Been a while since I last posted but I’ve been reading a lot lately. Whilst I was reading my computer music magazine I came across this cool bit of news. Cakewalk are now offering their classic synth and effects vst plugins for download. First up: Cakewalk SFZ+ Professional “rgc:audio’s revolutionary SoundFont player sample-playback engine, packed in a professional VST/DXi instrument.
FREE DOWNLOAD Cakewalk Sonar 8 Plugins Bundle VST v1.0 Bundle includes following plugins as x32 and x64 versions: Mastering: LP-64 EQ linear phase mastering EQ LP-64 Multiband linear phase.
Outstanding sound quality, stereo built-in effects, adjustable CPU/quality settings to adjust it to your hardware, fully multitimbral operation, multiple stereo outputs, several loading modes including direct-from-disk streaming and a beautiful interface make sfz+ the perfect choice for SoundFont users and professional composers.” Also, Square 1 Synth “The warmness and classic sound of the vintage analog synthesizers, combined with the fidelity and precision of a VST instrument. A simple synthesizer, oriented to the serious music enthusiast. High quality sound with a warm and easy layout, perfect to learn synth programming: all controls in one panel for instant access, clear and distinctive sections.
The built-in effects add depth to the sound and convenience to the sound programming.” Also available are Cakewalks Audio FX 1 and 2 Cakewalk Audio FX 1 “Cakewalk Audio FX 1 is a series of four dynamic real-time audio processing plug-ins including Compressor/Gate, Limiter, Expander/Gate, and Dynamics Processor. Audio FX 1 plug-ins use 32-bit, floating-point processing, providing you with fast, precise, mono and stereo audio effects.
Audio FX 1 can be used as real-time effects during playback, or used to render audio tracks as off-line edits. So you get maximum editing flexibility whether you’re mixing tracks at home or in the studio.” Cakewalk Audio FX 2 “Created by precise measurement and analysis, Audio FX 2 uses advanced processing algorithms to apply the classic sound and warmth of several different vintage guitar amplifiers and analog tape decks to your digital audio. Best of all, these plug-ins allow you to get all of the good things associated with vintage gear, such as their distinctive sound and warmth, without the problems and undesired effects that older equipment often have.”. Simatic step 7 basic v15.
There is some very expensive and sophisticated hardware and software out there that these plug-ins cannot possible come close to in terms of quality. In my limited experience though, what they can do though is give a helping hand with a mix. Also, and perhaps more importantly, by seeing how the controls are set when the various presets are selected, we can maybe start to learn a little more of the various processes that are going on and begin to understand more about mixing and the challenging subject of mastering.