Tracktion Software

audiobot202 · Post by **audiobot202** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 5:22 am

Ok, so I thought I'd try to create a thread without all the crap that's been around here lately.
What are your favourite (VST or DX) FX and instruments in these categories:

Reverb: (I like the Anwida lite reverb....smooth tails on that one. Ambience always sounded too harsh to me)

Delay: (I've just discovered the Bionic Delay and it rocks

Synth for warm pad sounds: (I really like Asynth. It has a clean interface and can produce some nice sounding digital warmth. I also quite like Linplug Free Alpha)

Synth for weird noise mayhem: (Crystal is obviously top in this regard despite some clunkiness in the interface.)

What are your favourites?

rpc9943 · Post by **rpc9943** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 5:25 am

Reverb: Ambience, Sometimes even T1 native!
Delay: TapeDelay
Synth: ehhh i use samplers usually

RonC

nuisance sonore · Post by **nuisance sonore** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 5:38 am

Nice thread Audiobot,

Reverb: Sir, kjaerhus classic reverb
Compressor/limiter: BuzComp free bundle, TLS maximizer
Delay: I never use any
Synth: Augur, Synth1, Artphase, Crystal, Superwave etc...

Let's not forget Finalmix which I put in the master output first thing on every new project.

audiobot202 · Post by **audiobot202** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 6:33 am

Ezy Ryder wrote:Nice thread Audiobot,

Reverb: Sir, kjaerhus classic reverb
Compressor/limiter: BuzComp free bundle, TLS maximizer
Delay: I never use any
Synth: Augur, Synth1, Artphase, Crystal, Superwave etc...

Let's not forget Finalmix which I put in the master output first thing on every new project.

Oh yeah..I forgot about the Kjaerhus classic stuff. Nice one

And yes, Augur is a nice sounding plug for sure. I just downloaded Artphase so I'll give it a spin later. I completely forgot about Synth1 as well. I really like the Arpeggiator on it.

GaryG · Post by **GaryG** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 9:43 am

Artphase is my new best friend, such a gorgeous 'pure' tone to it.

as for the rest, what the others said really...

just add Oberon, simple 2osc sub-analog synth but a lovely smooth sound.

headquest · Post by **headquest** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 12:32 pm

Not in categories I'm afraid, but I did a major "cull" of my VST folder recently, and from more than 100 these are the only freebies left:

Effects: Kjaerhus Classics - full range (love 'em all - especially the new Auto-Filter - and bought the Golden range too)
plus Ambience, Blockfish, Cyanide 2, Dominion, Endorphine, FLoorfish, Spitfish, Izotope Vinyl.

Synths: FreeAlpha, Crystal, Triangle II, Plugsound Free, Synth 1.

THat's it. Other than that I have *a few* paid for VSTs, but mostly use Reason for synths/samples and Adobe Audition's native effects, which I far prefer to most of the VSTs out there.

Of course there's always room for a few more paid-for VSTs in the folder

GaryG · Post by **GaryG** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 1:18 pm

I had a cull too, too many synths that sound pretty impressive but i'd just never use them (eg. satyr, some great messed up sounds perfect for 'industrial' but ... i don't make that kind of music!

)

I did find myself pondering over a few because of their reputation, like, "I should keep this because it's so highly regarded". PolyIblit for instance, decent enough but why all the fuss about it? It's presets all sound pretty flat to me compared to others out there...

less is definitely more.

.g

audiobot202 · Post by **audiobot202** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 2:13 pm

All good food for thought. I've done similar culls but still hold onto more than I probably need to because of certain sounds or reputation for sound.
I do like Artphase though

And I like the sound of Supersaw Plus, even though it is not free.
What do you all think of the Synthedit plugs in general? I have heard of some people who stay right away from them. I have had CPU hungry SE plugs, but there are a few which are very good, if not better than non SE counterparts.
I had heard of SE plugs in general sounding all very similar due to the sound capabilities of the parent program in SE. Is there some backlash against them?

Steve

headquest · Post by **headquest** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 3:43 pm

Most of the SE synths got culled here. None of them were bad, but I just felt that I had all this stuff clogging up my directory, and not actually getting used. Also my understanding of synths is rudimentary at best... I prefer to use samplers and soundfonts, so Reason's NN-XT is my primary MIDI sound source.

I know what a couple of you mean about the reputation some of the freeware synths have.

Crystal is like that for me... I keep hold of it because I fell like I'm supposed to rather than because I actually use the thing. It makes such weird and wonderful textures, but where do you put that in a mix

.

PolyIblit does sound good to me, and I can't remember why I culled it ... probably just wasn't using it for a while; also I found the GUI uninspiring.

Triangle II and FreeAlpha are the 2 that have MOST impressed me for sound quality - very useable. I keep meaning to buy the full Alpha 2, which has 750 presents and costs about $59 I think.

I also like Synth 1... primarily because I actually understand the thing

So for me, I look for good sound quality, user-friendly features, and a GUI that invites me in.

valley · Post by **valley** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 3:48 pm

I culled because I simply found that whilst different plugs have slightly different sounds, they aren't different enough to warrant the time spent learning them to level necessary to get the best out of them, or to know instinctively which one to turn to.

I'd rather have four synths that cover a wide range, and that I know inside out and backwards, than a tonne of synths that I only basically know.

As such my synth folder is currently Z3ta, Vanguard/JunoX2, Alpha, Bazzoid2[1], RM III.

The only freebies I have are sfz, and shortcircuit free(whilst I try to decide whether it justifies $150 pricetag).

a few others, square, and some muon stuff, is in there 'cos a few old tunes need them. I'll render 'em out one day, and remove those plugs too.

For effects I'm down to Kjaerhausm and DFP stuff for freebies.

[1] Cheers, Jens

rockstar_not · Post by **rockstar_not** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 5:34 pm

Effects:

Multi: Luxonix multi-effects is stellar
Delay: Bionic Delay is the best tape delay sim I have found
Filter: Frohmage works great with tracktion's Automation curves (as does Bionic Delay)
Reverb: I like Pianoverb for strange stuff, and AriesVerb, and I use the Freeverb that comes built into Tracktion more often than not.
Audio Manglers/auto slicers: supatrigga is my favorite freebie

Instruments:
-Mr. Ray's Electric Piano (both versions)
-Rumpelrausch Taips B3 emulator rocks
-Carbon synth that was on the cover CD for FM in 03
-Superwave P8 (I think that's it) has the best Van Halen Jump patch of any soft synth out there if you are into that sort of thing.
-sfz

There was a main forum thread on this a month or so ago - I found some gems from that thread also.

-Scott

origami · Post by **origami** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 5:44 pm

reverb: SIR
phaser: SUPAPHASER
delay: RETRODELAY
sampler: SHORTCIRCUIT FREE
analogicalish synths: SYNTH 1, SUPERWAVE, ASYNTH, EGOKILLER, POLYIBLIT, TEXTURE
other synths: MOTION, CRYSTAL

audiobot202 · Post by **audiobot202** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 8:11 pm

So for me, I look for good sound quality, user-friendly features, and a GUI that invites me in.

Exactly. So many of them sound so similar or offer similar features that I think I'm going to go have a cull right now. Well...after coffee and my daughter has piped down !!

It's a good point to remember that too many options so often restricts, rather than promotes creativity. I spend half my time auditioning free plugs rather than actually using them in hopes of getting the best setup !

nuisance sonore · Post by **nuisance sonore** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 8:25 pm

audiobot202 wrote:
It's a good point to remember that too many options so often restricts, rather than promotes creativity. I spend half my time auditioning free plugs rather than actually using them in hopes of getting the best setup !

It's important to have fun too. That's why I kept a few free synth even though my main workhorse is Wusikstation and I use that for everything, even drums since I started programming them myself (although I'm not very good at it yet).

Nobody mentionned any compressor; is it because you're all using the one that came with Tracktion? I never even tried it, is it any good?

headquest · Post by **headquest** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 8:47 pm

Ezy Ryder wrote: Nobody mentionned any compressor; is it because you're all using the one that came with Tracktion? I never even tried it, is it any good?

I never tried it either. The reason I didn't mention one in my post is that I used a paid for VST

. Namely, the Kjaerhus Golden Compressor which I love.

Having said that I sometimes also drop the digitalfishphones Blockfish on a track - it's a nice and simple channel compressor with a handful of well-configured presets for different instrument types/situations. Sounds great, easy (and professional looking) interface... and free

Tracktion Software

KVR Audio

Best free FX and instruments