kb420
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Hey René, Dimension Pro and Rapture???
I own both, and am very very happy with the sound quality. I just read EM's review of both, and they gave both a 3 out of a possible 5 rating for sound quality. 3 out of 5!?!?!?!?!? I just want to know what softsynths they give a 4 or a 5 to??????
post edited by kb420 - 2006/06/22 20:56:53
"Now, excuse me while I jump into my Jaguar; I need to board my private jet for the usual weekend trip to my mansion on the Big Island. I think Trixie, Crystal, and Heather are already there...must not keep them waiting in the hot tub!" -Craig Anderton-
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lawapa
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RE: Hey René, Dimension Pro and Rapture???
2006/06/22 22:50:22
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Both Dpro and Rapture get a 5 on this end, Here's what I think happened. They didn't take the time to look close enough. If it was not in the gui they missed it altogether. And all the best parts don't show up it the gui. So it's their loss. A preset surfer won't get it at all, it's like it's not even there. I'd say it's our little secret but I do try to spread the good word as much as I can.
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Frank@ProSounds
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RE: Hey René, Dimension Pro and Rapture???
2006/06/23 00:00:57
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Did they really!? Wow....Let it be known, regardless of what it does to my career, I'm officially boycotting EM Magazine.  hehe, don't worry guys, everybody knows that people get their electronic music info from European magazines anyway. 
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AT
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RE: Hey René, Dimension Pro and Rapture???
2006/06/23 00:19:16
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Yea, after reading the review I wondered about the grade. Maybe Dimpro since there are a lot of samplers out there. But he really seemed to like both, which strikes me as a 4. Go figure.
I still subscribe to EM, tho this year I'll probably let my keyboard run out. It has really fallen down lately with their new design and ethos. They had to back track on posting some of their reviews rather than printing them, yet they kept all the shtick. I don't know what they are thinking.
Anyway, SOS rules.
https://soundcloud.com/a-pleasure-dome
http://www.bnoir-film.com/ there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head. 24 And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.
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kb420
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RE: Hey René, Dimension Pro and Rapture???
2006/06/23 10:34:54
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It really wasn't a bad review, but I just didn't understand how he gave the sound quality 3 out of 5. It seemed to me that both softsynths should have received nothing less than a 4.
"Now, excuse me while I jump into my Jaguar; I need to board my private jet for the usual weekend trip to my mansion on the Big Island. I think Trixie, Crystal, and Heather are already there...must not keep them waiting in the hot tub!" -Craig Anderton-
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b rock
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RE: Hey René, Dimension Pro and Rapture???
2006/06/23 11:02:57
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I just didn't understand how he gave the sound quality 3 out of 5. You're right, especially considering that it translates to "Good, meets expectations" in the Meter legend. Everyone's ears and opinions are different, I suppose. For me, "Clearly above average, very desirable" would be more accurate. Still, a good review overall. There's a nice side-by-side and end-to-end comparison between the two synths, and (for once) .sfz didn't get side-barred to the back pages. The reviewer did his homework, and managed to hint at the potential.
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Frank@ProSounds
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RE: Hey René, Dimension Pro and Rapture???
2006/06/23 11:17:24
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ORIGINAL: b rock
I just didn't understand how he gave the sound quality 3 out of 5. You're right, especially considering that it translates to "Good, meets expectations" in the Meter legend. Everyone's ears and opinions are different, I suppose. For me, "Clearly above average, very desirable" would be more accurate.
Still, a good review overall. There's a nice side-by-side and end-to-end comparison between the two synths, and (for once) .sfz didn't get side-barred to the back pages. The reviewer did his homework, and managed to hint at the potential.
Alright then....maybe I'll only enforce a temporary embargo. 
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kb420
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RE: Hey René, Dimension Pro and Rapture???
2006/06/23 18:09:55
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Well, what software synths have they ever given a 4 or a 5 to? That's the question.
"Now, excuse me while I jump into my Jaguar; I need to board my private jet for the usual weekend trip to my mansion on the Big Island. I think Trixie, Crystal, and Heather are already there...must not keep them waiting in the hot tub!" -Craig Anderton-
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René
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RE: Hey René, Dimension Pro and Rapture???
2006/06/23 19:01:51
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Thanks kb. I haven't really read the review, but I have heard that it's postitive in the balance. Don't be bothered for the number scales or ratings; as long as it doesn't reflect results of a competitive benchmark performed in several contenders, quality is a subjective measurement, and it's impossible to create a scale consistent over the time based on that. If you're happy with the quality you get out of your screaming-gizmos, don't let anyone steal that. On the contrary, have your music show them how wrong they are  -René
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puffer
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RE: Hey René, Dimension Pro and Rapture???
2006/06/24 11:48:33
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René, you continue to prove yourself a standup individual.
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Shayne White
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RE: Hey René, Dimension Pro and Rapture???
2006/06/24 18:47:14
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I would have given Rapture a sound quality rating of 2 when I first bought it, because out of the box Rapture has settings that sacrifice sound quality in favor of a few CPU cycles. After Rene showed me how to add the OutRatio=1 entry to the registry, it brings Rapture up to a 4 or a 5. Don't know about Dim Pro, but Rene says that it has the same sound quality as Rapture after you add the registry entry, so it should be just fine.
Thanks, Rene!
Shayne
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Melvin J
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RE: Hey René, Dimension Pro and Rapture???
2006/06/24 21:41:23
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ORIGINAL: Shayne White
I would have given Rapture a sound quality rating of 2 when I first bought it, because out of the box Rapture has settings that sacrifice sound quality in favor of a few CPU cycles. After Rene showed me how to add the OutRatio=1 entry to the registry, it brings Rapture up to a 4 or a 5. Don't know about Dim Pro, but Rene says that it has the same sound quality as Rapture after you add the registry entry, so it should be just fine.
Thanks, Rene!
Shayne
What? I don't know about this. Is it hard to do?
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Shayne White
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RE: Hey René, Dimension Pro and Rapture???
2006/06/25 12:21:45
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No, it's not hard to do, and I don't know why it's so secretive (though Rene never said it was a secret, so I think it's OK to tell you). All you have to do is find the Rapture key in the registry where the "Sinc on Render" setting and other settings are stored and add a new string called "OutRatio" (make sure there's no space). Make it have a value of 1, and then load up Rapture and see if you can hear a difference (sounds brighter and richer). You can also make the string have a value of 0 (which makes Rapture sound terrible -- a fun effect, actually!) and anywhere in between 0 and 1. I think Rapture's default is set to 0.8. Setting it to 1 will raise CPU usage slightly, but will make it sound better. If you have a Mac, you need to find Rapture library preferences file, and in it you can do the same thing. I think this is a very important issue, and I've asked Rene to implement it officially into the Rapture GUI in v1.1. We'll wait and see! If you can't hear a difference in your normal presets, then start out with a blank preset and load up a sample. You can definitely hear a difference then. This will make Rapture sound so much better that you probably won't need to bother with the "Sinc on Render" option after this. Shayne
post edited by Shayne White - 2006/06/25 12:33:36
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saxmidiman
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RE: Hey René, Dimension Pro and Rapture???
2006/06/25 16:02:21
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Hello Shayne...
Where in the registery do you find this setting?
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saxmidiman
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RE: Hey René, Dimension Pro and Rapture???
2006/06/25 16:04:34
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Sorry,
found the place, just not sure exactly how to write the string.
Les
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saxmidiman
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RE: Hey René, Dimension Pro and Rapture???
2006/06/25 16:08:37
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Duh....nevermind...done it. Just not sure I hear any diff yet. Will get back soon.
Peace,
Les
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tomhan
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RE: Hey René, Dimension Pro and Rapture???
2006/06/26 08:00:40
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ORIGINAL: kb420
Well, what software synths have they ever given a 4 or a 5 to? That's the question.
I think FM7 got a 5 a few years back. It gets a 5 (or equivalent high score) on just about every review I've read. It's not really a competitor to Dim Pro but a superb synth if you're into FM synthesis.
To have peace, teach peace.
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Melvin J
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RE: Hey René, Dimension Pro and Rapture???
2006/06/26 19:19:36
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Call me dumb, but where's the registry?
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Shayne White
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RE: Hey René, Dimension Pro and Rapture???
2006/06/26 21:37:37
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Go to the Windows "Run" program and type in Regedit. Then search for "Rapture" and, when something appears, keep pressing F3 until you find the key (folder) that contains Rapture settings. Create a new string and follow the above instructions.
If you have a Mac, then there's no registry. You'll need to find the Rapture preferences file in the Mac "Library", and from then on the procedure is similar (but you won't need to search for anything).
To test, load up a straight sample with lots of crisp, bright high end. You might not notice anything unless you compare with the way it sounded before. First off, make the "OutRatio" setting "0" and load Rapture to make sure it's reading the setting (you'll hear it'll sound terrible!). Then change the setting to "1." You'll have to reload Rapture in order to reflect the new settings; in Sonar, all you have to do is disconnect and reconnect the Rapture instance in the Synth Rack.
To hear what it sounded like before, either delete the "OutRatio" string and reload Rapture, or put a space in between the "Out" and the "Ratio" and reload Rapture. That way you can compare the sound quality.
If you still don't notice anything, then leave it the way it was originally; it'll save you CPU cycles. For me, this setting greatly improved Rapture in my ears! I tend to like really bright, crisp instruments, so if you tend to use dark, warm sounds then this might not be useful to you.
Good luck and have fun,
Shayne
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b rock
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RE: Hey René, Dimension Pro and Rapture???
2006/06/26 22:15:40
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I'm sure that Shayne meant to add that changing registry settings can be tricky, and that it's always prudent to create a backup of your current settings. Before diving headffirst into changing settings, now would be the time to do a little research into how the Registry works. There an online Help file in Regedit that'll get you started towards an explanation of the basic procedures.
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LionSound
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RE: Hey René, Dimension Pro and Rapture???
2006/06/27 06:13:39
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resting post here ... not to hijack ... but why would a setting that determins a plugins sound quality/ cpu usage ratio be accessed from the registry and not the gui? i know i dont want to hack my registry just to improve a plugs sound quality. Will we see this changed in an update?
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:10:
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RE: Hey René, Dimension Pro and Rapture???
2006/06/27 09:00:06
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I too would prefer not to mess with the registry. does this work with dimension pro also?
can you change it to a value higher than 1?
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mewsicknerd
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RE: Hey René, Dimension Pro and Rapture???
2006/06/27 14:35:02
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ORIGINAL: lawapa
And all the best parts don't show up it the gui.
What do you mean?
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b rock
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RE: Hey René, Dimension Pro and Rapture???
2006/06/27 15:41:13
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What do you mean? I believe that Larry's pointing to the depth of control found in the .sfz format. [ Here's the link] to the first version of the .sfz format. You've got the GUI, then an intermediate level with MIDI Learn, exposed automation controls, and the MIDI Matrix. Beyond that, you can pretty much customize your own synth with .sfz editing.
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René
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RE: Hey René, Dimension Pro and Rapture???
2006/06/27 17:08:20
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The "OutRatio" setting is a 'Service Mode' type setting, intended for testing purposes and to help us troubleshoot the instruments behavior under certain platforms, hosts and user settings. When a customer reports a misbehavior, those switches help us to determinate what the cause for the problem might be, and in eventual cases they offer a workaround for the customer issue.
There are dozens of those switches in Dimension Pro and Rapture, and those are NOT intended to be user-tweakable without specific guidance from a specialized person. Therefore, they're not in the GUI, nor they will be.
The settings which work well, and give some effect for some users, for other users might just not work, not be of any relevance, not give the user anything for an extra tag in the CPU, memory and other systems resources usage. They might even generate a crash or data loss if mishandled. A mistreat of the registry might even result in a ruined Windows installation.
Therefore, I DO NOT suggest changing those switches to anyone, unless you are experiencing a concrete problem, are looking for a concrete solution, and are being guided by a knowledgeable support person.
-René
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:10:
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RE: Hey René, Dimension Pro and Rapture???
2006/06/27 17:24:43
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ORIGINAL: René
The "OutRatio" setting is a 'Service Mode' type setting, intended for testing purposes and to help us troubleshoot the instruments behavior under certain platforms, hosts and user settings. When a customer reports a misbehavior, those switches help us to determinate what the cause for the problem might be, and in eventual cases they offer a workaround for the customer issue.
There are dozens of those switches in Dimension Pro and Rapture, and those are NOT intended to be user-tweakable without specific guidance from a specialized person. Therefore, they're not in the GUI, nor they will be.
The settings which work well, and give some effect for some users, for other users might just not work, not be of any relevance, not give the user anything for an extra tag in the CPU, memory and other systems resources usage. They might even generate a crash or data loss if mishandled. A mistreat of the registry might even result in a ruined Windows installation.
Therefore, I DO NOT suggest changing those switches to anyone, unless you are experiencing a concrete problem, are looking for a concrete solution, and are being guided by a knowledgeable support person.
-René
works for me...  wasnt very good with computers anyway...I probably would have messed something up. I guess there is a difference between being a big dork, and a geek after all...
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mewsicknerd
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RE: Hey René, Dimension Pro and Rapture???
2006/06/27 19:06:53
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Hmmm. The .sfz format is how your patch is saved, AFAIK. I don't understand the relevance of the format patches are saved on disk after they have been loaded and configured in the GUI. Unless you are saying that you have the full capability of the synth requires that you "program" a patch by manually creating a .sfz file in a text editor (from what I've read). I understand the GUI, the MIDI learn as well as automation is an aspect of the GUI, and so would be the MIDI Matrix. Perhaps the original poster meant to say "the synth has a lot more to it than just turning the obvious knobs on the first page". Otherwise, It is still not clear. ORIGINAL: b rock
What do you mean? I believe that Larry's pointing to the depth of control found in the .sfz format. [Here's the link] to the first version of the .sfz format. You've got the GUI, then an intermediate level with MIDI Learn, exposed automation controls, and the MIDI Matrix. Beyond that, you can pretty much customize your own synth with .sfz editing.
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Shayne White
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RE: Hey René, Dimension Pro and Rapture???
2006/06/28 13:54:46
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ORIGINAL: René
The "OutRatio" setting is a 'Service Mode' type setting, intended for testing purposes and to help us troubleshoot the instruments behavior under certain platforms, hosts and user settings. When a customer reports a misbehavior, those switches help us to determinate what the cause for the problem might be, and in eventual cases they offer a workaround for the customer issue.
OK, well, it sure helped my problem! I was just thinking that perhaps EM was having the same issue, because to me Rapture just didn't sound quite right until I added that registry entry...I guess users can add it if they want, but I understand it's "unsupported." I'm sorry if I did anything out of turn. Shayne
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lawapa
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RE: Hey René, Dimension Pro and Rapture???
2006/06/28 21:17:56
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"the synth has a lot more to it than just turning the obvious knobs on the first page". Nope.- While it is very possible to do all your progs from the gui and you will of course be most pleased with what is there. Hidden in the sfz format is a power that goes just a tad further. Hard to explain because if you have never assembled sample sets and keymapped then to a plain sampler then you don't understand what can be done within the format of a synth. While learning and using this sfz format is possible it can be time consuming at best The short version goes like this. I can using only the sfz format build a sound using more wavetables AND OR wavefiles than would be possible using only the elements in the GUI.
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lawapa
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RE: Hey René, Dimension Pro and Rapture???
2006/06/28 21:22:46
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NOW STOP AND THINK. If he can build a sound that big that loads into one element using the sfz format what happens when I load up 4/6 of them? Sonic mayhem perhaps? You can take this to far. And most likely will given the chance
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