Baby Audio Smooth Operator

[simmo75]

@Ploki

Oh, okay. Smooth Op uses shelf filters for that purpose. If you drag up the low shelf and the high shelf only the frequencies in between will be affected. Then you can use the remaining two bell / peak nodes to pinpoint the areas of spectral balancing / deresonating. I will have to try the demo further later today, but I really liked the immediacy when I tried it yesterday.

EDIT: After watching this video I understand why you would need to limit the processing range in Gulfloss using a low pass function. It seems Gulfloss produces strange cramping behavior in the upper frequencies:

Ive not heard cramping In Gulfoss & use it regularly.

[Obsolete462444]

@simmo75

Whether you are able to hear the cramping depends on many variables, including your individual auditory perception capacity. Please watch minute 01:13 of the video and judge for yourself. Strange that you haven't noticed it yet as a regular user.

[Ploki]

EDIT: After watching this video I understand why you would need to limit the processing range in Gulfloss using a low pass function. It seems Gulfloss produces strange cramping behavior in the upper frequencies:

yep. I never used it open.
I use TEOTE open sometimes, but when i'm targeting a specific range i use "Apply to Range".
Also Slope is super useful if you want to limit processing it does (if there's a strong counter-action to your material relating to high/low balance)

and with soothe2, i actually use it more on mids/lomids than highs so i rarely use it without HP/LP

[simmo75]

@simmo75

Whether you are able to hear the cramping depends on many variables, including your individual auditory perception capacity. Please watch minute 01:13 of the video and judge for yourself. Strange that you haven't noticed it yet as a regular user.

I'll check it out later, thanks for the link.

[sambaji]

It would nice to see Smooth Operator have auto-gain match. I would say any modern effects plugin that changes gain in some way should have an auto-gain match feature if possible.

[e@rs]

What's the copy protection?

Not really sure. The site and manuals make you believe it's only serial number. But I tried to activate one of their plugins on an offline machine and immediately after I inserted the serial number it required Internet. Contacted support and they answered their plugins can't be activated on offline machines at this time.

[Obsolete462444]

That's a bummer. Do you neey online access only once to authorize or every time you use it? Not a fan of plugins that require constant internet access.

[e@rs]

Their support said only once.

[Kr3eM]

What's the copy protection?

Not really sure. The site and manuals make you believe it's only serial number. But I tried to activate one of their plugins on an offline machine and immediately after I inserted the serial number it required Internet. Contacted support and they answered their plugins can't be activated on offline machines at this time.

It doesn't make you believe it's only a serail number, it LITERALLY says it is

Their FAQ says
"How do I activate the plugins?
Our plugins will run in trial mode until they’re activated. Activate by entering your serial key (emailed with your purchase) into the text window in the plugin’s trial screen."

An the manual says

"Activate your software by entering the serial key that was emailed to you when you bought the product. Serial keys are entered in the ‘trial mode’ open screen. If you have any problems activating, please email support@babyaud.io"


It doesn't mention online anywhere on their own site, however on Plugin Boutique it says "Please Note: An internet connection is required to authorise this software." but the install guide there is for another plugin and says serial number as well... and having this stated doesn't change the fact that it is being officially promoted as a serial number protection.

Their support said only once.

Well that is some high octane grade BS...
If online is required then this is basically a C/R and not a serial number, this shit is not even a Dark Pattern issue but pure clear case of deception.

Even KVR's shop/database to says Serial Number...

There IS NO excuse to be missleading or even vague for that matter about the authorization... this kind of behaviour is dishonest. A sure way to get on my bad side and an earn a entry on my 100% ignore list...

It's time for Baby Audio to grow the f*** up....

[crickey13]

Not really sure. The site and manuals make you believe it's only serial number. But I tried to activate one of their plugins on an offline machine and immediately after I inserted the serial number it required Internet. Contacted support and they answered their plugins can't be activated on offline machines at this time.

Thanks. That's exactly the reason why it's one of the first questions I tend to ask, it's not so bad though. At least it's not some ilok cloud crap.

[Obsolete462444]

Let's discuss the plugin without throwing tantrums please. So it appears the plugin needs an internet connection once for activation (which is quite common these days, even though I'm not a big fan of this approach myself). Maybe Baby Audio can improve clarity regarding their copy protection, similar to how Smooth Op improves clarity of a mix

[crickey13]

Maybe Baby Audio can improve clarity regarding their copy protection, similar to how Smooth Op improves clarity of a mix

[e@rs]

What's the copy protection?

Not really sure. The site and manuals make you believe it's only serial number. But I tried to activate one of their plugins on an offline machine and immediately after I inserted the serial number it required Internet. Contacted support and they answered their plugins can't be activated on offline machines at this time.

It doesn't make you believe it's only a serail number, it LITERALLY says it is

Their FAQ says
"How do I activate the plugins?
Our plugins will run in trial mode until they’re activated. Activate by entering your serial key (emailed with your purchase) into the text window in the plugin’s trial screen."

An the manual says

"Activate your software by entering the serial key that was emailed to you when you bought the product. Serial keys are entered in the ‘trial mode’ open screen. If you have any problems activating, please email support@babyaud.io"


It doesn't mention online anywhere on their own site, however on Plugin Boutique it says "Please Note: An internet connection is required to authorise this software." but the install guide there is for another plugin and says serial number as well... and having this stated doesn't change the fact that it is being officially promoted as a serial number protection.

Their support said only once.

Well that is some high octane grade BS...
If online is required then this is basically a C/R and not a serial number, this shit is not even a Dark Pattern issue but pure clear case of deception.

Even KVR's shop/database to says Serial Number...

There IS NO excuse to be missleading or even vague for that matter about the authorization... this kind of behaviour is dishonest. A sure way to get on my bad side and an earn a entry on my 100% ignore list...

It's time for Baby Audio to grow the f*** up....

I told them the exact same thing (well, in a more polite way ). I got apologies for the [unintentional (they said)] misleading text and a refund offer.

[Kr3eM]

I told them the exact same thing (well, in a more polite way ). I got apologies for the [unintentional (they said)] misleading text and a refund offer.

Did they offer to compensate for the time wasted by demo/evaluate the plugin and making the purchase? As I said before, there's no excuse for things like this. I'm ust glad I didn't waste my time with it. I got as far as downloading it but I have grown wise over the years and will not evaluate a plugin until I'm certain the DRM don't have any external dependencies.

Lets say I would try the demo at home on a computer that is online, I type in the serial and the plugin calls home to a server for a C/R and it does so silent and gives no notice to the user that i does. Well then I would be under the impression that it is a simple serial number and nothing more...because thas what I have been told.

Then I spend a decent amount evaluating the demo, decide to buy it and when I'm at the studio and about to authorize it on my offline workstation then:

cmptsaysno.jpeg

....It doesn't matter if it's common practice or not: I would have been under the assumption that I bought a product with a selfcontained serial DRM because that is what I am looking to buy... I would have wasted time and effort, which in the end is money...add to that the time getting in contact with customer support and so on.

All that has to be done to avoid it is to make it clearly stated on the website. Then customers like me would not have waste any time with. So far they are lying to customers, simple as that..unintentional or not, incompetence is still no excuse but merly an explanation.

So, even though I dind't waste any time demo the plugin I have probably spend about an hour or so, looking into the DRM, reading threads about and eventually wrote posts in this thread... so yeah they still wasted my time by promoting it as a Serial Number DRM when it's a Online Authorization.

(Also, I made a pun at the end with a indication of using a f-word, I would hardly classify that as unpolite all things consider.... their site has still not change it and neither have KVR shop)

[Jkist]

Offer to compensate you for the time wasted demo'ing the plugin? My goodness. We get it, you were horribly, horribly swindled and deceived. I hope one day you are able to recover from this. Personally I'm enjoying this plugin a lot. I understand the frustration of not being able to use the plugin on an offline machine, and do agree they should put a word in about that. But they gave you a refund, good on them, what more do you want? The only other thing they should do is update the site, but outside of that, they owe you nothing.