Plugin Overload - or - The Excitement is Gone?

[PatriotsBiker]

I was surprised to see Softube come out with a $550 plugin a short time ago. They call it the "Weiss DS1-MK3" Regular price reduced to $499 for the introductory offer. I was, however, even more surprised to see zero chatter about this in the DUC. This plug is not on my radar, but I am curious to know if those who got it or tried it think it's worth $550?

One other release that has seemed to get zero chatter is that new "Studio Max" bundle from IK Multimedia. This one got zero reaction at the DUC as well. I think I know the reasons why there seems to be little traction and won't get into it here(read - don't get me started). Still, what little bit I have seen around the web is critical in such a way that it would have been a large outrage kind of discussions.

In closing, it seems like these releases would have been huge topics of discussion a very short time ago. Have we reached that saturation point?

ps - Product reviews are great places to pickup tips from other users. In one such review on a product I already own, I saw a user state that he had over 1500 plugs. Dang!!!

[amagras]

I simply can't click on the link of a plugin that costs more than the DAW I work with. I understand the importance of Softube supporting DSP guys but for us in the Software version their prices are ridiculous, I mean, $200 for a pultec and $100 for a phaser?

[WKG]

The Softube Weiss is a line by line code of the original 10k unit so it's not an emulation, it's the actual heart of the hardware box which is digital. I couldn't justify the expense based on what I am doing in my place so I'll pass but I see how this might be great for those who need it, assuming the plugin does what it says.

I already have all the IK stuff I want due to all their other past sales so the bundle offers are redundant. I suspect that might be the case with more folks than just me.

[64GTOBOY]

Both of these offers are discussed extensively on Gearslutz. The Weiss is high end mastering stuff, which doesn't really get a lot of traction here. As for the IK-IDK but I think most of us non noobs are sort of saturated with guitar sims and a lot of us are about recording real amps so...

[amagras]

Proud to be a noob here

[PatriotsBiker]

@64GTOBoy - I didn't look at GS for the Softube release. I see what you mean. I did see that IKM thread on GS, though. A few people offering their opinions on upgrade paths and some GUI gripes. Not a whole lot of positive chatter going on about it.

[Gemylon]

Here you go ...


20 pages of comments ...

https://www.gearslutz.com/board/new-...ring-plug.html

[musicman691]

Originally Posted by PatriotsBiker

@64GTOBoy - I didn't look at GS for the Softube release. I see what you mean. I did see that IKM thread on GS, though. A few people offering their opinions on upgrade paths and some GUI gripes. Not a whole lot of positive chatter going on about it.

GUI gripes about Amplitube? Oh boy - big time here with AT4. Out of habit and because I do a fair bit of work in Photoshop on my other computer I run calibrated monitors. AT4 is way too dark and contrasty as compared to AT3 and I have to really bring up the brightness to see the dark areas but then other areas of the gui are blown out.

Then there's the stupidity IK did if you want a stereo rig in AT4. In AT3 once you setup the path you want when you would set up an amp in one channel. You could then right click on the amp gui and select copy settings, go to the other channel, right click on the amp there and paste the settings and the amp & settings for the first channel would be set so you would have the same amp & settings in both channels (if that's what you wanted). In AT4 this went away.

As to IK's pricing - amagras kind of touched on it even though he didn't mention them by name.

[PatriotsBiker]

Originally Posted by musicman691

GUI gripes about Amplitube? Oh boy - big time here with AT4. Out of habit and because I do a fair bit of work in Photoshop on my other computer I run calibrated monitors. AT4 is way too dark and contrasty as compared to AT3 and I have to really bring up the brightness to see the dark areas but then other areas of the gui are blown out.

Then there's the stupidity IK did if you want a stereo rig in AT4. In AT3 once you setup the path you want when you would set up an amp in one channel. You could then right click on the amp gui and select copy settings, go to the other channel, right click on the amp there and paste the settings and the amp & settings for the first channel would be set so you would have the same amp & settings in both channels (if that's what you wanted). In AT4 this went away.

As to IK's pricing - amagras kind of touched on it even though he didn't mention them by name.

So you would have to save it as a pre-set? Toontrack doesn't let one copy and paste a plug in their mixer, either. Kind of annoying with the workaround I have to do on some more heavily treated patches of theirs to go from stereo to multi-out.

I have not tried Amplitude since, I dunno, many years. I've read some of the threads you guys have had on the guitar amp emulators and went with a few PIA and the Scuffham package. It seems that some like the more recent efforts from IKM. I'd like to say that my previous experience with Amplitude is holding me back from trying more recent efforts, but that would be dishonest. You and others have touched on part of it with their upgrade pricing, but that is only part of it. I cannot put it into 50 words or less, so will leave alone for a while.

[DonaldM]

Originally Posted by PatriotsBiker

ps - Product reviews are great places to pickup tips from other users. In one such review on a product I already own, I saw a user state that he had over 1500 plugs. Dang!!!

I'd say 1500 is overkill! But if you do product reviews for a living (or at least paid to do them), then I suppose you will end up with most of what's out there.

Personally, I'm at the point now where my list of "want to get" is really short...I mean like less than 10 for processing plugins. VI's are another matter. But even there, I have well over 50 different VI's, counting all my Reason REs as well as several VSTs (many freebies) I've picked up along the way. So, a new VI would have to be pretty darn special and offer something completely new and different to get my attention. Avenger is probably one.

The only VI family I haven't really gotten into is Kontakt. I have Kontakt Free of course, and couple libraries for it. But I'm finding now as I do more work in scoring for videos and such, that there are some sample libraries out there that I really would like to have that ONLY work with the full version of Kontakt, so at some point I think I'll have to add that one.

Other than that, I just don't know what else I really "need" at this point! If I can't make good tracks with 50+ VI's, plus my Yamaha Motif XS (and all the libraries I have for that), plus my 100 or so plugins...then my tools aren't the problem!

I DO need to upgrade my PC system. I'm constantly up against CPU limits now. So that's my next big investment.