16 GMT -6
Never took the time to really get into the video games. Love playing over the board, but of course it's hard to find RL people to play with, so I do a lot of online gaming with friends and family running zoom.
Lichess.org for chess and bridgebase.com for bridge, but I'm not totally old-school. I also play some of the gateway Euros; games like Ticket to Ride and Wingspan - starting to get into heavier games like Spirit Island. Play mostly on Steam.
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Post by M57 on Nov 21, 2023 6:51:11 GMT -6
Participants here range from musician/songwriters to home and professional studio owners so this thread will probably elicit a range of responses. I was checking out a few of these sites the other day and I noticed that the range of those who use and/or offer their services on these sites is similar to what I perceive is the demographic for RGO. I was hoping folks here could share their insights and/or concerns about these outsourcing platforms.
What is your general view about these sites? Are they good or bad for your business?
Do you use or offer services through sites like these? If so, what has your experience been like?
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Post by M57 on Nov 14, 2023 6:55:08 GMT -6
Spoiler for those who didn't click on the link to the other related thread. My solution was to make less noise while playing. Seriously! I was surprised how much noise I could mitigate just by focusing on it while playing.
However, ultimately I completely solved the problem about a year ago (due to a lingering golfer's elbow issue, which has made playing the guitar quite painful) by playing piano instead. Squeak issue solved..
..but it's been replaced by pedal/damper noise, which by the way can be solved in similar fashion. The trick is to realize that you don't need to press the damper pedal any where near all the way down, and adjust your technique accordingly. In both cases (guitar and piano), you really only need to take extra care in exposed passages.
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Post by M57 on Nov 13, 2023 18:16:41 GMT -6
I posted the same question a few years back.. realgearonline.com/thread/10780/string-squeakIt went down a rabbit hole or two. Skip to the last post for my solution. I included a SC of the track, which I'm pretty sure used an openish tuning and involved a ton of sliding.
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Post by M57 on Nov 11, 2023 16:18:54 GMT -6
Is anyone familiar with this? It just came out and there are not many decent reviews out there yet. www.native-instruments.com/en/products/komplete/drums/session-percussionist/I have Shimmer Shake Strike and I have to admit that I find it a bit cumbersome and just not intuitive enough for my needs. SP features that appeal to me: It looks to have a larger and more diverse starting library of grooves and the ability to more easily alter them with 'suggested' alternatives. Alternatives can also be based on rhythms you manually enter.
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Post by M57 on Nov 8, 2023 22:29:21 GMT -6
Not showing up on my machine. Cheers, Geoff Go back to the App Store and it will show that there is still an update.. That's what happened to me.
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Post by M57 on Nov 8, 2023 18:10:19 GMT -6
I'm 'almost' embarrassed to say that I don't have one of those auto-magical mastering plugins like isotope, so the addition of one with this latest LP update is welcome. Super easy to use, it sits there on the 2 by default waiting to be turned on. Hit a button and it creates an EQ curve, and you globally adjust how dynamic it is. It has got a few other bells and whistles, but the curve is the big win for me. The only drawback is that it doesn't do real-time analysis so you can't include hardware inserts.
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Post by M57 on Sept 16, 2023 10:46:10 GMT -6
I would do a little dance if FB came crashing down, but then I have to admit that I would freak out if it was Amazon.
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Post by M57 on Aug 28, 2023 16:05:36 GMT -6
I started a thread a few years back asking for advice about the same problem. At first I was in denial.. but I ended up re-recording while focusing on the problem. It made a huge difference. Honestly, I was surprised that I was able to do it. Now that I think of it, even earlier.. when I first started to participate on this site, I started a thread about pedal noise on my piano recordings. I thought for sure it was a mic placement issue, but I've since learned how to control that while playing as well. It turns out you don't have to push the sustain pedal anywhere near all the way down to get the felt away from the keys. Now I don't even think about when I record piano. Ditto re: the Elixer strings (on my Taylor
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Post by M57 on Aug 15, 2023 20:30:53 GMT -6
From Treehouse Brewing Co. on Cape Cod - "Concert Beer" A very nice IPA. Yes, I'm a beer snob.
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Post by M57 on Jul 23, 2023 18:54:05 GMT -6
I've listened to his later "comeback" recordings with a gaggle of famous contemporary singers, and I found them this side of embarrassing. A few of them had their moments here and there, but by and large he put every one of them to shame. NOBODY phrases like Tony Bennett. You can see (in the videos) and hear them working like dogs to get good genre-appropriate phrasing, but you can tell that Tony was doing it with ZERO effort. It was simply magical. Oh, and did I mention he had a pretty good voice?
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Post by M57 on Jul 20, 2023 8:29:45 GMT -6
Picked up one more for my RG collection. 'Tis a great way to support AND promote the site.
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Post by M57 on Jul 11, 2023 12:28:48 GMT -6
I still have me a minty fresh original that has never touched a pit. A collectors item for sure. I'm in for the 10 year T. I suggest you also put out a 20-year anniversary edition, which will instantly make my original AND the 10-year worth even more.
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