Any try the Steinberg Absolute VST Collection
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- Banned
- 80 posts since 16 Jan, 2006
Steinberg has not updated any of the instruments for Retina and it's kinda a pain. You have to run Logic X in LOW RES mode via the switchable option in the information pane. In regards to the instruments; I have Halion Sonic 2, Tribewerk and Hypnotic dance. I got the two "dance" focused expansions when they were running the sweet Valentines day sale. I think Halion Sonic and it's expansions sound pretty good, but they seemed to use the "B" grade Yamaha samples for it and left the premium stuff in the Motif. The acoustic guitars, for example, aren't as good as the Motif, nor the strings, nor the electric guitars and especially the organs and the E-Pianos. Also the piano's aren't the best IMHO. I also own Sample Tank 2, Vir One, Sonic Synth, Plugsound Pro and Sonic Synth (just naming my virtual synth workstation programs) and I would say it's better than all these by a little sound quality wise. Definitely more powerful and it has more options not to mention the built in virtual analog synth that sounds very tasty. Has a LOT of bite. Very analog sounding.
If you compared it to a low end workstation (like the Korg Krome) it looses by a little. All the acoustic sounds of the Krome as well as the other bread and butter sounds are better and sound more "realistic". The patches go from either DROWNED IN REVERB.....or dead and lifeless sometimes. I would say about 38% of the sounds are stink, but the rest is very usable.
Now the bad: The interface continues Steinberg's love affair with the Star Trek 2008 look. 3d buttons that jut out, the interface is very busy and the graphic work and the workflow could be made a lot more professional in my opinion. Steinberg use to have the best looking daw, but times have changed and they have kept with the same look longer than I care to think about. My ultimate Daw would have Logic's Interface and mixer and browsers and look an Cubase's engine. Kontakt really is the only other main competitor that has major support but the bundled sounds go from great to casio in 3 seconds flat.
The DONGLE is still the main sore spot. Steinberg suffers from virtually no pirating of their new software so I wish that they would eliminate the dongle for the V/I's or at least make it 1/4 the size. It sucks having to take up a precious USB port on a Macbook Pro retina for this. It's 2014 for goodness sake!
All in all, I think it's worth a purchase. I just wish whoever does the interface design would retire and let someone else modern up the look and feel of their apps.
If you compared it to a low end workstation (like the Korg Krome) it looses by a little. All the acoustic sounds of the Krome as well as the other bread and butter sounds are better and sound more "realistic". The patches go from either DROWNED IN REVERB.....or dead and lifeless sometimes. I would say about 38% of the sounds are stink, but the rest is very usable.
Now the bad: The interface continues Steinberg's love affair with the Star Trek 2008 look. 3d buttons that jut out, the interface is very busy and the graphic work and the workflow could be made a lot more professional in my opinion. Steinberg use to have the best looking daw, but times have changed and they have kept with the same look longer than I care to think about. My ultimate Daw would have Logic's Interface and mixer and browsers and look an Cubase's engine. Kontakt really is the only other main competitor that has major support but the bundled sounds go from great to casio in 3 seconds flat.
The DONGLE is still the main sore spot. Steinberg suffers from virtually no pirating of their new software so I wish that they would eliminate the dongle for the V/I's or at least make it 1/4 the size. It sucks having to take up a precious USB port on a Macbook Pro retina for this. It's 2014 for goodness sake!
All in all, I think it's worth a purchase. I just wish whoever does the interface design would retire and let someone else modern up the look and feel of their apps.
Custom Built MacPro (SpiderMac) Intel Q9450-OC 3.5ghz, 8GB RAM, 1.5TB Hard Drive, Dual 24" LCD Monitors, Focusrite Saffire Audio Interface, Axiom 61 Controller, Roland Fantom G7 Workstation.
