Sorry, I know this is an old thread (but it is a really good read), I don't get here much but here's my contribution...

Worst:
A Roland GR700 + GR707 guitar synth - Sounded ok. But the tracking and tuning......especially live under hot lights and sweaty fingers......more screaching than an eagle with it's knob in a vice. And they even had the nerve to put a whammy bar on there!!!

Gigastudio - promised loads, delivered nothing (except an overdraft) for me although others swear by it.

Marshall TSL100 2 x 12 combo - bought for studio use but spent most if it's life back at Marshall. Sounded pants too IMHO.

A VW Sharan 1.9 TDi - a little off topic I know, but it needs to be shamed in public. There, I feel better already.

Best:
A Fender US Deluxe Strat - pure s*x to look at and hold, so much variation in tone and character, and when played through my Marshall DSL50 + 2 x (4 x 12) cabs cranked up = sheer heaven (well for me anyway).

MOTU Ultralite - After a ropey experience and putting up with M-Audio for 3 years, 3 months of absolutely no problems whatsoever and a whole brand new CD done in a fraction of the time it used to take.

Sonar 6 - Enough said really, not perfect but IMHO still the best.

Line6 PodXT - a liberating piece of kit. I use nothing but valve amps (maybe I'm a snob but I honestly think they sound better) but this unit, especially for the money, is absolutely great for quick silent recording sessions. I work at odd hours so a mic'd amp is not an option, but you know what it's like, when you've got to play, you've got to play!!!

Many thanks for reading this rubbish - all the best to you.

SB

ORIGINAL: SteveD

Superbirch,

If you like the PodXT Pro, but miss the sound of mic-ing up your cab... try using a Palmer PGA 4. It's not an amp simulator, but a cab simulator. It allows you to crank up your own amp and record YOUR SOUND directly into your DAW.

http://forum.cakewalk.com/fb.asp?m=802361

Use it all the time here. Love it. I recommend.

Hi SteveD

Thanks for that link, definitley going to check that out!!!

SB

BEST: M-Audio Delta 44. Bought it in 1999 and it's still going strong - in fact, it's the oldest electronic device in my house.

WORST: Shure Beta57a. Takes the life and sparkle out of everything.

Best purchase is usually my most recent acquisition is, whatever that may be. There is this wonderful interval during which you're happily exploring all the new features but haven't yet smacked up against major limitations and disappointments.

At the moment, my favorite new toy is Jamstix, which I'm having a blast with.

0.Many of these are not actually purchases. I typically get musical goodies at Christmas from my wife (yes - some marriages actually work and we still like each other after 8 years), so many of these, she purchased.

Best:
VDrums and all the upgrades - most recently the TD-20 brain, which I really Love for its variety, simplicity, midi capabilities, etc
Sonar 6PE (or prev versions, but so far, of course, 6 is the best)
My Line6 Stuff - I've got a variax 500 guitar, 705 Bass (5-string), the Toneport UX2 and the Gearbox VST plugs - I just like all their stuff, and there's always something to dislike, but I generally don't find it in these. Their quality surpasses my abilities, being primarily a drummer.
Contour Shuttle Pro V1, when it worked right in XP with the "old Sonar plugin"
Sonik Synth 2 - Lots of good sounds (though some a few bugs) for just about any keyboard/synth sound you could generally need, with lots of tweaking options and stacking, evolving things that can be done with it. It's fun just to play around with it, even if not record. Sample Tank 2 is in this same class, though I think I like the sound library of Sonik Synth2 better, the interface and updates are better for ST, which can open the SS2 library anyway, and SS2 has a new version now that has 16 parts multi-timbral, etc.

So-so:
BCF2000 - I generally really like this and want to like it. I need to make some overlay templates so I don't FEEL like I'm using something so generic - and so infrquently that it's always a bit of a learning curve to get into again, so I fall back to the mouse and worsen the cycle.

Worst:
Contour Shuttle Pro - Under Vista, it isn't as cool because a. if Sonar is not in focus, it starts to control another app, which I can't seem to stop it from doing, and if I could, it still would do nothing instead of controlling Sonar unless Sonar was in focus, and b. because the shuttle/jog can't be set to a resolution below "measure" and it just moves to fast that way and not to the places I usually like to shuttle to - like a measure and a half before I want to start recording to give pre-roll and an even measure of the tune before I have to go - or something like that.
added: this is not THAT bad - I just don't really have a lot of crappy purchases. I guess the Peavey 1600x fader controller was a bad one - the product was ok, but the usefulness of non-motorized faders and nothing like ACT around, it just sat there.

ORIGINAL: LLyons

Best - any guitar I have, followed by my little studio gear (which includes Pro 4 through Pro 9 and Sonar 2xl through Sonar 6PE)

Worst - A damn guitar strap that broke and sent a prized strat to the floor - scattering it all over the floor - followed by all the cables that have failed in my carrer. Thats a lotta cables.

Best Regards,

Lance

Ill have to add that my worst purchase lately was a FENDER guitar
strap, i let it all the way out, and it was so short my guitar fit
like a Bra accross my chest, the thing is too small for a kid much
less a man.

Fender what are you thinking making a strap so tiny?

I will limit to a few things.

Best Purchases:

SM 57, AKG C 414 XL II, DM 3200, Sennheiser HD 280 Pro, Akoustik Piano, East West Orchestra Gold, Melodyne Plug-in. Sony's Noise Reduction 2.0 Plugs (a real lifesaver), Waves Plugs (except for the awful support).

Worst Purchases:

Samson S-Phone Headphone Amp (noisy and expensive for the quality of the unit). Finale 2004 (one day I'll convert to Sibelius).

ORIGINAL: Dr. Mac

Ill have to add that my worst purchase lately was a FENDER guitar
strap,

That's funny!!! I've done a similar thing... I like to wear my bass down almost touching the ground and I bought a cool SKULL strap online. Looked like it was long... WRONG. I could have slapped my low B string with my man-boobs.

hahah exactly!

Yea i like my bass or guitar hanging down below my hip bone
not on my friggen chest!

Best: Daion Electric - arrived wrapped in newpaper, turned out to be great. My Creamware cards, Octave Kitten (my fist synth), Some Roland stuff, My Strat.

Worst: Indecision and the things I never got when I should've.

Best:

1. Taylor 614
2. An old yamaha 12 string which had rusty strings and lived in a Fender case at a consignment shop. For $350.00 bucks with a an excellent adjustment, It's a long term keeper.
3. Any of the Cakewalk stuff

Worst:
1. Rogue bass amp - no volume, No tone and a buzzing speaker - For $100.00, definitely the "Stupid deal of the day"

BEST:UAD-1(2),SONAR,KSM27

WORST:OBtune,Muscians tool box that came with PA9 Pro suite, Studio Profiles Special Edition.

Worst EVER = A bar-b-q from the north... How the hell do you people eat that toliet funk

ORIGINAL: coldsteal2

ORIGINAL: Ognis

Worst EVER = A bar-b-q from the north... How the hell do you people eat that toliet funk

Theres great BBQ in Chicago

if you say so

I cant say i purchased it, it came bundled with some hardware i bought, Mackie Traction. I just dont get it, Im so glad i started with and stayed with sonar. It looks like a freekin checker board game to me. it has the strike drum synth in it that i was wanting to play with, but i cant get beyond the weird GUI of traction to actually find it.

CJ

ORIGINAL: CJaysMusic

I cant say i purchased it, it came bundled with some hardware i bought, Mackie Traction. I just dont get it, Im so glad i started with and stayed with sonar. It looks like a freekin checker board game to me. it has the strike drum synth in it that i was wanting to play with, but i cant get beyond the weird GUI of traction to actually find it.

CJ

Yeah, I also got it free with some gear. I had a look at it and was underwhelmed.