RABid Posted December 17, 2023 Share Posted December 17, 2023 The year is winding down. What awards would you hand out to music manufacturers, music software producers, even artists? A few I can think of .... Best move by a music software company to improve digital purchase of their products - IK Multimedia. I have a lot of their products but a few years ago I quit using them and swore off ever purchasing form them again. The main reason, their policy of giving customers a short time to download products and charging them a fee to recover if they ever needed to download again. Well, this year they changed their process to come in line with the competition. I can now download my products again, and I am willing to buy their products again. You would think that everyone would have a better business model for downloadable purchases but, IK was not the only company to do this. Thus my next nominee ... Worst web site and product management for a distributer of music software and samples - Akai/Inmusic. I really like the Akai MPC line and own a LIVE II, One+, MPC X and MPC Studio (computer controller). I've purchased several sample packs and quite a few software instruments from them. I have to say this is the worst, most fragmented web site ever. Part of the problem is InMusic trying to roll every company into an umbrella account, yet trying to use legacy web sites for purchasing products. If I want to purchase a sample pack or an instrument to use on my MPC I have to go to Akai. If I want to see a history of purchases I have to go to InMusic. If I go to my account page on InMusic it does not list my sample pack purchases. If I look at my account page on Akai hoping to see a purchase history of sample packs it sends me to a page that tells me to enter my email address for a link to my account management. When I enter my email address I get an email from Akai Pro with a link to manage my orders. That link just sends me back to the page that ask me to enter my email address. Enter the address again, get another email. There is no information on the Akai Pro account page. When browsing the Akai area you visit four different web sites, Akai, AkaiPro, AkaiPro.OnFastspring.com, and InMusicBrands.com. What a mess. In addition, there are two other problems with their system. 1. You have to register your hardware before you can install any hardware based software instruments. That would be fine, but, if you sell a piece of hardware there is no way to take it off of your hardware list. 2. They only allow 3 installs of software instruments. This includes hardware such as the MPC Live, or the computer based MPC software. Like many other MPC users I have a Live II, One+ and MPC X in addition to using the software on a notebook and a desktop. That is 5 locations for something that comes with 3 installs. Their system does check. Right now I only install software instruments on hardware. I cannot use it on my computer. Edit - Just bought the Mini D on the Akai/InMusic site so this is all fresh in my mind. Okay, enough of my ranting. ... Next... Quote This post edited for speling. My Sweetwater Gear Exchange Page Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nursers Posted December 17, 2023 Share Posted December 17, 2023 Most impressive increase in marketing emails in spite of already sending too many: Native Instruments 5 Quote The Keyboard Chronicles Podcast Check out your fellow forumites in an Apple Music playlist Check out your fellow forumites in a Spotify playlist My Music: Stainless Fields Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Bryce Posted December 17, 2023 Share Posted December 17, 2023 Product most worth the (reeeeally) long wait: Expressive E Osmose. dB 5 Quote ==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <== Professional Affiliations: Royer Labs • Music Player Network Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeltaJockey Posted December 17, 2023 Share Posted December 17, 2023 Plus.. Including the GEX action in a Montage, well I think it's a bit different anyway! Minus.. The addition of advertising in most product's download and activation managers and in the plugins you've already bought. As if buying the plugins that you're going to use is not enough anymore. And I'm not just talking about NI 😕 2 Quote The companions I can't live without: Kawai Acoustic Grand, Yamaha MontageM8x, Studiologic Numa Piano X GT, Kronos2-73, . Other important stuff: Novation Summit, NI Komplete Ultimate 14 CE, Omnisphere, EW Hollywood Orchestra Opus, Spitfire Symphony Orchestra, Sonuscore Elysion and Orchestra Complete 3, Pianoteq 8 Pro, Roland RD88. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill W Posted December 17, 2023 Share Posted December 17, 2023 Most innovative recreation of a legendary hardware synth in software - Cherry Audio's Pro Soloist Quote Korg Kronos 61 (2); Kurzweil PC4, Roland Fantom-06, Casio PX-350M; 2015 Macbook Pro and 2012 Mac Mini (Logic Pro X and Mainstage), GigPerformer 4. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RABid Posted December 17, 2023 Author Share Posted December 17, 2023 Favorite budget VST of 2023 - PS-3300 Favorite free VST of 2023 - Synthesizer Expander Module Most prolific VST creator in 2023 - Cherry Audio Quote This post edited for speling. My Sweetwater Gear Exchange Page Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Emm Posted December 18, 2023 Share Posted December 18, 2023 +1 for Cherry Audio in general. Best company for relieving excessive GAS. Phil Collins doing a farewell show... from a bloody chair, no less. Wow. Thank you! Crucial SSDs. Solid performers, giving me peace of mind for a fair price. Stuff I hated: ah, who cares? Quote Lab Mode splits between contemplative work and furious experiments. Both of which require you to stay the hell away from everyone else. This is a feature, not a bug. Kraftwerk’s studio lab, Kling Klang, didn’t even have a working phone in it. ~ Warren Ellis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jose EB5AGV Posted December 18, 2023 Share Posted December 18, 2023 The best series evolution: Montage M8x The worst series evolution: Montage M6 and M7. Genos 2 (lost opportunities, first for no PAT, second for too few innovative things) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
analogika Posted December 18, 2023 Share Posted December 18, 2023 Most controversial vendor is pretty much a tie between inMusic and Behringer. 2 Quote "The Angels of Libra are in the European vanguard of the [retro soul] movement" (Bill Buckley, Soul and Jazz and Funk) The Drawbars | off jazz organ trio Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoken6 Posted December 18, 2023 Share Posted December 18, 2023 The next award is for the application most consistently prone to throw opaque licensing failures despite the problem being reported for many years. And the winner is... Sibelius! I've just been informed that this category will be withdrawn from next year, as Sibelius has consistently won so often that no competitor products have come close. Cheers, Mike. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CyberGene Posted December 18, 2023 Share Posted December 18, 2023 Most popular piano plugin that still doesn't have native Apple Silicon support: Garritan CFX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJ Cornish Posted December 18, 2023 Share Posted December 18, 2023 Most expensive main-line keyboard since the Korg OASYS: Nord Stage 4 Lowest dollar per cubic inch ratio of a flagship workstation: Yamaha Montage M8x Out-of-stock-est audio interface manufacturer: MOTU 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zydecat Posted December 18, 2023 Share Posted December 18, 2023 Best keyboard purchase: Yamaha YC73 Best $300 purchase: Alto TS 408 Things I hated: Nah, I'm grateful for every day. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Mullins Posted December 18, 2023 Share Posted December 18, 2023 Best turnaround in improving their User Interface: Yamaha CK 61/88 (To be fair, this started with YC series) 2 Quote Yamaha CK88, Arturia Keylab 61 MkII, Moog Sub 37, Yamaha U1 Upright, Casio CT-S500, Mac Logic/Mainstage, iPad Camelot, Spacestation V.3, QSC K10.2, JBL EON One Compact www.stickmanor.com There's a thin white line between fear and fury - Stickman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RABid Posted December 18, 2023 Author Share Posted December 18, 2023 Best $200 or less hardware synth - Roland S-1. Quote This post edited for speling. My Sweetwater Gear Exchange Page Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jose EB5AGV Posted December 18, 2023 Share Posted December 18, 2023 Best bang for the buck VST bundle: Korg Collection 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MathOfInsects Posted December 18, 2023 Share Posted December 18, 2023 Most Incomplete Reply to a Topic on a Discussion Bo 1 2 Quote Now out! "Mind the Gap," a 24-song album of new material. www.joshweinstein.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoJoB3 Posted December 19, 2023 Share Posted December 19, 2023 On 12/17/2023 at 3:08 PM, Bill W said: Most innovative recreation of a legendary hardware synth in software - Cherry Audio's Pro Soloist Wish they included the early ARP 'Soloist' though which is absolute money! Still the better of the VSTs for these. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K K Posted December 19, 2023 Share Posted December 19, 2023 Most moronic "upgrade" ever on a synth : Korg, with their Nautilus AT. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoken6 Posted December 19, 2023 Share Posted December 19, 2023 I shouldn't forget - most disappointing update to an established product line: Yamaha, for the p145/p225 range. Cheers, Mike. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old No7 Posted December 21, 2023 Share Posted December 21, 2023 Highly skilled Hammond organ player with impressive chops who gets ridiculed for his on-stage antics -- I think we all know who it is... Old No7 1 Quote Yamaha MODX6 * Hammond SK Pro 73 * Roland Fantom-08 * Crumar Mojo Pedals * Mackie Thump 12As * Tascam DP-24SD * JBL 305 MkIIs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Piano Man Posted December 23, 2023 Share Posted December 23, 2023 Forum user who should really be getting paid for his advice: AnotherScott Best Music Industry Professional who shares his wisdom at no cost: Dave Weiser As for gear… Most ridiculously named product: Korg Liano Another year, another missed opportunity: the Swedish handmade and red squeezebox… the aNordian 😂 6 Quote Kurzweil PC3x Technics SX-P50 Korg X3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Piano Man Posted December 23, 2023 Share Posted December 23, 2023 Also, most annoyingly removed feature: a tie between standard midi sockets and standard 6.3mm audio outputs most missed feature of yesteryear: again a tie between decent metal construction and an internal power supply Quote Kurzweil PC3x Technics SX-P50 Korg X3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJ Cornish Posted December 23, 2023 Share Posted December 23, 2023 25 minutes ago, The Piano Man said: most missed feature of yesteryear: again a tie between decent metal construction and an internal power supply My Roland Fantom 7 has this, so does my Kronos, Montage M8x, Hammond XK5, and many other pro level keyboards. Those here - and there are many - screaming about weight get the plastic boards with wall warts. C'est la vie. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Piano Man Posted December 23, 2023 Share Posted December 23, 2023 1 hour ago, TJ Cornish said: My Roland Fantom 7 has this, so does my Kronos, Montage M8x, Hammond XK5, and many other pro level keyboards. Those here - and there are many - screaming about weight get the plastic boards with wall warts. C'est la vie. Fair point! Quote Kurzweil PC3x Technics SX-P50 Korg X3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Emm Posted December 23, 2023 Share Posted December 23, 2023 I award myself the last Terry's Chocolate Orange for being such a swell guy in general. 🤨 1 Quote Lab Mode splits between contemplative work and furious experiments. Both of which require you to stay the hell away from everyone else. This is a feature, not a bug. Kraftwerk’s studio lab, Kling Klang, didn’t even have a working phone in it. ~ Warren Ellis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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