patrickwatsonofficial's Reviews

Absolute MONSTER

I can't make my mind up what I enjoy most about this instrument... The fact that it comes stock with EMG 707's? Or maybe the three piece maple-bubinga-maple neck (which is without a doubt the best guitar neck I have used, period)? The fact that it carries low frequencies effortlessly, and with clarity? Or the fact that you can drive it to hell and shake a room, or roll it off and get a beautiful clean sound? I can't choose, but considering how it sounds in D standard with a drop G on the 7th, I imagine it's a combination of all of them. Big sound, simplistic control, ultimate playability, and ultimate affordability (considering the instrument).

Fantastic instrument, both sonically and aesthetically

I adore my exotic wood acoustic, not only because of how it looks, but the sound and playability is brilliant. The pre-amp has been incredibly beneficial live, as it contains a three-band EQ, master volume, digital tuner, phase reversal, and a beautiful built-in chorus. But without a massive price tag, don't be fooled, this guitar is a beast.

Great product with rugged yet innovative controls for Ableton Live, along with the added portability of a lightweight 25key unit

This little gem is incredibly handy for working out melodic structures without straying too far from my computer. I can place it on my desk alongside my Macbook and Launchpad, and still have enough room to play with. The Novation 'INCONTROL' feature is incredibly useful if I spontaneously wish to control a random parameter or record automation via hardware, as all I have to do is click the unit, and turn the knobs, which are automatically mapped to each parameter of the effect in question. Also, the added transport controls and track switching buttons have been a lifesaver, coupled with the automatic record arm when you switch channels. For the price, there is no reason why a producer and composer shouldn't have a smaller MIDI unit like this for both the quick studio fix, or hardware on the road.

Fantastic and timeless.

The Xone:3d was a massive addition to my live setup as it enabled me to create a completely custom mapping to control every aspect of the software. The only contact I would have to make with the computer was to look for a track, or to see the software as I was playing. Unfortunately they are now discontinued so the firmware is a bit non-existent but it still works pretty fantastically considering how old it is. The mixer is also absolutely unbelievable, you can't go wrong with Xone Filters, which are a huge element of how I play. I really look forward to picking up the new 4D; this masterpiece's bigger brother.

Like strapping monitors onto your head.

Since I invested in these headphones, there has been a markable difference in the quality of the music I am writing and producing. They enable you to hear every aspect of your music clearly, with a perfectly flat EQ bed. Perfect for both in the studio and on the road.

Industry standard.

Incredibly versatile VST. I love how rich the sound is, especially when it comes to my more progressive and trance leads. I would definitely put it as one of my favourite synths out there, you can't go far wrong with Sylenth, just look at some of the people who have said the same; 99% of the worlds biggest producers and Djs have listed it as one of their favourites, if not their favourite synth on the market. Fantastic item, a studio essential for the EDM producer in my opinion.

An absolute GEM.

The Snowball is incredibly affordable, whilst maintaing a fantastic recording quality. This can fit in my suitcases and backpacks wherever I go, and is perfect for a quick vocal fix, but also works like a dream on other instruments like my acoustic guitars and percussion instruments. Really fantastic value for money, and between the brilliance of its sonic fidelity and the sheer portability of this item, it definitely deserves my 5 stars. Fantastic piece of kit.

Super simple, but essential and affordable.

The KeyRig49 is ideal for keyboard midi control that doesn't require playing Chopins greatest works on piano. Nice and compact, and easily transported if needs be. The response is just fine, typical non-weighted keys you'd be likely to find on most synths and keys out there, it isn't designed to feel like a piano. I use it primarily for writing lead and basslines, and recording in chordal structures and harmonic overdubs, it's perfect for more compact setups, or even larger setups that only require basic midi control over synths.

Really handy and intuitive studio and live controller.

The launchpad is a nice little feature in my studio, incredibly useful for producing with Ableton as it allows me to control many different aspects of the software from the pads themselves. I love the mixer section as it allows me to control every section of the mixer on the fly, which is also very handy when using it live. The user 1 page is automatically mapped to control the keys of your samplers and VSTs, so you can play it like an MPC or as a keyboard controller with your favourite Synths. Once again, incredibly handy in both live and studio situations. The launchpad can be slightly overlooked from time to time but is actually a fantastic little piece of kit, especially if you are travelling or on tour and want to keep your setup fully fledged in functionality, but streamlined in terms of baggage restrictions, overhead compartments or what have you. I definitely recommend this little gem, super affordable and super versatile, whilst also maintaining perfect portability. What more could you want for less than £100?

Very simply to create great masters, however I think it stoops slightly in comparison to the previous version.

Ozone 6 is very handy for both mastering and general mixing of individual channels, however I think it is lacking in a lot of the features that Ozone 5 had. Still a quality product though.

Perfect for the travelling/touring artist.

The Macbook Pro is the industry standard in Music Production and performance. It runs my DAW and VSTs flawlessly and allows me to work on whatever I want, wherever I want. You'll very rarely see me without it, incredibly portable, incredibly light, and quite simply, incredible.

I ain't getting that new single port one though. Hell no.

Fantasic for both the novice and the natural.

I've been using Ableton for about 6 or 7 years, and between the live and studio features, as well as the hefty amount of onboard plugins and instruments, I can't find an issue anywhere. Between the streamlined arrangement view, and the essential session view holding the mixer and clip launch functions, it doesn't take too long to get to know. A lot of people are turned off as soon as they see the layout for the first time, and I've met many people who cam vouch for this, but if you take your time, watch some tutorials and get the basics laid down, it can become a breeze very quickly. I'll quickly summarise some of the things about this DAW that makes it the 5 star choice in my opinion. - The intuitive browser and library sections make it incredibly easy to find exactly what you're looking for, which in my case is very important due to my masses of samples and VST plugins. - There is a vast network of tutorials, blogs, forums and websites entirely dedicated to Ableton, so you will always be able to find what you're looking to learn, or to master. - Ableton has an incredible stock range. From fantastic onboard synths, to sample-based drum racks, and their amazing audio and midi effects, you have everything you need to put a track or mix together from the initial installation. - I don't know where I'd be without Instrument racks. Creating the perfect bass, or lead, or anything for that matter, and saving all the effects parameters of both stock and VST plugins into one file makes instant recall ridiculously easy. All you have to do is highlight everything in the channel, and hit command and G (or CNTRL and G for windows users) and then hit the floppy disk logo in the bottom left corner to save that perfect synth you've spent hours on. - Using Ableton as a Live application is also incredibly creative, and fun, with many companies making dedicated controllers for Ableton such as Novation with their brilliant Launch range, and Akai with the APC range, allowing you to pretty much access every feature of Ableton you require without touching the computer. And last, but certainly not least, there are thousands if not millions of developers and designers out there working tireless every day to bring you the best in both free and premium Ableton content, whether it be a new instrument or effect with Max for Live, or simply a project that you can study to learn the basics of Ableton, or the defining characteristics of a certain genre, there will always be new content you can add to make your Ableton experience just that little bit more tailored to you, because if anything has to be said about music and it's creators, it's all about self-expression.

I really hope this helped anyone who was interested in the product, I am not paid by Ableton to say any of this, it is all entirely my own knowledge and opinion. Please feel free to contact me with any other questions you may have! https://soundcloud.com/patrickwatsonni https://www.facebook.com/PatrickWatsonMusicNI http://www.reverbnation.com/patrickwatsonmusic