Fans of the freeware devs...

[whyterabbyt]

According to the mini-interview, they're developing 'enhanced versions' for commercial release (as Overloud).

Should be pointed out that the originals were part of a research project... the release of the VSTs is unlikely to have been the 'core business' of the research project, just a side-effect....

[Kingston]

According to the mini-interview, they're developing 'enhanced versions' for commercial release (as Overloud).

Apparently mr. Serafini was involved with Amplitube 2 development as well. We can't know what his input was, but let's hope it was minimal because frankly, AT2 sucks quite a bit. Been looking forward to Overloud breverb so this is interesting news.

[headquest]

Are we in there anywhere?

The full bug-pack is included among the 200 plugins on the cover DVD. Other than that I have not seen a specific mention.

Basically the magazine has the simple format of picking the "Top 50" Freeware plugins, and then features each in depth, usually including a write up on what it does, a mini tutorial and sometimes a quick interview with the developer who coded it, and/or an endorsement from an unknown musician who used it on their last demo/album/whatever.

Want to know what the 50 are?

[headquest]

BTW CM adopted a Top 50 type of approach for what was included, Obviously opinions vary, but i was totally in agreement at some of their picks and slightly more confused at some of their other choices..

Yeah, same here. Some of the omissions were also puzzling: e.g.

* dBlue Glitch - how ever could they leave that out?
* Blockfish - recently commended in SOS alongside expensive commercial alternative, and they missed out freeware compressors and limiters almost entirely (endorphine the only one listed).
* W1 limiter (see above)
* North Pole...

There were actually just a few in there that I'd not even heard of though, so it was worth the read. I don't tend to try out everything available, but having skim-read through the mag I have picked up a couple of new things - including High Life, which is stunning. I had no idea that it was freeware, or how useful it can be, nor how powerful. Wow!

Also, I'd not previously come across Triple Cheese or Retro Delay, which are definitely worth knowing about.

One final point - some of the stuff they include is actually SHAREWARE - and not FREEWARE (e.g. Ambience, Reaper...). Listing that stuff as *free* maybe gives it a good bit of promotion, but surely misses the point about encouraging users to make a contribution...

[whyterabbyt]

Some of the omissions were also puzzling:

They might not have got permission for some stuff.

[headquest]

Some of the omissions were also puzzling:

They might not have got permission for some stuff.

I meant some of those not judged in the "Top 50"... although yes, some omissions from the DVD are also puzzling (e.g. the Kjaerhus Classics, which are included on their normal DVD every month )

[ianweb123]

WhyteRabbyt has a good point as they have to ask permission before including Freeware on their disc, As a matter of interest I have refused permission to certain magazines on previous occasions.

I get the impression, though, that they wanted to make sure that all the plug-ins featured in the top 50 were available on the CD so that might explain some of the ommisions, having said that amongst the devs that had given permission there were some plugs that I might have expected to be included in certain categories that were not (I was a bit suprised that one of mine in particular wasn't on there?!?!?), but as I said earlier opinions vary and one mans plug-in is another mans poison

[ugo]

out of curiosity, did string theory end up in there? i was contacted by CM a few months ago...they said they were working on a freeware feature and asked for permission to include string theory. i emailed them my approval, but they never wrote me back, or sent any forms for me to sign (as is sometimes needed.) so i didnt know if they got my email, if it didnt make the final cut, or if it actually made it in.

im surprised to hear that they didnt include dblue's glitch. that thing is one of my favorite effects, free or commercial.

ian, did they just not include some of yours that you expected, or did they not include any of yours at all? i certainly hope at least something of yours was on the list. if they didnt include any of your stuff then thats quite a major omission for any freeware article, imho.

[headquest]

out of curiosity, did string theory end up in there? i was contacted by CM a few months ago...they said they were working on a freeware feature and asked for permission to include string theory. i emailed them my approval, but they never wrote me back, or sent any forms for me to sign (as is sometimes needed.) so i didnt know if they got my email, if it didnt make the final cut, or if it actually made it in.

Yes - so big congratulations for making the Top 50 Ugo . Well deserved too - I love String Theory and Rez2. Superb stuff - thank you.

im surprised to hear that they didnt include dblue's glitch. that thing is one of my favorite effects, free or commercial.

Ditto. It's hard not to overuse it in fact.

[ianweb123]

out of curiosity, did string theory end up in there?

As HeadQuest has already confirmed, Yes it did, another award for your Trophy cabinet

ian, did they just not include some of yours that you expected, or did they not include any of yours at all?

Originally they got in touch with me asking if they could include Strat-a-Various on the disc. At this time I wasn't aware that the format would follow a Top50 stylee, and I got the impression that they only wanted to include it on the disc along with a boatload of other Freebies.

I explained that Strat-a-Various was a really old plug, not supported now and certainly not what I would consider to be my best work, but, if they wanted to include it I would prefer it if i had a chance to update it a little. They said that that was OK but I only had a few days before the deadline for Burning the CD.

As I was doing a re-work of S.A.V. and I didn't feel that i would want to carry it on my main website, I badged it as a Computer Music Special, with the intention of it being seen as a one-off for this particular Mag.

I was not sure if the plug would carry any sort of description in the Mag and thought that with the pre-press deadlines looming that it would be unlikely, CM obviously found the chance to squeeze it in..

It might be intersting to hear from some of the other devs that had the more complete coverage (odo,pj?), as there appeared to be some form of interview or Q&A session, as WhyteRabbyt described above. I can only guess that that took place much earlier on.

The point I was trying to make about my plugs is that, on reflection, there are other plugs of mine that have had a far better reception at places like KvR than the one of mine that they chose. Having supplied the update to Strat-a Various they then asked if they could include a bunch of my other plugs on the CD, which I agreed to. In the meantime I have offered them another exclusive plug, which they may or may not use, but you will have to wait and see what that is all about..

[ugo]

cool, good to hear that they are showing well deserved interest in your plugs, ian.

out of curiosity, did string theory end up in there?

As HeadQuest has already confirmed, Yes it did, another award for your Trophy cabinet

my thanks to you and headquest for the confirmation that ST got in. i've been wondering about that since they wrote me in january. mags from overseas usually are late showing up in the states, but i'll keep an eye out on the stands to see if i can grab a copy when it shows up.

[whyterabbyt]

I meant some of those not judged in the "Top 50"... although yes, some omissions from the DVD are also puzzling (e.g. the Kjaerhus Classics, which are included on their normal DVD every month )

Actually Classic AutoFilter is there in the Top 50.

Just for the record, they do detail the 'selection process' they used; sounds like they started from the biggest list of freebies they could compile then whittled it down for various reasons, eg old classics that had been superceded, lower sound quality, higher CPU usage, too buggy et.c.
It also looks to me like they tried to 'cover all the bases', so they've got a sampler, a few synths including a modular, a couple of drum machines, wave editor, various takes on host, and a few effect types, inlcuding reverb, autotune and a mastering processor. Once you break it down into those many categories, there's only really a couple of plugins per group, IMO, so it really does get into the territory where tons of good stuff gets missed out. And given an arbitrary limit there's always going to be something missed out.
The one thing I'd say is that as a response to the usual 'I have no money so I must w*r*z brigade' its a bloody good illustration of what can equip yourself with for nothing. They should be shipping this CD by the tens of thousand to schools, FE colleges, youth clubs and the like.

(In fact somone oughta consider that as a project; an all-in one CD image of hosts and effects with an installer frontend and a set of collated documentation files.)

[BFunKu]

How could they not put Triangle II in the Top 50??? WTF
vurtbox!!! Lol

[pattonfreak1]

Could anyone say anymore about the Simulanalog Soldano plug?
Please?

[Ivan_C]

We can't know what his input was, but let's hope it was minimal because frankly, AT2 sucks quite a bit.

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