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Every once in a while the folks at IK Multimedia lose their minds and have what they call a "group buy event" . . . :)

THOUGHTS

Sometimes they do this to raise money to build a new manufacturing or research and development facility in Italy, but other times they do it as a "thank you" type of thing . . .

In this instance, it's probably a "thank you" event, at least if one believes anniversaries are important . . .

As you might know, I have a lot of IK Multimedia products (primarily software, virtual instruments, and effects plug-ins, but a few hardware products as well); and I got most of them in "group buy extravaganzas", where perhaps five years ago it was possible to get everything for about $500 (US)--software and hardware--which was around the time IK Multimedia was building new manufacturing plants for iPhone hardware and software, hence IK Multimedia had fewer products (hardware and software) at the time . . .

The current event has the potential to get 24 free products when you purchase 1 product; and it depends on the number of folks who participate, since there are well-defined participation levels that map to more free stuff . . .

The way it works is that the retail price for the item you purchase to become part of the group determines the types of free stuff you get, where the rule is that you can get free stuff for the same or lower price as the one you actually purchased . . .

In the last one, I purchased the most expensive product they offered at the time, which was a MIDI Stealth Pedal, and this qualified me for everything else as more people participated and the quantity of free stuff increased accordingly . . .

This event continues until and including Tuesday August 31, 2021--unless they continue it for a while longer, in which case they probably are planning to build another manufacturing facility somewhere. . .

25th Anniversary Group Buy (IK Multimedia)

From what I can determine, the two most expensive products are (a) Miroslav Philharmonik 2 and (b) T-RackS 5 Deluxe, but I already have both of them . . .

For me, the focus will be on getting more effects plug-ins for T-RackS; and there are a bunch of them that I do not have already . . .

One of the fascinating things about IK Multimedia is that they find what one might call "old but classic" signal processors (physical hardware) and then measure all the components and circuits (capacitors, resistors, transformers, and so forth) to create very accurate software emulations; and they have advanced, electrical engineering meters and other tools for doing this, as well as a system for mapping everything to software algorithms, with the result being for example that their software emulation of the classic Roland® RE-201 Space Echo™ unit is perfect, and I already have it, as well as the physical effects pedal version from BOSS . . .

Space Delay (IK Multimedia)

Among other things, I use Space Delay on the vocal tracks and a few of the lead guitar tracks in the current "lovey dovey" song I am developing, which is coming along nicely but is not the final version . . .

[NOTE: As with every song I post--my own songs and songs by other musical groups--it's best enjoyed when listening with studio-quality headphones like SONY MDR-7506 headphones (a personal favorite because it has good deep bass response and is sonically neutral, hence is accurate without enhancing or flavoring the sounds). If you want to be able to hear everything--including the subtle stuff--then you need to listen with studio-quality headphones at least some of the time . . . ]

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SIGNAL PROCESSORS

Waves and a few other companies do advanced emulations of classic signal processors, where for example Waves has a set of emulations of signal processors used at Abbey Road Studios when the Beatles were being recorded; but this is one of the sectors where IK Multimedia has truly amazing products that with a few exceptions are precise emulations of "old" signal processors from the mid-1950s forward, with many of the older signal processors having vacuum tubes, which provide an unique tone and texture foot print . . .

In contrast, FabFilter Software Instruments (a personal favorite) does new effects processors rather than emulations of classic, physical signal processors; hence they have a different set of stuff, including Timeless 2 and Timeless 3, the best new echo units in the known universe . . .

Timeless 3 (FabFilter Software Instruments)

Originally, these types of physical signal processors where used by radio stations to ensure their broadcasts complied with FCC rules and regulations toward the dual goals of (a) not destroying car radios and (b) providing audio at good quality for volume and frequency response . . .

Radio station engineers noticed that these signal processors has musical qualities that actually made records sound better; and this observation soon made its way to audio engineers in recording studios; hence these broadcast radio signal processors soon were used to make instruments and singing sound better as it was being recorded or later mixed and mastered . . .

While I do not have a lot of technical knowledge of the way things work with Sirus radio, I know for fact that these types of physical signal processors continue to be used for FM radio, which maps to music heard on FM radio being run through these types of physical signal processors, which among other things is one of the reasons I do not use dynamic marks in NOTION music notation . . .

Folks might remark, "I was listening to FM radio, and the solo violin textures on <some song> were superb and pristine in every respect"--except the fact is that it was run through a physical signal processor and was not even a tiny bit pristine. Instead it was made more melodic and sonically pleasing by running it through a physical signal processor (a.k.a., what in the digital music production universe is called an "effects plug-in") . . .

It's true at present that most of my relatives and friends tell me I can't sing worth a flip; but I ignore them for two reasons: (a) I can sing "The Long And Winding Road" (Beatles) without needing sheet music and it's at least ballpark and (b) it takes a while to discover one's best singing style, something I have been working on for about 15 years, slowly but surely, and lately with a bit of help from Melodyne . . . :P

[NOTE: When I am being Pretend George Martin, I tell myself that I should practice singing, but I tend to ignore my advice and mostly sing vocal parts one or perhaps two times in real-time on the fly as I compose and record them, mostly because I think it's an interesting way to discover melodies for lyrics. If I were focused on being a singer, then this would be a remarkably stupid strategy, but so what . . . ]

The other primary reason is that I compose songs, hence consider myself to be a songwriter rather than a world famous vocalist like Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra . . .

Add to this the fact that I am not lacking in exuberant self-confidence, and there you are . . . :+1

SUMMARY

If you do not have Miroslav Philharmonik 2 and T-RackS 5 Deluxe, then this is a good way to get both of them, as well as SampleTank 4 and a bunch of additional effects plug-ins, depending on the number of folks who participate in the group buy event . . .

IK Multimedia does not do subscriptions, which is useful to know in this respect . . .

At full participation, it's possible to get $2,500 to $3,500 (US) of high-quality digital music production software for $300 (US), and you also earn Jam Points that can be used later to reduce the price of more stuff . . .

Lots of FUN! :)

P. S. PreSonus has great stuff, but it's good to have a lot of stuff when doing digital music production; so this is the reason I post information like this when there is a discount sale . . .

One of the classic examples is Kontakt (Native Instruments) which has the MSRP of $400 (US) but typically is on sale at a 50 percent discount at least once a year during Thanksgiving Holiday week; so you can get it for $200 and save money to get more stuff . . .

Bolder Sounds (a personal favorite for rare, unique virtual instruments) had a super discount sale a few months ago to raise money for victims of the March 2021 attack in Boulder, Colorado; so I got a bunch of stuff at a super discount and provided a bit of help along the way . . .

It was a one-time discount event over a weekend; and I did my part, plus got some great virtual instruments . . .

Toward the goal of learning about discount sale events, it's good to get on mailing lists; and from my experience, none to the digital music production software and hardware companies send a lot of emails--just useful notices about new products and discount sales, which is fabulous . . .

Fabulous! :)
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by Surf.Whammy on Wed Aug 11, 2021 1:22 am
After doing some research, I determined the best strategy based on the IK Multimedia products I already have . . . :)

THOUGHTS

I have MODO Drums, but it won't run on the Mac Pro (Mid 2010), because the XEON processors do not have the required vector arithmetic functions (AVX); so I watched the YouTube videos on the Cinematic Percussion and Orchestral Percussion sampled sound libraries, and among other things they have big bass drums, as well as timpani and Latin percussion instruments, so this is one set of selections . . .

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I like kick drums with deep bass tone, so I think I can use some of the big bass drums to add deep bass tone to the kick drums I use from Addictive Drums (XLN Audio) . . .

I have the free version of Syntronik and perhaps have the low-end paid version, so that is another consideration . . .

MODO Bass does not require the vector arithmetic functions (AVX); so this is the product I purchased ($199.99 less $44 in Jam Points), with the logic being that it's equal or greater in MSRP than the other stuff I want.

MODO Bass (IK Multimedia)

At present there are two free products, so I selected Orchestral Percussion as the first free product and then noticed there was a Syntronik Deluxe Upgrade in the list, which is the second product I selected . . .

There are 22 synths and some other stuff for Syntronik, all of which maps to 80GB of data; so it will take a while to download and install everything . . .

Syntronik Deluxe (IK Multimedia()

Lots of FUN! :)
Last edited by Surf.Whammy on Sat Aug 21, 2021 1:32 am, edited 1 time in total.

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by Surf.Whammy on Wed Aug 11, 2021 10:29 pm
Regarding the Syntronik Deluxe Upgrade, all I had was Syntronik Free . . . :)

THOUGHTS

The next time there is a free product, I will be able to provide more specific information; but there is a way to see qualifying products; and I was a bit surprised by how many non-Syntronik products qualify for selecting the Syntronik Deluxe Upgrade . . .

I checked "My Products" in my User Area this evening; and I never actually purchased Syntronik at any level; so all I had on record was Syntronik Free at qualifying time for first two free products in the 25th Anniversary Group Buy . . .

I already had SampleTank 4, Miroslav Philharmonik 2, MODO Drums, T-RackS 5 Deluxe, AmpliTube 5, and so forth; and going by the surprising list of qualifying products, there were a lot more free choices than I would have guessed . . .

So, if you are interested in getting everything for Syntronik as one of you free products, then before purchasing your qualifying product, start by getting, installing, and registering the free version of Syntronik, which as I recall then maps to your getting more free products simply by having Syntronik Free, separately from the group buy extravaganza . . .

[NOTE: There is a Syntronik Deluxe product, but its MSRP is $269.99. The upgrade for the free gift is $99.99, so if your purchase product has a MSRP of $199.99, then you can get the deluxe upgrade. SampleTron 2 is another possibility for the purchased product, as are a few others depending on which IK Multimedia products you have already. In this respect, doing some research is beneficial. Here in the sound isolation studio, the goal is to get the most stuff for the least amount of money; and this mapped to getting MODO Bass and using $44 in Jam Points to lower the purchase price approximately to $155 (US). My strategy is to examine the entire product line--software, sampled-sound libraries, effects plug-ins, and everything else. Hardware is excluded, because it cannot be downloaded. It takes a day or two to devise a plan, since there now are a lot of software products compared to five or so years ago; but it's the best way to determine how to get the most free stuff for the least amount of money, which in this instance maps knowledge to power . . . ]

Syntronik Deluxe (IK Multimedia)

it's important to check for free stuff, regardless of there being a group buy; and depending on your musical genre focus, at least some of the free stuff is useful; and none of it is restricted in any way once you have installed and registered it . . .

For example, one of the recent free gifts from IK Multimedia for registered customers is the Art Deco Piano; and once you are registered it appears the next time you go to your User Area and check My Products . . .

You get the Art Deco Piano by subscribing to the IK Multimedia Newsletter, which is an excellent way to get information on discount sales, free gifts, updates, and so forth without being constantly bombarded with frivolous emails. IK Multimedia only sends announcements via the IK Newsletter when it's something relevant and likely to be something you will want to know--they do not abuse the privilege to send you emails . . .

[NOTE: The Art Deco Piano works with the FREE version of SampleTank, so you don't need to buy anything . . . ]

Art Deco Piano (IK Multimedia)

[NOTE: The Art Deco Piano is the free gift, separately from the group buy . . . ]

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You need to download and install the IK Product Manager application, since it does the downloads and installs; but there also is an IK Multimedia Authorization Manager which does the registering when you provide the serial numbers shown in your email or in the User Area . . .

This is the link to the webpage with all the FREE versions of software from IK Multimedia; and for reference, the free stuff is not restricted. It's full-featured and ready to use once you download the sounds and so forth:

FREE Software (IK Multimedia)

Lots of FUN! :)

P. S. Most of this stuff has so many knobs, selector switches, and controls that understanding everything intimately would be a good project for an advanced music degree from a college or university; but the various products have factory presets, and once you find a "ballpark" present you can tweak it, which is the way I do it . . .

I understand some of the concepts and technologies--more so for echo units, which is one of my focus areas--but mostly I use presets and tweak them if necessary to do whatever I need to do . . .

[NOTE: This was the first record I bought--around the time it was released in 1957 as a 78 RPM record--and I have been fascinated with reverberation and echoes ever since--a fascination shared by John Lennon . . . :+1 ]

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Consider all the synthesizers that come with Syntronik Deluxe, and it's easy to realize that understanding all the knobs, switches, and controls is way too complex . . .

It's the same with pretty much everything; and this is the reason I like factory presets that have useful names . . .

Over time, I devote a bit of attention to nearly every preset, at least enough time to get a representative sense of what it does and how it sounds; but this is something I do naturally over time as part of finding sounds and effects for specific purposes . . .

It's not necessary to be an expert in all this stuff if you use a bit of practical common sense, which is fabulous . . .

Fabulous! :)
Last edited by Surf.Whammy on Sat Aug 21, 2021 1:44 am, edited 1 time in total.

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by Surf.Whammy on Sat Aug 14, 2021 5:55 pm
Tier 3 has been achieved, so I get another FREE product . . . :)

THOUGHTS

According to the plan, I selected Cinematic Percussion as my third FREE product, so now I have both of the percussion libraries for SampleTank and Miroslav Philharmonik 2 . . .

This is the list so far:

Code: Select all
MODO BASS (Purchased $155 after applying Jam Points, MSRP $200)
Syntronik Deluxe Upgrade (FREE, $100 for upgrade, but MSRP $270 without upgrade)
Orchestral Percussion (FREE, MSRP $100)
Cinematic Percussion (FREE, MSRP $100)

Depending on the way you do the calculation, this maps to getting MSRP $670 of stuff for $155 (US) . . .

Doing a bit of planning ahead, these are the next set of selections, where each one requires achieving a new tier in group buy participation at 1,000 new folks per tier, where at Tier 10 it maps to $770 of additional free stuff:

Code: Select all
Electromagnetik Collection (FREE, MSRP $150)
Clavitube (FREE, MSRP $80)
Spaceport '77 (FREE, MSRP $80)
The Resonator (FREE, MSRP $60)
British Channel (FREE, MSRP $100)
White Channel (FREE, MSRP $100)
SampleTron 2 (FREE, MSRP $200)

The first three are keyboards and synthesizers; the fourth one is a Dobro style guitar that does automatic slides and harmonies as well as other useful musical things; the next two are effects plug-ins for T-RackS 5 Deluxe; and the last one is an updated and redesigned device used, for example, by the Beatles on "Strawberry Fields Forever" . . .

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I have the first version of SampleTron; but I don't use it very much, or at all . . .

The Electromagnetik Collection is my next choice, because it has four electric pianos that are favorites, including a Wurlitzer Electric Piano from the late-1950s, which alone is enough reason for me . . .

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Electromagnetik Collection (IK Multimedia)

There is no particular advantage to participating early, since when you decide to purchase a qualifying product, you start with the same amount of free stuff as everyone else . . .

Based on past group buy extravaganzas, participation is slower at first but then accelerates as more free stuff becomes available and folks realize it's a great way to get a lot of stuff for a relatively small investment . . .

LOGIC: WHY DO A GROUP BUY

One might suggest that IK Multimedia are just a bunch of super gracious folks who have no concerns for capitalism and making money; but probably not .. .

The 25th Anniversary Group Buy is a gracious thing for customers--no doubt about it--and if each participant buys a $200 (US) product to join the group, at full participation this maps to $5,000,000 for IK Multimedia and somewhere in the range of MSRP $2,500 to $3,500 in FREE products for the participants, facts which look to me to be good all around for everyone . . .

The question I find intriguing is "Why give away so much free stuff?"; and a few reasons come to mind:

(1) Some of the products are new, but most have been available for the past few years; and this maps to building a customer base for updates and new versions in the not so distant future. In other words, give it away for FREE now and make money on future upgrades and new versions.

(2) Customers tend to buy additional products; and this is encouraged directly by awarding JAM POINTS with every purchase, which is a way to do loyalty discounts.

(3) Apple is mucking with its new hardware and macOS versions by moving to the new Apple Silicon processors (a.k.a., "M1"), which (a) creates the need and market for updates and new versions of everything and (b) for digital music production is likely to be as messed-up in terms of every third-party vendor getting on the bandwagon with fully compatible versions as the last time Apple did this--when it switched from PowerPC processors to Intel processors. It took IK Multimedia two years to get all their products rewritten, and there was 32-bits being replaced by 64-bits around the same time, which also took third-party companies a while to implement.

I remember this well, since at the time I was doing nearly everything with IK Multimedia products . . .

Since IK Multimedia had no 64-bit products, I found other products from different companies and started using those products, which overall was a good thing because it expanded my set of digital music production instruments and effects plug-ins, some of which I continued to use after IK Multimedia released its newly rewritten products about two years later . . .

(4) Apple essentially is changing everything (hardware and software), so Microsoft will need to do something equally annoying. Of course, over the long run it will be super fabulous, at least for those folks who have new computers and keep current on everything "operating system". Yet here in the sound isolation studio I just switched from a Mac Pro (Early 2008) to a Mac Pro (Mid 2010) running macOS Mojave, hence now am doing everything on a 11 year-old computer running an operating system from September 2018, which runs the current version of everything except MODO DRUM, since MODO DRUM requires an Intel processor with AVX vector arithmetic support. If one can lust for digital music production software, then I lust for MODO DRUM, although mostly for the deep bass kick drums. On the good side there are some huge, super deep bass drums in Cinematic Percussion and Orchestral Percussion, so I think I have a work-around. And I need to check what's new for Addictive Drums (XLN Audio), since they probably are sufficiently smart not to tie their new products to a vector arithmetic sub processor that folks intentionally living in 2010 do not have.

(5) The more the merrier is a good adage in this respect.

Lots of FUN! :)

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by Surf.Whammy on Mon Aug 16, 2021 7:03 am
I thought the Electromagnetikc Collection was a FREE product choice, but it's not . . . :(

THOUGHTS

I verified this when the next tier was reached, and instead of getting all four electric pianos as a collection, they only are available as free products individually . . .

So I did a bit more checking and discovered that purchasing another qualified products gets you the complete set of free products for that purchase as well as for the first purchase--based on the MSRP of each purchased product . . .

The Electromagnetik Collection electric pianos are MSRP $49.99 each, and bit of checking on qualifying products for AmpliTube led to finding the Fulltone Collection, which among other things has the SSTE - Solid State Tape Echo stomp box, which is the new version of the Fulltone Tube Tape Echo (a physical unit that I have) . . .

[NOTE: The Fulltone Tube Tape Echo (TTE) is the light tan unit on the shelf next to the Fender Custom Shop Telecaster, which has some interesting custom shop mods, including a custom bridge pickup, two Stratocaster pickups, 5-way selector switch, and the volume and tone controls are reversed for doing swells (volume control is in front rather than in back). I call it "Sweet Sixteen", and it's a magical guitar for composing . . . ]

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"Sweet Sixteen" ~ Fender Custom Shop Telecaster

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The Fulltone Collection for AmpliTube has a MSRP of $59.99, so I used 18 JAM POINTS and purchased it for about $42 (US) . . .

This qualified me for four free products at $59.99 or less; so I selected all four of the Electromagnetik electric pianos . . .

For my other, higher-priced qualifying purchase I selected SampleTron 2 as the free product now that the group buy is on Tier 4 (four free products of equal or lower value) . . .

I like the Fulltone Tube Tape Echo (TTE), so I think the SSTE in the Fulltone Collection for AmpliTube should be good; and it qualifies me for another set of free products . . .

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Fulltone Collection (IK Multimedia)

The same thing happens with The Resonator, so I probably will buy it and get more lower-priced free products . . .

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The Resonator (IK Multimedia)

Controlling this with NOTION on a ReWire MIDI grand staff kicks-in all the elaborate slides, harmonies, and so forth, which will be useful for my pretend Country Western singer, Ferliss Nuberton . . .

[NOTE: I did the "pedal steel guitar" on this song with the native NOTION electric guitar run through AmpliTube or SampleTank; and it's pretty realistic, but I think The Resonator will be better. Whether I will go Country Western again is another matter, but so what . . . :P ]

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Lots of FUN! :)

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Sinkhorn's Dilemma: Every paradox has at least one non-trivial solution!
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by Surf.Whammy on Thu Aug 19, 2021 12:57 am
Tier 5 has been reached, so I got another FREE product . . . :)

THOUGHTS

I selected the British Channel effects plug-in for T-RackS 5 . . .

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British Channel ~ IK Multimedia

The White Channel effects plug-in will be my next selection . . .

Both of these effects plug-ins do something useful, although at the moment I don't recall exactly what . . . :P

Beyond the four Electromagnetik electric pianos, there are no particularly attractive free products qualified by the MSRP $59.99 Fulltone Collection for AmpliTube 5; so I am doing more research to determine if any of the possible remaining selections are worth getting . . .

There are a few $49.99 products that might have useful instruments, so I am investigating them . . .

Overall, it doesn't matter, because the purpose for the Fulltone Collection purchase was to get the four electric pianos in the Electromagnetik Collection . . .

In retrospect, it might have been smarter to get a $79.99 product; but my focus was on getting the four electric pianos in the Electromagnetik Collection, and for $42 (MSRP for Fulltone Collection minus $18 in JAM POINTS), I'm happy . . .

For $42, I got the virtual version of the solid-state emulation of the Fulltone Tube Tape Echo (TTE), plus four very nice electric pianos, which from my perspective is about $8 per item . . .

There are some pianos that qualify as free products for the Fulltone Collection purchase; so I selected Cinekinetik Shipwreck Piano, which has 33 instrument presets and 3.1GB of sampled-sound data, as well as some "vibey, atmospheric reverbs recorded from several rare and vintage digital hardware units", which apparently can be used on any audio track . . .

Shipwreck Piano (IK Multimedia)

There is a Cinekinetik Fracture Piano in the series; and among other things people apparently screamed into the piano frame to create "howling" sounds; and other oddities include putting metal chains on the piano, a metal pipe on the low-frequency strings, and other pretty weird stuff . . .

And there are some sampled-sound libraries featuring mallets playing different instruments--also on the weird side--but the price is qualified for free product selection using the Fulltone Collection purchase . . .

Some of the weird sounds might be useful in my science fiction radio plays, since several of the sounds are other worldly and outer space themed . . .

Lots of FUN! :)

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Sinkhorn's Dilemma: Every paradox has at least one non-trivial solution!
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by Surf.Whammy on Sun Aug 22, 2021 12:33 pm
Tier 6 has been reached, so I got two more FREE products . . . :)

THOUGHTS

For the higher-priced product, I selected the White Channel; and for the lower-priced product, I selected the Cinematik Fractured Piano . . .

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White Channel ~ IK Multimedia

MixBox looks interesting, so I think it will be the next selection for the higher-priced product . . .

It's a big rack, and it has most or all of the effects plug-ins I already have; but it's a separate and independent rack . . .

Image
MixBox ~ IK Multimedia

If it works the way I think it works, then I can create custom user-defined effects racks; and this can make it easier to configure some of the effects for vocal tracks and lead guitar tracks, at least in theory . . .

It's like a custom user-defined template for a set of IK Multimedia effects plug-ins . . .

MixBox (IK Multimedia)

I like the MixBox concept; and when combined with the IK Multimedia Syntronik synthesizers, Waves effects plug-ins, McDSP effects plug-ins, and EW ComposerCloud X software, it virtually prevents the possibility of not having enough controls, knobs, buttons, and all that stuff . . . :P

For most virtual instruments, I use the IK Multimedia White 2A Leveling Amplifier or Black 76 Limiting Amplifier to set volume levels rather than trying to do it with volume sliders on the mixing board in Studio One Professional 5 . . .

I like to have all the volume sliders set to 0dB in Studio One Professional 5, because it's less cluttered visually . . .

Setting volume levels, compression, and limiting with these effects plug-ins is more precise than trying to do it with volume sliders on the mixing board . . .

For bass instruments, I use the IK Multimedia EQP-1A Vintage Tube Program Equalizer, mostly with the FATT-1A preset, occasionally tweaked to increase or decrease the resulting volume level . . .

Most of the elaborate sets of effects are focused on vocal tracks and lead guitar tracks . . .

Overall, I like the idea of "set it and forget it"; but I also do a bit of tweaking and fine-tuning for singing and lead guitar . . .

Lots of FUN! :)

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Sinkhorn's Dilemma: Every paradox has at least one non-trivial solution!
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by rogercampbell1 on Wed Aug 25, 2021 4:56 pm
I am a pro AV Consultant, a guitarist and amateur musician
And A big IK user for Amplitude.

This deal got me to upgrade my Amplitude 4 for $199, with 30% Jam points applied that was $139 out of pocket and that gave me a fully loaded Amplitube 5 minus the Satriani, Leslie, and Dimebag Darrel packs
Those were the first 3

then I picked up the ARC tuning system, that one intrigues me.
Looks like a software I use called SmartLive to tune EQ's for spaces in consulting work.

At this point the only things I am short are a couple of organ samples, that new resonator, the total rack, The Sun Studios plugin is amazing for me to replicate sounds from early Van Halen in those studios with the IR responses.

I am running out of things to buy - looks like seven free is a sure thing, maybe tomorrow...any bets on 8 or 9 before the 31'st comes?
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by Surf.Whammy on Wed Aug 25, 2021 9:52 pm
rogercampbell1 wroteI am a pro AV Consultant, a guitarist and amateur musician
And A big IK user for Amplitude.

This deal got me to upgrade my Amplitude 4 for $199, with 30% Jam points applied that was $139 out of pocket and that gave me a fully loaded Amplitube 5 minus the Satriani, Leslie, and Dimebag Darrel packs
Those were the first 3

then I picked up the ARC tuning system, that one intrigues me.
Looks like a software I use called SmartLive to tune EQ's for spaces in consulting work.

At this point the only things I am short are a couple of organ samples, that new resonator, the total rack, The Sun Studios plugin is amazing for me to replicate sounds from early Van Halen in those studios with the IR responses.

I am running out of things to buy - looks like seven free is a sure thing, maybe tomorrow...any bets on 8 or 9 before the 31'st comes?

I like IK Multimedia "group buy" events! :+1

THOUGHTS

I have an earlier version of the ARC System, but it's outdated for macOS Mojave, and Studio One Professional 5 blocks it . . .

You will need the new technology calibrated microphone designed for the ARC System 3. The microphone is sold separately, since the free products in the "group buy" are downloads only--no hardware like microphones . . .

The software uses the calibrated microphone to take sonic snapshots of your studio in different locations, and there is a computer program that provides instructions and suggested locations; and then it computes an equalization scheme so that when you run the software as an effects plug-in on the Master stereo output of your DAW, what you hear is calibrated properly . . .

I use self-powered Kustom PA loudspeakers and deep bass subwoofers suitable for a small nightclub as studio monitors here in the sound isolation studio; and I used the ARC System 2 to check the calibration, which is done by one of the Behringer external signal processors I use (DEQ 2496 Ultra Curve Pro) . . .

I probably should do the upgrade and get the new calibrated microphone; but at present I am mixing and listening with SONY MDR-7506 headphones (a personal favorite), since there was a nearby lightning strike and one of the Kustom two-way loudspeaker units exploded and burst into flames . . .

I have a replacement unit, but I'm too lazy to mess with it . . . :oops:

Image

Image

[NOTE: The photos do not show the rolls of fiberglass insulation and compressed cellulose cubes I use to control a gnarly standing wave at 70-Hz or thereabout. For practical purposes, approximately one-third of the space in the sound isolation studio is a combination of rolls of fiberglass insulation and cubes of compressed cellulose. It works, and it's reasonably inexpensive. I use the single version of "Billie Jean" (Michael Jackson) to set the center and to verify there are no standing waves, hot spots, and muddiness in the sound isolation studio . . . ]

I use Kustom PA two-way loudspeakers with 15" woofers and Kustom PA deep bass subwoofers, because (a) I know how to do it safely and have the required OSHA-approved hearing protection, which I use until the various levels are set correctly and (b) I am on a low budget . . .

I have it configured so that when the Mac Pro is at full volume level, the music is 90 dB SPL with a dBC-weighting measured by a NADY Digital SPL Meter . . .

This works for me; but I do not recommend it for folks who have no experience in sound reinforcement . . .

For reference, the sound isolation studio is 6' wide by 7' tall and 12' long, which is like a small walk-in closet . . .

Curiously, it's about the size of Les Paul's home studio but with a lower ceiling . . .

[NOTE: The big loudspeaker unit on the back wall is the portable version of an Altec "Voice of the Theater"; and it's monaural since in the early days everything was monaural, not stereo--other than the multichannel sound reinforcement system for the Walt Disney animated motion picture "Fantasia", which was what we now consider to be a "surround sound" system. It was an advanced multichannel sound reinforcement system, and there were roadshow rigs that were sent to selected movie theaters for the shows. it was high-technology in 1940-1941, and it could be setup and shown only in selected theaters. It was called "Fantasound", and this stuff existed 80 years ago in 1940-1941. As shown in the photographs, there were three large loudspeaker arrays in back of the screen; and for practical purposes they were as large as loudspeaker arrays used today in concert venues today; and it was powered by vacuum-tube amplifiers. Les Paul's studio was a bit later, and was updated in the early-1950s, about a decade later than "Fantasound". He was using vinyl platters in the early-to-mid-1940s, but then in 1949 Bing Crosby gave him an Ampex 300 magnetic tape machine, to which he added a custom record+playback head for doing multilayer recording. A few years later, working with Ampex engineers, Les Paul created multitrack magnetic tape recording, which considered separately from the Gibson Les Paul electric guitar is mind-boggling . . . :ugeek: ]

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Fantasound (Wikipedia)

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[SOURCE: "CLASSIC TRACKS: Les Paul & Mary Ford 'How High The Moon'" (Sound on Sound [S.O.S.]). ]

The ARC System is accurate, and it provided an easy way for me to verify the calibration and to get a print-out via doing a screen capture . . .

It's very useful for checking the calibration of a studio monitor system . . .

The Behringer signal processor does the calibration (pink noise at 85 dB SPL, which is totally annoying, hence the OSHA-approved hearing protection during that part of the calibration), and then I check it with the ARC System--except with the Mac Pro (Mid 2010) running macOS Mojave I will need to upgrade to ARC System 3 and purchase the new technology calibrated microphone . . .

Lots of FUN! :)
Last edited by Surf.Whammy on Fri Aug 27, 2021 5:56 am, edited 3 times in total.

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by Surf.Whammy on Thu Aug 26, 2021 9:09 am
Another tier has been reached, so two more free products . . . :)

THOUGHTS

I think it's Tier 6, and if so then my previous post about "Tier 6" was incorrect . . . :oops:

[NOTE: After checking the terminology, it's Tier 7, hence everything is good . . . :+1 ]

Regardless, I get two more free products . . .

I selected the MixBox Crossgrade for the higher-priced free product and Malletopia for the lower-priced free product . . .

For the next tier, there are some instruments and sampled-sound libraries for SampleTank 4 (Alternate Keys, Clavitube, Spaceport '77, Brandenburg Piano, Future Synths, American Acoustic); and there is the ARC System 3 software, which are qualified by the higher-priced purchase; and there is Malletension for the lower-priced free product . . .

If I get motivated to setup the replacement Kustom two-way loudspeaker that exploded and burst into flames due to a nearby lightning strike, then I think the ARC System 3 software will be my next selection, in which case I need to purchase the new technology calibrated microphone . . .

One way or another, I probably will spend $300 (US) in total; but I will get a lot of free stuff--at least a few thousand dollars, so it's all good . . .

I plan to purchase The Resonator, as well . . .

Lots of FUN! :)

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by Surf.Whammy on Fri Aug 27, 2021 1:22 am
I purchased The Resonator . . . :)

THOUGHTS

It's not a free product in the "group buy", and it doesn't qualify for the "group buy:, but I like it and purchased it anyway . . .

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The Resonator (IK Multimedia)

My pretend Country Western singer Ferliss Nuberton is excited . . . :P

[NOTE: This was done in late-2012 with the native NOTION electric guitar played through AmpliTube (IK Multimedia). I was on strong prescription opiates for about three months for back pain; and I quit the opiates when I could sleep for four hours without being in excruciating pain. It was so bad at first that I was afraid to sleep, so I went to the doctor. Later, after I stopped taking the opiates I found a folder on my Mac Pro desktop titled "Country Western" and discovered--unbeknown to me--that I had been composing and recording Country Western songs. Apparently, I had been channeling Johnny Cash and Hank Williams on drugs . . . :roll: ]

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Lots of FUN! :)

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by fpoir on Sun Aug 29, 2021 4:48 pm
Nearing nine free. It just may reach 10 before the deadline, in which case the group buy extends through September and the number of freebies should rise further.

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by Surf.Whammy on Tue Aug 31, 2021 7:37 am
fpoir wroteNearing nine free. It just may reach 10 before the deadline, in which case the group buy extends through September and the number of freebies should rise further.


As you predicted, Tier 10 has been reached before the end of August 2021, so the "group buy" extends through September 30, 2021 . . . :+1

THOUGHTS

I already had a lot of IK Multimedia software before the "group buy" extravaganza started, and after spending approximately $250 USD and getting a bunch of free software, there's not much left that I don't have . . .

The Fulltone Collection was done to get the four Electromagnetik electric pianos, but it also qualifies for a few more pianos and mallet-played sounds, which I selected as the free products; so not much left there other than predefined House, Trance, and other stuff, which at present is of no interest to me, at all . . .

The most recent free selections for the high-value purchase (MODO BASS) were Sunset Sound Studio Reverb, Spaceport '77, and Clavitube . . .

There are a few more signal processors for T-RackS 5 that I plan to select; and on the SampleTank 4 side, there are pianos; one more synthesizer (Future Synths); and the American Acoustic guitar. . .

The ARC System 3 software is another one, but I will need to buy the new technology, calibrated microphone, which is fine with me . . .

Separately, I purchased The Resonator, but it doesn't count as a "group buy" qualifying purchase. I like what it does, so it's all good . . .

HOW TO GET IT ALL

[NOTE: Start by getting the FREE versions of SampleTank and so forth, which includes registering a user account and getting on the email list. Then purchase one of the two, highest price qualifying products (see below for specifics), and there you are . . . ]

FREE Products (IK Multimedia)

For those folks who only have the FREE versions of software from IK Multimedia, as best as I can determine one purchase of $299.99 USD will map to getting nearly everything if the "group buy" goes to 25 free products . . .

In this scenario the qualifying purchase should be either (q) Miroslav Philharmonik 2 or (b) T-RackS 5 Deluxe--but only one, not both . . .

They are the highest priced qualifying products, so get one and then you are qualified for everything else in the free selection list . . .

For T-RackS 5 Deluxe, you need to examine what it includes, so you don't get free signal processors already included in T-RackS 5 Deluxe . . .

Start with Miroslav Philharmonik 2 ($299.99 USD) and then get T-RackS 5 Deluxe as the first free product . . .

Get SampleTank 4, AmpliTube 5, and Syntronik Deluxe as three more free products . . .

As time allows, I will verify all this and post a list of free product selections that will map to getting pretty much everything if the "group buy" reaches Tier 25 (25 free products) . . .

Without doing a worksheet, I think this maps approximately to $3,000 USD software for $300 USD, which is a super discount for a lot of what I think is excellent software (virtual instruments, sampled-sound libraries, and effects plug-ins) . . .

I'm working on the data; and for everything I think it requires a second qualifying purchase but at a lower price . . .

In total, there are 39 software products; so at 25 free products per qualifying purchase, it takes two qualifying purchases, but the second purchase is lower priced . . .

[NOTE: To be totally complete, I think it requires purchasing the new technology, calibrated microphone for ARC System 3 and getting The Resonator, neither of which are qualifying products but are nice to have. Done this way, it moves the total to $500 USD, more or less, which for approximately $5,000 USD of good stuff counts as smart shopping here in the sound isolation studio. A quick guess puts the downloads in the range of 500GB to 1TB of software; so plan on managing the download limits, if you do not have unlimited downloads with your ISP. My local ISP charges $10 per 100GB for downloads over 300GB per month, which in this scenario would be perhaps another $70 USD, but so what. I timed my downloads over a week before the cycle end and when the new cycle started; so I got some emails about stuff like "you have used 90 percent of your download quote and there are three days left in the current cycle". By spreading it on both sides of the cycle boundary, I can download 600GB at no extra cost . . . ]

It's a bit complex, but so what . . . :reading:

Lots of FUN! :)

P S. I am doing the worksheets because (a) I like IK Multimedia products and (b) nobody else will do it . . .

There is a third aspect, which is based on being a tiny bit annoyed by everything being so complicated . . .

If I had done the worksheets earlier, then I might have selected a different, higher-priced, second qualifying purchase; but since I already had a lot of IK Multimedia software, for me it didn't matter . . .

However, for folks who have only the FREE products from IK Multimedia, devising a strategy matters significantly . . .

Over the years, I have discovered in an immediately conscious way that there are three things I do all the time:

(1) tap my fingers and feet to rhythms, even when there is no music playing other than in my mind

(2) count things, including (a) time in seconds when I start something or when there is a lightning flash in the distance (5 seconds maps to 1 mile) and (b) items in the grocery store when I look at a shelf of stuff, the latter being the consequence of working in a grocery warehouse when I was in college, which eventually led to being compelled to memorize the location of everything in a Walmart Supercenter, thereby making it easier to imagine being in a helicopter looking downward at a Walmart Supercenter with a transparent roof and seeing all the shoppers, vehicles, Walmart Associates, and so forth when I do 24x7 simulations in my mind, which curiously is pretty much the same as having FUN with the symphonic electric orchestra in my mind

(3) make exhaustive lists of stuff, often for no immediately obvious logical reason

Additionally, (a) I tend to write a tiny novel every day in the form of posts to this forum and a few other forums and (b) I play guitar every day and focus on music for hours at a time . . .

Do this every day for decades, and you tend to get better at it, which is fabulous . . .

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Fabulous! :D

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by Surf.Whammy on Fri Sep 03, 2021 5:09 am
I am making progress on a set of worksheets for "group buy" strategies . . . :)

THOUGHTS

I have worksheets for all the T-RackS and SampleTank add-ons, but I need to do a worksheet for the AmpliTube add-ons, even though with a few exceptions I have quite a few of them . . .

For folks who have no IK Multimedia software, this is a non-guitar focused strategy for getting approximately $3,300 USD of free stuff for one $300 USD qualifying purchase if it goes to 25 free products by the end of September 2021, where at present it is on Tier 11 (11 free products):

[NOTE: If your computer does not have an Intel or AMD processor with AVX vector arithmetic support, then replace MODO DRUM with the Fulltone Collection for AmpliTube 5 . . . ]

Advanced Vector Extensions (AVX) ~ Wikipedia

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Surf.Whammy's "Group Buy" Strategy #1 for folks who have no IK Multimedia products

With this set of virtual instruments, sampled-sound libraries, effects plug-ins, and Realivox Blue (RealiTone), plus Studio One Professional 5 and NOTION 6, it's entirely possible to do realistic, high-quality versions of these songs by my favorite Russian and K-pop musical groups . . .

[NOTE: It might take three months per song, working 12 to 18 hours each day, but so what. Do it for two songs, and it takes less time for additional songs. NOTON does all required music notion (all on ReWire MIDI staves, except Realivox Blue which is hosted directly in NOTION) and Studio One Professional does the mixing and producing. The keyboard player in the Russian song is the composer and leader of the group, and the producer and composer of the K-pop song is stellar (a personal favorite) . . . ]

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For reference, as explained in previous posts to this topic, I already had a lot of IK Multimedia software; so I selected MODO BASS for my qualifying product and than a bit later selected the Fulltone Collection for AmpliTube 5 as a second qualifying product to get the four Electromagnetik electric pianos. In retrospect, I should have selected a higher-priced qualifying product ($79.99 USD), but so what . . .

I plan to post the more detailed worksheets for AmpliTube, SampleTank, and T-RackS . . .

It's an interesting puzzle, and the goal is to determine the best way to get the most stuff for the lowest cost . . .

If you have an electric guitar focus, then there are 13 add-ons for AmpliTube 5--plus the lower-priced Fulltone Collection--and they range from $99.99 USD to $149.99 USD; so getting AmpliTube Orange as a second qualifying product makes it possible to move all the $99.99 USD items from the Strategy #1 list to the AmpliTube Orange qualified list and to replace them with all 13 of the AmpliTube add-ons (minus the Fulltone Collection, which is moved to the Orange list) . . .

[NOTE: Expanding AmpliTube 5 makes it possible to do Metallica songs. This song is from a 2019 concert when it was raining cats and dogs, which is amazing. Everything is wireless, so no possibility of electrocution. Completely insane. Totally committed to playing music . . . ]

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If Tier 25 is reached (25 free products for each qualifying purchase), then add another $1,300 USD of free stuff for the AmpliTube Orange second qualifying purchase, which brings the total of free stuff approximately to $5,000 USD . . .

In other words, spend $400 USD and get about $5,000 USD of free products--all good, high-quality stuff--which is better than a 90 percent discount . . . :+1

For reference, I have some but not all of the AmpliTube add-ons; so for me the add-ons of interest are the Fender Collection 2, AmpliTube Orange, AmpliTube Leslie, AmpliTube Jimi Hendrix Anniversary, and AmpliTube Mesa/Boogie . . .

I already have the Fender Collection, AmpliTube SVX, AmpliTube Metal, and AmpliTube Jimi Hendrix; and I have T-RackS Leslie (but not the AmpliTube version) . . .

I might get the ARC System 3 package (software and new technology calibrated microphone) as a qualifying product to get more free stuff . . .

I like IK Multimedia products, free stuff, and super discount events . . .

Lots of FUN! :)

P. S. These are the worksheets (AmpliTube add-ons, SampleTank add-on instruments, and T-RackS add-ons), which is fabulous:

AmpliTube 5 Add-ons (PDF, 1 pages)

SampleTank 4 Add-on Instruments (PDF, 1 page)

T-RackS 5 Deluxe and Add-on Effects Plug-ins (PDF, 2 pages)

Fabulous! :D

P. P. S. Full Disclaimer: I do not work for IK Multimedia or anyone else; and nobody gives me free stuff--other than the free stuff they give everyone . . .

Why do I work on lists like these for days?

At some point, if you expect to be deep in the realm of digital music production, the fact of the matter is that you need a lot of stuff--mostly virtual instruments, sampled-sound libraries, and effect plug-ins . . .

All that stuff is expensive and certainly can cost $10,000 to $20,000 USD, if not twice that much . . .

A few years ago, I made a list of all the stuff Vienna Symphonic Library (VSL) sells, and the MSRP was over $20,000 (USD) . . .

I get on email lists for a lot of digital music production software and hardware companies, and after a while I noticed they all have super discount sales and other promotions from time to time; and this discovery led to the realization that getting stuff at super discounts maps to having more money to get even more stuff . . .

For example, over the past five or so years, Native Instruments has had a 50 percent discount sale on Kontakt during Thanksgiving Holidays, where instead of Kontakt costing $400 USD, it costs $200 USD, which Is a significant saving . . .

IK Multimedia has virtually insane "group buy" events whenever they need to raise money for a new factory or research and development facility in Italy; and these "group buy" events are an excellent way to get a lot of high-quality stuff at absurd discounts, sometimes greater than 90 percent discounts . . .

And I like to make lists of stuff, which is super . . .

Super! :P

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by nathanielwalker2 on Sat Sep 04, 2021 2:36 pm
I have Total Studio 2 MAX and SampleTank 4 Max

I think they served their purpose, but since moving to Komplete and other orchestral libraries there is no way I could go back to IKM's stuff - which they barely develop/bug fix and frankly I can't be bothered to deal with their forums or "Peter" (who trolls the internet to spew sarcasm on any criticism).

And I would never pay $299 for Philharmonik 2, so the group buy is the only instance where this makes sense... But right now I'd get KH DSO while it's still available for $99 over Philharmonik 2 and bank the rest of my money to wait for the sales taht likely to hit NI Komplete over the upcoming holiday period.

It's a shame that Notion is practically abandonware - outside of "Studio One Compatibility patches." If it and Studio One shared the same libraries you could get PreSonus Symphonic Orchestra for $99 and just use that for sketching, etc.

Philharmonik is a badly designed library, and too difficult to use in a way that results in good output. It just isn't worth the trouble, to me. And their stuff uses an epic amount of disk space.

I'll end up just deleting the IKM Account, eventually, as I don't think I'll ever want to use that stuff again. I generally don't like having dangling accounts existing on the internet with any of my personally identifiable information on it.
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by Surf.Whammy on Sat Sep 04, 2021 9:12 pm
I posted the list of AmpliTube 5 add-on effects, but there is more to it . . . :)

THOUGHTS

I think most people consider AmpliTube to be used solely for electric guitars; but there are other uses for AmpliTube . . .

If you select an amplifier and loudspeaker cabinet that is like a miniature PA sound system, then you can use it to enhance singing or any other instrument . . .

AmpliTube has a virtual festival of effects pedals and external signal processors, so these can be used with singing and other instruments . . .

Selecting an amplifier and loudspeaker unit that does not distort makes it like a PA sound system . . .

I have used various Heavy Metal guitar presets on vocal tracks, and it creates interesting effects . . .

There is an Ace Frehley preset (KISS lead guitar player) that I like to use on vocals--not on every vocal track, but on one vocal track to add some interesting, unexpected textures . . .

On the amplifier side, the colloquial terminology for this purpose is "clean", which maps to zero overdrive and distortion . . .

Curiously, the first time I had a Marshall half-stack, I started by setting the various volume and tone controls in basic settings; and much to my surprise, it was the sound of a high-quality, vacuum-tube amplifier and a high-quality set of 12" loudspeakers . . .

It was "clean" . . . :shock:

There was nothing Heavy Metal, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, or anything else about it . . .

Nevertheless, with a bit more focus on control settings, I discovered how to get what one might call the "classic Marshall stack" sound, but with a half-stack loudspeaker cabinet . . .

My favorite is a 50-watts vacuum tube amplifier and a half-stack with four 12" Celestion "green backs", but fast-forward about 20 years, and I got a full-stack--same loudspeakers and vacuum-tube amplifier. though--100 watts is too much . . .

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Celestion G12 "Green Back" Loudspeaker ~ 25-Watts

Folks wonder, "Why only 50-watts?"; and the answer is that these specific vacuum-tube amplifiers are rated honestly in the most conservative ways . . .

Those same folks apparently are impressed with large numbers; so Marshall makes amplifiers and loudspeaker cabinets with significantly higher numbers' but it's a bunch of nonsense . . .

All the "music power" and similar ratings are complete and total nonsense . . . :roll:

The "50-watts" for the older Marshall units are RMS (Root Mean Square) . . .

One way to put this into perspective is to consider the Altec "Voice of the Theater" sound reinforcement system that was in back of movie screens in the 1930s, going forward . . .

There were two models, and one had a more powerful deep bass woofer . . .

The standard model was rated at 30-watts and the model with the deep bass woofer was rate at 35-watts . . .

It doesn't sound like a lot of power by today's standards; but amplifiers in those days had vacuum tubes which were very expensive and had to be replaced frequently; so the strategy was to make the loudspeakers highly-efficient so the amplifiers could be lower power, hence fewer vacuum tubes . . .

If you had an Altec A7 "Voice of the Theater" system in a typical apartment second bedroom and connected it to an iPhone 12 mini, it would be so loud that you would need to wear OSHA-approved hearing protection to avoid permanent ear damage . . .

[NOTE: I did this experiment in the early-1980s with a SONY Walkman, and it was mind-boggling--except that I did it in a two-car garage, but so what. I have an iPhone 12 mini, and it puts-out some definite sound when playing through the iPhone loudspeakers . . . ]

That's how efficient those full-range loudspeaker units were . . .

For reference, there would perhaps two Altec A7 "Voice of the Theater" full-range loudspeaker units behind the screen of a movie theater that had a capacity of 1,000 to 1,500 people . . .

Later models were branded "Altec-Lansing", where James B. Lansing was the senior design engineer and sometime later started the JBL loudspeaker company . . .

[NOTE: These units are 3' wide by 4' tall and 2' deep. The deep bass woofer is 15". The cabinet is a "bass reflex projector", and it's a "horn" for deep bass and low-midrange. The metal "horn" atop is for upper-midrange to high-frequency, and it also projects the sonic waves. Based on the larger high-frequency horns atop the cabinets, I think these are A7-500 units that have the more powerful deep bass woofers. You can see the A7 in the Sunset Studio Reberb image (below) has a smaller midrange and high-frequency horn, hence I think it is an A7 rather than an A7-500 . . . ]

Image
Altec-Lansing A7-500 "Voice of the Theater"

For reference, one of the IK Multimedia "Sunset Sound" T-RackS Studio Reverb chambers has an A7 . . .

[NOTE: The way this typically works is that the audio is played through the loudspeaker at one end of the chamber, and a microphone at the other end picks-up the reverberated audio. In some chambers, the microphone can be moved by an electric motor; and it is common for these types of chambers to be what at one time were tiled restrooms, hence even more reverberation. Moving it to the extreme, this also is done in tiled rooms with swimming pools, which can produce Taj Mahal reverberation and echoes. Reverberation is used primarily because it makes singing sound better, but this is enhanced in certain genres by adding echo units. For reference, the reverberation and echoes are not done with Sunset Sound Reverb. Instead, it's done with CSR Plate Reverb (IK Multimedia) and an assortment of tape echoes and Timeless 2 (FabFilter Software Instruments). I selected Sunset Studio Reverb as one my free products in the "group buy" and as yet have not explored it other than watching and listening to the YouTube video for Sunset Sound Reverb. I like the A7 "Voice of the Theater" used in one of the Sunset Sound Reverb chambers. George Martin and the audio engineers at Abbey Road Studios did it a different way and filtered the audio to limit it to the range of 500-Hz to 10,000-Hz, based on the perspective that bass frequencies make reverberation "muddy" and higher frequencies do not add anything useful other than high-pitched noise, which is best avoided; but while they had a plate reverberation unit, they also had an echo chamber--perhaps several other types, as well, including a custom automatic double tracking system (ADT) that used a magnetic tape machine, this being devised because John Lennon did not like to do double-tracking by actually singing the melody a second or third time, hence requesting a machine to do it automagically. John Lennon had a keen sense and understanding of time and echoes . . . ]

Automatic Double Tracking (ADT) ~ Wikipedia

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IK Multimedia "Sunset Sound" T-RackS Studio Reverb ~ Chamber with Alted-Lansing A7 "Voice of the Theater"

Lots of FUN! :)

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by Surf.Whammy on Fri Sep 10, 2021 1:53 pm
The "group buy" participation is increasing every two or three days to the next level, which maps to more free stuff . . . :D

THOUGHTS

Most recently, I selected some free stuff for AmpliTube 5--specifically the Fender Collection 2 and AmpliTube MESA/Boogie . . .

AmpliTube Leslie will be my next selection, followed by AmpliTube Orange . . .

In total, these four products have a MSRP of $530 USD . . .

After these selections, there are a few T-RackS effects plug-ins I do not have, and then there is the Brandenburg Piano for SampleTank 4 that I want to get . . .

All told, I expect this to be a 90+ percent discount sale . . . :+1

I spent approximately $250 USD and am getting at least 10 times that amount in free stuff--full licenses and everything . . .

For reference, $50 USD was for The Resonator, which does not qualify for the "group buy" event; but I like it, so I bought it . . .

My two qualifying purchases were MODO BASS and the Fulltone Collection, which after applying my JAM Points cost $200 USD, Without using my JAM Points, the total would have been $260 USD . . .

Prior to this, I already had a lot of IK Multimedia software; and now there is not so much more stuff I can get without starting to duplicate what I already have, but so what . . .

On a curious note, I like to discover what buttons, knobs, and switches for VSTi virtual instruments and VST effects plug-ins do; and just doing this for the virtual festival of Syntronik synthesizers will keep me productively busy for months, if not longer; and this does not include making sense and memorizing what all the factory presets do, which is yet another productive activity here in the sound isolation studio . . . :reading:

Lots of FUN! :)

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by Surf.Whammy on Thu Sep 16, 2021 12:43 am
The "group buy" is at Tier 15 now, so I got T-RackS Comprexxor . . . :)

THOUGHTS

With more free stuff, it's reaching a new Tier every two or three days . . .

I was going to get AmpliTube Orange, but after doing some research I decided to focus on a few of the high-end T-RackS effects, starting with Comprexxor . . .

Next I plan to get Dyna-Mu and Master EQ 432, the latter of which is a parametric equalizer and has some fascinating capabilities . . .

Lots of FUN! :)

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by Surf.Whammy on Wed Sep 22, 2021 7:27 pm
The "group buy" is at Tier 17, so I got more free stuff . . . :)

THOUGHTS

For Tier 16, I got Dyna-Mu; and I was going to get Master EQ 432 for Tier 17; but I discovered that I only had the Custom Shop version of AmpliTube 5, not the full version of AmpliTube 5, so I got the AmpliTube 5 Upgrade as the free product for Tier 17 . . .

For the next tier, I plan to get Master EQ 432, which is a parametric equalizer . . .

In the 1980s, I had a real parametric equalizer; and once you make sense of how it works, it's very nice . . .

Basically, it lets you create equalization curves, which is very mathematical . . .

It can spotlight very small frequency ranges; but it also does broader frequency ranges with varying amounts of boost or cut, based on the type of curve and other parameters . . .

I was doing sound reinforcement at the time; and I used it in conjunction with a pink noise generator to get a flat equal-loudness curve . . .

It took a while and a bit of experimenting to make sense of how it works; but it clicked after a while . . .

In some respects, it can be easier to use a linear type of equalizer, where there is a separate slider or volume level control for each of a set of small individual frequency ranges; but it's easier with a parametric equalizer, once it makes sense and becomes intuitive . . .

Pro-Q 3 (FabFilter Software Instruments) is an advanced parametric equalizer; and in this YouTube video, you can see how it does equalization and other functions using curves:

phpBB [video]


Lots of FUN! :)

Surf.Whammy's YouTube Channel

The Surf Whammys

Sinkhorn's Dilemma: Every paradox has at least one non-trivial solution!
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by Surf.Whammy on Wed Sep 29, 2021 10:16 pm
Since 20,000 folks now are participating in the "group buy"--before the end of September--it has been extended through October 2021 . . . :+1

THOUGHTS

The second monthly extension goal (20,000 participants) was reached on September 29, 2021; so it's extended through October 31, 2021 . . .

At present, if you purchase one software product, then you get 20 free software products of the same or lower price as the one you purchased to join the "group" . . .

As noted in earlier posts, I already had a lot of IK Multimedia software; and now it's getting to the point where there only are a handful of software products I do not already have . . .

For folks who do not have any IK Multimedia software--other than the FREE software--I posted a PDF list of a set of selections based on spending $299.99 USD which results in getting a lot of software; but in retrospect, I thought I had AmpliTube 5 and T-RackS 5 Deluxe, but actually did not have them, and on reflection this changes some of the free software selections, since a few of them are included in AmpliTube 5 and T-RackS 5 Deluxe . . .

Nevertheless, until I revisit the selection algorithm, I think that two purchases will map to getting everything or nearly so--one qualifying purchase for $299.99, which earns JAM POINTS, and a second qualifying purchase of $99.99 USD, which is lowered in cost by using the JAM POINTS earned in the first purchase, which maps approximately to $30 lower . . .

The strategy is to use the $299.99 USD purchase for the more expensive items; and then to use the $99.99 qualifying purchase for products $99.99 USD and lower . . .

After applying the JAM POINTS from the first qualifying purchase, this puts the total at approximately $360 USD, and you get 48 free products . . .

For example, the information for AmpliTube 5 tends to suggest that it includes everything, but it doesn't . . .

It's a good start, but the way to determine what is not included is to run AmpliTube Custom Shop and then to see what is not included, which is an odd way to determine what is not included in AmpliTube 5, but it works . . .

If something is not included, then AmpliTube Custom Shop shows the price in "Gear Credits" . . .

If it is included, then AmpliTube Custom Shop shows it with a green checkmark, which indicates you already have it . . .

It's not a matter of IK Multimedia trying to be sneaky, though . . .

It's a matter of there being so much stuff that keeping track of it nearly becomes a full-time job--at least in some respects . . .

And some things do not appear until you register them . . .

For example, I got the T-RackS 5 Precision Comp Limiter as my 20th free product, but it was not showing as something I had in T-RackS 5, which was confusing until I explicitly registered it using the key code I received in the corresponding email . . .

I registered it via IK Product Manager, and then it appeared correctly in T-RackS 5 . . .

It's easier to determine what you have and what you do not have in T-RackS 5 . . .

The sequence is to register, install, and authorize; and IK Product Manager does this automagically for a lot of the products; but there are a few that need to be explicitly registered, which also is done in IK Product Manager . . .

Devoting a bit of attention to the specifics is a good idea . . .

My guess is that it's somewhere in the range of 300GB to 500GB . . .

It's a lot of software . . .

Lots of FUN! :)

Surf.Whammy's YouTube Channel

The Surf Whammys

Sinkhorn's Dilemma: Every paradox has at least one non-trivial solution!

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