At 1/23/15 01:14 PM, Step wrote: Just remembered about this old thread. It was 5 years ago, and reading back at my 14-year-old self's posts makes me cringe, but it's a nice little repository for some of the problems I had with East/West. None are actually installation-related (since I managed to figure out most installation issues on my own after some playing around), but it's a good little taste of what East/West put me through back then.
Highlights:

Mind you, these problems didn't all happen at the same time. They happened over the course of years, multiple computers, and multiple reinstallations of East/West, FL Studio and Windows.

Wow, that's quite a list. The only issue I've had is an iLok that failed and the chaos that quickly followed -- though I don't blame EW for that. I frequent VI-Control.net (just a lurker), and there is a vocal sub-community of about 2 dozen people that have a HUGE amount of issues with all things EW. I find it really strange that some people would have so many issues, while others would have none (or very few). I suppose that's one of the reasons I find myself defending the products as a whole -- I've never had a real issue with PLAY, aside from the lingering lack-luster performance of the engine.

@sorohanro will check these out tonight! Christmas all over again :)

What about somethings that you know it sucks but you still love it haha??

Edirol Orchestral, everything on that Vst is soooooo cheeeeeeeeesy, but it has a really nice Harps, Glockens, but the main reason i keep using that thing is because its piano, i have NEVER found a piano with better high notes and i have EZKeys and Alicia Keys), even if the lower one kinda lacks of power, the higher ones are really good:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1hmA5c4rKc&index=10&list=PL01699955C38B3C8C You can hear it from 1:33 onwards

At 1/23/15 02:57 PM, dem0lecule wrote: @Mattashi I've been to situation where the iLok started acting weird after a few months using them fine. Customer service with EW is a pain in the ass. They finally helped me fix the problem after like a week or so with BS back and forth.

I really hope none of you have to deal with iLok bricking. Because I don't think they'll refund... FUCK EW products.

iLok problems are not EastWest -- it's a separate company (PACE). Now I'll certainly agree that PACE and their iLoks are a real pain to deal with, but it's unreasonable to expect EW to service failing iLoks. I had one fail on me (as I mentioned before). EastWest helped me diagnose the problem, but eventually I had to go to PACE to get a $50 (!) replacement. Once I got the replacement, licenses were transferred over without issue.

I never had a bad purchase, but I do kind of regret buying EW Symphonic Orchestra Silver. I jumped the gun and bought that along with Stormdrum 2, when I probably should have bought Gold and waited for SD2 to price drop. Within a few weeks I outgrew SO Silver, and SD2's price dropped significantly, which by that time I was flat broke...

I still use Stormdrum very sparingly today, but SO isn't even installed in my system anymore.

All of them.

Pretty much the entire sound design industry employs some of the most disgusting, horrendous programming practices I have ever seen, coupled with hilariously over the top draconian DRM techniques that don't even work.

As a professional programmer the one thing I've always wanted to do in my life is write a VSTi that wasn't a giant piece of fucking shit. Sadly I haven't had the time and have no audio design experience in the first place.

However, for the most part, I've been fairly content with all my VSTi purchases, because I test them all extensively before buying them. They might be terribly programmed, but I at least know what I'm getting into when I buy them.

They're still pieces of shit, though.

At 1/23/15 01:09 PM, TheDukeofJuke wrote:
Sounds good. By the way, your song is next in my substitute santa challenge I made for myself. It should come out pretty similar to what you wanted.

Looking forward to it! :D

Probably Colossus. A very random selection of samples and synths that are just very plain and don't have much editing choice. I've barely used them, The Acoustic Guitar Family is quite nice though, although hard to replicate the real guitar pluck sound, seeing as some of their notes are weirdly recorded.

At 1/22/15 12:52 PM, DavidOrr wrote:

Orchestral Tools: Berlin Woodwinds Exp. B

Hi there - what about Berlin Woodwinds - is it worth it?

Thx,
Steve

At 12/30/15 07:58 PM, jaysummers759885 wrote: Anything from Ableton.com were the worst VST's I have ever bought. If I could, I would stick my dick in them and never call them back.

Sadly, it is the only place that I know to buy VST's.... man... that really hurts.

You mean the packs ? What did you buy ?

Action Strings
You had a bunch of string ositnatos recorded in all keys as whole phrases; this combined with "seamless" key switches and tempo syncing was supposed to be the most in-your-face, realistic VSTi for those break-neck chase scenes(the initial reason for buying it).
I was promptly disappointed:

- many phrases contain slightly early or late notes, this is a pain because it essential destroys some tracks unless you change to a key which *hopefully* doesn't have the same artifact I would expect NI of all people to post process this stuff to avoid this; they're not Strezov Sampling.

- I think the the NI guys are obsessed with Gears of War, because these recordings contain so many noises from scratching bow-hairs, bow-frogs hitting instruments and low B and C strings banging on the fingerboard along with an unnecessarily aggressive sound that there's very little tone to these recordings, sometimes it sounds more like some mechanical percussion loop from Kinetic Metal or something.

- The far mics OH MY GOD THE FAR MIC. It's a quieter close mic, basically. Switching (there is no fade option) between the two mics does little to help the fact that there is zero acoustics to these recordings, and string players (and symphobia users) will know the lower strings need that space for their sound to really diffuse, otherwise those low spiccatos sound more like a dull thud.

- Lower strings are always in octaves, surely even the guys who use this for rap mixes must hate that on the muddy, mega-low Cs.

-The idea that these phrases could still be used in original ways thank's to keyswitches was crushed by the odd omission of some rhythms; the lower strings for instance are missing one of the three triplet phrases included in the higher sections, I'm a double bass player and know it's not because they're impossible to play.
-One tempo and one tempo only, everything else is stretched.

Single notes are good for big hits though.

Haven't actually bought any, which is saying a lot considering my musical repertoire...

The demo versions of both Melodyne and Autotune were an absolute pain to install. Completely deterred me from buying them.

And believe it or not, I'd considered them both so I could have the very mechanical effect the voices have in Sonic Colours' intro song.

EDIT: I've noticed quite a lot of comments on EWQL Ra. I thought I'd address this part of the reply to @Step @SoundChris @MetalRenard @Neon-Bard.

I've just gone to listen to a demo of the VST and yes, I get what you mean by it being limited. Some of the drums I could live with, but then the others would get too dated after a while. Again, it all depends on what one is using it for: if it's going to be the odd splash of colour onto a piece, fine. If it's going to be a percussion mainstay (or an anything mainstay), your best bet is to hunt instruments at a low price, learn how to play them, and perhaps it'd actually cost less than the VST. I can most certainly say that for the collection of drums I've got...