A BEGINNER'S REFERENCE GUIDE TO MAKING MUSIC ON THE PC... (Updated 08^th October 1998) Compiled by: CtrlAltDelBoy

1 INTRODUCTION

2 WHICH HARDWARE

3 WHICH SOUNDCARD

4 WHICH SOFTWARE

4.1 MIDI AND AUDIO SONG CONSTRUCTION

4.1.1 Cubase VST v3.553 full install Released : May 17, 1998

4.1.2 CakeWalk Pro Audio v8.0 final Released : Oct 2, 1998

4.1.3 Finale 98 32bit Released : September 21, 1997

4.1.4 Making Waves v1.6b cracked Released : April 3, 1998

4.1.5 Seq303 v2.0.1.11 Released : August 30, 1998

4.1.6 Arp-x8 v1.005 Released : August 30, 1998

4.1.7 Sonic Foundry ACID v1.0 fixed Released : May 29, 1998

4.1.8 Band in a Box V7.0

4.1.9 Beat 2000 v1.0 Released : Oct 05, 1998

4.2 AUDIO EDITORS

4.2.1 Cool Edit Pro v1.1 full Released : April 27, 1998

4.2.2 WaveLab v2.01 full Released : April 27, 1998

4.2.3 Sound Forge v4.5a (build 56 final) Released : September 9, 1998

4.3 PLUG-IN's

4.3.1 TC native Reverb v1.5 Released : October 2, 1998

4.3.2 TC native EQ v1.01 DNV version Released : July 16, 1998

4.3.3 TimeWorks Reverb 4080L v1.101 Released : Sept 15, 1998

4.3.4 TimeWorks Delay 6022 v1.101 Released : September 15, 1998

4.3.5 Timeworks Phaser Model88 v1.004 Released : April 21, 1998

4.3.6 Vintage Power Pack VOL1 for Cubase VST Released : January 23, 1998

4.3.7 DB ProDelay for VST v1.0 Released : May 14, 1998

4.3.8 Cylonix vocoder v1.07 Released : April 9, 1998

4.3.9 Opcode Fusion Filter v1.0 Released : May 03, 1998

4.3.10 Waves Native Power Pack v2.35 Released : July 09, 1998

4.3.11 Waves C1 compressor v2.3.1 Released : March 07, 1998

4.3.12 Waves Renaissance Compressor v1.0 Released : June 29, 1998

4.3.13 Steinberg FreeFilter v1.0 working Released : May 10, 1998

4.3.14 DSP-FX v4.1007 with Aural Enhancer Released : August 22, 1998

4.3.15 Sonic Foundry Noise Reduction Direct X Plug-In

4.3.16 SoundForge CD Architect plugin v4.0d Released : October 29, 1997

4.3.17 Cubase to Wave editor "adapter plug" program (Cub2for21) Ver 2.1 (21st April 1998)

4.3.18 Steinberg Loudness Max v1.2 working Released : May 08, 1998

4.3.19 Magneto v1.1 Released : July 16, 1998

4.3.20 DirectX XFX v1.0 audio plugins (bld60) Released : October 28, 1997

4.3.21 DirectX XFX-2 audio plugins build 66 Released : January 22, 1998

4.3.22 SampliTools DEQ v1.0 plugin cracked Released : Nov. 19, 1997

4.3.23 SoundForge Spectrum Analysis plug v4.0d Released : October 29, 1997

4.3.24 Sonic Foundry XFX vol3 Released : April 15, 1998

4.3.25 Waves MaxxBass v2.35 Released : July 09, 1998

4.3.26 Waldorf D-pole for VST v1.0 cracked Released : February 19, 1998

4.3.27 VST Compressor v2.5 Released : April 25, 1998

4.3.28 Hyperprism DX v1.52 Released : July 19, 1998

4.3.29 Waves DeEsser v1.05 Released : July 09, 1998

4.3.30 Sonic Foundry Acoustic Mirror v1.1 Released : Aug 11, 1998

4.3.31 Samplitools IR for Acoustic Modeller Released : January 19, 1998

4.3.32 Panhandler v1.0 for DirectX Released : September 25, 1998

4.3.33 Steinberg Qmetric v1.0 Released : Oct 05, 1998

4.4 SOFTSYNTHS (Virtual Synths)

4.4.1 Rebirth Rb338 v2.0 fix1 Released : August 1, 1998

4.4.2 Rebirth Rb338 v2.0 Addon Pack 1 Released : August 1, 1998

4.4.3 D-lusion RubberDuck v2.01 Released : May 08, 1998

4.4.4 Generator v1.54 Released : September 21, 1998

4.4.5 AudioSim v2.0 Released : July 3, 1998

4.5 SOFTWARE SAMPLERS

4.5.1 Nemesys Gigasampler v1.0 Released : June 14, 1998

4.5.2 Reality

4.6 DRUM TOOLS

4.6.1 Fruity Loops Pro v1.3.66 render patch Released : August 31, 1998

4.6.2 D-lusion Drumstation v1.0 Released : May 21, 1998

4.6.3 Wave Surgeon v2.0 full Released : February 17, 1998

4.6.4 Recycle

4.7 Sample Patch Utilities

4.7.1 Awave v4.9 cracked Released : August 31, 1998

4.7.2 Everest MA-1 editor v1.47 Released : September 21, 1998

4.7.3 VIENNA

4.8 OTHER USEFUL UTILITIES

4.8.1 Fraunhofer MP3 codec v1.063 optimized Released : Sept 6, 1998

4.8.2 Audioactive Production Studio Pro v1.05 Released : June 4, 1998

4.8.3 WINAMP

4.8.4 Audio Grabber v1.31 with Unblacklister

4.8.5 Emagic Sound Diver v2.0.3 cracked Released : December 30, 1997

4.8.6 Dart PRO 32bit v1.05 cracked Released : January 4, 1998

4.8.7 3d Audio v1.2 Released : May 08, 1998

4.8.8 Raduga v2.0 final - MP3 edition Released : April 12, 1998

4.8.9 SpectraLab v4.32.11 Released : April 15, 1998

4.8.10 Nero v3.0.4.0 fully working Released : April 25, 1998

4.8.11 WaveZip v1.12 regged Released : January 14, 1998

5 WEBSITE LINKS (OK some of these *are* obvious but what the hell :)

6 FINALLY.

INTRODUCTION

If you're considering or have just started using computers to create music, the information below is intended as a reference guide to help you on your way. I'm not suggesting I'm any kind of expert, but I've learned a lot in the 2 years I've been producing music on PC - mostly from internet sources - and I'm just trying to 'give a little back'. The text itself is compiled from; (a) Radium information files (.nfo extensions); (b) my own experience; (c) contributions to alt.binaries.sounds.utitilites newsgroup (ABSU); (d) other internet sources. If anyone would like to point out any errors or improvements - please do so - in a positive manner. Let me know if you find it useful and I'll update the text from time to time (post message to ABSU).

Many thanks to the Radium team from whom I've ripped .nfo extracts to build the text below (all Radium extracts are encapsulated in double quotation marks unless otherwise stated). (Note; I don't pertain to have the very latest release .nfo here (can you keep up with them?), but even if the .nfo isn't bang up-to-date it'll still give you a feel for what the software has to offer.

WHICH HARDWARE

I recommend a PC - why? Availability and choice of software. Done. What specification? In my humble opinion I wouldn't recommend anyone thinking of buying a new PC to get anything less than a 333mhz Pentium II.- having said this I used to get 4 channels of stereo audio and lots of midi tracks in Cubase on a 133mhz.. You'll need large hard discs if you're going to be recording audio tracks and discs are cheap so count on getting at least 4gigabyte. RAM - again this is also cheap at present - get a minimum of 64MB. Another consideration is monitor size - bigger is better (you can see more info on the screen at any one time) - I would recommend 17" minimum. Other stuff which doesn't have any major effect on what you can produce includes CD ROM, Floppy Disc Drive and Graphics card (minimum 4MB onboard RAM). What will this cost me? Shop around but budget for around £1200. I have a PC resembling these specs and I regularly handle projects using 32 audio tracks, 10 midi tracks, 4 plugins and 4 eq settings simultaneously in Cubase VST 3.553.

WHICH SOUNDCARD

I hoped you wouldn't ask. There lots of cards to choose from and lots of individuals with views as to which is the best. If you're serious about your music you should be looking for a card that offers on board 'sample RAM' (allows you to store your own samples) and a low signal to noise ratio (take this as meaning low noise) - 97dB is considered low. I'd recommend getting a card that offers a minimum of 8MB. The card will also need to be 'full duplex' - this is the ability to record and playback at the same time (you may not need this if you don't intend recording external instruments in time with other music on your PC). Another consideration is the number of voices (Polyphony) - look for 32-voice with at least 16 simultaneous timbres (this means you can play lots of sounds at the same time).

I've had personal experience of the Soundblaster AWE64 Gold which I can recommend as a 'starter for 10' (you can pick them up for around £80, and the Turtle Beach Multisound Pinnacle (around £350) - which is what I'm using now. The Pinnacle offers upto 32MB of sample RAM and an excellent signal to noise ratio (-97db) as well an onboard Kurzweil synth. Although it's not all roses (one limitation being the Patch RAM size of 12k - you'll struggle to have lots of instruments/samples loaded at the same time).

Steve (I) Ras, valuable contributor to ABSU (IMHO <g>) had the following to say as regards soundcards "Whilst I have recommended the 64 Gold in *some* situations, as a decent all round workhorse, you still get only what you pay for. For a card with 'acceptable' s/n, 'decent' audio quality, on board sample memory and digital output, it's still ok for around £80. However, if you're more concerned about pure audio quality and excellent s/n figures, you can do *much* better, so long as you have the budget. I would recommend either the Event Darla, or Gina if you want digital i/o. You can expect s/n of better than -85db audio, or -96db digital. Partner these with the old but excellent Yamaha SW60G (a little hissy but bearable) for midi and you have the basis of a very powerful, high quality setup. Since memory has become so cheap, cards which use main memory for sampling are becoming more viable. Most new cards are also PCI, which brings it's own advantages. If you're on a budget, something like the Pine offers ok s/n, a decent general midi bank, sample storage in main memory, and PCI bus - for around £25. So you can see, your budget has a real impact on sound quality, but 'decent' cards are so cheap now that *anybody* can make music, quality only dependent on budget. If the new Yamaha SW1000 has the same or better midi sounds as it's predecessor, and the i/o figures stack up, I think it's worth waiting to check out if you're thinking of spending serious money (guessing, around £600 when released in the UK). If it's just audio quality you're bothered about, buy a Gina for around £400 - you will *not* be disappointed." (Steve (I) Ras, 09.18.98)

A final point, make sure that adequate software exists for you to edit your wavetable sample 'patches' (instrument samples), otherwise you won't be able to build/edit your own instruments/patches. Links to particular soundcard products below;

https://www.event1.com/ Gina/Darla Soundcards

https://www.soundblaster.com/ Soundblaster Soundcard

https://www.gadgetlabs.com/ Wave/4 Soundcard

https://www.korg.com/ Korg Soundlink DRS 1212 Soundcard

https://home3.swipnet.se/~w-31215/music/ Lexicon Studio Soundcard

https://www.motu.com/english/hardware/2408/direct3.html MOTU 2408 Soundcard

WHICH SOFTWARE

OK, so your new Pentium II 333mhz PC is humming nicely in the back bedroom - now what about some software? If you've got money to throw around, get down your latest software warehouse and spend, spend, spend. For other mere mortals there's a newsgroup - alt.binaries.sounds.utilties, where people post 'cracked' (copy protection removed) music software for you to, ehem, 'try before you buy'. By far the greatest contributor of goodies are the 'Radium' team to whom we are all greatly indebted. You may have to wait to get what you want but there is usually a cycle of around 2 weeks where all the 'usual suspects' get posted. An absolute must is that you read the ABSU FAQ file (Frequency Asked Questions) - which is frequently posted up, this will give you lots of useful information about using the newsgroup including how to successfully download the software.

MIDI AND AUDIO SONG CONSTRUCTION

These packages allow you to construct songs using audio files (recordings of 'real' instruments - a guitar or vocal for instances) and MIDI instruments (instrument sounds triggered from your sampler). (Note: some packages use audio only - some midi only - others offer the ability to mix both.)

Cubase VST v3.553 full install Released : May 17, 1998

"Cubase VST is a midi and audio sequencer. It features realtime editing, unlimited MIDI tracks, Phrase Synthesizer, Video Playback, Drum Editor, Auto Accompaniment, Graphical Mastertrack Editor, Direct-X effects, etc

CakeWalk Pro Audio v8.0 final Released : Oct 2, 1998

"CakeWalk Pro Audio is the top of the TwelveTone audio line. It features up to 64 audio tracks, 256 virtual tracks (midi/audio), 64 channels of realtime effects, Support for DirectX plugins, RealAudio support, Pitch to midi conversion, Notation, Track inserts, Realtime marker placement, Groove quantize, Pattern sequencing and tons more. (Retail $299) New in Cake 8 : 128 tracks of audio/MIDI, 256 real-time effects, 24bit audio support, 96kHz sampling rate, AVI, MPEG and QuickTime video sync, Vector-based audio mixing (envelope mixing). New toolbars, shortcut keys, command menus, and many other interface enhancements."

Finale 98 32bit Released : September 21, 1997

"Finale is a music notation program that allows you to create, modify, playback and print anything from lead sheets to full orchestral scores. Features: Plugins, Automatic Tablature, Realtime notation with accurate tuplets, jazz rhythms, and tempo changes, non-standard key signatures, Auto-Dynamic Placement based on played velocities, "Implode" scores to create instant piano reductions, and a lot more. (RETAIL $550) Opinions : If you do professional notation and scoring, you need to be into Finale. It's the best program for this type of work. And if you want to do more than just glance at the program, you should also get the addon pack released today." Released : September 21, 1997

Making Waves v1.6b cracked Released : April 3, 1998

"Making Waves is a sample sequencer that allows you to use standard wavs to create loops. (Similar to trackers.) You can utilize up to 64 sample channels at 44.1 output, with note effects like velocity, pan, attack, filter, reverse, and delay. Also includes midi synch, new song format that includes all samples used, solo feature, realtime and step record, Max level detect, Triplets, long filenames, and more. (retail $79) Opinion : If you liked the old mod trackers like 'Impulse Tracker' I think you'll really like this. The features like auto pitch shifting to match a breakbeat to your BPM is great. And now this version adds a save format that contains the song & samples - which makes online transfers easy. This program grows on you :) Requirements : 486/66, win95, 16bit soundcard, a cd rom drive"

Seq303 v2.0.1.11 Released : August 30, 1998

"Seq-303 is what you'd call an 'analogue style' midi sequencer. This means its layout is similar to a Roland Tb-303 : 16 steps across the screen each with its own set of controls. Seq303 is most useful for creating drum loops, arpeggios and bass lines. And now it has support for NT 4.0 [www.technotoys.com] Retail $35' Review from Cs1-x : I like the proggie... Although the Tb-303 slide effect does not do it for me... Unfortunately, It does not even come close to the original TB-303 (I own one). So besides that effect, I think its a great type of mini sequencer, (like the TB-303)."

Arp-x8 v1.005 Released : August 30, 1998

"Arp-x8 is a set of 8 simultaneous MIDI arpeggiators. Features : accent generator, 10 motion controls, in/out range controls, MIDI file record and export, and multiple instances with synchronization. (Retail $30) Opinions : A very complete arpeggiator. Has some nice little surprises like the ability to copy your arpeggiator performance to the clipboard. As far as realtime arppeggiators go, this one is pretty good.' Arp-X review by Cs1x : This has to be the coolest little prog I have ever seen :) Make new arpegiations so easily. Tested it with my cs1x and my ASR-10 and my casio cz1000. Works fine with all of em. am so suprised - No bugs detected by me :) The gate effect works like a semi filter, I like the effect it gives the sound. Export of the midi file works too... Winamp picked it up right away and played it back for me :)"

Sonic Foundry ACID v1.0 fixed Released : May 29, 1998

"ACID is a music creation tool that allows you to arrange and edit wave loops on multiple tracks in realtime. After you drop a wave file into ACID, it automatically matches tempo and pitch - on the fly. Features : MTC/SMPTE timecode chase, realtime Direct-X Plug In support, output to .WAV file, 24bit audio support, unlimited undos, NetShow file support, tempo maps, Multiple sound card support and more. (RETAIL $399) Opinion : This program is in a class of its own - there's really nothing else quite like it. And it rules. Sonic Foundry, has once again made an audio program that works they way YOU would probably invent if you were the designer. Almost everything works in real time -- Changing a loop's stretching algorithm; Moving or deleting sounds; Drawing an envelope to control how Direct-X effects are applied to a track. Hell you could use this thing live. And the ability to save all song & sample data inside a single .acd file will make collaboration so easy. ACID may change the face of dance music. :)"

Band in a Box V7.0

No Radium info - this is from the manufacturer's website: Band-in-a-Box is an automatic accompaniment program for Windows/DOS and Macintosh. You type in the chord symbols to any song, using standard chord symbols like C, Fm7, Cm7b5 etc. choose a style and press PLAY. Band-in-a-Box then generates a pro quality 5 instrument accompaniment of bass, drums, piano, guitar and strings in over 100 styles of music.

Beat 2000 v1.0 Released : Oct 05, 1998

"Beat 2000 is a program like Groovemaker and Mixman that allows beginners to experiment with making tracks out of loops. The program is capable of loading 20 loops into memory at once for realtime mixing. It Features : mixing board, sound sample editor, drum machine, and track editor.($40) Opinions : Beat2000 is a musical toy, but it borders on being a halfway useful tool. It certainly allows more editing than Mixman. The interface is simple enough, but isn't fabulous. Most of the songs and samples that came with beat2000 were quite bad so we've taken out all the worst ones. Beat 2000 isnt great, but I'm sure someone will enjoy it either way.'"

AUDIO EDITORS

These allow you edit your audio files - change volume, change start and end positions, apply effects, fade- in/out, etc. They all more or less allow you to do the same thing but in different ways - it all depends which 'interface' (look and feel of the controls) you prefer. My favorites are;

Cool Edit Pro v1.1 full Released : April 27, 1998

CoolEdit Pro: "a multitrack audio program that can handle up to 64 tracks. It features : DirectX plugin support, MIDI Triggering of wave files, Beat finder, Multi-level Undo, User-definable toolbars, Cue & play lists, Spectral and frequency views, sound generation and a ton of built in effects. (Retail $400). New in version 1.1 : DirectX 5.1 plugin support with preview, faster DSP, wave grouping, Envelope Follower, vocoder, stereo pan & expand, Clip restoration, Hiss reduction, Crash recovery, better full-duplex operation, pause background mixing, Master volume control, Improved file handling, Radio industry option, Better dithering, Intellipoint Mouse wheel support, Lock in time shortcut, Favorite key assignments, Hidden waveforms revealed, and new sfade curves. Opinions : Overall, Cool Edit Pro is quite an impressive multitracker! With the new additions in v1.1, Cool Edit Pro becomes a serious option for the professional musician. Some people find the Saw+ interface a little hard to learn - Cool Edit Pro may be just the thing for them."

WaveLab v2.01 full Released : April 27, 1998

"Wavelab is one of the leaders in audio editing and processing for the PC. Its strong points include real- time performance, Direct-X plugin compatibility, 24bit audio file support, and integrated CDR functions. Version 2.0 now adds : Direct sampler support, multiple markers, auto wave analysis, ST plugin support, Peakmaster, Puncher, MPEG 1 Layer3 support and Exabyte backup support. New from v2.0 > v2.01 : Extra Mouse zooming features, new cdr drivers (Philips CDD 3600, Traxdata 4260 Pro, 2260 Pro, 4120), and bug fixes.' Opinions : This is a great little package for editing. It's noticeably faster than 1.6 and seems to be quite stable. The way that everything is centred around real-time editing is a great feature - for instance make a fade and undo it while still playing the wave. Very nice!"

Sound Forge v4.5a (build 56 final) Released : September 9, 1998

"SoundForge 4 has pretty much become the standard in professional wave audio editing on the PC. Features : Support for DirectX audio plugins, Sampler transfer using SCSI/SMDI, sample trigger via MIDI or timecode, Real-time loop tuning, pop-up keyboard, FM Synthesis, Auto regioning, A ton of effects (EQ, chorus, distortion, etc) and more. (RETAIL $499) New from v4.5 to 4.5a : Like usual, Sonic Foundry don't list what they fix in updates. But it appears that DirectX plugins are working much better now! Even Native Instruments generator plugin seems to work with 4.5a :)"

PLUG-IN's

There are literally 100's of these around - some free on the net. They are software modules that you can 'plug-in' to other packages (Cubase, Cakewalk, CoolEdit Pro, Wavelab, etc) to provide effects. Look out for the following;

TC native Reverb v1.5 Released : October 2, 1998

"TC Native Reverb is a Direct-X and VST reverb plugin. Features : level meters with peaking, room shaping, diffusion, sound coloring, predelay, room size, delay and ROM presets. (RETAIL $500) Reviews : This is a nice reverb with an attractive interface to boot. For realtime performance you will really want at least a p166. Quality of reverb is quite subjective, but personally I like Waves TruVerb a little more than TC for realism and control. Still Tc reverb is _very_ good and there are situations I prefer using it over others like Waves"

TC native EQ v1.01 DNV version Released : July 16, 1998

"TC Native EQ is a set of parametric and graphic EQs for both Direct-X and VST. Features : 10 Band Para-EQ, 28 band Graphic EQ, level meters with peaking, virtual joystick, Hi Shelf, Lo Shelf, Notch, Split gain control, SoftSat proprietary warming filters and more. (RETAIL $450) Note : The 'DNV' stands for Directx, Nt and Vst ...This release now has the full VST plugins, full compatibility running under windowsNT and of course - DirectX. Reviews : There are quite a few Eq plugins out there, but this one is a definite leader. It sound great and has a ton of kick'n features. The CPU use was lower than I expected too. I think this is my favourite EQ plug ... nice job on this one TC :)"

TimeWorks Reverb 4080L v1.101 Released : Sept 15, 1998

"Timeworks Reverb 4080L: is a DirectX reverb audio plugin. It features : 32 or 64 bit internal precision, Real-time preview, analogue-style meter, predelay, decay, color, room size, damping and more. (RETAIL $99) Opinions : This is a really nice reverb! For me it rates right up there some of the more famous reverbs and its CPU usage is definitely lower than most. The interface works pretty well and its great being able to enter controller values numerically on the keyboard. This is a good addition to any producers toolbox - if you use it, buy it.. they have priced it very reasonably for how good it is." For more info see Timeworks website www.sonictimeworks.com.

TimeWorks Delay 6022 v1.101 Released : September 15, 1998

Timeworks Delay 6022 "is a DirectX delay audio plugin. It features : channel independent High- frequency damping, Independent delay time, feedback gain, delay gain, "Ganging" to adjust 2 channels at once, Real-time previews, analogue-style meters, and more (RETAIL $99) Opinions : Another fine plugin from timeworks. I didn't find it quite as amazing as their reverb, but its still useful. Again, it has very low CPU usage and the sound is good. On the downside I found the interface a little murky, and the VU meter a little sluggish. Fairly minor flaws in an otherwise useful delay."

Timeworks Phaser Model88 v1.004 Released : April 21, 1998

Timeworks Phaser model 88 is a DirectX audio plugin that simulates the effect of a phaser. Features : Stereo enhancement, Clip indicators, Rate as low as .01 cycles/sec, feedback control and more. (Retail $69) Opinions : Timeworks is quickly gaining a reputation for making some damn good plugins. Phaser is no exception... Its smooth and it sounds great. In comparison to other phasers, this is definitely the best one I've heard. The Stereo enhancement option is very cool, CPU usage is really low and the plugin is solid. Review from Zenta : This is one *nice* plugin. The fatness and richness of the phase cannot be faulted and it is extremely smooth without any of that *notching* you can find on some other plugins. The interface is clean and easy to use and allows the user to control all the important functions needed to create the phased effect. The addition of the spacial enhancer is an unexpected bonus and does indeed add another dimension to the effect. All in all, a plugin that should take up permanent residence on any Musicians setup."

Vintage Power Pack VOL1 for Cubase VST Released : January 23, 1998

"Vintage Power Pack Vol.1 is a set of plugins for Cubase VST. This pack includes : Chorus, Nu-tron Phaser, Tape-Delay, 2 Flangers, UltraVerb, and Multi-Fx. The plugins also feature advanced control over LFO, Pan and settings. See the end of this NFO for a user review. (RETAIL $299) Pros : Good interface. Well designed input ranges. Allows VST Automation Cons : Only works in VST. (ie. its not DirectX) Requires : Pentium, Win95/NT, 16 Mb ram, and Cubase VST. Review by ScuzzyTooVintage Power Pack is THE most impressive set of plug-ins I have ever experienced! I have been searching in vain for a really good phaser for PC until now. I put it on a track of keyboards/synth drums, and instantly found myself back in the early '80s. And the multi-FX...! I wept tears of joy when I applied it to dry guitar. Now, no matter how much my music sucks, it will always sound great!! =) It is rather ironic; when I first saw the *CHEEZY* VPP webpage, I thought it surely was a hoax, or was at east sub-CFX quality. I'll tell you though, this is NO hoax! These are my kind of FX!!! What is at first a let down about VPP (the obvious fact that it is not DX)actually turns out to be a major plus. DX is *very* CPU intensive, but these suckers can fill all four FX units in VST, without a pentium133 even breaking a sweat. Try that with just Trueverb, or even XFX 1's chorus! :)editors note : Whose also tested these and was quite a bit less enthusiastic. He complained that they were slow and the sound didn't impress him. :)'

DB ProDelay for VST v1.0 Released : May 14, 1998

"DB ProDelay is a plugin for Cubase VST that provides advanced tempo based delay with filters. Features : digital or analogue modes, low & high pass filters, tempo based auto-panning and more. (Retail $35) Opinions : This is really a great delay for VST. See the end of this NFO for a full review. (thx cookii) Comments by cookii :Yes! I like this plugin! From moments after I had this one installed, I was ready to record... the filters really got me going here... lovely! from the hardline, rigid, 'digital'style to the smooth and burbling 'analogue' emulation, I was seduced. :) this delay has a lot going for it.. some quite unusual effects can be obtained with this - mysterious, deep textures... bubbling, sweeping, simply ... but don't just trust me, try it yourself! even yr lover will likely enjoy it too... well worth the effort..."

Cylonix vocoder v1.07 Released : April 9, 1998

"Cylonix is a virtual vocoder that lets you make your voice sound like a computer, Cylon or droid from Battlestar Galactica. But of course it's not only limited to voice. Features include: 18 Filter Channels, Pulse, Chord, and Noise Generators, graphical spectrum display, Pitch Tracker and more. New since v1.03 : More save frequencies, half-duplex support, Mod/carrier synch button, many bugfixes and more. (RETAIL 30) Pros : Tons of settings. Very configurable. Can use wave files or line in as sources. Nice graphical views. Cons : Mixes internally at 11khz, and has half a second lag. Summary : This version has fixed quite a few bugs, but you can still crash it if you try. The realtime time interaction is nice. Its fun and can do quite a bit. The sound is a little lo-fi, but for this type of application thats usually ok. Check out Opcodes Vocoder for DirectX."

Opcode Fusion Filter v1.0 Released : May 03, 1998

"Opcode fusion:FILTER is a DirectX plugin that allows you to control any of the three independent filter modules with tempo programmable LFOs, envelopes, or sequence modulators. For instance, you can filter a bass track with the filter cutoff being modulated by the amplitude of a kick drum. Features : 6 LFOs, user envelopes and file extracted envelopes. Also has Lowpass, highpass, bandpass, notch, ringmod and Overdrive filters. (Retail 199.00) Opinions : This is a GREAT plugin! Probably one of the more useful i've tried. With the tempo BPM setting its quite easy to get interesting fx timed to your grooves. Lots of settings to tweak and lots of power. :) Requires : a DirectX audio program like SoundForge, Cakewalk, etc"

Waves Native Power Pack v2.35 Released : July 09, 1998

"Waves Native Power Pack 2.3 is a set of DirectX audio plugins including TrueVerb (virtual space reverb), Q10 equalizer, C1 compressor, C1 Gate, S1 Stereo Imager, and L1 UltraMaximizer. (Retail 600.00) New in version 2.35 : The new NPP 2.35 includes bug-fixes to the sound- stutter and buffer handling bugs present in Cubase VST. It also fixes compatibility between waves renaissance and C1 compressor versions. Opinions : Native Power Pack is like the grandfather of Direct-X audio plugins. The C1 compressor and Truverb are legendary for good reason : they sound great! A few of the plugins (c1 mostly) were higher on the CPU meter than I would have liked, but I guess you gotta pay for that quality sound somewhere. :) I think if I had to choose only one DX plugin package, this would be it. (followed by Opcode filter) :)"

Waves C1 compressor v2.3.1 Released : March 07, 1998

"Waves C1+ is a professional tool for compression, expansion or gating. Select any frequency range, then apply a dynamic process to that range, or use as a traditional wideband device. C1 offers mono and stereo capabilities of the compressor and/or the gate. Native PowerPack v2.3 included 'C1 v2.3'. This new version (2.3.1) now adds extra features : a new Sidechain component to compress a specific frequency range (to perform DeEssing, Depopping and more), Gate, expander and IDR. From lexpure :Finally! This plugin rules! (Or what did you use to depop / de-ess your stuff before in 'Waves-quality'?) You have all the possibilities a multiband compressor / gate offers and it really works great. Unlike Soundforge's built-in Compressor, Waves C1+ does not make the soundfile dull or flat when applying deessing, it just eliminates those nasty sharp 'esses'. A little drawback of the plugin is, it's VERY CPU-hungry, even, more consuming than the trueverb."

Waves Renaissance Compressor v1.0 Released : June 29, 1998

"Waves Renaissance compressor is a DirectX audio plugin that gives you a classic analogue compressor sound, prefect for mastering and tracking. It features: Opto-compression, Electro-compression, ARC (Automatic release control), Warm character setting that adds low frequency harmonics, No- clip 'brickwall' internal limiter and more. (RETAIL $300) Opinions : This is about as accurate a simulation of the classic 'five knob' analogue compressor as you can get. I love the huge amounts of warmth you can give to a sound as well as a truly 'in yer face' effect! The controls are simple with a full 'a-b' preview mode so you can do easy comparisons between effects. For me Renaissance is the number one compressor. Nice job Waves!"

Steinberg FreeFilter v1.0 working Released : May 10, 1998

"Freefilter is a DirectX plugin that can 'learn' the EQ spectrum of an audio source and then apply it to a destination to get a similar EQ in real time. Features : 1/3 Octave linear phase 30band EQ, Input/Output Analyzer, and 3 special eq shaping tools. (Retail $299) Opinion : This is quite an interesting plugin ... Its like acoustic modeller, but for EQ -- essentially you can 'steal' the EQ from any recording and apply it to your music. An innovative idea, and it works quite well. Its interface could have been made better however (if you use SoundForge you need to do extra steps that you shouldn't have to.) It also has a realtime 30 band EQ built in, so it will be useful for almost any application. Definitely worth the download :)'

DSP-FX v4.1007 with Aural Enhancer Released : August 22, 1998

DSP·FX: "is a real-time audio effects unit that has been getting some positive reviews. Electronic Musician rated its effect quality higher than the Lexicon PCM90, Lexicon PCM80, and Eventide 4000. Effects include : Multi-Tap Delay, EQ, Flanger, Stereo Pitch Shifter, Reverb, Multi-Element Chorus, Tremolo, and Auto-Panner. (Retail $599) This release also includes Events newest plugin - Aural Enhancer, and it's cracked too of course. :) (Its pretty new.. not even listed on the event homepage yet). Aural Enhancer does what it sound like : lets you mess with the harmonics of your audio to enhance it - very cool plug. Opinions : DSP·FX is a great sounding set of plugins and it works with almost everything : Saw+, DirectX and standalone. The interface is still its weakest point and it opens a second window anytime you use it as a DirectX or Saw plugin. Other than that, these plugins are all highly useful with some of the better sounding."

Sonic Foundry Noise Reduction Direct X Plug-In

Sonic Foundry Noise Reduction DirectX Plug-In: " is a trio of plugins that include: Noise Reduction, Click Removal & Vinyl Restoration"

SoundForge CD Architect plugin v4.0d Released : October 29, 1997

"CD Architect is a plug-in that makes SoundForge a comprehensive Red Book audio CD writing tool for Windows 95/NT. CD Architect provides extensive support for PQ editing - like track times, sub-indices, ISRC codes and printed cue sheets. The multi-file playlist previews the CD in real time while CD transport controls simulate CD audio playback. Transitions like inserting silence or cross-fading between files can be added in seconds. Test burn mode monitors for underruns without actually burning the CD. Together with the non-destructive editing capabilities of SoundForge this makes it the Red Book application to beat! To use this you must have SoundForge 4.0d installed."

Cubase to Wave editor "adapter plug" program (Cub2for21) Ver 2.1 (21st April 1998)

This is freeware by Nick Whitehurst - a proggie I find invaluable. 'This program does 3 things:1) it allows you to choose from a selection of wave editors. You enter the details of all the wave editors you have installed. Then when you hold down shift as you double click on a file you will be able to choose from your list of editors. This is good if you have several wave editors each with their individual strengths and weaknesses. (If you don't press shifty then the first editor in the list is launched without stopping). 2) it adds markers to show where the section of audio you are editing in cubase actually is in the waveform. This is good if you have divided a long file up into very small parts. It makes finding the part you want to edit very quick. This works with wavelab, soundforge and Cool Edit (96 and Pro (Gina edition)). This uses the information which cubase usually sends only to wavelab. 3) it makes sure there are quotation marks around the file name when launching wave editors from inside cubase VST. Filenames with spaces cause errors with older versions of VST (pre 3.55 I think). This allows you to let cubase handle all the filenames for multiple takes etc. It also warns straightaway if cubase is holding on to the waveform which will make saving impossible.

Steinberg Loudness Max v1.2 working Released : May 08, 1998

Steinberg Loudness Maximizer does exactly what it sound like - it optimizes audio levels and increases the subjective volume. Even on recordings that are already set at maximum level, this plugin will add 'punchiness' without clipping pumping or breathing. Opinions : A pretty basic plugin- not too exciting. Some of the controls (switches) are obviously designed with their appearance first in mind, and their ease of use second. The interface is cute, but oversimplified. In my opinion there are better plugins for this type of function.'

Magneto v1.1 Released : July 16, 1998

"Magneto is a DirectX plugin for creating analogue warmth without adding any unwanted noise. It simulates a classic Lyrec 24 track tape machine for true tape saturation effects ranging from a wild, overdriven compressed signal to subtle warmth. (Suggested retail $250) New in version 1.1 : Bugfixes for Wavelab batch processing and fix for activating Magneto's 'Mono' in Cubase VST. Opinions : If your one of those people that thinks digital audio sounds 'cold' then I think you'll like this plugin. I've found I can also use it to get some great distortion by maxing it out. Magneto is a classic on my list of useful plugins."

DirectX XFX v1.0 audio plugins (bld60) Released : October 28, 1997

"XFX 1 plug-in pack is a great set of effects plugins from Sonic Foundry! This pack includes : Reverb, Time Compress/Expand, Multi-Tap Delay, Chorus, Pitch Shift, and Simple Delay/Echo. Most preview and editing of these effects happens in real time, and since the plugins are DirectX they work in programs besides Sound Forge!"

DirectX XFX-2 audio plugins build 66 Released : January 22, 1998

"XFX 2 is the second collection in a series of high-quality DirectX Audio Plug-Ins from Sonic Foundry. XFX 2 includes 6 discrete plug-ins: Noise Gate, Graphic Dynamics, Multi-Band Dynamics, Paragraphic EQ, Parametric EQ, and Graphic EQ. XFX 2 optimizes editing time by allowing real-time previews. As parameters for an effect are modified, the result is heard immediately much like adjusting the volume on a radio."

SampliTools DEQ v1.0 plugin cracked   Released : Nov. 19, 1997

"Samplitools DEQ brings you EQs, compressors, limiters, expanders, gates and distortion in a package compatible with your current Direct-X audio program (like Cakewalk and Sound Forge). The performance is high enough to run several instances of the plug ins in realtime! (ie. its fast!)"

SoundForge Spectrum Analysis plug v4.0d Released : October 29, 1997

"This SoundForge plugin performs waveform analysis and displays the resulting data in two graphical formats. The Spectrum Graph allows real-time monitoring of playback and record, while the Sonogram shows a playback cursor for real-time previewing. For this plugin you need to have SoundForge 4.0d installed."

Sonic Foundry XFX vol3 Released : April 15, 1998

"XFX vol3 is another in the series of Sonic Foundry DirectX plugins. This pack contains : Amplitude Modulation, Flange/Wah-Wha/Phaser, Distortion, Gapper/Snipper, Smooth/Enhance, & Vibrato. (RETAIL $150) Opinions : This pack takes some of the default Sound Forge effects and improves them. Because they are direct-X, now you can preview them in realtime and use them in other audio programs. They also added quite a few more options to tweak. The distortion is pretty cool now :) These aren't amazing effects, but they are useful and very well improved."

Waves MaxxBass v2.35 Released : July 09, 1998

"MaxxBass is a DirectX Plug-in for Bass Enhancement. It's designed to F$ extend your bass response to include frequencies two octaves below the F$ original limit. This is achieved by adding a series of harmonics to the F$ signal to create a psychoacoustic effect. Put simply MaxxBass helps you F$ hear better bass on all speakers from laptop to high-end. (Retail $300) New in version 2.35 : The new Maxxbass includes bug-fixes to the sound- stutter and buffer handling bugs present in Cubase VST. Opinions : From enhancing thunderous basslines to powering up bass drum patterns MaxxBass is the plugin to use. MaxxBass will compress, enhance and add definition to anything in the bottom end of the sound spectrum. The interface is graphical and easy to use. Being able to shut down the upper end of your mix to hear only the MaxxBass is is also very useful. This is the best plugin for giving the final touch to basslines"

Waldorf D-pole for VST v1.0 cracked Released : February 19, 1998

"Waldorf D-pole is a multimode filter plug-in for Cubase VST that offers Low-Band-Notch, HiPass- Notch and Resonator with resonance and up to either 12 dB or 24 dB per Octave. D-Pole also features an Envelope Follower and LFO for Cutoff and Panorama Modulation. (RETAIL $160) Reviews : Yay! In short, one very cool plugin with a great sound! AEStripDK :This is probably the best VST plug ever made. And we now have a good distortion feature for PC/VST. On the downside : d-pole edit windowblinks every 50 sek's, but it doesn't affect the sound. It eats about40% of my 200Mhz pentium cpu, with one stereo track. All in all.....FUCK what a PLUG! ! \ö/...... My dog ran like hell when I firedup the resonance. woof!"

VST Compressor v2.5 Released : April 25, 1998

"VST Compressor is an audio plugin that will work in VST and Wavelab2.It features very efficient compression/limiting of channel inserts in mono and stereo. Version 2 adds gain reduction meters, help files, and bugfixes on the channel inserts.(RETAIL $75)New in version 2.5 : Added Sidechain options, New Factory effects parameters, and some bugfixes. Opinions : The main benefit of this little compressor is that it uses hardly any of your processing power. You can easily run a number of these and still have juice left over. Overall a worthwhile effect.''

Hyperprism DX v1.52 Released : July 19, 1998

"Hyperprism is a huge selection of effects that will work in any DirectX audio program. 29 plugins include : Phaser, Flanger, Chorus, Vibrato, Tremolo, Low Pass, High Pass, Band Pass, Band Reject, Pitch Changer, Sonic Decimator, Noise Gate, Compressor, Quasi Stereo, More Stereo, Stereo Dynamics, Pan, Auto Pan, Hall Reverb, Room Reverb, Single Delay, Echo, EchoTranz, Multi Delay, Ring Mod,Frequency Shifter, HyperVerb, Limiter, M-S Matrix, Sonic Decimator, and Vocoder. (retail $389.00) Opinions : A TON of plugins here.. some great some average. The newest additions to the pack are quite nice, especially the Freqency shifter. The interface won't win any awards, but it's functional and easy to use. This pack of plugins is a really good help for coming up with new sonic ideas... there's such a variety here."

Waves DeEsser v1.05 Released : July 09, 1998

"Waves Deesser is a DirectX plugin to help reduce 'ess' sounds in vocal tracks, wind instruments, etc. Includes BandPass and HighPass SideChain filter modes for isolation of specific sounds. (RETAIL 200) New in version 1.05 : The new DeEsser includes bug-fixes to the sound- stutter and buffer handling bugs present in Cubase VST. It also fixes compatibility between waves renaissance and deEsser versions. Opinions : This isn't a general purpose 'do-everything' plugin, but when it comes to de-essing it does a very good job. As usual, Waves makes an addon that scores very high in sound quality. Its interface is easy to use (or 'plain' depending on your point of view) and I found its cpu usage very reasonable. From Sensei : This plugin knows its place, and does its job very well. The sizeably-ranged attenuator and sideband channelling are very useful for taking care of any vocal track you might have. Good, logical visual layout, too. A strong point about this program is the fact that its field of operation is extremely narrow, meaning that it won't affect ANYTHING other than hard consonant "ch" and "ess" sounds. This isn't just noise-reduction, and shouldn't be seen as such. It's definitely a speciality plugin."

Sonic Foundry Acoustic Mirror v1.1 Released : Aug 11, 1998

"Acoustic Mirror is a very unique DirectX audio plugin that allows you to capture the signature of a room's acoustical property and then apply that room's properties to any audio file! But these signatures (also called 'impulses') aren't just limited to rooms ... you could capture the properties of a electronic effects unit, the tone of a vintage tube microphone, or even a realistic representation of a stereo image. In addition to realism this technology can be used to create limitless unique effects not heard in nature. (RETAIL 250) Opinions : I think the only thing more amazing than this plugin is the fact that it hasn't' become more popular. If you cant tell, I'm a huge fan! :) The reverbs and effects Acoustic Mirror creates are undoubtedly the most realistic I've heard anywhere. And it's totally configurable.. you can make your own impulses from scratch through recording tones in real-life environments. Now all I want are more commercial addons :) Another winner from sonic foundry - totally worth the price too. Note : Acoustic Mirror was recently renamed. It was previously called Acoustic Modeller."

And if you've got this you'll want these..

Samplitools IR for Acoustic Modeller Released : January 19, 1998

Samplitools IR is 2cds of impulses from the TC Electronics M2000/5000 and Lexicon 480L fx units! (In case you don't know, a Lexicon 480L is worth about $12000 and TC is $4000+.) This version works in Acoustic Modeller. If you're a fan of Samplitude, look for the Samplitude Studio Room Simulator version also released today. ($199 for both volumes) Opinions : <sandor> Hold on to your chair.. this thing RULES. Definitely the best reverb I have ever heard from a computer so far. You need a good cpu for realtime preview but even without, its worth the render time. <Eetfunk> I have 2 words : F*ckin' Rules! This is the best thing I've seen in years my friends. When I saw this I thought 'wow kewl' But when I heard the thing I was AMAZED. The reverbs sounds so good.. so smooth and so natural... <Eetfuk> The Lexicon M480L - the best reverb of all times - in my studio! This fx processor is found in only the biggest studios of the world... it's that little white box found on all the SSL and Neve's that you've seen in your favorite proaudio magazine. About the M2000/5000 : I haven't played a lot with those impulses. In fact, 2 minutes with only one (I was too excited about the Lexicon 480). :)) They seem to sound very good too. I have noticed that some reverbs will sound better with a bit of tweaking (ie: eq'ing). Depending on what you're doing... naturally! So, experiment a bit."

Panhandler v1.0 for DirectX Released : September 25, 1998

"The PanHandler is a real-time surroundsound panning and encoding plugin. This version is for use in any DirectSound compatible audio program. It is compatible with pro and home surround sound decoders, or creates a wider sound field when played in normal stereo. Features : automation, mouse or joystick input, Line panning function for fast and accurate fly-by's, Built-in Surround Sound encoder, and more. (RETAIL $300)"

Steinberg Qmetric v1.0 Released : Oct 05, 1998

"Q-Metric is a 7-band HiEnd Equalization PlugIn that can be used in VST, Wavelab or any DirectX audio program. Features : Internal processing with double sampling, 3 parametric midrange bands, Variable shelving filter (High/Low), Variable Q-factor, Graphical display of the overall frequency response, and automation within Cubase VST. (Retail$600)"

SOFTSYNTHS (Virtual Synths)

As the name suggests, these are basically software synthesisers. Some copy classic synth designs - software representatives of the original design - others provide a generic synth concept' that allow you to build and change your own sounds.

Rebirth Rb338 v2.0 fix1 Released : August 1, 1998

"Rebirth is a software recreation of 2 Roland Tb303 bassline synths, a Roland 808 drum machine and now a Roland 909 drum machine. Features : Digital delays, distortion unit, compressor, a PFC pattern controlled filter, integrated song sequencer, midi support & more. (Retail 180) New in version 2.0 : 909 drums, integrated mod support, 4 distortion units, shaper distorting setting, shuffle, expanded PFC settings, new key commands, midi mapping and resizable window with scrollbars. Opinion : I'm not always a fan of the 303 sound .. its been overused a lot lately. But even for a non-303 enthusiast like myself, rebirth is still amazing and definitely a shining example of software emulating hardware. With the new features in version 2 I've found I can even get some surprising new super-low bass sounds that don't even sound like a 303 -- great! And the easier mod format gives the drums new life too. Overall, a very good upgrade. I'd love to see what the propellerheads could come up with if they cut loose and went beyond an emulation. :) About fix 1 : Propellorheads got us. :) There was an extra check we didn't find till now (it would make your song unplayable if you opened and closed it a bunch of times without doing anything). This release should have no more problems with that. No need to keep the previous Rebirth2 release around (this isn't a patch, it's a re-release.) Also the larger 'addon pack 1' is just fine .. no need to redownload that. Thanks to the users who helped track this down. Happy rebirthing.

Rebirth Rb338 v2.0 Addon Pack 1 Released : August 1, 1998

This addon pack contains the 5 official rebirth mods from the original Rebirth 2.0 cdrom - cracked and ready to use as well as the RB v2 PDF. A 'Mod' is redesign of Rebirth with all new graphics and sounds. These mods are really well done, especially the new PBM. Worth the download.'

D-lusion RubberDuck v2.01 Released : May 08, 1998

RubberDuck H30: "is a realtime synth that's suited to Acid, Trance and Goa. Features : Realtime resonant filters, 220 note sequencer, dual oscillator generation, wave breakbeat section, delay/feedback/distortion, full midi support, wav dump ability, win95 and NT support. (Retail about $35) Opinions : This program kicks ass. In the sound category, I think RubberDuck is more advanced than Rebirth - Where Rebirth is content to emulate the (much overused) 303, Rubberduck digs a little deeper and comes up with fresh sounds. Although Rebirth has a more complete song sequencer, I found Rubberduck had me making wilder / better grooves. And from what I understand, it will soon be possible to link together 2 rubberducks + 1 'Drumstation' - if that's true this will _REALLY_ be a Rebirth killer. Surprising that you can only buy it in Germany still.

Generator v1.54 Released : September 21, 1998

"Generator is a virtual synth that is designed to be played in real-time. It allows you to build your own sounds from modules & blocks. Features: User definable macro modules, Up to 16 instruments per ensemble with up to 24 voices per instrument, MIDI control for all panel elements, Sample rates: internal 22.05 kHz to 132.3 kHz, external 44.1 kHz, Import and export of WAV files, Library with many complete instruments (Minimoog, 303, DX-7), effects and macro modules. Modules have over 30 oscillators (sawtooth, pulse, multistep, etc.), 8 filters, 10 envelopes and 4 step sequencers, saturator, clipper, mirror, chopper, waveshaper, frequency divider, quantizer, DirectX plugin ability and much more. (retail 289) New in v1.54 : MIDI-port limit raised to 64, system resources needed is reduced, Glitchfree looping of waveforms on the Sampler and SamplerFM, Modified module shapes for Displays, and more. Opinion : I'm completely blown away by this! Previous versions of Generator were cool ... but once you have tried building a complete filter, and hearing it in realtime as a direct-X plugin modifying your SoundForge output you might convert to this new religion too. This has got to be one of the MOST innovative synthesis products I've seen for a while. On the downside, this version isn't stable in all areas - the DirectX support (still) doesnt work in a lot of programs. But it works well in SoundForge 4.5a and ACID so I can overlook the other problems.

AudioSim v2.0 Released : July 3, 1998

Audiosim: "is virtual synth for creating analogue style sounds. Features : 2 Oscillators, 4 envelope generators, 2 LFOs, Ring Mod, FM, Synch, up to 32x oversampling, arpeggiator, sequencer, Portamento, Echo Engline, output to wave file, filter with resonance and more. (RETAIL $40) Opinions : Don't be fooled by its small size - Audiosim is able to make some impressive sounds. The midi control works pretty well and the program is fairly stable. Audiosim has low lag, although you do notice your timing isn't quite as solid as playing a real synth. The biggest downside to this program is that it uses DOS which makes multitasking a little more difficult. Overall I like Audiosim - Great fun!"

SOFTWARE SAMPLERS

Software Samplers These work in the same way as Soundcard onboard sample RAM but utilise system RAM using software (down side is they take up more system resources).

Nemesys Gigasampler v1.0 Released : June 14, 1998

GigaSampler: "works in a similar way to hardware samplers like the Akai, but requires no hardware - It can stream samples in realtime directly from the hard disk when played by a MIDI device. Features: resonant filters, instruments up to 4 gigabytes, 64 voices, support for Akai sample cds and wav files, looping options, 32 bit signal processing, realtime controller maps, multilayering, release-triggered sampling, staccato modelling, instrument dimensioning and more. (RETAIL $799) Opinions : Well! This release has been long awaited. First thing your going to notice about Gigasampler is that it has VERY strict system requirements : Windows 98 and Cyrix CPUs will not work at all (yet). On the bright side, once you do get Gigasampler running, it really performs! The Akai CD conversion utility alone is amazing."

Reality

Reality: (review taken from siege97.nfo file) Reality is the first synthesizer capable of simultaneous polyphonic and multi-timbral performance of multiple synthesis techniques, including PCM (sampling, wavetable), Subtractive (analogue), FM, Waveguide, Physical Modelling, and Modal synthesis. In fact, Reality is like having many different pro synths and samplers rolled into one product, with the obvious benefit of a single coherent interface. (needs any Creative labs 16 soundcard, AWE64 preferred).

DRUM TOOLS

Fruity Loops Pro v1.3.66 render patch Released : August 31, 1998

Fruity Loops: "is a tool to create drumloops using wav AND midi sources. Features : rendering to wavefile, easy drag & drop, export loops to midifile, synch to a midi clock, Pitch shifting, realtime stretching, panning, delay, resonant filters, interactive playlists, skins, winamp DSP plugin support, shuffle, humanize, and lots more. (Retail $70) Opinions : Fruityloops has really progressed. There are a number of drum sequencers out (Drumstation, Beatbox, MakingWaves) but FruityLoops really stands out. Its got one of the best interfaces I've seen on *any* windows program - really well thought out. It almost feels like a revival of tracker days. /me impressed :)

D-lusion Drumstation v1.0 Released : May 21, 1998

DrumStation: "is a beat sequencer with an 'analogue' style (pattern based) interface similar to Hammerhead or Fruityloops. Features : wave import, internal FX (Reverb, Hall, Flanger, Delay, LP-Filter, Distortion, and TimeShifting), drum kit manager, swing control, breakbeat support, Rubberduck synch support and more. Opinion : Another great program from D-lusion! DrumStation is like the Rhythmic partner to Rubberduck... in fact, they include a utility that lets you run 2 rubberducks and 1 drumstation, and it synchs all three together in realtime! Drumstation's interface is nicely laid out and I found it really easy to work with. If you're a Rebirth fan or if you've been waiting for hammerhead, you need to get this one :) "

Wave Surgeon v2.0 full Released : February 17, 1998

"Wavesurgeon is a drum breakbeat tool, designed to automate the editing process (very much like Steinberg Recycle). WaveSurgeon automatically finds drum sounds and loop points within a sample. You can Save each segment to a wave file, save a midi timing templates, or save sounds to a SoundFont 2.0 file for AWE soundcards. New in version 2.0 : True stereo file support, New user interface, sampler support, Quantize, normalize, invert, better use of memory, Loop code rewritten for Event cards, open preview and more.."

Recycle

With ReCycle, you can perform a number of "tricks" on your drum loops: Change the tempo without affecting pitch; Change the pitch without affecting tempo; Quantize drum loops (either to straighten up the timing or to change the feel, for example by applying a "groove map"); Extract the timing (a groove map) from a drum loop. This can then be applied to other sequenced parts or even to other loops!; Replace individual sounds in a drum loop; Edit the actual playing in the drum loop without affecting the basic feel; Extract sounds from loops. (extracted and adapted from Recycle user manual).

Sample Patch Utilities

Sample patch utilities; allow you to edit sample parameters (layer settings, volume, loop points, etc). Some allow you to convert/save to another format so you can use sample patches created for one soundcard for use in another.

Awave v4.9 cracked Released : August 31, 1998

"Awave is one of the most complete sound format and instrument file converters available. (Over 150 formats). Awave also functions as a player and editor, and for some cards its the only editor available. Also features : Midi SDS dumps, visual looping, realtime oscilloscope, frequency analyzer and more. (RETAIL $50 New in 4.9 : DirectX plugin compatibility, SoundBlaster Live auditioning support, AVM, Everest, mpeg1 Sample support, Delay and hold parameters, and a number of bugfixes.

Everest MA-1 editor v1.47 Released : September 21, 1998

"Everest is the long awaited editor for PC soundcards with the Kurzweil MA-1 chip (Turtle Beach Pinnacle, AVM Apex). This patch editor has too many features to list : Mixer layouts, simultaneous layer edits, Real- time feel controls, Virtual Keyboard, DrumKit wizard, Bank editors, loading of ADPCM .wav files, and more. (RETAIL 35) Opinions : If you own a Apex or Pinnacle you are probably rejoicing now. AVM has been promising to make an editor and nothing has happened except a poor looking beta. In contrast, this patch editor kicks ass. Now you can finally enjoy your MA-1 chip the way you thought you would when you bought it. See the end of this nfo for more reviews. Requires : Soundcard with an MA-1 chip (TB Pinnacle, AVM Apex)" - Note: The official Pinnacle Patch Editor is now out of Beta and into Version 1.00.39, at long last.

VIENNA

Similar to above for users of AWE soundcards.

OTHER USEFUL UTILITIES

Fraunhofer MP3 codec v1.063 optimized Released : Sept 6, 1998

"Using the codec : This codec is 'external', so its kinda like installing a system driver -- by itself it doesnt do anything -- you use it with a codec capable program. To encode as Mp3, you go into the 'Save as' menu of your audio program and choose the compression format you want. (choose 'Mpeg layer-3') Here is a list of some of the programs that can use external codecs : Audiograbber, WinDAC, Soundforge, Wavelab, Acid, CoolEditPro, Jetaudio, MP3 compressor, MPEG Layer-3 Producer 1.1, Windows sound recorder & more. Summary : Woohoo! Basically this is the first external Mpeg layer-3 codec released since the old Fraunhofer 1996 one. Features : Exact same sound quality as Opticom Mp3 Producer Pro 2, upper rates of 256, 192, 160, & 128kBit/s, normal or HQ mode, 5% to 12% speed increase over Opticom MP3 Producer Pro (HQ modes), works with with any codec capable program like Audiograbber or Soundforge and full compatibility with Win 95/98/NT. What is an external codec? : There are 2 types of codecs - internal and external. In 1996 Fraunhofer released the first EXTERNAL Mpeg Layer-3 codec. Using that codec, *any* program with codec support could make Mp3s : for example Audiograbber and SoundForge. But that was the last external Layer-3 codec Fraunhofer released too ... Presumably because it was too easy to pass around. ;) Since then Fraunhofer have much improved their Mpeg Layer-3 technology but now only license it for INTERNAL use in 'Opticom Mp3 Producer Pro' and 'Audioactive Production Studio'. With this release IgNorAMUS has taken the internal Producer Pro codec, and made it external again. At the same time he made some assembly level optimizations to the code to get between 5% to 12% speed increase when using 'HQ' mode. (See the graph included in the release). Note that these assembly optimizations do not affect the sound quality any - the output will still remain exactly the same as output from Opticom Mp3 Producer Pro v2.1 Opinions : I think that Opticom MP3 Producer Pro and Audioactive Studio have proven to be the best sound quality for Mp3 encoding - and this 'new' codec is exactly the same as those two in that aspect. Its small speed advantage makes it definitely the best external codec and possily the best overall Layer-3 codec too. :) SUBnote: With this release it's now possible to do one-step rips at 160kBit/s. We reccommend this rate for serious rippers, since it gives more defined high-end and better stereo as well.

Audioactive Production Studio Pro v1.05 Released : June 4, 1998

"Audioactive Production Studio Pro is a Windows MP3 encoder. It features MP3 encoding preview, resampling options, drag 'n drop, unlimited batch processing, HQ option, bitrate-size calculator, background encoding with priority selector, output bitrates from 256kbps to 8kbps, ASF streaming formats, output compressed WAV, MP3, shockwave and more. (RETAIL $369) Opinions : This thing kicks ass! :) For me it scores TOP marks in the 3 most important areas : It has a good interface, it encodes fast, and it sounds incredible. It can encode a 3.5 minute audio file in 5.5 minutes on a P166 at 128kbps/44khz/stereo. At lower bitrates you can easily get encoding at 2x realtime. The sound quality is the best i've heard which will make this my new default MP3 encoder."

WINAMP

Winamp (MP3 and other audio format player- shareware) : (their own review) Winamp is the ultimate in media playback for 32-bit Windows platforms. This release includes plug-ins for MP2, MP3, MOD, XM, IT, S3M, MTM, 669, WAV, VOC, MID, CDDA, and Line Input. Future plug-ins for AAC, VQF, AVI, MPEG Video, and more are on the way.

Audio Grabber v1.31 with Unblacklister

Audiograbber allows you to extract or 'rip' and convert data on CD's into wave files with no degradation in quality. There are others but I like this one <g>. "cracked serials for this program were getting 'blacklisted' by the author. So Deepz0ne made a loader to automaticly use a random new valid serial EVERY time you run it. For more crack info see 'notes' below. Audiograbber is a program that can grab audio directly from cd's (digitally without any loss). The program can then call an external mp3 program or ACM Codec to automaticly convert the tracks into Mp3s. Features : CRC checking to ensure grabbing was perfect, Normalizing, Removal of slience, Compact Disk DataBase support for auto recognition of cds and track names, individual selection of tracks, IN and OUT marker settings for each track and lots more. (Retail 25) Opinions : This has without a doubt become my favorite app for ripping audio from cds. I doubt you will use WinDAC or any other ripper after using this. The interface is clear, helpful and acessable. The CDDB support is amazing .. Pop in a cd and one of 15 database servers around the world will find & enter ALL the tracknames for you! And everything can be setup to work pretty much automaticly - from ripping to volume normalizing, to turning them into Mp3s. Whooo! Absolutely Wonderful

Emagic Sound Diver v2.0.3 cracked Released : December 30, 1997

"SoundDiver is a powerful graphical editor and librarian designed to interface directly with over 300 midi synthesisers. If you have been hurting your eyes reading a synth display, now you can hurt your eyes looking at your monitor! :) Features: compatible to Mac interface, midi patchbay support, snapshot & undo, auto auditioning of sounds, drag-n-drop support, cut-and-paste between windows, support for many file types (midi, sysex, libraries, foreign), advanced sorting, auto depencancy management, conversion of patches between synths, univeral module creation, definable screensets, and more. (retail $199) New features added in 2.0.3 : Hold transmission feature, exclusion of midi devices, non-floating sequencer window option, and new paramaters. Enhanced support for: Trinity, Ensoniq MR series, JV Modules, Synapse module, TG500, A-50 A-80, Super BassStation, Clavia Nord Lead 2, Yamaha DTX v2, CBX-K1XG, and Yamaha AN1x. Requires : Pentium cpu, Win95, a midi card, and a midi synth"

Dart PRO 32bit v1.05 cracked Released : January 4, 1998

DART Pro 32 (Digital Audio Restoration Technology): "is a high-end program for restoring audio recordings. It does an amazing job of removing clicks, pops, scratches and tape hiss and the 32bit version does it even faster than before. I'd say this is the best noise reduction software I have heard. (This version is worth over $400 The DART product line : DART --> DART Pro --> Dart Pro 32bit. NEW in the 32bit version: 3-D spectral analysis, pattern recognition, The CD writing utility, Time synchronization, and more tools to define and perform complex restoration tasks."

3d Audio v1.2 Released : May 08, 1998

"3D-Audio has the capability to create fairly realistic spatial audio files by allowing you to create and see a virtual 3d room, then move the sound sources as icons. It calculates waves reflected from the walls as well as Doppler-shifts from animated sources."

Raduga v2.0 final - MP3 edition Released : April 12, 1998

"Raduga is an application designed for radio DJs to automate playback.(RETAIL $529) But there are many other ways this program can be used! It lets you create a playlist simply by dragging files from explorer into the Raduga window and rearrange even during airplay. Features : Song overlapping, hotkeys for instantly mixing in a soundfile, intro scan, logging, scheduling (good for station ids, etc), undo, + more.Formats supported : Mp3, WAV, MP2, MOD, S3M, XM, AIF, AIFC, AU, DAT, ENC, M1V, AVI, QT, MPEG, MID, MPV, SND, RMI, and CDA (audio cds)Opinion : I'm using Raduga as as my personal mp3,cd,mid,etc player now.(I like it better than winamp - its scrolls through songs faster). Its interface is really easy and hasn't crashed once on me. If you have a soundcard that lets you play multiple streams (like the tahiti) the song overlap is very cool. And If you work in a radio station or do basic DJing you'll like it even more."

SpectraLab v4.32.11 Released : April 15, 1998

"SpectraLAB is a very powerful dual channel spectrum analyzer that works with real-time input and recorded waves. If you saw the movie Contact you ll notice this was the program they used to analyse audio signals. It displays MultiColor 3D SurfacePlots, full Color Spectrograms, Phase, Distortion Analysis, Octave analysis, Vibration Measurements, and more. SpectraLab is the most powerful product in the Sound Technology lineup. It has all the Features of SpectraPro plus more. Opinions : If you need to see what your audio looks like, this is the app to use. Its got so many features.. i love this thing! Its fast, stable, efficient and very professional. Requirements : 486 or faster, 8Mb ram, Math co-processor, Win95 or NT"

Nero v3.0.4.0 fully working Released : April 25, 1998

Nero Burning Rom: "is a program for burning all types of CDs : Data, PSX, Audio, protected cds and more. It features track-at-once, disk-at-once, ISO/HFS image importing, multimounter, on-the-fly cd copying, bootable CDs, CRC and jitter correction, mixed mode disks, explorer drag-n-drop, multisession, graphic view of audio & multilanguage help. (Retail $69) Opinion : Once you use Nero I doubt you will use a program like Adaptec CD-'Coaster' again. Nero is powerful and flexible - highly recommended"

WaveZip v1.12 regged Released : January 14, 1998

"Wavezip is a compression program for wave files. What makes wavezip different from 'mpeg' or other compression formats? Wavezip is zero quality loss - You can un-encode then re-encode waves as many times as you like and they will still be absolutely identical to their originals. The authors show that it gets between 30% - 60% compression. Audio file before --using Pkzip-- --with Wavezip-- A Mozart song 6.87 Mb 5.46 Mb 20.5% 2.83 Mb *58.8%* A Genesis song 21.2 Mb 19.1 Mb 10.0% 13.5 Mb *36.2%* Wavezip is damn fast : on a Pentium 100 Wavezip is about 5x faster than Pk-zip, and 20x faster than Mp3. (On the Mozart audio file Wavezip took 9 seconds, Pkzip took 48 seconds and MP3 took about 3 minutes) Summary : Wavezip does a fine job of zero loss compression. The user interface is fair, but the drag-and-drop helps. The speed is where it *really* shines. The compression % will vary a lot depending on the content of the audio file. The authors 30% - 60% was a little generous compared to my tests. I'd really like to see this with CRC checking and integrated into SoundForge, etc. that would really rock. (retail $50) Requires : Win95 or WinNT4"

WEBSITE LINKS (OK some of these *are* obvious but what the hell :)

https://www.sonicfoundry.com/ Sonic Foundry site

https://www.steinberg.com/ Steinberg site

https://www.gadgetlabs.com Gadgetlabs (Wavezip)

https://www.waves.com/ Waves site (plugins)

https://www.thewebsite.demon.co.uk/vstsetup.htm Steve (I) Ras site (Cubase resource)

https://www.fruityloops.com Fruityloops site

https://hem.passagen.se/fmj/fmjsoft.html Awave site

https://www.winamp.com/ Winamp site

https://www.codamusic.com/Fin98_features.htm Finale 98 Site

https://www.dbrown.force9.co.uk Dave Brown's site (free plugins)

https://www.d-lusion.com D-Lusion site (Rubberduck)

https://www.native-instruments.com Native Instruments site (Generator)

https://www.top.net/taenus/ General FAQ on Mpeg Layer-3 (MP3)

https://www.audiograbber.com-us.net/ Audiograbber site

https://www.cakewalk.com/Products/PA/PA8.html Cakewalk site

https://www.pgmusic.com/products.htm PG Music site (Band in a box)

https://www.syntrillium.com/ Syntrillium site (CoolEdit)

https://www.forteinc.com Forte Agent site

https://home3.swipnet.se/~w-31215/music/ Cubase/Wavelab info site

https://www.instanet.com/~thedusk/30_frame_set.html Cubase info site

FINALLY.

You'll also need a good newsgroup reader to minimise trouble with downloads - I recommend Forte Agent (or use the free shareware version Free Agent). Most of the files you download will probably to 'compressed' to reduce download times - you'll need software utilities to 'uncompress' them. Common formats are .ZIP (use Winzip) and .RAR (use Winrar or Winrar95). You may also come across audio files with an .MCP extension - you'll need Wavezip to uncompress these.

Text created/compiled/updated by CtrlAltDelBoy. 'the good is the enemy of the best'

The latest up-to-date version of this document is hosted at ; https://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/close/sl66/

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@ 08/21/1998 Radium is; Seniors : Sandor, Members : Drugstah, Deepz0ne, JazzMaster, Freeform, Audi0, Spelunk, Pterra, Smaug, Eetfuk, Lexpure, Taurus, Zound, Stpark, Int69, DjSonic, MadMax, MrJoiz, Visuman, RickyJ, cdr400, J@ker, Yazz, IdMud, Midiboy, IB3o3, Systmcrsh

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