Your opinions on Cakewalk Dimension Pro

[digitalboytn]

not sure how good this is but as a SFZ playback unit it should do it nice enough now I just need to figure out how to use it.

How good is it as an sfz playback unit ?

Bloody brilliant !

Rene - the creator of z3ta+,Dimension Pro and Rapture etc is also the creator of the open source sfz format...

Someone here recommended Plugsound Pro here above Dimension Pro...

No way Jose !

Plug some sfz's into Dimension Pro and you'll be really stylin'...

I create my own sfz's in Extreme Sample Convertor by sampling soft synths that are CPU hungry and the sfz's sound great and use way less CPU too...

Dig a littler deeper into Dimension Pro and you'll find it's a winner

[dredd i knight]

not sure how good this is but as a SFZ playback unit it should do it nice enough now I just need to figure out how to use it.

How good is it as an sfz playback unit ?

Bloody brilliant !

Rene - the creator of z3ta+,Dimension Pro and Rapture etc is also the creator of the open source sfz format...

Someone here recommended Plugsound Pro here above Dimension Pro...

No way Jose !

Plug some sfz's into Dimension Pro and you'll be really stylin'...

I create my own sfz's in Extreme Sample Convertor by sampling soft synths that are CPU hungry and the sfz's sound great and use way less CPU too...

Dig a littler deeper into Dimension Pro and you'll find it's a winner

This.... Except I don't know how to create my own sfz files...

[coincidental]

Just dug out Dimension Pro and played with the organs. Bright, clear and a perhaps little lifeless. But then, that's sampling for you - and most of the patches don't have much in the way of expression built in.

Tweaking them is slightly more complicated than it would be tweaking the parameters for a dedicated organ VST with drawbars etc in plain view (or a Kontakt library that's been scripted to give similar functionality). However, Dim Pro is not hard to tweak once you get into it - adding a slight delay to the LFO, or mapping it to aftertouch, takes a second or two, no more. And the samples are good, but leave you the freedom to make them sit in the mix. Kontakt's organs (I don't have my sample drive on this computer as I write) are more colourful and perhaps 'warmer'. Not necessarily better. Sometimes having the right samples is more important that having gigabytes of them.

I find Dim Pro an excellent rompler for quickly sketching in parts. And you can get creative with it if you want to. If you want playability, go for physical modeling or a high-end sample library. Those might also be better options if you wanted a lead organ up front in the mix, but I reckon you take Dim Pro pretty close with a small amount of effort.

Finally, you might try getting hold of a copy of Dimension LE - lots of interfaces etc have it bundled - as this will get you an upgrade price to Dimension ($50?) that makes it a real bargain if you have a use for it.

[scook]

I don't know how to create my own sfz files...

It is not hard. There are hundred of examples included with DimPro. Any text editor will do, there are a few specialized editors such as sfZed out there. The sfz format is documented on several sites including Cakewalk. There is an excellent book that includes DimPro and sfz programming from Simon Cann "Cakewalk Synthesizers."

[BERFAB]

When it's on sale (or when the E-Mu packs are on sale), it's a pretty good value. The various collections are decent enough, but the OP is correct that it is getting a bit long in the tooth.

These days, I use Dim Pro consistently for one particular 'real bass' patch. The basses are very well done IMHO, and overall it is very light on CPU.

I have all the Scarbee specialty basses from the Komplete collection, but I find it's often much quicker and easier just to load Dim Pro and a bass patch and tweak it with a few effects.

[chroma]

i got dimension le for $5 in a no brainer a long time ago (with garritan pocket orchestra), and the pro upgrade cheap later. i never use it, but i can use the sfzs in alchemy, so i figure it's still a win.

[yessongs]

if your going after dim pro just get sonar it comes with it

Synthmaster can also use ths resources just as alchemy can so thousands of high quality resources in dim pro to use with other synths. Digital sound factory has more if you want them. I can use proteus vx thanks to j bridge but what I want to know guys is do you think the DSF version of EMU's library brings me anything I don;t already have for $99? Probably worth it if those resources are reusable in other synths as well.

Its a great program considering its free in the DAW I use and wanted to use.

[Numanoid]

I've only just discovered that Cakewalk are selling Dimension Pro for only 99 $:

http://www.store.cakewalk.com/b2cus/cat ... egoryID=39

I'd like to know your general opinions on the quality of the integrated sounds and the sounds of the expansion packs which are also sold at relatively low prices at the moment.

Also, since Dimension Pro has been around for several years, I'm wondering whether its sounds are outdated, i.e. can't compete with the sounds of "modern" samplers/romplers like Komplete 8/9 etc.

What interests me in particular is the "Dimension Pro Expansion Pack 1". This expansion includes a Hammond B3 emulation, which Cakewalk describes as follows: "Each component of the original organ, including all drawbar levels, percussion level, keyclick, the rotary speaker, drive, and cabinet simulator were precisely crafted to recreate all characteristics of this legendary instrument."

I got Dimension Pro.

What disappointed me with it's library, is that it is too much focused on generic rock and pop sound IMO. But those looking for that kind of sound will probably be happy.

What I mainly use Dim Pro for now is blending my own patches, you can load and mix/blend 4 sfz patches at a time, so the possibility to build sounds are huge.

The expansions pack's are so-so. The EMU romplers from the 90's where probably good, but the expansions packs are just straight samples from them. Things like z-plane filter (or what it is called) is not included, so the sounds are rather thin and dated to my ears.

[kevvvvv]

chroma

i can use the sfzs in alchemy, so i figure it's still a win.

Nice one

(never thought of that)

[hueynym]

Does anyone know if Dimension Pro WON'T work with Mac 10.8.3?? I know it says it's not "supported" but I have many VSTs that aren't supported that still work...

[BERFAB]

not sure how good this is but as a SFZ playback unit it should do it nice enough now I just need to figure out how to use it.

Someone here recommended Plugsound Pro here above Dimension Pro...

No way Jose !

Plug some sfz's into Dimension Pro and you'll be really stylin'...

Plugsound Pro has some very nice emulations included. And the newest UVI workstation that plays it is a nice piece of kit, to be sure. But the Plugsound Pro palette, overall, is a bit dated at this point as well.

And, if you're really just looking for something to manipulate samples, the UVI workstation is a freebie. Plugsound is just one of the sound banks they sell to go with it. I believe it comes with a nice taster of the packs they sell, so if you really want to check it out, you can, and with no risk.

Cheers
-B

[sprnva]

Does anyone know if Dimension Pro WON'T work with Mac 10.8.3?? I know it says it's not "supported" but I have many VSTs that aren't supported that still work...

I have Dimension LE and it seems to work fine in Garageband on 10.8.3. The 1.5 updater was unable to find the plugin to update. I figured it was probably a security thing so I ran the binary inside it (Contents/MacOS/Dimension Combo Update) in the terminal with sudo and it updated fine.

Also it's only 32-bit.

[scook]

Dimension Pro is on sale for $19.99 through the end of the month at the Cakewalk store. That is a very good deal.

[aMUSEd]

Just bought it - now to work out how to install it on Mountain Lion (apparently there is a workaround)

[Numanoid]

Dimension Pro is on sale for $19.99 through the end of the month at the Cakewalk store. That is a very good deal.

Yeah, wow, almost like giving it away

Hope they also can add some more free expansions for previous customers that paid top dollar for the plugin