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Do you have any self imposed purchasing rules.


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. If I get the Clav I've been wanting, I don't know where it will go yet.

I thought it went on top of your A 100?

It might, though the A 100 has the nice music desk unlike some I've seen. I could fold it down, I know. :idk: yet.

"I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck

 

"The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI

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. If I get the Clav I've been wanting, I don't know where it will go yet.

I thought it went on top of your A 100?

It might, though the A 100 has the nice music desk unlike some I've seen. I could fold it down, I know. :idk: yet.

 

this is OT to the thread, but I removed my music desk and bought the Ken Rich straddlers for the A 100 which hold my Hohner E clav. I wanted to leave it on (the music desk) but the clearance wasn't enough. It's only a few screws and can be easily re attached. Now, back on topic, carry on.

1366.thumb.jpg.c5cf52bdba7da390ed8e025c2ceda163.jpg

:nopity:
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. If I get the Clav I've been wanting, I don't know where it will go yet.

I thought it went on top of your A 100?

It might, though the A 100 has the nice music desk unlike some I've seen. I could fold it down, I know. :idk: yet.

 

this is OT to the thread, but I removed my music desk and bought the Ken Rich straddlers for the A 100 which hold my Hohner E clav. I wanted to leave it on (the music desk) but the clearance wasn't enough. It's only a few screws and can be easily re attached. Now, back on topic, carry on.

Thanks. I was considering doing that. One thing I will have to consider is the distance to the wall, as my A100 is currently against the wall and with the pedals and bench, clears a closet door. Moving it away from the wall it might not.

 

BTW, I have that same flag. I bought it because I was in a Crowes tribute band for a minute, but it didn't last so I never used the flag.

"I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck

 

"The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI

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. If I get the Clav I've been wanting, I don't know where it will go yet.

I thought it went on top of your A 100?

It might, though the A 100 has the nice music desk unlike some I've seen. I could fold it down, I know. :idk: yet.

 

this is OT to the thread, but I removed my music desk and bought the Ken Rich straddlers for the A 100 which hold my Hohner E clav. I wanted to leave it on (the music desk) but the clearance wasn't enough. It's only a few screws and can be easily re attached. Now, back on topic, carry on.

Thanks. I was considering doing that. One thing I will have to consider is the distance to the wall, as my A100 is currently against the wall and with the pedals and bench, clears a closet door. Moving it away from the wall it might not.

 

BTW, I have that same flag. I bought it because I was in a Crowes tribute band for a minute, but it didn't last so I never used the flag.

This is even more OT to the thread, but I assume you've had no problem with fabric hanging over the back of the A100? I don't have a back panel for mine, and while it's really cool to see the motors whirring and the tubes glowing, I'm toying with the idea of some kind of tapestry to cover it... but my wife said "I'm worried it would catch on fire," which is not a thing I considered.

 

Dave, how far back is your Wurli from the edge of the A100? The increased height of the Hammond compared to the drum throne I had been using is making it tricky to get my legs under the Wurlitzer without bumping my knees, and I don't have a lot of room to maneuver the bench because it's straddling the bass pedals.

 

I swear I'm not trying to turn every thread on every forum into an "I got a new Hammond" announcement, but since it came up on a thread I was active on...

Samuel B. Lupowitz

Musician. Songwriter. Food Enthusiast. Bad Pun Aficionado.

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#1 - Forget vintage gear, unless you have a degree in Electrical Engineering, know how to wield a soldering iron and have adequate time on your hands.

 

#2 - It must at least respond to Polyphonic Aftertouch over MIDI right from the start, no "promised upgrade." (yeah, I know-:deadhorse:)

 

#3 - If you sell a piece of gear because you didn't bond to it, don't rush to fill the hole.

 

#4 - Never believe the hype, check out the gear directly before purchase.

 

#5 - Sure, analog is great, but digital is really closing the gap. Considering the Jupiter Xm at some point, but may be able to make do with U-He DIVA.

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#1 - Forget vintage gear, unless you have a degree in Electrical Engineering, know how to wield a soldering iron and have adequate time on your hands.

So true, to which I would add "and that the part that failed can actually be replaced."

 

#2 - It must at least respond to Polyphonic Aftertouch over MIDI right from the start, no "promised upgrade." (yeah, I know-:deadhorse:)

It's creeping up in popularity - even the inexpensive CME Xkey portable controllers have a well-implemented version. Also, MIDI 2.0 will give more incentive for companies to include it.

 

#4 - Never believe the hype, check out the gear directly before purchase.

And check out the source for reviews. Aside from GearLab, I'm not seeing a lot of in-depth reviews by people who actually know what they're talking about.

 

#5 - Sure, analog is great, but digital is really closing the gap.

MIDI 2.0's higher resolution will really help. Stair-stepping controls is a dead giveaway for digital, but that goes away with 32-bit resolution.

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#4 - Never believe the hype, check out the gear directly before purchase.

And check out the source for reviews. Aside from GearLab, I'm not seeing a lot of in-depth reviews by people who actually know what they're talking about.

 

trying to grow GearLab, Rome wasn't built in a day, so it has been said :)

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And check out the source for reviews. Aside from GearLab, I'm not seeing a lot of in-depth reviews by people who actually know what they're talking about.

 

trying to grow GearLab, Rome wasn't built in a day, so it has been said :)

 

Once a few manufacturers start linking to the reviews, we'll be good. We just need people to know about them

 

I'm always a little surprised people don't spread the word more about stuff they like.

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And check out the source for reviews. Aside from GearLab, I'm not seeing a lot of in-depth reviews by people who actually know what they're talking about.

 

trying to grow GearLab, Rome wasn't built in a day, so it has been said :)

 

Once a few manufacturers start linking to the reviews, we'll be good. We just need people to know about them

 

I'm always a little surprised people don't spread the word more about stuff they like.

 

I do on a local level. I am doing the ground work for a review for Gear Lab, I am enjoying a somewhat recent and very affordable piece of gear that I consider to be "overlooked". It targets a niche but I am finding it does well in other contexts. Existing reviews are mostly regurgitative and remain safely in the niche. When it's done I'll submit it to the powers that be and see what happens. I have at least one other "overlooked" piece of gear if the first review gets any traction. If not, I'll post it somewhere on MPN anyway.

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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And check out the source for reviews. Aside from GearLab, I'm not seeing a lot of in-depth reviews by people who actually know what they're talking about.

 

trying to grow GearLab, Rome wasn't built in a day, so it has been said :)

 

Once a few manufacturers start linking to the reviews, we'll be good. We just need people to know about them

 

Z5fTKHp.jpg

 

Manufacturers link to reviews that are written by staff writers or regular contributors of "legitimate" publications like magazines - Sound on Sound, Pro Sound News, Mix, Recording. They want to read reviews from writers that are known to be objective (well, maybe not all of them all of the time) but aren't inclined to link to even a well written review from a writer that will lead their customers to say "Who's writing this? What records that I know has he or she recorded or mixed? Did he really buy it with his own money?"

 

I've occasionally approached a manufacturer asking for a unit for review, citing a few of my detailed on-line review. I'll score maybe 1 in 20 - and it's getting leaner - not like when I was also writing for a couple of magazines. The editors would ask if I was interested in reviewing an item, or I could pitch a review to the editor. Manufacturers are more inclined to lend a review unit to a magazine-backed writer or the magazine itself.

 

I used to think that they had a warehouse full of product and could send one off to a "worthy" reviewer any time, but that's not the case. They have a few review units that get circulated - the most visible publications get them first - and guys like me can't get our hands on one without buying it, often for months after it's been introduced. Part of this is because, at this time, there are often shortages due to the world economic situation, but that, too, shall pass eventually.

 

But I think that in order to grow the Gear Lab, someone with a reputation in the industry like Craig, or maybe, from the other side of the coin, Dave Bryce, and say "We'd like to have Mike Rivers review your ......." Sometimes they'll say "Who???" and sometimes it works. But I believe that it's important that a review unit is requested by the publication. A review by a happy customer published in an on-line forum might actually be helpful to readers, but it doesn't usually carry a lot of weight with the manufacturer.

 

So get to work! Remind them how long Music Player Network has been around. Get us some gear to review so we can build your reputation.

 

I'm always a little surprised people don't spread the word more about stuff they like.

 

We see that a lot, but usually it's either about gear or software that isn't of use to me in my work, or it won't go into sufficient depth to tell me something that I can't already tell from the (usually well curated) information on the manufacturer's web site.

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Maybe you guys need to change your approach like I did:

 

Listen up all you so called manufacturers; If you want the honor of me reviewing a piece of your gear you"re going to have to get on my schedule. And you better start kissing my ass; provide me a review unit for which I can optionally purchase at below cost. You should be so fortunate so better make that well below cost. Also throw in some freebies and make sure to include a case of decent IPA. And tasty salty snacks.

 

Despite being a nobody with writing skills that barely exceed those of your average 5 year old I value my opinion above all others. In the unlikely event you require further credentials perhaps you"d be better off taking a chance with Craig, Mike or Steve?

 

Good luck with that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

:D

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Great topic and interesting replies..

 

Probably my most important rule, and therefore the one I break with some frequency, is to not get something new until I've fully worked through the capabilities of the last thing I bought.

 

nat

Once I had my basic flavours covered, I have applied a similar rule nat, especially in regards to creating patches. It can take me a long time (even years) to get reasonably good at getting personal sounds on some synths. If I was lucky enough to have made the right choice when I bought something, then it should inspire me to explore it for a long time. If it cannot go where I want to go, then it is time to think about something new.

 

Something else that has often worked for me is to hunt down a store that has one of the wiz bang instruments that I got excited to try (used to happen from reading Keyboard Mag) and then spend a good long time playing and menu diving in the store. Then I go home. If I can't stop thinking about how the unit will make my life better over the next couple days, then I will consider buying it. I have saved a considerable amount of money doing that.

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When looking at a shiny new object, the first thing I ask is "will this help me become a better piano player?" 99.9% of the time the answer is no, which helps save me a lot of money.

 

In other regards, I'm very much requirements driven. I tend not to look at stuff and try to think about how I can use it. Rather, I think about the things I want/need to do (functional requirements) and then research what stuff will help me do that within the other factors and constraints that I have.

 

I don't think I've ever forced myself into a use case just by looking at a gadget or instrument. Hardware synthesizers are a great example of that. I have absolutely no pragmatic reason to own one, since the music I play rarely requires it. While the idea of fiddling with one would be cool, I know the fascination would last a few hours and then it would quickly turn to wasted money. And . . . they won't help me become a better piano player.

 

On the rare occasion that I am enticed by something, I just tell myself to go practice to restore my humility.

.

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After an ongoing experience, I have to ask "How much trouble will it be for me to get it working well enough so I can forget about doing anything but using it?"

 

A subset of this question is "How good is Tech Support should I need it?" - Since it seems this one is neither, it's a good thing I'm not buying the product. And, yeah, it's software. Perhaps another question should be "Am I really considering a piece of software?"

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After an ongoing experience, I have to ask "How much trouble will it be for me to get it working well enough so I can forget about doing anything but using it?"

 

A subset of this question is "How good is Tech Support should I need it?" - Since it seems this one is neither, it's a good thing I'm not buying the product. And, yeah, it's software. Perhaps another question should be "Am I really considering a piece of software?"

 

Good questions. Software can be a joy if the interface is well designed and it does the intended task well.

If the interface is cryptic or stupid that makes me reconsider. If it is jam-packed with tiny stuff, I don't like that either.

 

I am over "knobs" on interfaces. That's my "stupid" dislike. Show me a mouse with fingers, so many knobs will actually move in the opposite direction or respond erratically to up and down or side to side movements.

If you just want me to enter a number, ditch the knob and make the number entering field larger. I can do that. If you want me to be able to play around with a mouse or trackpad, put a slider on there. Stupid.

 

I've had pretty excellent customer service from the vendors whose software I am using. I can't think of anything to complain about there at the moment.

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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After an ongoing experience, I have to ask "How much trouble will it be for me to get it working well enough so I can forget about doing anything but using it?"

 

A subset of this question is "How good is Tech Support should I need it?" - Since it seems this one is neither, it's a good thing I'm not buying the product. And, yeah, it's software. Perhaps another question should be "Am I really considering a piece of software?"

 

Good questions. Software can be a joy if the interface is well designed and it does the intended task well.

If the interface is cryptic or stupid that makes me reconsider. If it is jam-packed with tiny stuff, I don't like that either.

 

As you may know, I've written quite a few manuals in my time, and often get compliments about how they're easy to understand. But here's my dirty little secret: I accept manual-writing gigs only for products with good interfaces. If you document a good user interface, people will say you've written a good manual. If you document a bad user interface, people will say you've written a bad manual :)

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Now that I have hit 60 I have a couple new rules.

 

1. Avoid buying digital when possible. It devaluates too fast.

2. If you like it but don"t use it, stick it in the back of a closet where you can forget it. In a few years you will find it and it will be new again. Last week I found a Fender American Ultra P bass with P/J pickups that I forgot that I owned. It was a good feeling that cost me nothing.

This post edited for speling.

My Sweetwater Gear Exchange Page

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As you may know, I've written quite a few manuals in my time, and often get compliments about how they're easy to understand. But here's my dirty little secret: I accept manual-writing gigs only for products with good interfaces. If you document a good user interface, people will say you've written a good manual. If you document a bad user interface, people will say you've written a bad manual :)

 

I worked with someone back when I worked for a living who believed that the place to start designing a new product was the user interface. From there, you can develop product specifications (what the gadget is supposed to do) and you can also start writing the manual. Those are the first (usually by necessity) and last (usually because nobody ever thought about a manual until the marketing department is yelling for a shipping date.

 

This isn't to say that the manual can't change and evolve as the real product takes shape, but you can't let the product drift too far from the original concept or it'll never get finished.

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As you may know, I've written quite a few manuals in my time, and often get compliments about how they're easy to understand. But here's my dirty little secret: I accept manual-writing gigs only for products with good interfaces. If you document a good user interface, people will say you've written a good manual. If you document a bad user interface, people will say you've written a bad manual :)

 

I worked with someone back when I worked for a living who believed that the place to start designing a new product was the user interface. From there, you can develop product specifications (what the gadget is supposed to do) and you can also start writing the manual. Those are the first (usually by necessity) and last (usually because nobody ever thought about a manual until the marketing department is yelling for a shipping date.

 

This isn't to say that the manual can't change and evolve as the real product takes shape, but you can't let the product drift too far from the original concept or it'll never get finished.

 

If nobody minds, what software are you considering buying?

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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Now that I have hit 60 I have a couple new rules.

 

1. Avoid buying digital when possible. It devaluates too fast.

2. If you like it but don"t use it, stick it in the back of a closet where you can forget it. In a few years you will find it and it will be new again. Last week I found a Fender American Ultra P bass with P/J pickups that I forgot that I owned. It was a good feeling that cost me nothing.

 

 

I like that you put "when possible" on 1. I could not afford to make recordings at a quality level I want if I had to use something analog. Big tape going fast does sound very nice but $$$$ yikes!!!!! Plus it's a pain in the ass keeping up the gear and fiddling with reels.

 

The stuff I have stashed away haunts me, it wants to be completed. I have an Ovation solidbody electric 12 string guitar project that wants done and a hot rod Tele with a Floyd Rose - I built the body and the neck from lumber. Both of those are going to be great guitars someday, hoping soon. One of the good things to come of this pandemic is I am clearing out the old projects and getting things done.

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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If nobody minds, what software are you considering buying?

 

Me? Buy software? That's not something that I do. At the moment I have the IK Multimedia ARC3 room correction plug-in here, but it's not really to use it to correct my room, it's to see if I can build a hardware (in/out) room correction processor that doesn't depend on me using a DAW. ARC3 is supposed to be able to run as a plug-in for IK's Sample Tank, which is capable of running a stand-alone application. However, I haven't yet been successful at getting either program working. I think it's a matter that both programs appear as VST3 plug-ins. Pro Tools doesn't support VST at all, Mixbux is planning VST3 support in the next release of Version 6, and Reaper (which does support, or at least recognize VST3) apparently runs the program, but doesn't display the GUI and gives me only a generic wet/dry mix knob.

 

IK Tech Support tells me that it's supposed to also provide plain VST and AAX plug-in formats, but so far no go. Maybe I've run out of computer brain power, or personal brain power.

 

But since this has drifted off as a UI discussion, ARC3 has some beautiful graphics (in the pictures) but the manual has little text about what you can interpret or edit. Maybe once I can see the program's user interface, it'll all be obvious (a good thing).

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If nobody minds, what software are you considering buying?

 

Me? Buy software? That's not something that I do. At the moment I have the IK Multimedia ARC3 room correction plug-in here, but it's not really to use it to correct my room, it's to see if I can build a hardware (in/out) room correction processor that doesn't depend on me using a DAW. ARC3 is supposed to be able to run as a plug-in for IK's Sample Tank, which is capable of running a stand-alone application. However, I haven't yet been successful at getting either program working. I think it's a matter that both programs appear as VST3 plug-ins. Pro Tools doesn't support VST at all, Mixbux is planning VST3 support in the next release of Version 6, and Reaper (which does support, or at least recognize VST3) apparently runs the program, but doesn't display the GUI and gives me only a generic wet/dry mix knob.

 

IK Tech Support tells me that it's supposed to also provide plain VST and AAX plug-in formats, but so far no go. Maybe I've run out of computer brain power, or personal brain power.

 

But since this has drifted off as a UI discussion, ARC3 has some beautiful graphics (in the pictures) but the manual has little text about what you can interpret or edit. Maybe once I can see the program's user interface, it'll all be obvious (a good thing).

 

You are using one of the free versions of SampleTank? I have a paid version and it can be opened and used without opening any other software.

Are you working with SampleTank CS? That is the free version... https://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/st4cs/?pkey=sampletank-4-cs

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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I worked with someone back when I worked for a living who believed that the place to start designing a new product was the user interface.

 

Couldn't agree more. Started with an objective, then working backward from the objective, is usually the way to go in lots of situations. Like when musicians want to do projects, I often recommend they first get a firm idea of who their audience is, and how they're going to market the music.

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You are using one of the free versions of SampleTank? I have a paid version and it can be opened and used without opening any other software.

Are you working with SampleTank CS? That is the free version.

 

Yes, that's the version I'm using. It was there in my Installation and Autherization Manager inviting me to download and authorize it, so I did, since I had planned to use Sample Tank as a host for ARC.

 

It crashes when opened by itself, and when installed as a plug-in to Reaper, it crashes Reaper.

 

I could get a licensed version but I suspect that the problem is more fundamental than that. SOMETHING should work with the version that they offer for free.

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I forget whether you're using 32-bit or 64-bit Windows...although SampleTank is compatible with Windows 7, it's 64-bit only.

 

64-bit Windows. So in theory it should work with Reaper unless Reaper doesn't support 64-bit plug-ins. But that still doesn't explain why loading Sample Tank by itself crashes. Maybe it wants more memory. The crash report is a Windows message, not a Reaper message, something about Windows trying to find a solution, but says it can't.

 

Just for kicks, I should probably try installing these IK programs on the computer I'm using now (the one in the office) so I don't have to run to the back room to try suggestions as they come in (I don't do e-mail and avoid web surfing on the studio computer).

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