I was trying to find info on the Creamware site for the Mix & Master and Synth & Sampler Packs to see what you get in the packs, but the page says (Page not yet finished...)
Can anyone help me on finding info on these packs, please
Thanks
The Packs?
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Guest
I haven't got it yetOn 2005-05-11 01:11, firubbi wrote:
hi SD,
i just bought Mix n Master pack. and found almost everything is essential here.
Optimaster, Vocodizer, PSYQ, Vinco and Masterverb Pro. did you already bought your pulsar2? if not .. give a 2nd thought for buying Scope Professional. both packs are with it
Mmm, the Professional is near £1500 which is 2x the price of the Project and costs more then my setup... you see I want to start my own underground dance label in the UK, so I can't really pay out £1500, plus the HP would be taking the piss. Even without the packs you get 50 effects and 10 synthesizers, don't you??
yes, with the project or professional.
you also get one pack free with the project. with the professional you get both packs. they're quite worth the extra cost of the card.
if you're starting your own label, a professional card would be even better...
but a project card would be a great starting point. get the synth and sampler pack now(you want the minimax!), and then see where you're at when you've done a bunch of work in a few months. then you can think about the tools in mix and master and buy one or two of them or even another card with the other pack if you're having fun....
if you like synths, you'll certainly want the pro(t)one or profit5 and the b2003(a stunning hammond b3 sim). all of those plugins will make the card worthwhile in themselves. great synths like that will NEVER be obsolete. compare them to the comparable vstis and you'll know, the cw synths are real.
unfortunately, cwa is such a small company that it takes customers to help with sales and tech support. the scope product is so unique that we don't mind.....
you also get one pack free with the project. with the professional you get both packs. they're quite worth the extra cost of the card.
if you're starting your own label, a professional card would be even better...
but a project card would be a great starting point. get the synth and sampler pack now(you want the minimax!), and then see where you're at when you've done a bunch of work in a few months. then you can think about the tools in mix and master and buy one or two of them or even another card with the other pack if you're having fun....
if you like synths, you'll certainly want the pro(t)one or profit5 and the b2003(a stunning hammond b3 sim). all of those plugins will make the card worthwhile in themselves. great synths like that will NEVER be obsolete. compare them to the comparable vstis and you'll know, the cw synths are real.
unfortunately, cwa is such a small company that it takes customers to help with sales and tech support. the scope product is so unique that we don't mind.....
Are the effects and processes tools you get, without the mix & master pack, good enough for mastering tracks? Plus, I think the STS-4000 sampler that you get for all the cards doesn't have Realtime time-stretching and pitch-shifting, why not?On 2005-05-11 02:32, garyb wrote:
yes, with the project or professional.
you also get one pack free with the project. with the professional you get both packs. they're quite worth the extra cost of the card.
if you're starting your own label, a professional card would be even better...
but a project card would be a great starting point. get the synth and sampler pack now(you want the minimax!), and then see where you're at when you've done a bunch of work in a few months. then you can think about the tools in mix and master and buy one or two of them or even another card with the other pack if you're having fun....
if you like synths, you'll certainly want the pro(t)one or profit5 and the b2003(a stunning hammond b3 sim). all of those plugins will make the card worthwhile in themselves. great synths like that will NEVER be obsolete. compare them to the comparable vstis and you'll know, the cw synths are real.
unfortunately, cwa is such a small company that it takes customers to help with sales and tech support. the scope product is so unique that we don't mind.....
well the realtime sampler stuff is the 5000(in the synth and sampler pack), that's why..
good enough for mastering? tough call. you'll want a multiband compressor for mastering. the eq would probably do, but a highend eq would be better. there are 3rd party devices as well, some of them are free like finaliza, a multiband compressor. 3rd party stuff can be found here on planetz under devices, the free stuff can be downloaded and used immediately.
there are other devices you may want to buy. look, you're not going to just buy ANYTHING ANYWHERE that will solve all your problems and do everything that you need to do professional work for under $1000. heck, it won't even happen for 5 times that amount, although there's lots you can make due without and get by with. also, nothing that will do all that work is going to be known inside and out and cranking out hits after a weekend of assembly and an hour of reading. mastering is a demanding activity that has no hard and fast rules but requires the best in tools and skills none the less. yes, with the stock tools you can do VERY good work and it may be good enough. you may also(and almost certainly will once you start seeing what is what)want additional tools which will allow you to frost a delicious cake.
one thing is sure, don't get ahead of yourself or in such a big hurry that you don't have time to learn. there is much to learn about production and the tools involved. real mastering houses use custom made compressors and eqs that cost in the 10s of 1000s of dollars. vinco and optimaster are equivalent to $1500 and $2500 compressors(i'm thinking of the 1176 and TC finalizer hardware units respectively), they're worth the money, but maybe not needed as you get started.
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: garyb on 2005-05-11 03:33 ]</font>
good enough for mastering? tough call. you'll want a multiband compressor for mastering. the eq would probably do, but a highend eq would be better. there are 3rd party devices as well, some of them are free like finaliza, a multiband compressor. 3rd party stuff can be found here on planetz under devices, the free stuff can be downloaded and used immediately.
there are other devices you may want to buy. look, you're not going to just buy ANYTHING ANYWHERE that will solve all your problems and do everything that you need to do professional work for under $1000. heck, it won't even happen for 5 times that amount, although there's lots you can make due without and get by with. also, nothing that will do all that work is going to be known inside and out and cranking out hits after a weekend of assembly and an hour of reading. mastering is a demanding activity that has no hard and fast rules but requires the best in tools and skills none the less. yes, with the stock tools you can do VERY good work and it may be good enough. you may also(and almost certainly will once you start seeing what is what)want additional tools which will allow you to frost a delicious cake.
one thing is sure, don't get ahead of yourself or in such a big hurry that you don't have time to learn. there is much to learn about production and the tools involved. real mastering houses use custom made compressors and eqs that cost in the 10s of 1000s of dollars. vinco and optimaster are equivalent to $1500 and $2500 compressors(i'm thinking of the 1176 and TC finalizer hardware units respectively), they're worth the money, but maybe not needed as you get started.
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: garyb on 2005-05-11 03:33 ]</font>
a big YES, they are. I have the STW version of a mastering compressor which is not tweakable as detailed as the tools in the CWA package, but it's results are generally considered on par.
I frequently have it in the signal chain when playing old vinyls (realtime is a nice thing) and even high quality releases from the early 80s can be boosted quite a bit in the 'contemporary' direction.
But one should be really careful not to apply it too much - it's easy to loose track and bash the life out of anything when it sounds sooo impressive.
And as I've already mentioned a local radio station seems to make everything 'hotter' by sending it thorugh the CWA tools - with tremendous results on simple car stereos.
I've noticed the difference on their program way before I knew they were CWA customers.
Another tool that has to be mentioned in this context is the SPL Transient Designer.
Not that I want to talk you into plundering the shop, but the plugin replaces a hardware unit at least 4 times as expensive. It will spare you a LOT of time getting punchy sounds and it even can (to an impressive degree) remove room effects or reverb tails from recorded tracks.
If the record is somewhat blurry, just turn the knob a few dots to the right and it's crisp again.
Spares a ton of drum samples, too...
Not even the timestretching part of the STS 5000 is executed on the DSPs, it's native code. Afaik the DSPs haven't enough memory to do this - or the algorithm simply doesn't exist in Sharc assembly. That stuff got famous way after the DSP fundamentals were written.
If you want to go professional with your label you should consider your tax balance.
The card and software will be an investment for your studio and as such reduce your income, even if you don't earn much in the beginning.
Usually one can assume an effective 30% off the retail price as you also should get a VAT refund.
cheers, Tom
I frequently have it in the signal chain when playing old vinyls (realtime is a nice thing) and even high quality releases from the early 80s can be boosted quite a bit in the 'contemporary' direction.
But one should be really careful not to apply it too much - it's easy to loose track and bash the life out of anything when it sounds sooo impressive.
And as I've already mentioned a local radio station seems to make everything 'hotter' by sending it thorugh the CWA tools - with tremendous results on simple car stereos.
I've noticed the difference on their program way before I knew they were CWA customers.
Another tool that has to be mentioned in this context is the SPL Transient Designer.
Not that I want to talk you into plundering the shop, but the plugin replaces a hardware unit at least 4 times as expensive. It will spare you a LOT of time getting punchy sounds and it even can (to an impressive degree) remove room effects or reverb tails from recorded tracks.
If the record is somewhat blurry, just turn the knob a few dots to the right and it's crisp again.
Spares a ton of drum samples, too...
Not even the timestretching part of the STS 5000 is executed on the DSPs, it's native code. Afaik the DSPs haven't enough memory to do this - or the algorithm simply doesn't exist in Sharc assembly. That stuff got famous way after the DSP fundamentals were written.
If you want to go professional with your label you should consider your tax balance.
The card and software will be an investment for your studio and as such reduce your income, even if you don't earn much in the beginning.
Usually one can assume an effective 30% off the retail price as you also should get a VAT refund.
cheers, Tom
I more then understand you about mastering, garyb, I know. But on the other hand I'm not trying to be professional, I'm just trying to make good music which means something to me... You'll find alot of UK underground hardcore dance music is based around simple setups in bedrooms. Like I always say, even if the production is the best ever and the tune is crap, a professional studio can't help it 
I'm not trying to get something for nothing nor questioning the value of Creamware products, far from it.
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: SD on 2005-05-11 04:19 ]</font>
I'm not trying to get something for nothing nor questioning the value of Creamware products, far from it.
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: SD on 2005-05-11 04:19 ]</font>
Easy mate, I knowOn 2005-05-11 04:56, garyb wrote:
never thought that. i was just trying to be clear. sure, you can do work with the stock stuff, and don't forget the sometimes excellent free stuff!
I'll check out the free stuff, I may just buy the Project.<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: SD on 2005-05-11 05:04 ]</font>