Computer Music 200 Plugins Issue

Someone is in plugin heaven
cj

ORIGINAL: CJaysMusic

Someone is in plugin heaven
cj

Hmmmm. I've been here before (overloaded with choices) and I'm not sure it's really "heaven." However, it is the biggest collection of good (well, maybe just "not terrible") stuff I've seen, with really good variation.

ORIGINAL: johneboy

(doing my best home simpson impersonation) mmmmmm...plug-ins.

is that issue on the stands? when did it come out? how much was it? if i cant find it, can i have your copy?

thanks for the heads up!

Yes, Computer Music Special, Volume 22, Freeware 2007. $16.99 USD. I would quote Charleton Heston, but I can't recall exactly what he said about cold, dead fingers (and I'm too tired to even Google it --- from trying out this stuff!).

Regards,
Dave Clark

Hi CJ,

ORIGINAL: CJaysMusic

...choosing a simple compressor when you have 50 to choose from, that is my case anyhow.

As you are surely aware, some people recommend choosing one tool for a purpose and learning it well. For my case in doing all sorts of audio, this just won't work. I need more than one or two because not one of them works in every way I need them to. (For example, I often use one outside of a VST host, and I want one that is a lookahead. Other times I'm inside a VST host.... Sometimes I'm booted in Linux, so where is the GNU/Linux Sonitus compressor? And so on.)

Those who recommend learning one tool well are probably also restricting themselves in other ways which makes this tactic work.

I'm glad to hear that you went for broke there!! *Please* let us know how they compare once you get a feeling for them and have some time.

Best regards,
Dave Clark

Greetings all,

Some of the names of the plugins, which you can probably find online, hence this list for those of you that don't have the rag and CD:

Sampler:

HighLife. Very nice one. Simple to use. VST sampler *and* VSTi host. You can "freeze" instruments, export (simple) SFZ's, edit waveform, set looping points, etc. Filters, modulation, and so on.


Drum Machines:

1) Dr-Fusion 2: Drum synth and sampler. Didn't do much with it yet, but seems OK.

2) GTG DrumSampler (also GTG DrumSampler 2): Seems OK, also.

3) ErsDrums.

4) DigiDrum. Didn't care for this very much, but got a very good writeup. The version on the CD is a brand new one.

5) Drumatic 3. I myself never found a use for this classic synthetic drum machine. It does sound pretty good for purely synthetic drums, though.


Real Instruments and ROMplers

I wasn't impressed with many of these:

1) DSK Brass

2) StringSynth

3) MrRay: Haven't tried this one yet.

4) Oddly Organ

5) Organ One

6) String Theory: Why do people like this one?

7) Strat-A-Various 2 CM: I could probably find a use for this one.

8) SampleTank 2 Free: Adware.

9) Sonic Synth 2 Free: More adware.


Synthesizers:

1) ASynth 1.01: Nice sound, simple to use.

2) Crystal: One of the best.

3) KarmaFX Synth: Haven't done much with this. As I recall, it was pretty good.

4) Augur: Very nice. Like Prophet.

5) Synth1: Interesting. I'd like to test this one out more.

6) Voyager: Haven't done anything with this one. Page full of knobs. Had a good writeup.

7) daHornet: Too simple, IMO.

8) FreeAlpha 3: Classic free synth from Peter Linsener (CronoX3, etc.).


Effects:

1) Steroid Bouncer: Seems like a very useful basic tool, but I haven't had a need for it yet. Probably *will* end up using this one.

2) Ambience: Liked it.

3) Minion: Haven't loaded.

4) Nebula 2 Free: Adware, but unbelievably good stuff, and a pretty large library. This one is going places.

5) Electri-Q CM: Very nice filter with lots of useful presets. Probably one of the best filters you can find. This one is an enhanced version.

6) Guitar Suite CM: I really liked this stuff. I'll probably use instead of anything else I have.

7) RetroDelay: Also really liked this one. You can do a lot more than just delay.

8) Endorphin: 2-band compressor from Sascha Eversmeir, now programming Samplitude-related programs. Very nice compressor.

9) Stardust: Haven't tried it, but looks promising.

10) SIR: Haven't tried it. I have my own convolver plus Perfect Space.


Sequencers (ho-hum): Reaper and ACID Xpress (lame, useless version of ACID).


Trackers:

1) reViSiT: Tracker as a VST plugin. Great idea.

2) BeRO Tracker.

3) Buzé: Buzz clone. (Still can't believe what happened to the source code for Buzz....)


Miscellaneous:

1) GSnap: Pitch correction. I have other stuff, so haven't tried this one. Looks like it should be pretty good, and it got a good writeup.

2) Vinyl: From iZotope. I had already tried the downloaded one. Sounds pretty good.

3) DSpeech: Speech synthesis. Microsoft Mary and crew....

4) Turntablist: Haven't tried this one, but looks very promising. Supposedly can do almost anything you would want to do with a turntable.

5) Replacer: This one replaces a drum sound with another one in a WAV file automatically. I just wish it was velocity sensitive. If you had a kick drum recording and didn't like it, you can replace all of the kicks with other kicks automagically. Unfortunately, they're all at the same volume level.

6) ChordSpace: Used to create chord progressions by clicking on symbols on the screen. Sounds interesting, but I haven't tried it. I use BIAB for this kind of thing, but this appears to give more freedom.

Some of my favorite stuff isn't even written up:

Krakli (Strat-A-Various CM) has a number of really wild synths. I loved them: Gargoyle, Lizard, Karnage, etc.

Other names: Triple Cheese, GSinth, GSinth2. Krackli Stuff (I love this!): Cyngus, SuperRing, EffEm, vurtbox, mini-vurtbox, Chill, Richman2, Who, StringZ. Invader, Oatmeal, Poly Phase Distortion Synth, Tripp Lead, String Sculptor V2.0, Classic Auto Filter, KTGranulator. Betabugs stuff: GetBlitchJR, SpinBug, WideBug, Corrosive, SVF, Moneo, BugPass 1.1, W1Limiter, CrayonFilter, MonstaChorus, FlofiDeluxe 1.1, Simple Squeeze, and PhaseBug. Genecomp from Buzzroom and: Genecomp3, Grancomp, Grancomp3, BB303i, BCheese, BUZ, Buzmaxi_11, Buzmaxi_2, BuxVintageMaxe_beta2, FilterONE (not too bad), LPLI, OctBuz_ST, OctBuz, PhaseFreq02, RoomReverb, StBox401, TWOX, WOX. DigitalFishPhones (great stuff): Blockfish, Floorfish, Spitfish, Normalizer, THD, Cominion. GVST: GBand GChorus, GCkip, etc. Interruptor: Wow and Fluttter, Echolive, Dub Siren (unique), Tape Delay, Analogic Delay, Bionic Delay (this one is weird), Echomania (nice). More from Krakli: Bertatron2, Effec, Isol8tor, TrAmp, TriPod, Xciter4. More from KarmaFX: KarmaFX Filter, KarmaFX Deelay, KarmaFX Equalizer, KarmaFX Filter, etc. MJ stuff: MjCompressor, MjHarmonicPingOnly, etc. All the mda stuff.... SlimSlowSlider compressors and so on. Voxengo plugins, stuff from Big Tick, E-Phonic, Fuzzpilz, White Noise, and Fretted Synth.

Ok, I'm getting tired...

Regards to all,
Dave Clark

P.S. (on edit): Please let me know if I spelled something wrong so that I can correct it and people can actually find what it was supposed to be.... Thanks.

Picked it up, has some true beauts, and one HUGE disappointment - that sonikfree synth does not do 1 single thing, and even crashes sonar when you try to simply load a sound - and that after a going through a LOT of paperwork, registering, giving all your personal data etc. - for ZIP, nada, nothing.

Going to delete it, and seriously wonder if I will ever bother to install one single IK Multimedia product EVER again (already was totally underwhelmed by that Jimi Hendrix thing). They achieved that much for all their trouble. What should you call this? Vapourware? Solicit-ware? Yuck.

Yeah same here - this is like a kids candystore, saves me yonks of downloading, and more importantly FINDING what to download and sniff at

EVERYONE who makes tunes, should try that Chordspace, it takes some setting up, but then it just blows you away in all its simplicity - and gives instant inspiration to those with a creative block. Whoever came up with that should get an award, it's pure, undiluted genius.

http://www.hitsquad.com/smm/programs/ChordSpace/

We purchased it at the Borders Bookstore in Waldorf, Maryland about two weeks ago. At that time there was only two on the shelf (and I got one of them).

stay away from :

sampletank free

soniksynth2 free

and vinyl isn't on the cdrom
you gotta download it from izotope

I think they wasted a lot of space on drum machines

apparently will have a working version of this little beauty

For those interested in creating their own VST's and (simple/medium) synths, I just picked up the new issue with Synthmaker CM, I don't think you could do better for 15 euros. Up to 3000 modules can be used in this version, more than enough for any VST, I should think.

http://www.computermusic.co.uk/page/computermusic?entry=computer_music_june_issue_cmu114

My impression is that they don't want you using it in any setting that is in any way commercial. It is fun to play with as a toy, and it might be useful in classroom or training environments.

Sure, it's only intended as such. If I'd get any significant ideas from playing with it though, I could upgrade to a more serious version, or just go for a fullblown C++/Delphi compiler indeed - but those don't come as (essentially) freebies.

I would not pay more than $50 USD or 50 Euros for the full version unless it improves significantly or unless I suddenly see a massive income potential coming my way to reimburse me. I may be willing to participate in a group buy.

I think I can fully sympathize with that. I just need this thing to get my head sorted out regarding a few ideas I might want to VST - but if they pan out, I will want to do so commercially, I think.

In that case, I will certainly refresh your memory regarding the group buy, although I am also looking into affordable compiler-based solutions that have no restrictions as to functionality or place any commercial limitations on your product.