Is 2C's Aether REALLY worth it? (the answer is: yes, certainly)

[fretwizz]

Aether 1.5 is fantastic.
What an incredible update.
And free as well.
I am simply blown away with all the new
features, quality settings etc etc.
One of the cleverest things I've ever done
was getting in on that group buy....

Having said that :
There is a problem with the installer if the user
has both the 64 bit and 32 bit versions
installed on their PC.
If there is already a previously installed version
of Aether, the 1.5 installer doesn't provide a way
to point it to the correct path for each version.

The workaround is to actually remove the previously
installed versions.

I had to do it twice ....
First removed both previous installs.
Then ran the installer again and now had a
field for inserting the path.
Then I installed the 32 bit version.

Then I had to move the 32 bit install to another
place to get the path field to show in the installer
again and install the 64 bit version.

Then put the 32 bit setup back where it was originally.

Both the 32bit and 64bit versions required me to input the
serial number again on 1st run.

The installer should show the path field regardless of whether
there is already a previous version.

[Andrew Souter]

At the moment the procedure for a dual install is to install the 32bit version using the installer, and then install the 64bit manually. This is described in the README.

However, I agree, this is not ideal, and is too confusing. We will improve it. Thanks.

[ariston]

I spend a lot of time on the Cakewalk Sonar forum. Not surprisingly, the subject "best reverb" comes up a lot. A very interesting observation on the subject came from one of the more technically astute veterans there who stated that a) he's finding himself using only light application of reverbs in his work these days and b) he doesn't see the need to obsess over reberb quality when the contribution of such is down 18db from the primary content of the music. On the other hand, for many of us cool technology is appreciated (and lusted after) even when the practical need is marginal.

Interesting point. I agree that we can all take this "quality" thing a little too far, well beyond the scope of the everyday and the practical (not to mention the economical). I disagree, though, on three counts:
One, the plat du jour in commercial productions is a movement away from reverbs in general. "Dry" sounds are currently preferred by those sinister A&R "specialists" who have snouts instead of noses and hooves instead of feet. It's a fad, and it, too, shall pass.
Two, it's these same veterans who can argue for days on end about the advantages of this compressor over that one, usually claiming they can hear the difference even when blind tests continue to prove them wrong.
Three: Some people use reverb as a tool for sound design, and not "just" to create the illusion of a room. If the reverb has a prominent place in your mix, you'll want something that sounds great (at least I do) and is flexible enough to produce some interesting textures.

[Breeze]

Three: Some people use reverb as a tool for sound design, and not "just" to create the illusion of a room. If the reverb has a prominent place in your mix, you'll want something that sounds great (at least I do) and is flexible enough to produce some interesting textures.

When I first tried Aether 1.5, I maxxed out the quality settings and put the mix at 100% effect. I was just playing a piano sound through the reverbs and for the first time ever for an algorithmic reverb I didn't turn the mix knob back. I just sat there for half an hour listening and I couldn't get over how nothing bothered me and how great it sounded. It was actually an emotional moment. Sure the CPU was running at 67%, but what a sound!

Couldn't agree with ariston more: this is much more than a room emulator. It can turn a piano into an incredibly sweet ethereal pad. I'm really curious to see where 2C Audio is going to take us in the future. Thank you again for this awesome gift, guys, and by all means, keep up the inspired work!

[fretwizz]

At the moment the procedure for a dual install is to install the 32bit version using the installer, and then install the 64bit manually. This is described in the README.
However, I agree, this is not ideal, and is too confusing. We will improve it. Thanks.

I didn't even look at the readme.
I was too eager to see/hear the new Aether.

Luckily I'm getting to be an old hand at the 32bit/64bit thing,
so it wasn't too hard to figure out a workaround.

I also, just today,installed the update to Guitar Rig Pro 4 which
has a dual installer where you can enter the paths for both the
32bit and 64bit versions and it installs them both in one go.

[visa tapani]

but since you find it irrelevant, and there's already several posts before yours that seem to resolve this issue, why do you find it relevant to bring it up now?

Because I'm somewhat tired of the archetypal KVR-mannerism where when someone makes less zealous comments in a praisefest, somebody will inevitably try to undermine the comments with some paranoid accusations about agenda. I find it slightly juvenile.

By the way... please explain what you see as hype. I don't see it.

Well, some of it is just natural excitement about the new release, but some of comments about pricing I find slightly over the top, as jazzimprov pointed out. Of course you can say that "Aether is a steal @$250 and competes directly with (and wins in many ways IMHO) things that cost 5-7 times as much", but since pricing in the software world is fairly arbitrary, it doesn't really mean anything. Firstly I can't think of many software reverbs that cost 5-7 times as much as Aether (in fact the Lexicon is the only one that comes to mind) and secondly there are also much cheaper reverbs than Aether that compete directly with (and win in many ways) them. Aether is reasonably priced but not a steal, to suggest the latter sounds like marketing hype.

[Selfik]

Some of us are still waiting for license transfer!
Almost 2 months has passed and I'm still waiting...
You informed me about improving your licensing system but I need to work!
This is wrong...PLEASE transfer those licenses manually.

[jazzimprov]

+1

Well put visa tapani......


Lexicon is the only one that came to mind in the upper stratusphere of price ranges ....and that is one *amazing* reverb.

This reverb stands alone IMO



But as pointed out, several reverbs compete in the $200.00 range such as RP-Verb and others...

Comments that a particular developer makes about their product competing with xyz priced at $$$$ and therefore is a steal is "pure unadulterated hype"
....and that is not a bad thing mind you, and I am not saying it is..

Now a developer has a perfect right to present his product in any way he/she see's fit but it is alo perfectly right for the potential customers out to point out the inflationary tactics.

Jim

[Andrew Souter]

I also, just today,installed the update to Guitar Rig Pro 4 which
has a dual installer where you can enter the paths for both the
32bit and 64bit versions and it installs them both in one go.

Yes, this is what we should have done, and this is what we are changing it to. This way, a manual install of the second format will no longer be needed. Thanks.

[Andrew Souter]

Now a developer has a perfect right to present his product in any way he/she see's fit but it is also perfectly right for the potential customers out to point out the inflationary tactics.

I stand by my statement and personally believe it to be true. However, you should really only consider it as my opinion on the subject. No one is forcing you to agree. Remember I also said:

Does everyone in the world agree with us? Nope, certainly not. But that is ok. It is a big world with lots of good choices, and if Aether is not ideal for someone's needs or budget, I hope they find something that is, and I hope it inspires them to make great music, and pristine engineering.

Ultimately I encourage everyone to decide for themselves. We don't expect 100% of the market will agree. It never does. What we expect to do is make the best product we can possibly make and constantly continue to improve it based both on our vision for it, and the feedback we receive from customers and via forums such as this one.

[ariston]

+1

Well put visa tapani......


Lexicon is the only one that came to mind in the upper stratusphere of price ranges ....and that is one *amazing* reverb.

This reverb stands alone IMO

"My reverb has a longer tail than your reverb... and it's thicker, too."

Really, we are all exchanging opinions here, so that's all right. My opinion is largely based on direct comparisons I did with other reverbs. I spent an entire weekend doing that. I didn't try the Lexicon, so I can't say anything about it, but I did test most of the others. I'm afraid I've got better things to do than prepare audio examples of my tests for public consumption, so you'll just have to take my word for it that I was very fair and careful in comparing the various products. Did you and visa tapani do the same? Are your deductions based on fair comparisons which you did yourself, or are you merely gainsaying for the hell of it? Because if you are, then you're guilty of, what's it called again? Oh yes: hyping.

[Andrew Souter]

Some of us are still waiting for license transfer!
Almost 2 months has passed and I'm still waiting...
You informed me about improving your licensing system but I need to work!
This is wrong...PLEASE transfer those licenses manually.

Yes, OK. I apologize for the delay. Basically it was not really "improving" our license transfer system, but more "developing and implementing" it, because we really only have had a total of 3(?), maybe 4(?) transfer requests since we started, and as such we did not really have one in place. And we were thinking about how to handle things in this regard with the 1.5 version. Anyway, I will get you up and running manually today. Sorry for the delay.

[elxsound]

but since you find it irrelevant, and there's already several posts before yours that seem to resolve this issue, why do you find it relevant to bring it up now?

Because I'm somewhat tired of the archetypal KVR-mannerism where when someone makes less zealous comments in a praisefest, somebody will inevitably try to undermine the comments with some paranoid accusations about agenda. I find it slightly juvenile.

You can be tired, but was I incorrect? No. Let's ask that again... Was I incorrect? No.

I asked a fair question considering the circumstance of the posting which as you noted was not apart of the "praisefest" and since you are now questioning my reasoning, which ironically is not different than what you accuse me of doing wrong, was because I wanted to know if this person was trolling or genuinely listing an opinion.

Was I incorrect in my assumption that this person had another account? No.

After finding out that this person had another account, did I accuse them of trolling? No.

Did I engage in conversation regarding their point of view, just as I did with you, or did I shoot them down for having a contrary view to my own? No.

So what's the point of dragging this on again, since once again I remind you this was all resolved several post before yours?

By the way... please explain what you see as hype. I don't see it.

Well, some of it is just natural excitement about the new release, but some of comments about pricing I find slightly over the top, as jazzimprov pointed out. Of course you can say that "Aether is a steal @$250 and competes directly with (and wins in many ways IMHO) things that cost 5-7 times as much", but since pricing in the software world is fairly arbitrary, it doesn't really mean anything. Firstly I can't think of many software reverbs that cost 5-7 times as much as Aether (in fact the Lexicon is the only one that comes to mind) and secondly there are also much cheaper reverbs than Aether that compete directly with (and win in many ways) them. Aether is reasonably priced but not a steal, to suggest the latter sounds like marketing hype.

How is that hype, when taking into consideration the title of the thread? Did you not read the original question?

As for mentioning of the price of things that cost 5-7 times more, it was an indirect reference to another plugin... to a specific one. No one is suggesting Aether or really any plugin, should cost that much.

[visa tapani]

You can be tired, but was I incorrect? No. Let's ask that again... Was I incorrect? No. [...] Was I incorrect in my assumption that this person had another account? No.

Huh, what are you talking about? This is all you wrote about the matter: "Also note that jazzimprov has a single post, which seems a bit suspect for a first posting on KVR". Since you found it suspect, you did not seem to assume that he has another account and were -if you want to use that terminology- incorrect. Not that it matter that much, though, but since you insist...

BTW, typing the same thing several times does not make your rhetoric stronger, it's just irritating.

After finding out that this person had another account, did I accuse them of trolling? No.

But you see a reasoned and balanced commentary is never trolling, no matter the post count, and this is why your comment was irrelevant and derailing.

But I think everything necessary is said about this already, so I don't see any reason to derail the thread further...

[yl]

seriously though.
the issues with Ableton Live automation need to be fixed ..soon...
not safe to map to the ER type chooser