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note ive amended the title to include not just free reverbs but also free fx and instrument plugins.as i come across them and which might be of interest. as the number of free plugins is massive obviously i cant test all. this thread has two objectives... ..to introduce new users to the topic of free plugins and ...get them started so they can do their own exp!oring and testing. note for people who say rb cant do modern music genres...read my tips on the subject in this tips forum. also note...for anyone new to music production... like any daw...the daw doesnt create the modern sounds..its the midi tracks you create or rb generates that interract with a users chosen instrument plug in or sample library that then ends up creating sound. so if you want a modern sound eg edm or rap or trap whatever then you need to use a sample library that produces such....a huge advantage of rb is its cspability to generate huge numbers of midi tracks that can then drive instrument library plugins. note...if you dont know midi then as rb has loads of midi features... i suggest you hone up on midi. see midi.org and various tutorials onthe net and read the pg manuals. there are a ton of sub genres of modern music eg edm ...rap etc etc...its huge. note also i can get thousands of modern sounds useing also synthmaster and sforzando plugins included with rb as well as manipulate pg huge session musician library of sounds. ta da...plugin links...free plugins. https://www.kvraudio.com/plugins/free-reverb-pluginshttps://www.kvraudio.com/plugins/best-free-effect-pluginshttps://www.kvraudio.com/plugins/best-free-instrument-pluginsMAKE SURE YOU SELECT THE RIGHT VST VERSION FOR 64 BIT RB. cos on some plugins are lots of options. also note the kvr awards on certain plugins. so far ive tried supermassive vallhalla and orii river....reverbs. work in rb 64. too much to list as to features... just try them yourself with a voc or whatever and/or with pg fx. its about time i tested free verbs and other plugins. ill add more once ive tested with rb... keep rocking. om 🇨🇦🇨🇦 🇬🇧🇬🇧
Last edited by justanoldmuso; 06/14/24 07:34 AM.
my songs....mixed for good earbuds...(fyi..my vocs on all songs..) https://soundcloud.com/alfsongs(90 songs created useing bb/rb) (lots of tips of mine in pg tips forum.)
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some notes on free reverb plugins....and tricks
1...please note im not knocking the pg dx plugins.
i love them for their low cpu useage and ease of use.
in fact the songs in my sig that ive had likes from normal music consumers used only pg plugins....this thread will only focus on free neat plugins. thus wifh money saved you can put such towards your retirement fund...lol. but note...some of the developers creating free plugins are gifted dsp coders and experts and if you like a plugin consider a small donation as many of these people spend lots of time
on their plugins.
2...there are various tricks re verb and other plugins...whether pg dx or others.... heres one trick....eg vocals useing pg dx fx.
...record a vocal on say track 19 of rb 64 bit.
...now record another vocal on track 20 so you get nuances.
...duplicate track 20 to tracks 21 and 22
...now add pg reverb to track 21
...and pg echo chorus to track 22.
...now test out the settings in combo with each plugin as well as track volumes and pans and dry and wet.
conduct tests till you are happy with result.
3...high end studio reverbs.
occasionally people are kind enough to post impulse response IR's of various high end units.and thus these can be used in free plugins that handle impulse responses.
on the net you can find both ir's and plugins that handle them.
im going to...as i get time...test out various free verb plugins for rb 64 bit....as well as IR'S and plugins that handle them re rb 64 bit.
i am going to focus on install ease and ease of use and sound quality...ie just dll plugins.
you can do your own tests also and use this thread to comment on ones you like for rb ...
kvr site is a good place to start as they maintain lists of free plugins includeing user ratings.
i will post in this thread more interesting plugins i come across.
do yourself a favor...dont underestimate free pluginsi.
happiness
om 🇨🇦🇨🇦 🇬🇧🇬🇧
Last edited by justanoldmuso; 06/13/24 04:42 AM.
my songs....mixed for good earbuds...(fyi..my vocs on all songs..) https://soundcloud.com/alfsongs(90 songs created useing bb/rb) (lots of tips of mine in pg tips forum.)
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more verbs tested in rb 64.... plus comments. when testing.. ...record a vocal dry track...or even doubles. ...dup!icate it in rb to another track....and add plugin ...experiment with reverb settings...plus volume and pan....viz dry track. 1..sanford verb. sms!l footprint and exe..loads of settings to have fun with. download ftom... https://www.lesliesanford.com/vst/plugins/2...verbity 2 . airwindows. note dont underestimate verbity and the slew of other airwindows plugins. ...small footprint and exe. download from... https://www.airwindows.com/verbity2/read up on the huge no of other plugins to save me typing 3...oril river. same as before ...no big hit on pc resources....larger exe. loads of settings... download from... https://www.kvraudio.com/product/orilriver-by-denis-tihanovto quote dr pg lots of fun....demos on you tube. remember also to try combos of the pg plugins with above. its not one or the other. 4...i forgot link for supermassive reverb. has awards from kvr. https://www.kvraudio.com/product/valhallasupermassive-by-valhalla-dspimpressive very flexible. happiness. om 🇨🇦🇨🇦 🇬🇧🇬🇧
Last edited by justanoldmuso; 06/13/24 09:58 AM.
my songs....mixed for good earbuds...(fyi..my vocs on all songs..) https://soundcloud.com/alfsongs(90 songs created useing bb/rb) (lots of tips of mine in pg tips forum.)
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5...oldskool verb. this one surprised me. lots of settings and verb selections....low resource useage. lots of fun....once again dupe a dry vocal track to a couple of other tracks in rb 64...and have fun... very groovy for free...includes plates etc etc. go oldskool...lol. https://www.voxengo.com/product/oldskoolverb/ps...with all these free plugins ya gotta put in some testing time cos loads of settings... ADDENDUM... ok im an idiot...lol... due to my family responsibilities and my own song projects and the fact there are so many loverly plugins its humanly impossible for me to devote lots of time to this topic...but i will test out and report 2 new plugins a week to help. in addition an olive branch... if anyone has a specific prob with a free plugin from the kvr database tell me what it is..and ill test it out in rb. Fair enough ?? if it works for me and not you i would advise you to read my tips in tips forum re useing a pc for music production. also if a plugin doesnt work for you it might be a config issue or simply your trying to run a plugin on an older pc that simply doesnt have the resources to handle the plugin. before going live with any plugin its important to assess how much pc resources it consumes so you dont get problems. anyhoo read my music production pc tips.... fyi the plugins ive mentioned so far in this thread dont seem to tax my pc resources. but my pc is a new ryzen with very fast ram and m2 ssd tech. i hope the kvr links give any user a great starting point to explore the huge world of free plugins...my advise is not to underestimate freebies. i will now content myself with testing a couple a week due to my other responsibilities. happiness. om 🇨🇦🇨🇦 🇬🇧🇬🇧
Last edited by justanoldmuso; 06/14/24 08:38 AM.
my songs....mixed for good earbuds...(fyi..my vocs on all songs..) https://soundcloud.com/alfsongs(90 songs created useing bb/rb) (lots of tips of mine in pg tips forum.)
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6...Synth 1. synth 1 is one of the most popular free synths on the market.. and has a massive number of preset packs you can get from the net. see you tube vids showing the large no of modern sounds you can get out of synth1. see kvr to download... https://www.kvraudio.com/product/synth1-by-daichi-laboratory-ichiro-todarb 64 bit loaded it fine...ok on pc resource useage too. its a synth so expect higher resource useage than say a low useage 5 band eq p!ugin. let me say... i have to say im baffled why some people say they cant get modern sounds in pg products...and fx...baffles me....maybe its a question of set up n installation. so far every single plugin ive thrown at rb came up first time including this synth1 plug in which one could a get a zillion modern sounds from. ie just generate a ton of midi tracks in rb...you have up to 256... and go to town with the amazing things you can do with plugins like synth 1. the beauty of rb is the use of bars view for moving midi bars around n testing various song ideas....lots of fun. happiness. om. 🇨🇦🇨🇦. 🇬🇧🇬🇧
Last edited by justanoldmuso; 06/17/24 08:05 AM.
my songs....mixed for good earbuds...(fyi..my vocs on all songs..) https://soundcloud.com/alfsongs(90 songs created useing bb/rb) (lots of tips of mine in pg tips forum.)
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7...Airwindows...PurestEcho 64. first off dont be put off by the sliders...understand airwindows aim is quality plugins first and foremost i understand. this thing is really cranking me up...rare for me...then i added some pg dx echo chorus. and got a superb 50 s slapback...on my vocals...per many great 50 s songs. heres the link...plus vid... https://www.airwindows.com/purestecho/a tip...experiment with the following... ...record 3 vocal tracks. ...keep one vocal track more up front....and ...on the other vocal tracks put combos of pg dx verb and or echo chorus and with the purest echo plug in. and experiment with the settings of each plugin as well as track volumes and pans. there is lots to discover...also an old studio trick to try ..try chaining plugins... just test combos above with your vocals or guitar or whatever. in summary free plugins are sooo good now....these airwindows ones are smart for two reasons... they are not big dll's ...but at the same time they are powerfull...and consume little pc resources... just like the pg dx i like. which is nice for people with older pc's. 8...more plugins to come...i just felt i had to mention the above....it cranked me up today. happiness... om
my songs....mixed for good earbuds...(fyi..my vocs on all songs..) https://soundcloud.com/alfsongs(90 songs created useing bb/rb) (lots of tips of mine in pg tips forum.)
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8...USEING SAMPLE PLAYERS IN RB. ...there are various free and paid sample players plugins etc.on the net. and various sources for drum samples eg... https://www.musicradar.com/news/drums/1000-free-drum-samples...heres a tip with pg real drums. BUT DONT DISTURB THE DIRECTORIES... ...go to bb >>> drums and youll see a dir of lots of real drums. ...copy the drums dir to a folder say we'll call SAMPLES+DRUMS+BB ...now go thru the copied drums dir...theres loads of them...and play in windows. ...if you play in windows youll notice isolated eg crashes and other drums often at the end. these you can use in a sample player and gradually build up your own drum sample library. as well as custom kits by consisting of samples from different real drums you want. this is very nice of pg...as lots of us cant afford large sample libraries. ...heres the method... 1...when you find in SAMPLES+DRUMS+BB <<< ie the dir youve copied to... a real drum style you like by playing in windows media player or whatever media player.... 2...FROM YOUR SAMPLES+DRUMS+BB AND NOT THE BB DIR....in an rb track...simply import the rd youve auditioned in windows...eg lets say to track 20...by two methods...either drag from... SAMPLES+DRUMS+BB OR use rb track import feature....and then the realdrums will appear on a rb track... 3...THEN...you can audition in rb the selected real drums and do things like cut out an individual drum sound youve found and lets say move it to a save samples track ...eg track 21. rinse and repeat auditioning real drums etc etc..and isolating individual drum hits which you can play in a sampler....remember to listen at end of drum track also for hits you might like. 4...you can save the samples in rb *.seq ie rb project file...or individually. the result of the above being you can over time build your own library of drum hits either for use at various time points in a song OR loading into a sample player ...driven by a midi track for example. remember to map the midi notes to the sample. 5...remember also there is no reason in rb you cant generate a real drum track...and then slice n dice the drum hits you like and save them as samples....note also if your haveing problems isolating the drum hit try adjusting the tempo in rb to be slower. i hope the above saves you bucks...as i said also loads of free drum samples on the net. also remember it doesnt just have to be drum hits. you could have generated a real session musician real track like a rhythm guitar and save bits as a sample. one reason i like rb for this kind of work is ...for example the higher number of tracks than say bb. its all a question of useing the plusses of each music app....there are tons of features in rb. just see the manual...and youll see the above is a sampling of the groovy things you can do in rb. A FINAL NOTE>>>REMEMBER NOT TO DISTURB THE BB DIRECTORIES IN ANY FASHION/. JUST IN WINDOWS RIGHT CLICK OVER BB DRUMS DIR AND COPY TO YOUR OWN DIR.. EG IN THIS CASE >>>> SAMPLES+DRUMS+BB dir. note...you tube has demoes of sample players....lots of reviews on the net.. happiness and keep rocking. om.
Last edited by justanoldmuso; 06/18/24 01:35 PM.
my songs....mixed for good earbuds...(fyi..my vocs on all songs..) https://soundcloud.com/alfsongs(90 songs created useing bb/rb) (lots of tips of mine in pg tips forum.)
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9...KLANGHELM TENS jr. imho this is a little gem of a spring reverb plugin... with low pc resource useage.....works great in rb. first time install no fuss or muss. it seems to give a similar sound picture footprint as a certain outboard spring reverb popular in big studios decades ago. link... https://www.kvraudio.com/product/tens-jr-by-klanghelma tip...try this... record a vocal on one track...then another vocal on a track in rb. ie so the vocs are doubled. then keep one vocal track dry and the second vocal...plugin the tens jr plugin. and adjust the two track levels to taste. a neat idea is now dupe one of the voc tracks and experiment plug in a pg dx effect on this track eg echo chorus and experiment with blending the 3 vocal tracks. also dont just experiment with the plugin settings ie tens jr and the pg dx plugin... but also track levels and pans....tons of fun. i suggest being subtle instead of being overt. i cant quantify why i like this plugin...i just do as well as its ease of use. i'm impressed. PLEASE NOTE...the criteria for my plugin selections are simple...low pc resource useage,..as well as ease of use with new users in mind. at this point i reckon the plugins ive mentioned so far in this thread...martin and the beatwells would have had hits with. next i will look at more instrument vsti plugins that dont consume lots of pc resources and of course test in rb....its a goldmine of plugins. i sincerely hope people find this thread re free plugins usefull for considering in their next project. happiness. om
Last edited by justanoldmuso; 06/18/24 07:49 PM.
my songs....mixed for good earbuds...(fyi..my vocs on all songs..) https://soundcloud.com/alfsongs(90 songs created useing bb/rb) (lots of tips of mine in pg tips forum.)
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10...HOW TO TEST PLUGINS.
when im testing a plugin i use several evaluation criteria.
A..PC RESOURCE USEAGE.
over the years ive seen lots of people...irrespective of their pc capabilities
just load up tracks and plugins without a thought that at some point their pc will
overload. a typical problem is stutters playing back a mix.
ie think of it this way...your filling a bath...and thus of course at some point the bath
cant hold any more water...so it spills all over the floor and causes a mess that needs to be cleaned up.
thus its very important imho to evaluate a plugin before useing it and running tests as to how much pc resources it uses. there are various tools that help you do this.
for example some music apps will report how much pc resources a particular plugin uses.
you can also monitor things in win task manager. in addition some pc's like mine include little desktop
utilities that will report various aspects of a pc's performance.
so what i do is note the report before useing the plugin and after instatiating the plugin on a track.
for example lets say your pc is just idling at say 2 %...then you add the plugin and it goes up by a large
amount i would suggest lots of caution.
also what i do is i have a test song project i use whereby i assess if i use multiple instances of a plugin
the impact on pc resources....before going 'live'.
IN SUMMARY...assess impact of a plugin on your pc resources.
particularly if your useing a very old pc. ive also seen probs with new pc's because they werent
optimised and set up properly for music production.
i would like a buck for each time someone said to me 'but this is the latest and greatest pc'.
i point out...'that might be true...but it needs to be set up correctly for music production'.
(for further info...see my tips in tips forum re acquiring or useing an existing pc for music production.)
i frankly only use low cpu resource plugins eg the pg dx plugins and certain vst's.
thus i never get problems. many other people have said to me 'how come you never get probs'.
the answer is simple i carefully test the plugin before useage.
B..PLUGIN GRAPHICS AND OTHER ASPECTS.
it maybe nice to look at but i would suggest one also look at other aspects.
for example i looked at a plugin the other day with a plain gui like the pg ones.
BUT...when i plugged it into a track i went 'wow this sounds great'.
if you talk to some plugin developers as to why their plugins are plain...im sure the answer would be..
'so the plugin will also work on less powerfull pc's '.
ie they are focusing all their coding energies on the dsp routines themselves.
now let me beclear of course some plugins sound great and also look good AND have low pc resource useage.
C..EASE OF INSTALL AND USEAGE.
ive installed plugins that are a breeze to install and use and others where i had to go thru rather a looong
install process. it can be frustrating to say the least.
so i would evaluate the plugin in this context. because obviously if its updated at some point this could
take your time to install and go through the whole process again.
in summary if the plugin has a complex install process or isnt easy to use...i dont use it.
also let me say i dont use any plugin (or music app) whereby one has to go thru a complex registration processor or complex security schemes.
ive been on the developer side of the fence...thus i'm sensitive of course to the fact that developers need to protect themselves so they can continue to add features etc to their products...but its a question of balance and not inconvenienceing the user.
imho. imho pg have the balance just right....without being too intrusive and annoying users.
in summary i evaluate a plugin...like any music app as to ease of install and useage.
once again re install process i like the way pg did this. i keep it simple (KISS).
when i receive the pg drive i back it up to a fast ssd drive ...then hang the pg drive direct off of usb and select the minimal install option. i can thus be up and running in a very short time.
lets wrap things up.
carefully evaluate a plugin before use.
think about it this way...you wouldnt spend 30 large on a car before assessing it would you ??
same idea with plugins.
fyi for the reader my song production pc never sees the net.
i use another el cheap pc for the net..downloading plugins to test and music app updates etc.
(see reasons for this in my tips re useing a pc for music production to save me retyping lots.)
happiness.
om
Last edited by justanoldmuso; 06/21/24 06:55 AM.
my songs....mixed for good earbuds...(fyi..my vocs on all songs..) https://soundcloud.com/alfsongs(90 songs created useing bb/rb) (lots of tips of mine in pg tips forum.)
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11...MELDA PRODUCTIONS PLUGIN SUITE. i know i promised more vsti plugins...but in my travels i came about the melda plugins. this is such a large suite of free plugins...i didnt have time to test all. as the odors of a wonderfull meal my wife was doing beckoned...lol. all the ones i tested in rb no problems. and i found didnt tax pc resources it seemed.... frankly my interest was testing the CONVOLUTION EZ plugin and CHARM VERB. both of which had lots of presets etc etc. very impressed. one could do some really interesting things with these and other plugins. the suite includes many other plugins like dynamics/eq/analysis/pitch etc etc. in summary its amazing how good plugins are getting. heres the link....give them a try and see what floats your boat. so far ive had no probs with any plugin in rb....it baffles me why some people do. https://www.meldaproduction.com/downloads?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=cj&utm_campaign=product_download&utm_content=mconvolutionez_win&cjevent=29378ad530eb11ef822c00a70a82b820ADDENDUM. ok ive had more time to test convo ez. i found it even has emt plate setting....loads of presets. i'm pretty stoked on this plugin....as always its how a tool is used. one VERY INTERESTING aspect is there is a button in ez called CUSTOM PATH. im not sure...but...it looks like one can load custom impulse responses ?? ive googled but cannot find info on the custom path button. if anyone can confirm...that would be grrrreat cos it opens up a whole world of ir's of legendary classic outboard in big studios. there are lots of ir's of such on the net. crikey just the presets themselves including setting wet dry n delay is enough for me. i find with this sort of plugin ive got soo many presets...there are sooo many i ilke...its paralysis by analysis...the old bugaboo of mixing. bottom line...give it a crack and see if it floats your boat. happiness om
Last edited by justanoldmuso; 06/22/24 05:48 PM.
my songs....mixed for good earbuds...(fyi..my vocs on all songs..) https://soundcloud.com/alfsongs(90 songs created useing bb/rb) (lots of tips of mine in pg tips forum.)
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while im going thru some medical stuff...still testing plugins when i can.
12..PLUGINS USED BY DEVELOPER OF RB...(Jeff Yankauer.)
heres some more plugins.
i asked the developer of rb if he would be good enough to share what plugins he uses in rb.
heres jeff's list. like me he also uses the pg fx plugins also to do songs.
(see my songs in my sig that only used pg dx fx plugins.)
thanks Jeff.
LoadMax64 for limiting.
Anwida Soft DX Reverb
Wider by Polyverse to add stereo wideness.
Lisp DeEsser
HyBrit by Poulin Amplification ( likely similar to a Marshall)
mx_tune to analyze/confirm tuning by seeing a graph of the pitch
KarmaFX 31 Band EQ
Youlean Loudness Meter
NadIR cabinet simulation
keep rocking jeff.
happiness.
om
my songs....mixed for good earbuds...(fyi..my vocs on all songs..) https://soundcloud.com/alfsongs(90 songs created useing bb/rb) (lots of tips of mine in pg tips forum.)
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14. A TIP. note in rb you can check cpu useage. so before testing a new plugin note the cpu useage with say a test song loaded. then load the plugin and check the cpu useage again. has cpu soared ? its just a crude measure but might help you identify if a new plugin has the potential to make a major negative impact on your pc... particularly as some people cant afford 3k pc's and xeons or i9 or threadripper processores. note also in rb via action>>test audio performance rb will report number of tracks a pc will support. fyi my report is over 180 tracks. while some pc's ive tested then rb might report under 80 tracks or so. 15. A CHANNEL STRIP PLUGIN. i cant test all channel strips but one free interesting one ive come across is LOADED.. 500 series by analog obsession....it worked in rb. heres the link to download and test... https://plugins4free.com/plugin/3218/happiness. om
my songs....mixed for good earbuds...(fyi..my vocs on all songs..) https://soundcloud.com/alfsongs(90 songs created useing bb/rb) (lots of tips of mine in pg tips forum.)
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16..SOME POINTS TO CONSIDER RE VSTI PLUGINS. (both paid and free...these points are mainly aimed at people to consider whao are new to song creation...). lets look at pro's and cons. i'm very well aware there are many great orch and instrument plugins out there used by project studios and big commercial studios and film production houses.... but please think of the old granny adage... 'dont bite off more than you can chew' or as my granny used to say when i was a kid... 'your eyes are bigger than your belly'...when i wanted more yorkshire pudding...lol. heres my take for someone starting out. PROS. ..fantastic extensive ranges of sounds and samples. CONS. ..many project studios just dont have the budgets that big boy studios have. ..it can be time consuming deciding what samples to use in a song... for example i like to work fast as the creative juices flow....and find if i have to go through and test a ton of samples to find the perfect instrument plugin..often in the process i can lose the 'creative spark'. ..one has to be carefull of impacts on pc resources. ie...how many plugin instances before ones pc says 'i cant handle any more'. thus things go 'pear shaped'. particularly if one is useing an old clunker pc. often it can become like an elite golf club...ie.. 'if ya wanna play with the big boys its often gonna cost ya cos the old clunker pc might need replaceing with a shiny new very very powerfull pc.' thus sometimes things can get very expensive fast for a new project studio with a limited budget. ..paralysis by analysis. one of the things that impact my creativity is going through lots of menus even if impeccably and logically arranged. often...like the lovely pg content i end up liking so many 'sound pictures' or instruments for a song i have trouble making a decision which to use. if i can explain further.. its sorta like a wonderfull gadget i came across awhile back. it had a huge range of amp sims and fx for guitarists at an affordeable price....but if i used it i realised i would be spending lots of time going through menus. which i know from experience often frustrates me. not the manufacturers fault of course. its my lack of patience. cos i'm scared i might miss a 'groovy sound' to take a song to the next level. ..finally...not everyone has ultra fast fibe internet service depending where they live in the world...so...possibly might encounter problems upgradeing with big upgrades as new sounds/features are added. given the above...what to do ??...if one is a little project studio. for me ive decided to simplify my song creation life.... and use plugin products that are 'lean' on me personally as to decision making and also lean on pc resource needs. ie a divide and conquer concept....eg if i want chinese gongs for example in a song...instead of auditioning such in a extensive sample library.. i might just look for a plugin that only deals with chinese gongs. in conclusion all i'm suggesting is a person new to song production (who already is probably overwhelmed) think carefully re vsti's. the pg vast content library i feel will keep someone new very busy for a loooong time. (note..i keep a file noting my favorite pg content includeing comments on each favorite as well as the pg name or identifier. for me this saves lots of search time when starting a new song. yearly when new pg content is added i make additions to the list.) 17..USEFULL VST LINKS. here are a few starter links that might be usefull. (its not exhaustive...but just a starting point. for added links google 'you tube vsti' or just eg 'vsti review'. which will bring up more and more info.) NOTE...if you have an old pc or a pc with a slower processor i suggest you google something like 'low cpu useage vsti plugin.) https://vi-control.net/community/https://www.kvraudio.com/plugin-ranks.phphttps://blog.landr.com/best-free-orchestral-vsts/https://midination.com/vst/free-vst-plugins/free-orchestral-vst-plugins/as you can see the number of plugins out there is vast. 18..VSTI's TESTED IN RB. this posts that follow will focus on instrument plugins/libs that are lean. (some big libs are a prob for me to test as i dont have the fastest net.. i hope my area is upgraded later this year.) note...if other pg users have notable orch/sample libs that work in rb extremely well (whether free or paid)...please add your own post in this thread. (please include if your recommendation will work on an old clunker pc.) also i only have time occasionally to test vsti's in rb. (i DO have a home life...lol.) preferably libs that are lean and dont require lots of pc resources... more to come...now i will be testing vsti's as time allows. happiness om
Last edited by justanoldmuso; 08/04/24 01:32 PM.
my songs....mixed for good earbuds...(fyi..my vocs on all songs..) https://soundcloud.com/alfsongs(90 songs created useing bb/rb) (lots of tips of mine in pg tips forum.)
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19..JUST WANT TO MENTION COMPUTER MUSIC MAG UK VSTi's (and their other vst fx.). a lot of people over this side of pond might not be aware of the fact that for a dirt cheap price... 20 bucks or even less if i remember for dloaded digital version you can get access to their CM vault of 80 plugins vsti's and a raft of vst fx etc etc.....ie free. please dont underestimate these plugins. ive used some of them in the past with no problems. i dont have time to retest them right now...too many... as i'm doing a very complex song... so ymmv/cya...lol. etc etc. do your own testing in rb/bb etc etc. you can hear you tube demoes of them at this link... includeing the vsti's..........(scroll down.) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE90EC6DE32E81D76as i said dont underestimate them. more to come. happiness. om
Last edited by justanoldmuso; 08/04/24 01:39 PM.
my songs....mixed for good earbuds...(fyi..my vocs on all songs..) https://soundcloud.com/alfsongs(90 songs created useing bb/rb) (lots of tips of mine in pg tips forum.)
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20..WRAP UP. one of the purposes of this thread was to, as it were, introduce a 'starter pac' of plugins for someone new useing rb and maybe new to doing songs.. as i said at beginning there is literally a cornucopia of plugins one can use in a project. but i feel in honesty the plugins mentioned and introduced in this thread anyone should be able to do great songs with....particularly given the icing on the cake.. ie the very nice synthmaster and sforzando plugins pg includes plus their own suite of dx plugins. my focus has been.. 1..free plugins AND ALSO... 2..plugins that wont hopefully need a very expensive pc to run them on....ie low pc resource useage plugins. let me just suggest something. there are many talented and gifted dsp programmers out there producing these products for free. thus if you find a plugin you really like consider a small donation as a lot of these people put in looong hours on their products. in closing heres some added plugins to consider... (thank you mario for the suggestions...) 1..Aegean symphonic orchestra. https://musical-artifacts.com/artifacts/482wow is all i can say about this. tested in rb and sforzando recognised it. the following i havent had time to test sooo i'm afraid youll need to do your own testing. (note you can google 'sfz instruments' for other libs). 2..Newgrounds. https://www.newgrounds.com/bbs/topic/12001403..sonivox plugins. https://www.sonivoxmi.com/4..lots of plugins at this pg link. https://www.pgmusic.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=745002#Post745002well thats it from me. i hope this thread helps people a bit that are new to pg that might be looking for a 'starter pac' of plugins. in closing...let me say...dont be seduced by all the zillions of plugins out there otherwise you wont have time to do songs probably.. concentrate on the song itself and whether it seduces the normal music consumer to play your song....ie 'hooks'. i'm still learning after many years and about 200 songs and demoes etc. just my opinion. to quote a seasoned producer who schooled me once 'lots of hit songs were done before plugins'. PS...other pg users feel free to add your own vst/vsti plugins that are.. ..low cost under 50 bucks say or free. ..dont consume lots of pc reources...5% per instance for example re cpu. ..run well in pg products. happiness. om
Last edited by justanoldmuso; 08/12/24 12:37 PM.
my songs....mixed for good earbuds...(fyi..my vocs on all songs..) https://soundcloud.com/alfsongs(90 songs created useing bb/rb) (lots of tips of mine in pg tips forum.)
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One of my favorite free 'secret' reverbs that I go to is Ambience by Smart Electronix
It may have too many knobs and buttons for some people, but I have always liked that about it.
Along with the whole 'Classic' suite .. reverb, compressor, limiter etc.
Oldies but goodies that still seem to work.
Figured I'd start with the most basic ones I keep around .. Classic Reverb is great to just plug it in so you have something while tracking. Very light weight. Same with the Compressor on vocals; it's a great fast starting point.
Of course I would never use a 100% wet mix on anything, so use with taste and judgement.
AnwidaSoft reverb is another oldie that has stood the test of time, as mentioned previously.
Last edited by rharv; 08/13/24 06:22 PM.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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Rharv.
thanks for suggesting ambience.
i hope more users contribute to this thread so as to help new people.
i realise some might want to keep their secret sauce secret however...lol.
happiness.
om
Last edited by justanoldmuso; 08/14/24 04:48 AM.
my songs....mixed for good earbuds...(fyi..my vocs on all songs..) https://soundcloud.com/alfsongs(90 songs created useing bb/rb) (lots of tips of mine in pg tips forum.)
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Post your own Tips and Tricks here
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Ambience is very cool once you tinker with it. I also suggested the 'Classic Suite', including reverb,delay,EQ,etc. <grin> Concerning those I'm talking old school, real old school .. but they still run with JBridge or similar. AND as 32 bit plugins they are pretty light weight ... Waaayy Back MachineReaPlugs are just as good, more current and free, low weight
Last edited by rharv; 08/15/24 03:54 PM.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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Rharv...
sometime check out the plugs i mentioned earlier in this thread...prepare to be knocked out. various emulations of outboard that the big boys used to use on big hits.
theres gold in those plugins.
yep i have the kj's. also i bet 99 percent of pg users dont bother with the very old non real time plugins from pg in rb.
ive freaked out more than one AE in a studio with what they can do...lol.
frankly i feel there is lots of hype re some modern plugins.
lets take the beatwells/martin/abbey...as an experienced ae wag said to me once 'wanna sound like them ?...even with the same gear you might be able to get close...but'.
fyi best and i mean best beatwells tribute band i ever heard was in vegas years back. vox's of course etc.
they were so good live they did sgt pepper which is no small feat live.
all the audience afficianados of all things beatwells were totally knocked out. amazeing.
happiness.
om
Last edited by justanoldmuso; 08/16/24 04:00 AM.
my songs....mixed for good earbuds...(fyi..my vocs on all songs..) https://soundcloud.com/alfsongs(90 songs created useing bb/rb) (lots of tips of mine in pg tips forum.)
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In this PAK you’ll discover: Minimalist Modern Funk, New Wave Synth Pop, Hard Bop Latin Groove, Gospel Country Shuffle, Cinematic Synthwave, '60s Motown, Funky Lo-Fi Bossa, Heavy 1980s Metal, Soft Muted 12-8 Folk, J-Pop Jazz Fusion, and many more!
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Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 20 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
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We've been hard at it to bring you the latest and greatest in this 9th installment of our popular XPro Styles PAK series! Included are 75 styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres (25 styles each) that fans have come to expect, as well as 25 styles in this volume's wildcard genre: funk & R&B!
If you're itching to get a sneak peek at what's included in XPro Styles PAK 9, here is a small helping of what you can look forward to: Funky R&B Horns, Upbeat Celtic Rock, Jazz Fusion Salsa, Gentle Indie Folk, Cool '60s Soul, Funky '70s R&B, Smooth Jazz Hip Hop, Acoustic Rockabilly Swing, Funky Reggae Dub, Dreamy Retro Latin Jazz, Retro Soul-Rock Fusion, and much more!
Special Pricing! Until July 31, 2024, all the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 9 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of XPro Styles PAKs.
Video: XPro Styles PAK 9 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
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