Proudly collecting music gear and software for no purpose

[beats me]

I never use Scenes in Maschine myself, for me it's just about mkaing cool sounding patterns.

I would think with your groove box experience and Maschine performance vids you’d be more comfortable with it than most. But then you also can’t record those performances for editing and mixing.

[Tarekith]

Where's the fun in that?

[sporkles]

Are the Cakewalk synths (Rapture and Z3ta+ 2) worth getting, at 50% off, currently at Plugin Boutique? Asking as an owner of all NI synths, Sylenth1, the AIR synths and ugh, I can't even remember the rest or why I even bother looking for even more synths.

[beats me]

NI is having a $200 off sale on their single stem deck and minimal full controller through the end of May. $300 is very reasonable for a deck but I haven’t DJed in forever and have no plans to. 2 months to think about it. If I didn’t just get a new iPad Pro…

[Tarekith]

I've been debating selling my S8 lately, putting that money towards something else and just using Traktor on the iPad with a Z1 for how little I DJ these days. But everytime I get close to that and go to use the S8 one last time, I end up liking it all over again. Not sure I could downsize just for DJing, the newer NI controllers are really nice.

[beats me]

I’m on the fence. I’d really like to mess with stem tracks. I have a first gen S4 controller. The S8 is way too expensive to me but the S5 looks like it’s missing some physical controls I would actually use. The D2 does have all those controls but I don’t like it adding more bulk to the whole setup with the S4. But it seems like the D2 would be the best option at the price.

It kind of feels like Apple’s pricing structure. Pay a high premium for what you really want or pay less but make some sacrifices you’d rather not.

[Tarekith]

I like the Stems concept a lot, I think it's a cool idea for people who want to really get in there and deconstruct things. I don't use them much myself though, I like DJing just to listen to songs I really like, so want to hear the originals anyway. I thought about getting the S5 to have a more conpact A/B style mixing surface, but financially not really a good idea since I already have the S8 and would take a big hit at this point if I sold it. It's a nice controller IMO.

[beats me]

The S5 is missing a bank of knobs and the faders that the S8 and D2 have. I don’t like multi duty shift function controllers for what would be common needs. Seems like a good way to do the wrong function when jamming along.

[Machinesworking]

Are the Cakewalk synths (Rapture and Z3ta+ 2) worth getting, at 50% off, currently at Plugin Boutique? Asking as an owner of all NI synths, Sylenth1, the AIR synths and ugh, I can't even remember the rest or why I even bother looking for even more synths.

Depends. Loom is a severely underrated synth, I really enjoy it. Z3ta+2 is similarly overlooked, but capable of great sounds.

Rapture Pro is a great rompler, but if you don't enjoy browsing NI content etc, it's going to be pointless. There are some great sounds, but it's a hybrid rompler and actual synth, orchestral pads, etc. It's pretty tweakable great FX etc.

Beware, if you're on Mac and allergic to Audio Units, Cakewalk only did a VST3, not VST2.4 so you must use the AU version, and because it references the VST3 version somehow you must have the VST3 version installed.

[Tarekith]

The S5 is missing a bank of knobs and the faders that the S8 and D2 have. I don’t like multi duty shift function controllers for what would be common needs. Seems like a good way to do the wrong function when jamming along.

If you're going to rely on stems a lot, then yes losing those would be a bit of a pain. If they're just something you're going to use now and then, then it's probably less of an issue. Even on the S8 the lower row of knobs has to be shift functioned to access all the parameters, which I find to be a bit of a pain. Mine are usually set to control effects decks C & D anyway....

[beats me]

The S5 is missing a bank of knobs and the faders that the S8 and D2 have. I don’t like multi duty shift function controllers for what would be common needs. Seems like a good way to do the wrong function when jamming along.

If you're going to rely on stems a lot, then yes losing those would be a bit of a pain. If they're just something you're going to use now and then, then it's probably less of an issue. Even on the S8 the lower row of knobs has to be shift functioned to access all the parameters, which I find to be a bit of a pain. Mine are usually set to control effects decks C & D anyway....

I'm thinking a snazzy setup might be 2 D2s and a Z1 in the middle. That way it could be comparably compact and you could have a mostly functional 2 to 4 deck setup with Traktor Pro and also just use the Z1 with Traktor on the iPad if you wanted to. I'm assuming on the D2's you could bounce between decks A/C and B/D at the push of a button.

[beats me]

I don’t write Dubstep but this still intrigues me

http://cymatics.fm/animals-for-serum-gold-edition/

The presets are your standard growls but apparently the gold is in the wavetables (real sampled animals) and custom LFOs.

[Tarekith]

That's kinda cool.

[sporkles]

I'm really enjoying this new YouTube show, the Samplecast (Link is for the 1st episode). Really nice resource for us VST addicts, hosted by Reuben Cornell - a really nice chap, whose voice you've probably heard before, in various sample library walkthroughs for Sonokinetic, Project SAM and others. Lots of VST and sample news and bargains; over the last couple of days I've been introduced to developers and products I'd never heard of before.

[beats me]

I'm really enjoying this new YouTube show, the Samplecast (Link is for the 1st episode). Really nice resource for us VST addicts, hosted by Reuben Cornell - a really nice chap, whose voice you've probably heard before, in various sample library walkthroughs for Sonokinetic, Project SAM and others. Lots of VST and sample news and bargains; over the last couple of days I've been introduced to developers and products I'd never heard of before.

Cool! And damn you!