MCreative Bundle - install comments

[DarkStar]

I'm just trying out some FX in the MCreative Bundle (v4.02) and am finding a lot to like.

Here's a few things that I noticed:

1 I find it difficult to read the text in the Settings page for each FX:



Is there a way to change the text colour?

2 The Bundle installer installs all 18 FX into a single folder. I would have liked to select different folders for the different FX - I moved them manually after the install (so I guess the Uninstall won't find them).

3 The Bundle installer installs the shortcuts into a fixed Start menu folder. I would have liked to to select a different folder. I moved it manually after the install.

4 I manually created shortcuts to the PDFs for MMultBbandFlanger and MMmultBbandHarmonizer (the Bundle installer did not create these two shortcuts).

5 In my Applications Data folder (C:\Documents and Settings\DarkStar\Application Data\) there is a separate folder for each FX. It would be much better if there were a single MeldaProduction folder with the FX sub-folders within it; e.g.
C:\Documents and Settings\DarkStar\Application Data\MeldaProduction\MMultiBandChorus

Now, where's my €84?

[MeldaProduction]

I'm just trying out some FX in the MCreative Bundle (v4.02) and am finding a lot to like.

Here's a few things that I noticed:

1 I find it difficult to read the text in the Settings page for each FX:



Is there a way to change the text colour?

You can change colors in the style configuration. It will probably be more visible with some different colors. It is done this way, because it looks nice and the main title is more visible, which is good IMHO, because the "help" would be distracting and you'll more likely read it just once anyway.

2 The Bundle installer installs all 18 FX into a single folder. I would have liked to select different folders for the different FX - I moved them manually after the install (so I guess the Uninstall won't find them).

Well yes, there's a trouble with existing users - when they, the original plugins may stay in default folders. Plus some technical complications. Still thinking how to do this right.
In your case the updater nor uninstaller won't find it.

3 The Bundle installer installs the shortcuts into a fixed Start menu folder. I would have liked to to select a different folder. I moved it manually after the install.

Frankly I don't see this as a big trouble. It just puts it into start menu the same way any other applications. Maybe some installers have it configurable, but I don't see this as a good idea anyway. Hope you don't mind.

4 I manually created shortcuts to the PDFs for MMultBbandFlanger and MMmultBbandHarmonizer (the Bundle installer did not create these two shortcuts).

Whoops, that's not correct, I'll check it out.

5 In my Applications Data folder (C:\Documents and Settings\DarkStar\Application Data\) there is a separate folder for each FX. It would be much better if there were a single MeldaProduction folder with the FX sub-folders within it; e.g.
C:\Documents and Settings\DarkStar\Application Data\MeldaProduction\MMultiBandChorus

Yeah, that's right, unfortunately there is no way to change it now, because people would have to update all software at once (and we would have to update everything at once ). I know it would be tidier inside single MeldaProduction folder, on the other hand this directory is dedicated for program data anyway, so you shouldn't look in there .

[DarkStar]

Thanks for your reply.

1 Text colour in the Settings drop-down window
I've now tried several of the FX and Styles - in several cases (e.g MMultibandDelay / Colorful) the text on the Settings drop-down window is not easy to read here, it does not look like the window is affected by the Colour Settings.

2 Multiple folders for Bundle installs
Just a suggestion:
-- allow the use to select "Install all FX" or Install single FX" then select the destination folder,
-- after an install, allow the user to pick another FX to install or Finish,
-- allow the user to select several FX at a time to install into a single folder.

3 Fixed folder for Start Menu Shortcuts
This is not a big deal, but after installing products from several developers, that Start Menu >> All programs folder can get very long, so you have to scroll to get to the desired shortcuts. Just for info, I have added DAW, Instruments, Effects and Hardware sub-folders and dragged the folders installed by the installers into them, making navigation quicker.

5 Single MeldaProduction folder in Application Data
To make this area tidier, here is another suggestion, for the next set of installers:
-- create the ...\Application Data\MeldaProduction folder if it does not exist
-- for each installer, if its own sub-folder currently exists (e.g. mcreativebundle_4_02_setup, MeldaProduction MMultiBandChorus etc ) in the "Application Data" folder, move that sub-folder into ...\Application Data\MeldaProduction
Job done.

To be extra safe, the VSTs could look in ...\Application Data\MeldaProduction\<<FXname>> then in ...\Application Data\<<FX name>> for the config data.



HTH

[MeldaProduction]

Thanks for your reply.

1 Text colour in the Settings drop-down window
I've now tried several of the FX and Styles - in several cases (e.g MMultibandDelay / Colorful) the text on the Settings drop-down window is not easy to read here, it does not look like the window is affected by the Colour Settings.

Aaaha, I'll check. Anyway it will never look perfect, because it uses both black and white for text on the same background. But I think it's not such a big deal, since only the bold text is important and that one is easy to read.

2 Multiple folders for Bundle installs
Just a suggestion:
-- allow the use to select "Install all FX" or Install single FX" then select the destination folder,
-- after an install, allow the user to pick another FX to install or Finish,
-- allow the user to select several FX at a time to install into a single folder.

Hehe, no way . First - it would be very problematic to implement. Second - most people would just be confused. And third - about 0.0001% of people would actually care .
I'll probably go for the same thing Waves do - install the plugins into subfolders according to their types (Dynamics, Eq, Modulation...). But first it's needed to solve the technical aspects with existing users (and not just that).

5 Single MeldaProduction folder in Application Data
To make this area tidier, here is another suggestion, for the next set of installers:
-- create the ...\Application Data\MeldaProduction folder if it does not exist
-- for each installer, if its own sub-folder currently exists (e.g. mcreativebundle_4_02_setup, MeldaProduction MMultiBandChorus etc ) in the "Application Data" folder, move that sub-folder into ...\Application Data\MeldaProduction
Job done.

To be extra safe, the VSTs could look in ...\Application Data\MeldaProduction\<<FXname>> then in ...\Application Data\<<FX name>> for the config data.

You like order huh? I like that, but this easy to say but hard to do. First it is a lot of stuff to do in multiple programs and they are often connected. An example: MDrummer uses presets of the separate free plugins, so you update free effects, they move the presets elsewhere and whoops, you lost presets in MDrummer. I could imagine many more like this...

And then you have the moving thing - we are up to move whole directories. What if something goes wrong? The host (or a plugin) crashes by writing zeros to places it shouldn't and application data becomes C:/ and you are doomed. Personally I'm willing to do these things only in extreme cases, which, sorry, but in my opinion this is not.

Simply put, I don't think this is worth the trouble. The directory is NOT designed for users after all.