The Sunday Report...X1Expanded

I can't believe I'm reading this! Someone with a very twisted sense of humor must of hacked the "yorolpal" forum account this morning. 

I dont have Expanded yet, but ProChannel has been one of my go-to plugs for tracks and busses since it came out, and it sounds really killer in any genre.

Well, Ol Pal, now that I can actually use X1(E) in a serious, on-going way -- I can actually have an opinion about Pro Channel, etc.

Overall I'd agree that one can certainly do full production/mixing using the Pro Channel and its modules.   However, I look at it in a similar way to how many, if not most, looked at channel strips in major big brand consoles (NEVE, etc), in real recording studios -  and that is as follows ...

Often it was possible to just use the built-in EQ, compressors, etc. on the console and achieve excellent or desirable results.   However -- often producers / engineers patched in external devices and processors to achieve a different or more varied result.

The Pro Channel gives users of X1 an immediately available set of resources.  However I would assert that the PC has its own 'sound' just like many other 3rd party plugins have theirs.   The PC was a "modelled" approach after all, and in that regard it has its place.

The PC can certainly be used in a general/generic way as well, but there definitely are certain external 3rd party plugins that could do a different if not better job in some cases.

In no way is this a negative commentary of the PC - and it shouldn't be taken as such.   I think, if anything, the PC gives a quick and acceptable option to X1 users and thereby makes available an immediate set of sound-shaping tools.

But just like a real studio that has a large array of "outboard" gear, I'm happy we can have the best of both worlds, ie. having the PC available AND having 3rd party plugins (VSTs) accessible as well.

In the last few days (of which this will be the 4th) I have been able to use X1E intensely and have had really smooth going.  This is something I have not been able to do prior to "Expanded" being installed.  And in this time I've spent almost the entire days/nights working in X1 doing stress testing, so to speak.  

All I can say is:  Life is good when things work ;)  (At least reasonably work).

I've got some bugs I'll be reporting (if they haven't been already) over the next day or so, but overall and in general, X1"E" is performing very well for me.  So perhaps some of the "mysteries" you allude to will be gone as well.

I hope so and good luck Ol Pal :D

every song in the world sounds like a superior drummer demo. Soon, every song in the world will sound like a superior drummer demo tweaked with PC. 

Oh I agree 150% Billy, ol pal.  I don't mean to say at all that the PC is the be all and end all of channel strips or that there isn't much better stuff out there.  There is.  I own quite a bit of it;-) 

But, as you allude, I think Cake has done a bang up job of providing almost everything you'd need to produce a quality professional mix without the need to spend any more on 3rd party plugs.  Heck although I never use the synths or drums that come with Sonar either I betcha a dime to a donut I could produce out a project using only the included instruments and effects that would scare the beejeesus outta most of the sick and shut in and unwashed.  Honest.  No brag...just fact. 

That said, I won't be givin up ANY of my big ol colorin box full of third party plugs.  I ain't crazy!!

yorolpal


Oh I agree 150% Billy, ol pal.  I don't mean to say at all that the PC is the be all and end all of channel strips or that there isn't much better stuff out there.  There is.  I own quite a bit of it;-) 

But, as you allude, I think Cake has done a bang up job of providing almost everything you'd need to produce a quality professional mix without the need to spend any more on 3rd party plugs.  Heck although I never use the synths or drums that come with Sonar either I betcha a dime to a donut I could produce out a project using only the included instruments and effects that would scare the beejeesus outta most of the sick and shut in and unwashed.  Honest.  No brag...just fact. 

That said, I won't be givin up ANY of my big ol colorin box full of third party plugs.  I ain't crazy!!

Yup - no question  one can produce a complete and professional product using just the CW supplied stuff.   And no question the sick, shut in and unwashed would be beejeesus-ing a lot LOL

I will add that even on the synth side of things there have been big improvements.   I was never a fan of Session Drummer, but SD3 is a marked improvement and very useable, very tweakable plugin now.   Z3ta+ was always great, but the new 2.1 is another leap forward.   Rapture and Dim Pro also are strong tools in the CW arsenal.

This is all the more reason I hope that -- along with all the kudos, we also keep pressure on CW to get the flagship app (SONAR) to be as stable as can be, and to bring us more tools/features like Expanded that give us the ability to do just about anything we need/want to do in a DAW.

I don't know if it's just me - but it seems like there's also a lot more "compatibility" going on in the entire DAW market.   I'm not seeing 3rd party stuff crash as often as some used to; and I'm seeing what appears to be better cooperation and involvement from all the players out there (ie, vendors).

In the end - ALL of this leads to us musicians and creative persons having a good ol time, eh ol pal? ;)

I've got some bugs I'll be reporting (if they haven't been already) over the next day or so, but overall and in general, X1"E" is performing very well for me. So perhaps some of the "mysteries" you allude to will be gone as well.

 
Hi Billy,
 
Glad to hear X1 Expanded is working significantly better for you!
 
I agree with you and our Ol Pal.
The Pro Channel is akin to having a good pro level console.
Nice/convenient to always have at hand.
Add a small handful of quality 3rd party EFX... and you're set.
ie: The money saved on general purpose processing could be spent on a high quality reverb plugin... or something like Melodyne.
 
I haven't used X1 Expanded for a lot (other than testing with existing projects)... but thus far it appears to work well.
Regarding the Pro Channel, I wasn't a fan of the original saturation effect.  The SoftTube offering is most welcome. 

yorolpal:

Always nice to read your posts. And I must say I really like your sense of humor, and unique way of talking. It just makes your posts so amusing to read.

I see this Sunday Report is gonna be a regular thing for you. Keep it coming. It's like a popular columnist writing a regular column, in some newspaper or magazine, that some readers look forward to.

I look forward to reading the/your Sunday Report thing you've got going on here, criticism, good experiences, and all. Coming from someone who does fine work with SONAR, and who's a good artist, it's meaningful and interesting stuff, whatever you say. Keep it coming, man? It's quite good. :)
 
Love that Swizzle Stick! :)

Come on, where's the hate?  Sonar working?  Able to pro-level?  ProChannel not hiding just one of your favorite socks?  Universal acclaim for softtube?

I'm I in the SONAr forum?

;-)

AT

Come on, where's the hate?

It's a shame Billy had to spend another 80 bucks to get Sonar X1 working. I'm sure he would have gladly paid $80 more than he did when he originally upgraded to X1 almost a year ago to avoid all the headaches.

When's the patch coming so those of us who haven't upgraded can have a reliably working Pro Channel?

???????

@dlesaux:  You gotta forgive me, ol pal.  I already had umpteen of everything that PC did and was much more accustomed to the way I used them...and remember, as I said, I'm one lazy sum****:-)

@Billy:  Yor right!  I am having a good ol time!

@Thomas:  I sincerely appreciate your kind words, ol pal.  They mean a lot.  Honest:-)

Great message Ol Pal! I am with you on having fun. The creativity is flowing and the dogs are barking! Rimshot

Bub

AT

Come on, where's the hate?

It's a shame Billy had to spend another 80 bucks to get Sonar X1 working. I'm sure he would have gladly paid $80 more than he did when he originally upgraded to X1 almost a year ago to avoid all the headaches.

When's the patch coming so those of us who haven't upgraded can have a reliably working Pro Channel?

???????

You can always send me 80 bucks if you feel that bad ;)

LOL j/k :P

WHat is this thread more like?   Not sure I understand that.

backwoods


WHat is this thread more like?   Not sure I understand that. 


Classic. "This thread is more like it." is the sort of thing that people say in the real world and I've heard it in varying forms about a million times. Communication breakdown here... It's like the Larry's friend Richard Lewis in curb with the saying "The ____ from hell" . You need to get out more bamidi , great graphics out there...

Huh?  Um real world?   whose? ;)