KVR Audio

xylyx · Post by **xylyx** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 12:43 pm

Just got the new issue of Computer Music magazine which has the review of v2 in. I haven't read it yet, but it scored 9/10 and was very positive (the only negative they mentioned was that the sampler is looking dated).

The plus points were: the new interface, Dimension being 'fabulous', PSYN2 just as good, incredible productivity-driven workflow and extremely stable....

So nothing that would appear to dampen the enthusiasm that has built for the new version in that review

(Cue the CM bashers to complain how every CM review is positive!

)

billybk1 · Post by **billybk1** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 12:47 pm

xylyx wrote: (Cue the CM bashers to complain how every CM review is positive! )

Well at least, CM can't be faulted for being late to the party.

headquest · Post by **headquest** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 12:49 pm

That's sounding very good

I like CM, by the way! Regarding their review scoes though, this means that Reason 3, Live 4, FL5, P5v2 (i.e. the four big soft studios) all have 9/10, which deosn't make it any easier for me as a punter to decide between them!

xylyx · Post by **xylyx** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 12:58 pm

Yes, they probably have a lot of splinters in their butts from their fence-sitting

In the end, I just use a review as a way to glean info about new products...it's the demo that tends to sort out the final decision for me (hence why I haven't gone for R3, L4 or FL5). I remember trying out P5 when it first came out and not being overly impressed, but the new feature announcements made me take notice and I gave the demo another try. This time it just clicked for me, so I bought it and look forward to my free v2 upgrade

headquest · Post by **headquest** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 1:02 pm

Same here. I didn't like P5 version 1 demo one little bit... but version 2 looks like a significant improvement. Looking forward to a demo soon

dougsyo · Post by **dougsyo** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 3:59 pm

xylyx wrote:(Cue the CM bashers to complain how every CM review is positive! )

Did you see their review of Hartmann Neuron VS? It got a 3.

Doug

christianmusicmaker · Post by **christianmusicmaker** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 6:51 pm

dougsyo wrote:
Did you see their review of Hartmann Neuron VS? It got a 3.

Doug

Groove Agent2 got a 6 in CM86.I was a bit surprised that CM kept comparing P5v.2 too Reason and FL in the review. I can see similarities but the Live 4 look is quite obvious and (for me anyway) much clearer than Live.

The Dimension sampler apprently has 300 presets and CM describe it as being so good they almost gave it a separate review.

I think the Soft Studio tag should be dropped though. It's really a sequencer and a softstudio.

Rgc's input appears to be paying off in a big way. The dimension synth/sampler appears to be a massive draw.

Also P5v.2 has PDC and freeze which Live 4 has not.We will see Abletons response no doubt...

FaX · Post by **FaX** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 6:55 pm

christianmusicmaker wrote:
dougsyo wrote:
Did you see their review of Hartmann Neuron VS? It got a 3.

Doug

Groove Agent2 got a 6 in CM86.I was a bit surprised that CM kept comparing P5v.2 too Reason and FL in the review. I can see similarities but the Live 4 look is quite obvious and (for me anyway) much clearer than Live.

The Dimension sampler apprently has 300 presets and CM describe it as being so good they almost gave it a separate review.

I think the Soft Studio tag should be dropped though. It's really a sequencer and a softstudio.

Rgc's input appears to be paying off in a big way. The dimension synth/sampler appears to be a massive draw.

Also P5v.2 has PDC and freeze which Live 4 has not.We will see Abletons response no doubt...

Well we had better see a decent response if not ....... I can swap apps and suck up to my partner and family and get a Powercore Firewire for my birthday

........... (crosses fingers).

christianmusicmaker · Post by **christianmusicmaker** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 7:08 pm

Also CM's test machine was a 2.8 GHZ machine with 512 of RAM which for RAM is the minimum required, but no report of glitches or anything unwanted, good stuff.

I thought I would have to upgrade my RAM to really run this thing but as I have 1GB it looks like I have more than enough. I think the machine used for the P5 v.2 video had 1GB of RAM as well.

droolmaster0 · Post by **droolmaster0** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 7:24 pm

dougsyo wrote:
xylyx wrote:(Cue the CM bashers to complain how every CM review is positive! )
Did you see their review of Hartmann Neuron VS? It got a 3.

Doug

In that case, the reviewer has an axe to grind, and let his bias show. I've read other reviews by this reviewer and he is ridiculously positive in these. But the Neuron VS (which sounds utterly fantastic, is actually stable in most situations, but has some acknowledged issues in its v1 release) gets a 3? I could tell from the reviewers subsequent defense in KVR that he is biased and not to be taken seriously as a reviewer.

projectdan · Post by **projectdan** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 7:30 pm

They said that the sampler looked dated, but said that Dimension is fabulous? isnt Dimension the new sampler?

headquest · Post by **headquest** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 7:43 pm

christianmusicmaker wrote:Also CM's test machine was a 2.8 GHZ machine with 512 of RAM which for RAM is the minimum required, but no report of glitches or anything unwanted, good stuff.

That's useful because I'm on 512 on my laptop.

One thing I'll say for Live over P5, which is already obvious just from the advance info, is that the mixer paradigm in Live is both realistic and effective. Very nice indeed, I think

. P5 seems to have stuck with the "no mixer" paradigm.

I think that P5 will be interesting if only for the included instruments. Whatever the actual sequencing element is like, if the samplers/synths are good it will be worth buying P5 to use alongside Live and Reason...

Cosmic Bandito · Post by **Cosmic Bandito** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 7:58 pm

Difficult to say with CM reviews. I was thrilled to see Tracktion get a 10 because I felt it would confirm the stability of the app. Well when I tried the demo, and all the bugs from V1 were still there (first note dropped & timing 'off' when loop recording), that was the last straw for me. So I don't know what to say about this other than it's futile to rely on a review. As you can see in the tracktion forum, many were dissapointed but NO MENTION of any of this in CM.

Maybe it has to do with all the differences in CPU hardware configuations etc on how an app will work on a particular system...who knows why. Just download the demo and make up your own mind - only way to tell.

raapie · Post by **raapie** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 7:59 pm

Live has no freeze, but it has a functionality I haven't seen in any other application: anything running true Live can be directly recorded as audio to your harddrive in real time. This is the number one feature in my opinion. This way you can record any VSTi as audio instead of MIDI.

headquest · Post by **headquest** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 8:03 pm

Cosmic Bandito wrote:Difficult to say with CM reviews. I was thrilled to see Tracktion get a 10 because I felt it would confirm the stability of the app. Well when I tried the demo, and all the bugs from V1 were still there (first note dropped & timing 'off' when loop recording), that was the last straw for me. So I don't know what to say about this other than it's futile to rely on a review. As you can see in the tracktion forum, many were dissapointed but NO MENTION of any of this in CM.

I completely agree with that assessment. I like CM loads as a magazine, and I find it draws my attention to various products that I would probably otherwise overlook. But the Tracktion 2 review was simply daft.

I have noticed a trend in CM for reviews to be shorter, and use larger fonts. In the case of the T2 review it could have been based on a Mackie advert of the features - there was no evidence that the reviewer had tried it out in any depth or checked that previous issues had been resolved (which you and I know they haven't

)

First review of P5v2 is in...