[Intro pricing extended] Available now: T-RackS Sunset Sound Studio Reverb

[Burillo]

Peter, no one is doubting that these IR's sound good or that the IK's IR engine is flawless. what people are pointing out is that it's just IR's. they're not physical models, they're not some kind of emulations. they're just captures. they're probably good ones and likely sound great, just like everything else in T-Racks, but they're still nothing special, technology wise, so it doesn't warrant such a huge price tag. it would, if it was either 1) something new and cool, or 2) had a shit ton of impulses from various different studios, but as it is, such a high price for a dozen IR's is ridiculous. being dismissive and/or condescending is not helping to make your case.

[jens]

one of a kind chambers you won't find anywhere else but Sunset Sound, using the mics that are likely $5K or so each used and through Sunset's consoles...

*lol*

Brilliant sales pitch!

Did you ever consider a carrer in the second hand automobile market?

[Aloysius]

Don't blame the messenger.

[jens]

Why not?

[Peter - IK Multimedia]

Check over at Gearslutz they seem to get what I was saying without me having to say it.

Being cryptic is the hallmark of a stellar company rep....

I wasn't cryptic the first time I pointed it out... But pointing people to a place where there are more who might get what Sunset Sound is and why this particular rooms & spaces (including chambers heard on many acclaimed recordings) and plate/spring reverbs from this space shouldn't be viewed as cryptic anyway.

[Peter - IK Multimedia]

I didn't see the main (non-NAMM) video here either so here it is

https://youtu.be/Qxj-bDgJjjc

[jens]

why this particular rooms & spaces (including chambers heard on many acclaimed recordings) and plate/spring reverbs from this space shouldn't be viewed as cryptic anyway.

Nobody here claimed the IRs were "cryptic" - what peopke said is that all you're selling here is a bunch of IRs with a shiny GUI and an outrageous price tag.

And you were really given the chance and the plattform to correct this and explain if and why this is in fact more than just a collection of IRs - which you did not.

So I think that should mean it really is nothing more than some IRs, i.e. nothing like Waves Abbey Road Chambers where they really went to great length to make it A LOT more than just some IRs from a famous studio. (Not to mention that Waves - unlike IKMM - already had quite a reputation of knowing how to get the most out of IRs, also with the help of a high quality algorithm to stretch the IR, and thus AR Chambers has the option to alter the reverb time) - and look, it's on sale for 49,99 right now - and I would think it's more than fair to say that it pisses all over your small but pricey collection of IRs.

[Peter - IK Multimedia]

We have already stated why - this is an accurate recreation of an iconic studio's rooms, iso booths, chambers, as well as spring and plate reverbs. The information is also clear on our all-new advanced convolution engine the T-RackS Sunset Studio Reverb web page. We also mention using their consoles and microphones:

each impulse response was recorded using each studio’s unique console and Sunset’s extensive mic locker

There are also great audio demos available there. It seems there were a lot of preconceived notions and/or lack of reading the information on the site before passing harsh judgment by some here. Fair enough, the product is also not released, but I did notice a lot of the information offered was either ignored or not ingested.

We have the blessing of the studio (see the quote from the owner below) and Ross Hogarth (see previously-posted video) who is known to be a well-known (and multi-platinum and multi GRAMMY® Award winning engineer) frequent user of Sunset Sound's amazing spaces to name two expert sources.

Sunset Sound studio owner Paul Camarata:

For over 60 years, the sound of our studios has been heard on hit records around the world. Now, we’re proud to be working with IK Multimedia to bring our famed sound to everyone’s recordings. Sunset Sound Studio Reverb really nails the essence of our distinct character.

Ross has repeatedly called Sunset Sound a "spiritual" space for him, Prince recreated Studio 3 for his own famous studio after taking residency there for a huge amount of time, and there are so many other examples of why this space is great and according to its owner we've nailed its essence. Get your own spiritual experience for $150 if you pre-order, or don't if it isn't your cup of tea. I don't know what else to tell you.

[mcbpete]

Get your own spiritual experience for $150 if you pre-order

Guys, I think you've finally broken Peter ...

[jens]

Oh, I stand corrected - yours also allows to adjust the length - what elsr does thid new convolution engine offer? What makes it stand out from the crowd?

[glokraw]

There are talented hard working musicians, who have zero frame-of-reference
for creating or re-creating 'a sound', let alone a historically significant 'sound',
and by 'sound', I mean the final results of a recording session.

The gear in the studio rooms, the gear brought in by the musicians,
and the skillz of the musicians and recording staff all are part of 'the sound'.
Being able to drop the Sunset Studio 'sound' into a daw, where the daw user
provides the rest of the gear and skillz to complete the recording process,
is quite an achievement.

There is much name-dropping in the promo's, but since the names are dropped
by the studio owner, and a frequent tenant of the studio,
award-winning as they may be, there is some credibility offered to potential
customers. The idea that this is just some IR's is ludicrous.
One must take into account the capabilities of each part of the software,
how the parts integrate with each other, the visual representation of audio tools,
and how an inexperienced user will be able to use them effectively.

The product is a rich environment to create, not just some IR's. The future
(and the present) is replete with customers who have never been in any
professional recording studio, some who never will, and some who could,
but prefer not to. To argue pricing is fine, but if you fail to argue
the lost man-hours of hopeful but inexperienced creators, and fail
to argue the man-hours invested by experienced users seeking a break-through,
and fail to argue producers of any ilk under a serious time crunch,
and fail to argue the limited free time of a total newbie learning from
the ground up, you fail to recognize the value of progress itself,
and fail to understand the value many individuals place on their free time,
compared to, and as well as, their working hours.

Some experienced graybeards may rant about the price,
but there are more important prices and benefits
that other potential users should not ignore.

It's a bit like touring between Los Angeles CA, and Port Angeles WA
You can take the interstate for speed and efficiency, or you can take
the state highways and see the country. The Sunset Studio,
and other IK products let you do a lot of both.

For example, the new Hammond B3 product lets you visualize,
use, and intermingle the many hardwares inside an iconic
and historic range of instruments, another situation where having
a B3 is beyond the grasp of most musicians, yet the sound is often desirable,
and now financially available.

I hope IK continue to bring new and specialized products to market.
In the long run, prices are ultimately determined by the market.
In the short run, each customer has their own desires, skillz, and budget.
Cheers

[CapnLockheed]

There are talented hard working musicians, who have zero frame-of-reference
for creating or re-creating 'a sound', let alone a historically significant 'sound',
and by 'sound', I mean the final results of a recording session.

The gear in the studio rooms, the gear brought in by the musicians,
and the skillz of the musicians and recording staff all are part of 'the sound'.
Being able to drop the Sunset Studio 'sound' into a daw, where the daw user
provides the rest of the gear and skillz to complete the recording process,
is quite an achievement.

There is much name-dropping in the promo's, but since the names are dropped
by the studio owner, and a frequent tenant of the studio,
award-winning as they may be, there is some credibility offered to potential
customers. The idea that this is just some IR's is ludicrous.
One must take into account the capabilities of each part of the software,
how the parts integrate with each other, the visual representation of audio tools,
and how an inexperienced user will be able to use them effectively.

The product is a rich environment to create, not just some IR's. The future
(and the present) is replete with customers who have never been in any
professional recording studio, some who never will, and some who could,
but prefer not to. To argue pricing is fine, but if you fail to argue
the lost man-hours of hopeful but inexperienced creators, and fail
to argue the man-hours invested by experienced users seeking a break-through,
and fail to argue producers of any ilk under a serious time crunch,
and fail to argue the limited free time of a total newbie learning from
the ground up, you fail to recognize the value of progress itself,
and fail to understand the value many individuals place on their free time,
compared to, and as well as, their working hours.

Some experienced graybeards may rant about the price,
but there are more important prices and benefits
that other potential users should not ignore.

It's a bit like touring between Los Angeles CA, and Port Angeles WA
You can take the interstate for speed and efficiency, or you can take
the state highways and see the country. The Sunset Studio,
and other IK products let you do a lot of both.

For example, the new Hammond B3 product lets you visualize,
use, and intermingle the many hardwares inside an iconic
and historic range of instruments, another situation where having
a B3 is beyond the grasp of most musicians, yet the sound is often desirable,
and now financially available.

I hope IK continue to bring new and specialized products to market.
In the long run, prices are ultimately determined by the market.
In the short run, each customer has their own desires, skillz, and budget.
Cheers

I won't even bother to say what I think about your expertly informed opinions. IRS of MANY of the world's greatest spaces including the the f#cking Taj Mahal are readily available for FREE. Either your a paid shill for IK or a complete tool.

Nothing terribly groundbreaking here and, IMHO, ridiculously overpriced. Of course, that's just my opinion.

[JerGoertz]

Oh, I stand corrected - yours also allows to adjust the length - what elsr does thid new convolution engine offer? What makes it stand out from the crowd?

Wait... So if we buy T-RackS Sunset Sound, we get "The Length" for free??

[jens]

incoherent rambling

lol

[Peter - IK Multimedia]

Actually it is more than just IRs (and see below for how even a captured IR can be better or worse depending the way the job is done). What's not as clear as I had thought in the available information is this: We also modeled the Sunset Sound preamps (API for studio 1&3 and Neve for studio 2) for use in T-RackS Sunset Sound Studio Reverb so it is not "just an IR". Hope that clarifies further.

Another point is that saying something is “just an IR” is like saying that a Steinway piano is just a bunch of iron and wood. An IR can be taken in my bathroom or at the Royal Albert Hall and would that be the same? Plus, the real differences is that sampling a space is not something that just anybody will be able to do at this level of quality. I mean, you're all welcome to book time at Sunset Sound to capture the spaces and reverbs (just the studio time alone would be difficult to book and cost more than this product). I'd put money on the result sounding different and not as good as T-RackS Sunset Sound Studio Reverb. Why? Because there is added value in the way the job is done. We put experienced hands (and ears) to the task of how to achieve the best possible outcome here, along with the preamp modeling and came up with a high-quality set of spaces and reverbs.