Recommended Gear: Software

[hazineju]

This is really a gold mine of possibilities. Thanks cruciform, dave, matto, and llama for your thoughts (and ck, i was thinking the same thing when i read that list!).

Matt I remember your positive comments about kontakt the first time i met you at the rally a couple years back - haven't forgotten - but had a lot to learn before i felt i was ready to take it on. i think i've finally gotten to place where i can handle it, although i don't think my computer can. but that's another thread, lol.

Looks like there's a lot more to explore at NI too.

I've had my eye on ra and some of the other collections from EW - may just have to pick one up before the sale ends at the end of the month.

I'm seeing a lot of Spectrasonics mentions - have no clue about that one. Homework!

[mojobone]

A good DAW, (Reaper, Tracktion) a good sampler (GS3) and a decent set of mastering tools; linear phase EQ, multiband compressor (Mackie Finalmix) and a nice convolution reverb. (Reverberate and a large impulse response collection) Those are the tools, the rest is toys. I'm transitioning to Logic and Kontakt in the near future, though. Probably the one thing I wouldn't want to mix without is Blockfish. I lean pretty heavily on Addictive Drums; it's not my only drum solution, but I use it the most, by far.

[Len911]

cubase
sonnox enhance bundle
waves alchemy for electronic drums
ocean way for standard drums
ivory grand
reverberate with acoustica ir's
alchemy
speakerphone 2.0 (this is an offbeat plugin, and expensive, but imo has mucho sonic potential) I especially like the vintage record players, but probably because I grew up listening to the original vinyl records. The radios are nice also, especially the tube radios. This thing could actually replace so many things, that I'm beginning to think it wasn't such an outlandish purchase decision after all, considering what is included. I bought it on the hunch of an impulsive theory that I had that recorded music is just psycho-acoustical, and we try to emulate not only what we hear and like, but also by what it is played on, or through, etc. Anyway, it's probably not for the orthodox.

[mazz]

If I was going to delve deeper into sound design, SpeakerPhone would be near the top of my list of "must haves":

http://www.audioease.com/Pages/Speakerp ... phone.html

along with a Kyma system:

http://www.symbolicsound.com/cgi-bin/bi ... ny/WebHome

and MetaSynth:

http://www.uisoftware.com/MetaSynth/index.php

Those are some cool toys (uh, tools)

[Kolstad]

My god, Juliet, YOU have a beautiful voice!

In your genres (New Age, Chill Out, Classical Crossover, and World), you'd probably be wanting something organic sounding + all of the Spectrasonics instruments

Stuff like:
Motu Ethno 2
EW Silk and Orchestra Platinum (you'd need the extra mic positions in EWQLSO, or as the even better alternative, LA Scoring Strings, if you have NI Kontakt)
Altiverb (probably the best reverb yet)
Spectrasonics Omnisphere, Stylus RMX, Trillian
A bunch of different & nice sounding compressors (UA, T-racks, Waves)
Izotope Ozone 4 (for mastering tasks)
I can't imagine a software piano would really cut it in your genre, but maybe Sampletekk

But you seem to be doing fine already, Juliet. Wonderful music!

[mojobone]

If I was going to delve deeper into sound design, SpeakerPhone would be near the top of my list of "must haves"

iZotope's Trash is a pretty good alternative to Speakerphone.

[Len911]

Trash is an alternative to speakerphone?lol! Not really for what I use and would use it for, unless your saying my stuff sounds like garbage.

I have been auditioning some cheap(er) Vst plugins, many freebies, some nominal. I finally found a delay that I found useful, Kjaerhus, but most of the links were bad links, or I couldn't find any links on the site for the free delay, then I went to a site and thought I hit a dead link and low and behold I have the whole dang ensemble of their plugins. The wamcat freebie wasn't too bad, but I have a ton of delays I have to go through and delete, some of them have a nice gui, but don't do anything, or sound really crap imo. If anyone uses a gate, Bias has one that is now free, that is great, if you go to their website, otherwise it is $40 or so. I love the Stillwell Rocket compressor so far, it is $49, and then while searching for eq's later I came back to their 1973 eq plugin for $39 that so far are perfect on my vocals, however I think they must be for drum sounds as those seem to be the only presets, go figure. I had a long list to download and audition so I lost many of the links because I deleted them from the bookmarks so I could tell which ones I downloaded.
I have a few though. The elysia filter thang, freebie, is pretty neat little gadget, filter, eq, whatever it is, you can take any signal, guitar, bass, doesn't seem to work as well for piano, and play with the knobs to find the optimum eq type setting where you can make some samples sound even more realistic?
elysia
http://www.elysia.com/

stillwell audio http://www.stillwellaudio.com/?page_id=68

bias gateex
http://www.bias-inc.com/special/freeMPSplugin-register/ I believe you have to use this link and they will mail you serial numbers, otherwise all I see on site is the store and it's for sale.

I'll see if I can find the other kjaerhus site again. If I do, you will not even know it installed, until you see it in your vst preset window.
http://www.acoustica.com/plugins/vst-directx.htm

[mojobone]

Trash is a multiband distortion with a ton of useful presets; in that sense, it's a LOT like speakerphone, because speakers, pretty much by definition, degrade the original audio source in some fashion.

[hazineju]

thanks mojo, len, thesongcabinet, and mazz for sharing some more good stuff!

and magne i really appreciate the very kind compliment and the suggestions you offered that are specific to the types of music i focus on, thanks a bunch!

[eeoo]

If you're a Pro Tools user down load the free Massey demos immediately! eo.