Bargain Center: discussion, gossip, etc.

[chrisby]

Zildjian Gen 16 Digital Vault Z-Pack, $10 on ebay w/ free shipping

Thanks! Got the last one!

In case anyone else was interested looks like he's put more up (currently 9 available) -

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Zildjian-Gen-16 ... 19eefb9929

I got the Volume 2 on clearance at Sam Ash NYC for the same price and I still haven't even used it! LOL. At that price though... They BFD2 upgrade for $10 that day too and I haven't even touched the tip of the iceberg with that!

Yeah, can't really say I've used them since I got it a month or so ago but they did sound good when I checked 'em out and for 10 $....

[stroker_ace]

Anyone have any input regarding the UVI String Machines that JRRShop has for sale in comparison with the Retro Machines mk2 that comes with Komplete 9 (which I have) and the GForce VSM + expansion? The UVI appears to be a pretty good deal but if there is significant overlap with the NI version then I will probably skip it. CM gave the UVI String Machines a very good review, though. The GForce VSM + Expansion appears to have the largest number of sampled machines in it.

After my first quick run-through of UVI String Machines, I'm really disappointed in it. As of right now, I much prefer Retro Machines MK2.

It's the first time Music Radar has ever steered me wrong with a review.

I'll give it another go some time today, but at this point I'd say save your money, keep using Retro Machines MK2, and maybe wait for a sale on the G-Force VSM.

The saving grace is that JRRShop is throwing in Digital Synsations (which normally costs $99!), which is excellent, and makes the deal worth it.

If you go with the UVI Strings Machines deal, just remember to put Synsations in your cart before you check out.

[Gribs]

Anyone have any input regarding the UVI String Machines that JRRShop has for sale in comparison with the Retro Machines mk2 that comes with Komplete 9 (which I have) and the GForce VSM + expansion? The UVI appears to be a pretty good deal but if there is significant overlap with the NI version then I will probably skip it. CM gave the UVI String Machines a very good review, though. The GForce VSM + Expansion appears to have the largest number of sampled machines in it.

After my first quick run-through of UVI String Machines, I'm really disappointed in it. As of right now, I much prefer Retro Machines MK2.

It's the first time Music Radar has ever steered me wrong with a review.

I'll give it another go some time today, but at this point I'd say save your money, keep using Retro Machines MK2, and maybe wait for a sale on the G-Force VSM.

The saving grace is that JRRShop is throwing in Digital Synsations (which normally costs $99!), which is excellent, and makes the deal worth it.

If you go with the UVI Strings Machines deal, just remember to put Synsations in your cart before you check out.

Thanks for the heads up! i took a look at the Digital Synsations and while it looks like a fine library, it is huge (something like 24GB) which is not necessarily a bad thing, but honestly for me does not scratch any particular itch. I think I will pass on this for now and perhaps pick up VSM at some point if I find I really want more vintage-sounding string machine sounds.

[Aloysius]

Thanks for the heads up! i took a look at the Digital Synsations and while it looks like a fine library, it is huge (something like 24GB) which is not necessarily a bad thing, but honestly for me does not scratch any particular itch. I think I will pass on this for now and perhaps pick up VSM at some point if I find I really want more vintage-sounding string machine sounds.

It's about 9GB since they re-released it. Not 24GB.

[jsp1979]

Anyone have any input regarding the UVI String Machines that JRRShop has for sale in comparison with the Retro Machines mk2 that comes with Komplete 9 (which I have) and the GForce VSM + expansion? The UVI appears to be a pretty good deal but if there is significant overlap with the NI version then I will probably skip it. CM gave the UVI String Machines a very good review, though. The GForce VSM + Expansion appears to have the largest number of sampled machines in it.

After my first quick run-through of UVI String Machines, I'm really disappointed in it. As of right now, I much prefer Retro Machines MK2.

Can you be more specific about what you don't like?

[AstralExistence]

So I take it you have the monthly subscription? Does it usually contain one of the existing libraries, or are there new ones included each month that are not already available? Thanks!

Yes, it's usually one of the new ones. You have to download it every month. If you don't download it, you miss it and get nothing for your money. If your drive crashes and you lose you downloads, they won't reply to your emails and you get nothing for your money. At least these were my experiences with them. I unsubscribed.

wow that's simply terrible!!! i will definitely stay away from pure magnetic. so whats a good pure magnetic live pack alternative?

[BBFG#]

Thanks for the heads up! i took a look at the Digital Synsations and while it looks like a fine library, it is huge (something like 24GB) which is not necessarily a bad thing, but honestly for me does not scratch any particular itch. I think I will pass on this for now and perhaps pick up VSM at some point if I find I really want more vintage-sounding string machine sounds.

It's about 9GB since they re-released it. Not 24GB.

Actually the download is 9GB plus the size of the required workstation before unpacking them. Not sure if they reach 24 GB after install, but it is somewhere in-between those two numbers.
Since I had two licenses, I took the chance and wished I hadn't.
The sounds are good enough, (although nothing special), but the iLok crap kills it. And because the license once registered becomes NFR, it's a complete waste to me.
(BTW, the iLok crap is a a continual 1-3% usage with 20% spikes on the CPU).
Would love to give it away if someone has figured out how that can be done.

[Aloysius]

Thanks for the heads up! i took a look at the Digital Synsations and while it looks like a fine library, it is huge (something like 24GB) which is not necessarily a bad thing, but honestly for me does not scratch any particular itch. I think I will pass on this for now and perhaps pick up VSM at some point if I find I really want more vintage-sounding string machine sounds.

It's about 9GB since they re-released it. Not 24GB.

Actually the download is 9GB plus the size of the required workstation before unpacking them. Not sure if they reach 24 GB after install, but it is somewhere in-between those two numbers.
Since I had two licenses, I took the chance and wished I hadn't.
The sounds are good enough, (although nothing special), but the iLok crap kills it. And because the license once registered becomes NFR, it's a complete waste to me.
(BTW, the iLok crap is a a continual 1-3% usage with 20% spikes on the CPU).
Would love to give it away if someone has figured out how that can be done.

After extracting, it's 9.32 GB on my system. Remember, this is the newer version. Not the original.

[BBFG#]

Thanks for the heads up! i took a look at the Digital Synsations and while it looks like a fine library, it is huge (something like 24GB) which is not necessarily a bad thing, but honestly for me does not scratch any particular itch. I think I will pass on this for now and perhaps pick up VSM at some point if I find I really want more vintage-sounding string machine sounds.

It's about 9GB since they re-released it. Not 24GB.

Actually the download is 9GB plus the size of the required workstation before unpacking them. Not sure if they reach 24 GB after install, but it is somewhere in-between those two numbers.
Since I had two licenses, I took the chance and wished I hadn't.
The sounds are good enough, (although nothing special), but the iLok crap kills it. And because the license once registered becomes NFR, it's a complete waste to me.
(BTW, the iLok crap is a a continual 1-3% usage with 20% spikes on the CPU).
Would love to give it away if someone has figured out how that can be done.

After extracting, it's 9.32 GB on my system. Remember, this is the newer version. Not the original.

Plus the size of whatever the workstation and the iLok license support is. Probably closer around 10GB then? In any event, the iLok effect on system resources is the real reason for me to kill it. Plus the sounds aren't anything I can't get out other things I own that don't have those 'additional requirements'.
Like I said, I'm looking for ways to give this one away. (Just like they did).

[vaiman]

@natufian: What exactly do you get with membership? I looks like most of the songs still need to be purchased (albeit at a discount to members). I'm interested, but the site seems a bit ambiguous to me.

Thanks in advance,
G

Me too, I can see there are lessons included. But not sure what else is included.
I've just bought it from JRR so i can let you know what its like from a novice point of view when i get the serial?

[Photo_G]

@natufian: What exactly do you get with membership? I looks like most of the songs still need to be purchased (albeit at a discount to members). I'm interested, but the site seems a bit ambiguous to me.

Thanks in advance,
G

Me too, I can see there are lessons included. But not sure what else is included.
I've just bought it from JRR so i can let you know what its like from a novice point of view when i get the serial?

That'll be great! I'll look forward to it!

Thanks,
G

[pandashake]

(BTW, the iLok crap is a a continual 1-3% usage with 20% spikes on the CPU).
Would love to give it away if someone has figured out how that can be done.

I don't think the ilok is to blame for this. I think it's just shoddy coding in the workstation itself. I have a few other ilok'ed plug-ins that I run all the time without any interference at all, but the moment I load up UVI, it's crackle-city. And forget about live-tweaking of any of the parameters. Just no.

[BBFG#]

(BTW, the iLok crap is a a continual 1-3% usage with 20% spikes on the CPU).
Would love to give it away if someone has figured out how that can be done.

I don't think the ilok is to blame for this. I think it's just shoddy coding in the workstation itself. I have a few other ilok'ed plug-ins that I run all the time without any interference at all, but the moment I load up UVI, it's crackle-city. And forget about live-tweaking of any of the parameters. Just no.

Granted it is a higher percentage, but the activity is the same as on my two editors that use the PACE. And while the software won't work without it, the PACE software is what shows up in the resource monitors, even when idle and even before the UVI software was installed.

[stroker_ace]

Anyone have any input regarding the UVI String Machines that JRRShop has for sale in comparison with the Retro Machines mk2 that comes with Komplete 9 (which I have) and the GForce VSM + expansion? The UVI appears to be a pretty good deal but if there is significant overlap with the NI version then I will probably skip it. CM gave the UVI String Machines a very good review, though. The GForce VSM + Expansion appears to have the largest number of sampled machines in it.

After my first quick run-through of UVI String Machines, I'm really disappointed in it. As of right now, I much prefer Retro Machines MK2.

Can you be more specific about what you don't like?

It's retraction-time, "I'm a silly goose!" edition.........

Let me preface this by saying I'm a "presets" kinda guy. I use a synth's stock patches, and tweak them slightly to get the sounds I'm looking for.

My problem with UVI String Machines was: I didn't know where to look.

In my first run-through of UVI SM, I just loaded up the individual string machines, and demo'ed each of them. And those are just "untweaked", bare bones, kind of factory default settings for each machine, and those are kind of unimpressive (imo). But they're probably not supposed to be that impressive; they're just the starting points for the sound-creation.

And when you're in "individual string machine" mode, I don't think you can use a different string machine in the B bank.

So that's where I was coming from when I first gave it a thumbs-down.

But that's not really what UVI SM is about.........

When you load the main UVI String Machines soundbank (which is basically all of them simultaneously), there's a tab in the top left-hand corner where the actual presets (albeit only 29 of them) are, that show off the types of sounds UVI SM is capable of creating, and most of them are really impressive. And this is where you can combine two different string machines to create very cool, layered sounds (one in the A bank, one in the B bank).

So, basically, I judged UVI SM after testing out maybe 10% of it. I apologize to anybody I steered wrong.

Now, having gotten the full picture, I think it's well worth the asking price. I wouldn't return it if I could. And coupled with the completely awesome 80s/90s goodness that is Digital Synsations, it's a downright no-brainer.

For $39.20, you've got three decades covered!

[TheKid]

Hi Uncle E,

when offering specials on Celemony Melodyne, were the upgrades (e.g. essential to assistant) ever discounted?