Anybody got a Plugiator yet ?

[TiUser]

Hi folks,
I am still around the corner and I see there is still some action going on here...

To be serious, price for plugiator has really dropped!

Drums'n bass still isn't out...

Did one mention to exchange a plugiator with a blofeld? Sound wise this is a really strange idea...

Don't know if I go back to get again a plugiator... SM Pro Audio is close to ship their now renamed and slightly redesigned V-Machine for not too much more than a plugiator but it looks much more flexible and interesting... IF IT WORKS... something you can not really expect from such gadgets nowadays...

Let's see... OP-X sounds great too...

[buscemi]

I still have mine, but unfortunately my usage pattern wouldn't expose the issues about which you are looking for updates. I hook up MIDI cables betwixt it and my MIDI controller, send it out to my mixer, into my interface's inputs and play. Nothing more, no quantizing or running MIDI channels through it. Works perfectly for this. I don't use the Vocoder either so sorry for not helping with those examples requested. I typically use the Moog emulation, organs sometimes, and the Lightwave, Prodyssey, and Pro-12 are all good sound-wise. I only occasionally need to use the USB hookup to further tweak the sounds.

I suppose I'll pick up the FM module, but don't much care about Drum n Bass though it will also be so cheap I might as well. Here's what someone from Use Audio said when I asked if that was stalled:

"The Drums n Bass will be announced next week. The plug-in is finally complete - we are in our last round of beta testing ."

This was 8/2/08 - they appear to be trying to compete with IK Multimedia for worst adherence to deadlines with a bonus for actually announcing dates when the know they clearly don't hit them.

[Megakazbek]

Don't know if I go back to get again a plugiator... SM Pro Audio is close to ship their now renamed and slightly redesigned V-Machine for not too much more than a plugiator but it looks much more flexible and interesting...

It's MUCH more expensive if you consider price of the software. For example if you buy Arturia Minimoog and NI B4 II you will already pay more than whole Plugiator costs.

[buscemi]

...To be serious, price for plugiator has really dropped!...

Where? I think I paid about 10 bucks more than the current price at Sweetwater, Musicians Friend, and AudioMidi is having a special that isn't all that much cheaper than that (difference is less than the cost of one of their plugins). You seem to want to gleefully celebrate some alleged failure of this unit for some reason.

[TiUser]

Don't know if I go back to get again a plugiator... SM Pro Audio is close to ship their now renamed and slightly redesigned V-Machine for not too much more than a plugiator but it looks much more flexible and interesting...

It's MUCH more expensive if you consider price of the software. For example if you buy Arturia Minimoog and NI B4 II you will already pay more than whole Plugiator costs.

Price wise you are somehow true, and somehow not. To be honest, the same arguments you post made my try plugiator, but it's very different what you get...

On a plugiator you can use only one plugin at the same time... plugins are tied to the HW, you can't simply open multiple instances of the plugins you want.

Depending on CPU power you can use VSTi's simultanuously and even multiple instances of the same one until your host CPU burns... depending on license you also can install VSTi's on more than one machine... All that makes VSTi's much more valuable than DSP plugins in plugiator where you have to buy again - HW and SW - for a second instance...

Looking at that yes a v-machine and some VSTi's are more expensive, but you get much more. So finally it's hard to compare and everyone has to find out what he likes, want and need.

If you have an open eye you can save a lot with promos, special offers or bundles on VSTi's... Arturia just finished their sumemr special where you could get 2 of their plugs for one... I grabbed that chance. Right now there are NI offers for complete classics and complete synths offering 4 instruments each for a never seen rebate... I grabbed the classics also. 6 instruments for the price of regularily two... Finally there are some nice VSTi's for less if you digg a bit. OP-X is nice and less than the usual ~200€ you pay for single plugins...

...add a v-machine, assume it can run only 3 instances of your plugins and you still get more for less than 1000bucks than 3 plugiators offer...

Odd thoughts? I invite and welcone all to comment...

[TiUser]

...To be serious, price for plugiator has really dropped!...

Where? I think I paid about 10 bucks more than the current price at Sweetwater, Musicians Friend, and AudioMidi is having a special that isn't all that much cheaper than that (difference is less than the cost of one of their plugins). You seem to want to gleefully celebrate some alleged failure of this unit for some reason.

I refer to european offers. Plugiator currently sells for about 333€. It hit the streets for 369€ when it was new on the market.

[mckenic]

I still have mine, but unfortunately my usage pattern wouldn't expose the issues about which you are looking for updates

Thanks mate!

No worries - Im still looking sideways at this debating if I should just jump or walk away. I have no problems with 1 synth at a time it looks to me like a couple of synths and one wall power outlet - you gotta decide which to plugin and play with...

Dang it is a really good price at Thomann at the moment just over €300...

[buscemi]

The sounds are excellent in my opinion, especially MiniMax. Prodyssey and Pro-12 are great too. Worth the investment alone to me. I just plug in, play, record the audio. Track a good performance and base sound, perhaps effects later (I typically cut the delay out of the Plugiator sounds so I can add them later instead of printing FX). Like an old synth. I have plenty of soft synths, ROMplers, etc for other purposes. I use this sparingly just like I'll use my old Juno 106 that's coming back to me in a week or two. So for that type of usage I think it is great due to the quality of the sounds that come out.

For live use or for folks who want the flexibility of a soft synth I would not recommend it. If you want a killer Mini Moog sound (and the Prophet & Odyssey are excellent too) to plug in and play a track at a time then I do recommend it.

[TiUser]

I absolutely agree about the sound quality of the 3 quoted synth's. That never was my point.

But the rest seems to be a double edged sword IMHO.

For a studio enviroment analogue out only is inconvenient and adds cost for two additional channels and conversion. Digital integration is the only serious way I can imagine if you really are into HW for a quality studio.

Live it lacks some built in effect, especially those that are part of the sound... and then switching sounds (including the effects of course) can become more difficult.

I am far from telling it's not worth the buck, it definitely is.

My point for people who are interested in it is more check carefully out if it can do what you expect in your environment... because if you find you have to add too much to get it to do what you want it to do it can be the wrong choice...

Just to stress the B4000 again, without saying a word about the basic tonewheel sound: For me it lacks good distortion, has only simple amp modelling and no reverb. But for me an Organ is only complete with all simulations. Of course you can add all that in a DAW or HW but I doubt it will be better, as convenient or more cost effective than NI B4II on a small PC host - like v-machine. Yes the suggested solution may be twice the price, but it's only more expensive if you don't want to add the efx I personally might want. Otherwise the low price tag can be a boomerang... and lead to a mess of stuff that is more expensive and less convenient to use.

[buscemi]

Here I thought I was pretty much agreeing with you

Basically, we're both recommending against using it for live/layered purposes. I just threw soft synths in there as an example of what it isn't and I do use them too but for different purposes.

[calex]

tag1

[TiUser]

tag1

Hu? What's that about??

In the meantime I grabbed NI B4II among others and I am pretty much happy with the sound. It has the grit and dirt I like.

Just hosting the stuff in an easy portable form will be the next headache one definitely avoids with a plugiator...

So I am not in a hurry with all that, start experiencing VSTi usage on my old notebook and will see what HW the future might offer.

End of story? I guess, but who knows...

[buscemi]

FYI it appears they finally have released Drums'n'Bass: http://www.use-audio.com/pplugins.htm

[TiUser]

Hope they have the time now to fix their HW and SW issues...

[buscemi]

Hope they have the time now to fix their HW and SW issues...

Do you still have one? You did or do, right? Did you report the issues officially? I haven't experienced any, aside from a stupid controller issue because I use a CME toy not the Plugiator's issue and again my use isn't live/fast switching so I might not see the ones you do. Hopefully you've reported any sw/hardware issues.