reverendentity's Reviews

I am going to miss Camel Audio.

CamelCrusher is one of the most awesome distortion plugins ever created. You can use it on everything...drums, synths, basslines....and it makes them dirtier and nastier.

Amazingly elaborate and impressive, but beware noisebursts

I still haven't gone through all the presets, let alone really settled down to build sounds from scratch, but this is really an impressive piece of software. However, a couple of times when I was auditioning patches for tracks I would get this horrible deafening blast of static. I emailed the creators and they explained that this could be resolved by deleting a certain directory created during the install. I don't know if the issue has been fully resolved yet...

Very good to have around.

Until I got Addictive Keys, this and 4Front Piano were my go-to piano VSTs.

Not quite what I was hoping for.

I'm going to need to practice with this one, because it is basically intended as a live performance/remixing tool. You have to work it in real time to get the best results.

Great for drums and master chains!

Caught a sale on this and haven't been disappointed so far. Great for zazzing up drums and such!

Polyphonic Phrase Arpeggiator & MIDI Key Mapper

NORA is awesome for finding new ways to approach melodies.

Once upon a time, I was a DJ. Sadly, I have never had the chance to actually play out anywhere since I bought Traktor Pro. :(

A simple solution for single VST hosting

A handy little program for running a single VST instance. Great for external MIDI controllers, creating patches or when you don't feel like loading a full DAW.

Finally got around to getting the full version of this big fella. We'll see what happens!

Quality

It's almost terrifying how versatile this VST is...and there are banks and banks of patches available...and it's free. Leads, pads, FX, arpeggiation, trance gates, LFO...

Great emulation, but DAT HOOVER THO

Phutura is another one of those VST synths that you can't believe is free. Inspired by the Alpha Juno hardware synth, You have 8 voices, 3 oscillators plus white noise, and your usual HPF/LPF, ADSR, chorus, and such. When you first fire it up, the default presets may trigger a severe onset of nostalgia if you were a 90s raver. Right off the bat, you get several different variations on the unearthly sound that artists such as Joey Beltram made famous. Most of the other presets are also pretty solid (basses, pads, leads), but...DAT HOOVER THO. Fa reals.

A terrific trove of workhorse keys

Addictive Keys stays in the root of my Ableton plugins folder so I can just drag it in and start sketching out ideas. Currently available as individual instruments or bundles, this is a great collection of meticulously sampled keyboard instruments - a Steinway Model D Grand, a Yamaha U3 Upright, a Fender Rhodes Mark 1 Electric and there is also a CP-80 Electric Grand. In addition to dry recordings of each, there are a number of traditional mikings and also creatively processed variations. It's easy to load and use, and low on CPU.

Fun and user-friendly interface

This is going to be a lot of fun, and I love that the interface is large and readable.

Definitely a workhorse synth.

What can you really say about Massive that countless others haven't said already? It's extremely tweakable, you have all kinds of sound possibilities between the envelopes, filters, LFOs and performance sequencer...and loads of sources for presets if you're not up to "getting under the hood" just yet. I admit that I have not delved into sound design with Massive that much, but I have been sitting through several tutorials on YouTube (there are hundreds), so eventually I will be creating my own twisted and freakish noises.

Sturdy and versatile controller with customizable features

It's sturdy, the keys don't feel cheap or slippery, and it has its own software editor for you to tweak the function and feel of it. And it can do MIDI or CV. The light-up keys are a nice touch, too. :)

Why do I use it? Who doesn't?

I'm not taking enough advantage of this thing.

Essential headphones for precise music production at home

If you live with other people and you don't have a studio, chances are you're not going to get a lot of "aloud" time with your production. A good flat-response pair of studio monitor headphones is crucial for hearing EXACTLY what you're creating.

RZZZZZZZ

I'm still scratching the surface of this little monster. I mainly use it for drums, but of course you can apply it to everything. You can use the 4 EQ bands to sculpt your sound just the way you like it, and the Melohman feature allows you to use a MIDI-mapped controller to morph between presets in a bank - kind of like how The Thing could adapt itself into new and horrifying configurations.

If you use a laptop for producing, you should own an external controller of some kind. Learn your way around a keyboard or guitar...