KVR Audio

BlackWinny · Post by **BlackWinny** » Sat Dec 07, 2019 10:19 pm

I love MUX, it's one of my top 5 favorite tools ever, and it will still remain for long. The version 20 will come one day and I still shall be there. If both the health and the providence want...

But there are key features which are exceptional in Unify and which are not in MUX, especially the internal bridge 32/64-bit (and inverse if I understand correctly) and that ability to use plugins coming from totally different environments, and... that huge memory and CPU management using very smartly the cores of the computer.

Actually, both are complementary. Unify has many features which are not in MUX (and it is understandable) and MUX has many features (I really love its extreme flexibility and its totally modular environment) which are not in Unify (and it is understandable as well).

For me they don't compete each other... but they in fact are complementary.

I think I'll use both in an equal balance.

noiseboyuk · Post by **noiseboyuk** » Sat Dec 07, 2019 11:36 pm

Is there a product summary on this anywhere? Can’t see anything on their site.

BlackWinny · Post by **BlackWinny** » Sun Dec 08, 2019 12:13 am

The product being not yet released (it is planned for very soon) there is no other way than to wait.

All we do before is... this:

Let's John finish quietly his baby, it seems to be now just a matter of days, and he will tell us what exactly is in its product summary.

David · Post by **David** » Sun Dec 08, 2019 12:16 am

noiseboyuk wrote: ↑Sat Dec 07, 2019 11:36 pm Is there a product summary on this anywhere? Can’t see anything on their site.

There's none that's current, as it's very much a moving target/still in beta, but getting very close to release. But here's some links to earlier statements from John that clarify where he's always wanted to go with it:

From May 2019:
https://pluginguru.net/unify/

From Oct (scroll down about 8 posts to see John's):
viewtopic.php?f=7&t=532781

Definitely the best way to stay up to date on it is to watch his most recent live-streams. The one from today is particularly good as an intro (Unify-only discussion starts around 1:09:00, though the first 20 min. is also a Unify demo in the context of a song), and the one from Nov 23 focuses on some of the newest features that continue to appear, in the first 30 min.

noiseboyuk · Post by **noiseboyuk** » Sun Dec 08, 2019 4:45 pm

Thanks David. I just took a look and also found their webpage about it - https://pluginguru.net/unify/ . I'm not quite convinced yet. The multi-processor thing I don't think is real voodoo is it? It's just it can spread the load of multiple instances across different cores. If you only had one plugin, it would behave the same way. I can see the appeal for Logic users in particular though. One question I was wondering - is this sandboxed?

Astralv · Post by **Astralv** » Sun Dec 08, 2019 5:24 pm

I have almost all PG sound libraries, but I can't ever watch his livestreams. 1:44:34? Who has this kind of time? And the way he runs his videos- it's like: My daughter is coming to Thanksgiving. I have to give this papers to my girlfriend. Let me see what that is. I need to scratch my... His videos all over the place. He jumps from topic to topic, and so on. If he gets many viewers who can make it through the entire stream- that is great- must be few of you that have no other responsibilities. I barely can find 40 minutes to work on music. 2 hours video- I am sorry- this is not realistic. I would be more comfortable with "to the point" up to 15 minutes videos that offer useful information. So- I was not able to find any information on Unity.

David · Post by **David** » Sun Dec 08, 2019 8:30 pm

Well, yes, unlike his tutorials and product walk-thrus, his live-streams are very much a "family affair":) Most everybody who comes regularly, I'd guess, is mainly there to watch and learn when he creates and edits tracks and patches, as he's definitely a fountain of pro-level tips and a master of insider workflows, any of which can pop up at any moment as he talks through whatever he's doing.

But they don't have to be watched live, of course; they're all still around for watching in any order, at any speed, skipping through to only what you're interested in.

You can also be sure, once Unify is ready, he'll do a very focused, not too long walk-through, for everybody. Everything that's so far available is beta-stuff anyway, even though he's quite open about sharing it.

But if you just read the two links to text above, you'll certainly have the basic plan, in just a few minutes. Anything else you need to know, just ask here; maybe someone will have an answer, fwiw at this point. And the release will definitely be within a month…

(The livestreams I don't get are the 3-5 hour-long ones that are all over the tubes!)

David · Post by **David** » Sun Dec 08, 2019 8:48 pm

noiseboyuk wrote: ↑Sun Dec 08, 2019 4:45 pm Thanks David. I just took a look and also found their webpage about it - https://pluginguru.net/unify/ . I'm not quite convinced yet. The multi-processor thing I don't think is real voodoo is it? It's just it can spread the load of multiple instances across different cores. If you only had one plugin, it would behave the same way. I can see the appeal for Logic users in particular though.

I've definitely noticed a difference, with some plugins I never could really use before, now being usable in multiple instances.

The real voodoo for me is how fast everything loads, even Omnisphere, presumably because GUI's don't have to load; whatever the magic, it just feels great.

I also LOVE how easily and instantly you can save layer and plugin "states", never needing to see or open a GUI or a DAW or plugin menu; click-click, done, same for every different device. And how you can target multiple layers with the same MIDI FX, create custom plugin-selection menus, instantly adjust individual plugin's velocity response…

Sorry, don't recall anything about sand-boxing…anybody else?

noiseboyuk · Post by **noiseboyuk** » Sun Dec 08, 2019 8:53 pm

Well that does sound interesting David, I'll keep my eye on it.

superscan · Post by **superscan** » Sun Dec 08, 2019 9:10 pm

Sounds like it has a VePro flavor to it, for spreading out the CPU in Logic. Great trick btw even if you only have a single computer is using VePro for those CPU hungry plugs. Helps me with greatly! This looks to be even easier and tons of other features. Can’t wait to try it out!

Musical Gym · Post by **Musical Gym** » Sun Dec 08, 2019 10:15 pm

Hope there will be a demo version to try.

David · Post by **David** » Mon Dec 09, 2019 1:06 am

I expect there will be a demo, but there's definitely going to be a Player version, for post-Unify patch buyers who don't yet have it. No editing, but maybe that will serve as the demo; I really don't know.

Musical Gym · Post by **Musical Gym** » Mon Dec 09, 2019 9:03 am

I would suggest full-featured 15 to 30 day demo.

Kongru · Post by **Kongru** » Mon Dec 09, 2019 9:13 am

This sounds like a very similar concept to existing tools such as New Sonic Arts Freestyle and DDMF Metaplugin, unless I'm misunderstanding its function?

David · Post by **David** » Mon Dec 09, 2019 10:44 am

Well, that'd be the category, agreed, but the difference…is in the differences.

There's many unique aspects to Unify that aren't part of other plugin hosts, and vice versa, no doubt. I'd say that anyone who's intrigued with the category needs to put in the effort to get more clear about the differences between those devices in it, than about the similarities they share, to have any hope of identifying which one has the features they might actually want, if any.

Following along as John proposed and then developed Unify made it clear to me that his version of a hosting/layering device would be interesting to me where the others I'd heard about hadn't really been. I wasn't actually looking for a generic hosting and layering device, but what John was talking about DID interest me….

I already had Patchwork, but that was because it was a VST-hosting AU MIDI FX that would completely unlock Logic's already great MIDI FX and deal directly with its main weaknesses in that area…so, even though all the videos and promos about Patchwork focus mainly on its synth-and-FX layering and routing powers, it was something else it offered that swayed me.

With Unify, and for me, that something else was John's focus on making a fast, efficient sound-design platform for himself, packing it with elegantly paired-down basic sounds from his existing libraries and with a curated selection of excellent free tools, all of which would be explored by him to create new libraries in the near future and going forward. That seemed unique to me, and thru working with the beta, I've confirmed that it does suit me, very well, and helps me to get at things I've wanted to explore in a unique way.

My point is simply that Unify's similarities to Freestyle, Patchwork, Metaplugin, etc. are, for me anyway, not at all as interesting as its differences from them. But, you're right, they are all similar in a rudimentary way. I think that lumping them all together dismisses the distinctions between them rather than clarifying how each might be personally useful in its own way. Imo. Of course, every one else will have to make up their own minds:)

Unify by PluginGuru; The next big thing?