X-Gote
07-06-2002, 03:37 PM
It seems the past month and a half or so has been pretty busy for some of the biggest software makers in the industry.
Last month Steinberg announced Cubase SX. One of the biggest features ive been wanting is better control over automated events which seems they have been finally listening to people. Seems more modular, especially the new mixer control! You can design your own mixer pretty much. Another feature I am really impressed by (that will be released in the next version [patch hopefully?]) the "VST System Link" which would allow you to cluster many machines together to share CPU and disk resources.. I haven't read much about it but it seems pretty promising. From what I have seen and played with Cubase has hit a new milestone with their headline software.. I only got to sit with it for a few hours but its less clunky to people new it and if your already a VST vet it is a much anticipated release for you..
haha WTF am I doing writing about software I don't use anymore? Reason 2.0 has started shipping mid last month.. all I can say is HOLY SHIT, FINALLY! 1 word, "Malstrom"! If you are familiar with the modular approach reason encompasses, you know of the limitless possibilities to design your own sound, automated events and blabla much freedom. One of the coolest things I have done with it is use its input to send information for controllers to automate events [for just about everything].. smooth out a break and feed it to a pass filter on a sustained tone for instance! New sampler module! I have not yet to uncover all of its secrets.. definitely more advanced. Everything you would find in a high end sampler.. I like it because it reminds me of my Yamaha A5000. They have kept the nn19 sampler module though which I believe is a good move to keep legacy modules so your not fucked and forced to move to something unfamiliar. AND FINALLY! The sequencer window can be detached and maximized! That was one of my biggest peeves with Reason. A sizable sequencer window really makes sitting down with it for more then a few hours like a pleasant ride ontop of fluffy clouds.. and the temperature is just right.. not to hot, not too cold. :monkey <-- there is a monkey if you are bored reading this.
Reason is pretty good these days, but I still will not use it for everything.. I am slowly starting to though. I'm finding out that the things I thought it couldn't do, it actually can. Starting to really bridge the gap for me. I recommend it to anyone that is coming from a hardware only background and is making a transition into software. For me, it has the right balance of freedom and standards.. it does have some proprietary querks like "ReFill" samples, but it makes up with the ability to import and use a wide variety of formats for its modules. I find the refill packager useful for organizing my shit and also some of that other crap like rex format for loops and such. I figured I would post this since many people ask what I use predominantly in my "Studio" (it is actually a dining room!). Not every shoe fits but there are many sizes of shoes, varieties and always use the right shoe for the right activity.
Last month Steinberg announced Cubase SX. One of the biggest features ive been wanting is better control over automated events which seems they have been finally listening to people. Seems more modular, especially the new mixer control! You can design your own mixer pretty much. Another feature I am really impressed by (that will be released in the next version [patch hopefully?]) the "VST System Link" which would allow you to cluster many machines together to share CPU and disk resources.. I haven't read much about it but it seems pretty promising. From what I have seen and played with Cubase has hit a new milestone with their headline software.. I only got to sit with it for a few hours but its less clunky to people new it and if your already a VST vet it is a much anticipated release for you..
haha WTF am I doing writing about software I don't use anymore? Reason 2.0 has started shipping mid last month.. all I can say is HOLY SHIT, FINALLY! 1 word, "Malstrom"! If you are familiar with the modular approach reason encompasses, you know of the limitless possibilities to design your own sound, automated events and blabla much freedom. One of the coolest things I have done with it is use its input to send information for controllers to automate events [for just about everything].. smooth out a break and feed it to a pass filter on a sustained tone for instance! New sampler module! I have not yet to uncover all of its secrets.. definitely more advanced. Everything you would find in a high end sampler.. I like it because it reminds me of my Yamaha A5000. They have kept the nn19 sampler module though which I believe is a good move to keep legacy modules so your not fucked and forced to move to something unfamiliar. AND FINALLY! The sequencer window can be detached and maximized! That was one of my biggest peeves with Reason. A sizable sequencer window really makes sitting down with it for more then a few hours like a pleasant ride ontop of fluffy clouds.. and the temperature is just right.. not to hot, not too cold. :monkey <-- there is a monkey if you are bored reading this.
Reason is pretty good these days, but I still will not use it for everything.. I am slowly starting to though. I'm finding out that the things I thought it couldn't do, it actually can. Starting to really bridge the gap for me. I recommend it to anyone that is coming from a hardware only background and is making a transition into software. For me, it has the right balance of freedom and standards.. it does have some proprietary querks like "ReFill" samples, but it makes up with the ability to import and use a wide variety of formats for its modules. I find the refill packager useful for organizing my shit and also some of that other crap like rex format for loops and such. I figured I would post this since many people ask what I use predominantly in my "Studio" (it is actually a dining room!). Not every shoe fits but there are many sizes of shoes, varieties and always use the right shoe for the right activity.