Just a couple more things I'll throw out there for anyone who is looking at the options available. It's a actually difficult to find Kontakt for sale on the NI website.If you poke around a bit you'll evetually find it. Any reason you didn't include the link here? (And yes their web site sucks badly...

Hello again. I've read your post above probably ten times. And you know what??? You've said it all i.e. there ain't nothing I can add nor disagree with!!! LOL!!! And this I like: I don't have it all figured out either. I have some of it figured out. Sounds about right!!! One thing I couldn't help b...

Just a quick FYI. The Behringer ADA8200 can work with the 18i8 for expansion of channels.. About half the cost of similar Focusrite gear.

No TOSLINK on the Behringer UMC404HD

@Mark Bliss, Great suggestions. I believe trying the free version is the way to go initially to see how a person likes working in it. Kontakt is typical German music software. Small graphics with lots of hidden stuff lol. Works really well though. Some of the things a person needs to learn are the b...

Tag data is added to mp3 files which makes them slightly longer. This is especially noticed in mixed track arrangement including both .wav and mp3. In my experience mixing to mp3 actually uses more cpu cycles. This is because the cpu is not only mixing down the audio, it's also compressing to mp3 at...

Yeah, I'm kinda at the same fork in the road. I scanned over 950 plugins. I had no idea I had that many. Lot's of redundancy. I still like to look and occasionally buy. I really like that Fabfilter MB Compressor. If I'm honest with myself I don't need it. I have others that will work probably for me...

Yes that looks like decent one too. I got a BlueCat bundle awhile back as part of a 3rd party deal on a daw. They are tied to that daw though. Won't work anywhere else. I don't use them much anymore. I can't say why exactly. It isn't because they aren't good plugins. I think it's more of a habit for...

Dale, Just an FYI. The brainworx plugin is basically an M/S decoder. You could probably do the same thing with a free plugin.
Here's a free one from a Good Plugin maker- https://www.voxengo.com/product/msed/

I'm getting this thread off base so I'll bow out of here.

I hope you get to what you're looking for. Some guitarists are purists all the way and they can get excellent sound like that. I know a few really good lifelong rock players and they have their setups they never get away from. I interviewed Batsbrew back when I had a podcast. He isn't a metal guy bu...

Just a couple more things I'll throw out there for anyone who is looking at the options available. It's a actually difficult to find Kontakt for sale on the NI website.If you poke around a bit you'll evetually find it. I think NI want it this way because they would much rather you buy Komplete for a...

Not a silly question at all. Yeah, not all monitor speakers are intended to be horizontal. I use a pair of JBL LSR 305's in a smaller studio and they are great for the purpose when used vertically in the 3ft triangle. I use ARC 2 which makes a difference. ARC2 adjusts your room to help get a better ...

I think good metal mixes are probably one of the biggest challenges. It isn't generally my genre but I've read a good bit about it. It almost seems more of those huge metal productions are coming from Skandinavia now than the US. It really is a production when you track guitars like 20 times and pla...

Even though Kontakt is a bit painful for entry, as others have stated it opens up literally tons of other sample library options. The included library is quite extensive. Not only orchestral instruments. It also has many others for pop/rock work, choirs, etc.. For awhile I had forgotten all the gems...

Good points all. dpatterson, Metal music, yeah that can be a tough one because one of the elements in a live metal concert is loud volume. Engineers attempt to transfer this to recordings and other unusual things like using 20 tracks at the same time for guitar parts.Metal music is usually seen as a...

If I went strictly by my hearing my mixes would undoubtedly always be far too hot. It's easy to get into a competition in trying to make our mixes as loud as so and so. I dare say, when my masters look ok in db and LUFS they sound a bit too low to my ears. This is likely because I grew up listening ...