5

[Tom]

To start with something positive. Yes, I like EZMix 2 better, first of all because we now have a meaningful description of what the knobs do instead having to find that info in a text box and then translate it to a fix knob name.

That said I also think the right side looks like a toy shop. I would have preferred just a text description here, or at least something looking like a rack rather than messy shelves.

Also I happen to prefer faders to knobs. They are easier to adjust. But thanks for being able to adjust the knobs with the mousewheel. That facility always earns an extra star in my user reviews.

[Tom]

I guess I could sell Evil Drums, but they are highly rated and maybe next year I find them useful for something. And if I sold them there would be no way of getting them back as it is..

[Tom]

I didn’t know about that. I bought the Platinum Samples at half price at one stage, but don’t use it much. I mainly use C&V and none of the other stuff I have. So I don’t really care about yet another SDX, unless it was the kit used in early Dire Straits records.

[Tom]

I have spent the last days reinstalling everything from the bottom in my DAW computer because of latency problems. The two authorization methods that work best for me are iLok and NI. I don’t care which one you choose. Just as long as I can authorize all my Toontrack stuff with a very few keyclicks. If need be let us have iLok as an individual option. I would even pay for it. Celemony had such an option for a while.

At the moment Toontrack authorization is a PITA. Even copy/paste doesn’t work smoothly with the risk of typing something wrong an losing an authorization. If there are people out there who wish to autorize one by one over the phone, them keep that option open. But don’t force me to follow such procedures.

Also, don’t make any authorization dependable upon external devices like a usb wireless adaptor. That’s the case at the moment. In fact you shouldn’t even make it dependable on what is in the slots inside the computer. Imagine if every sofware producer did that. Then imagine what happens if you move a dsp card because of IRQ conflicts. Then you would have to reauthorize all your software once again.

Because of all the trouble and the risk of having to authorize again if I reinsert my currently malfunctioning Powercore card, I haven’t even authorized all my Toontrack stuff.

[Tom]

+1

But basically the whole GUI should be improved. Use some colors or changing fader names instead of shape and blend that can mean the strangest thing having nothing to do with shape and blend.

[Tom]

Of course …

Thanks for pointing out this. Just added my vote for S2, obviously.

Scientific or not. Gearslutz is a place for serious users, that’s what matters to me. I have often wondered which was most preferred. This vote helps a lot clarifying that.

[Tom]

There are many ways to use Jamstix. I prefer the template where you can add snare, kick notes etc. where you want them. Then I choose different drummer models to personalize it with accents and fills. Works much better than scanning through hundreds of midi clips that don’t really fit the song (including the ones from Toontrack).

I wish Toontrack would make this a part of Superior 3 or as an add-on for purchase. Particularly improving the ugly GUI Jamstix tend to have.

[Tom]

My I suggest an alternative. Make it possible for Jamstix to reside in Superior 2.

At the moment I have Jamstix send midi signals to Superior 2, but there is some latency involved so that timing is set off somewhat.

[Tom]

I still have percusionist which was part of Superior “1”. And unlike the EZX it is 24 bit. Beats me why TT hasn’t made it an official product. It’s the same instruments as Latin Percussion and no doubt the basis for the EZX.

[Tom]

I am sure Sonalksis could deliver absolutely excellent plugins for Superior 2. If you check the prices in their homepage, you could get an idea about what such plugins would cost.

I don’t use their plugins in Toontrack, but I still think it is a good idea to have them for users to share presets and to buy the relatively cheap presets Toontrack offers. Then you can do the same thing with your UAD2 or Sonnox plugins each of which cost roughly the same as the entire Superior 2 basic package.

[Tom]

Wishes:

– Ability to insert drums from any kit in the corresponding space in the kit, not the x-drum way (which, of course, could still be there for special purposes).

– Integration of Jamstix inside Superior 3, (Not the other way around). Maybe it could exist somewhere in the groove tab?

– Improvements to the authorization system, so it is not dependent on external hardware you happen to plug/unplug.

[Tom]

I know I can drag an x-drum anywhere. But I would much prefer x-drum as an option at the bottom of dropdown menu for each kit part in the GUI. From there you should be able to choose any other instrument you own, and it would automatically get the right midi notes associated. Ambience will then be a problem, but it could either be muted or even better: use another menu to choose the instrument delivering the ambience.

I don’t like x-drums scattered all over the GUI. I like a good looking GUI, and it with be even better, if there were photos of the actual drums.

[Tom]

I wish there were some way you could set up a kit from different libraries, not as x-drums, but in the usual kit positions. That, of course, would not be possible with ambience from the same room. So what? Let me have different ambiences or add an artificial one with a reverb plugin. People put all sorts of reverb on different kit pieces anyway.

[Tom]

I think if EZmix were more tweakable it wouldn’t be EZ.

However, the fact that I often have to scroll in the info box just to find out what the faders do isn’t EZ either. How hard can it be to put that info below the faders? And some colors and a more sexy look. It looks very alpha version as it is now. And yes, we need to know if it is clipping.

Nevertheless I am off to buy todays mix pack too. Just can’t resist that Fleetwood Mac thing, as last I couldn’t resist Ainlay because of his relation to Mark Knopfler.

[Tom]

I disagree with everythingt said about Reaper in the above post. I own Wavelab 7 and Cubase 6, but is in the process of moving to Reaper. Unlike Steinberg, the Reaper team listens to its userbase, and if you call that “stealing” my ideas I couldn’t care less as long as I get some of the things I like in future versions.

As for discussing copy protection (which this thread is about) I never had problems with any of them. The Steinberg dongle works fine, better than the Toontrack way. And in the case of Reaper you can use it for free as long as you can live with an opening nag screen. Nevertheless I registered as small home studio user, but am considering getting a professional license just to support them, even though I am not commercial at all.

[Author]

Replies