AIr Xpand2 FREE...limited time

[EnochLight]

I forgot I had Xpand2. Bought it earlier this year for $1 USD, and honestly - that's about all it's worth IMHO. It's not a terrible VST, but it does crash a lot, and the sounds? I'm just not feeling it. But for a dollar, it's hard to complain. For free? Well, you could do a lot worse!

Newsflash: if Air is giving this away for $1 USD and now free, it means no one is buying it anymore.

[pquenin]

Xpand 2 is great, plenty of great sounds, some are really inspiring...
It gives you the opportunity to upgrade to the AIR Instrument Expansion Pack 3 COMPLETE for €67.10 (and it's a lot more than the Reason 10 content upgrade, for half of the price).
But AIR plugins are natively Protools plugins, and their port to the VST format seems to be far from perfect.
Most of them have UI problems, and it's not in Reason only. It's a real shame.
No problem with Xpand 2 however. So for free, it's a great addition to the arsenal.

[EnochLight]

Yeah, for free it's hard to argue with that.

[AttenuationHz]

Just fired it up in 10 got an error - non responsive. Opened it in logging of 10 got about 20 Asserts.

Anyone else have trouble? In 9.5.2 or 10?

[EnochLight]

Just fired it up in 10 got an error - non responsive. Opened it in logging of 10 got about 20 Asserts.

Anyone else have trouble? In 9.5.2 or 10?

Works fine for me in 9.5.2 and 10, but it does crash sometimes (OK, so I guess it's not totally fine - Lol). Not as much as you describe, though.

[AttenuationHz]

Just fired it up in 10 got an error - non responsive. Opened it in logging of 10 got about 20 Asserts.

Anyone else have trouble? In 9.5.2 or 10?

Works fine for me in 9.5.2 and 10, but it does crash sometimes (OK, so I guess it's not totally fine - Lol). Not as much as you describe, though.

Second time around did not crash weird! Sent the Asserts in....

[Carly(Poohbear)]

Works fine for me in 9.5.2 and 10, but it does crash sometimes (OK, so I guess it's not totally fine - Lol). Not as much as you describe, though.

Second time around did not crash weird! Sent the Asserts in....

If you read through the thread you would have seen a few of us have had issues and we also have raised it as a bug.

Also note I have done a Nektar mapping for this device

[AttenuationHz]

Second time around did not crash weird! Sent the Asserts in....

If you read through the thread you would have seen a few of us have had issues and we also have raised it as a bug.

Also note I have done a Nektar mapping for this device

You're memory must be as bad as mine. Replied to you sure

[Carly(Poohbear)]

If you read through the thread you would have seen a few of us have had issues and we also have raised it as a bug.

Also note I have done a Nektar mapping for this device

You're memory must be as bad as mine. Replied to you sure

Oh yeah, DOH, LOL

[PhutureD]

I forgot I had Xpand2. Bought it earlier this year for $1 USD, and honestly - that's about all it's worth IMHO. It's not a terrible VST, but it does crash a lot, and the sounds? I'm just not feeling it. But for a dollar, it's hard to complain. For free? Well, you could do a lot worse!

Newsflash: if Air is giving this away for $1 USD and now free, it means no one is buying it anymore.

I dont think that no one is buying it anymore, It is more like part of their marketing strategy to get new customers into buying the bundle.
If you take a look at what is on offer in the bundle : a whole plethora of fx, very decent synths as well as instruments. Similar to what Props is doing with the RIGS bundles, of which the mastering bundle is on a further reduction now, and I am very tempted on getting, although I already have some of
the included devices.

[DonnieAlan]

I forgot I had Xpand2. Bought it earlier this year for $1 USD, and honestly - that's about all it's worth IMHO. It's not a terrible VST, but it does crash a lot, and the sounds? I'm just not feeling it. But for a dollar, it's hard to complain. For free? Well, you could do a lot worse!

Newsflash: if Air is giving this away for $1 USD and now free, it means no one is buying it anymore.

I dont think that no one is buying it anymore, It is more like part of their marketing strategy to get new customers into buying the bundle.
If you take a look at what is on offer in the bundle : a whole plethora of fx, very decent synths as well as instruments. Similar to what Props is doing with the RIGS bundles, of which the mastering bundle is on a further reduction now, and I am very tempted on getting, although I already have some of
the included devices.

Yes, that's correct. AIR is basically giving away Xpand2 as a loss leader to encourage users to upgrade to the full AIEP. They've given away Xpand2 along with Boom, Vacuum, Mini Grand and Structure Free ( a lite version of Structure) for a long time to Pro Tools users. Those, along with most of their fx plugins are bundled with every version of Pro Tools. Smart move on their part as many, many Pro Tools users jumped on upgrading to the full AIEP when it first came out. The ONLY drawback has been their download/installation process, which we've all fussed at AIR about for a long time! But once you're through the pain of all that, the plugins themselves are just superb!

[DonnieAlan]

I forgot I had Xpand2. Bought it earlier this year for $1 USD, and honestly - that's about all it's worth IMHO. It's not a terrible VST, but it does crash a lot, and the sounds? I'm just not feeling it. But for a dollar, it's hard to complain. For free? Well, you could do a lot worse!

Newsflash: if Air is giving this away for $1 USD and now free, it means no one is buying it anymore.

If you've been using Xpand2 in Reason, there have been crashes, but that appears to be a Reason issue, not an AIR issue, as Xpand2 is probably the most stable VI I've ever used. I have to STRONGLY disagree with your assessment of its worth, however. Xpand2 is very widely used, even among the pros, as a secret weapon. Between tweaking the patches, layering the patches, creating multipart sequences, and the rest, Xpand2 is way more versatile then you're giving it credit for.

[EnochLight]

If you've been using Xpand2 in Reason, there have been crashes, but that appears to be a Reason issue, not an AIR issue, as Xpand2 is probably the most stable VI I've ever used.

Well, it crashes in Studio One 3.5.x sometimes, too - so it's not just Reason for me.

I have to STRONGLY disagree with your assessment of its worth, however. Xpand2 is very widely used, even among the pros, as a secret weapon.

People keep saying this, but we have access to the same preset library, and I just don't hear it. Sure, it's a neat rompler with some cool stuff, but the majority? Naaaaa.. and their sequenced stuff is almost laughably dated.

Between tweaking the patches, layering the patches, creating multipart sequences, and the rest, Xpand2 is way more versatile then you're giving it credit for.

I suppose it's all subjective. One man's trash is another man's treasure, as they say. I'm not saying it's trash; I'm just glad I only paid $1 USD for it.

[miscend]

If you've been using Xpand2 in Reason, there have been crashes, but that appears to be a Reason issue, not an AIR issue, as Xpand2 is probably the most stable VI I've ever used.

Well, it crashes in Studio One 3.5.x sometimes, too - so it's not just Reason for me.

I have to STRONGLY disagree with your assessment of its worth, however. Xpand2 is very widely used, even among the pros, as a secret weapon.

People keep saying this, but we have access to the same preset library, and I just don't hear it. Sure, it's a neat rompler with some cool stuff, but the majority? Naaaaa.. and their sequenced stuff is almost laughably dated.

Between tweaking the patches, layering the patches, creating multipart sequences, and the rest, Xpand2 is way more versatile then you're giving it credit for.

I suppose it's all subjective. One man's trash is another man's treasure, as they say. I'm not saying it's trash; I'm just glad I only paid $1 USD for it.

It's mostly good for filling out arrangements and or sketching out ideas. The samples are not the best quality and definitely not up to the quality of choirs, kalimbas and harps etc etc that come with Reason V10.

[Carly(Poohbear)]

Well, it crashes in Studio One 3.5.x sometimes, too - so it's not just Reason for me.



People keep saying this, but we have access to the same preset library, and I just don't hear it. Sure, it's a neat rompler with some cool stuff, but the majority? Naaaaa.. and their sequenced stuff is almost laughably dated.



I suppose it's all subjective. One man's trash is another man's treasure, as they say. I'm not saying it's trash; I'm just glad I only paid $1 USD for it.

It's mostly good for filling out arrangements and or sketching out ideas. The samples are not the best quality and definitely not up to the quality of choirs, kalimbas and harps etc etc that come with Reason V10.

Sorry the Choirs are not that good in R10, there is a lot of background noise\rumble, quite surprised really but then again that's sampling for you..

[mrmiyagi]

I have been using XPAND for a long time and it has never ever crashed on me - in Logic or ProTools.

The sounds and presets in XPAND2 are better than Reason's factory sounds that's for sure!

[esselfortium]

From what I'm hearing in all the Xpand2 demos, the instruments included with it are super generic and cheap-sounding. I'm not sure what the fascination is, but if you're really after those sounds, free is a pretty good deal

The sounds and presets in XPAND2 are better than Reason's factory sounds that's for sure!

Nah

[pjeudy]

I paid $1 for this last year...best dollar ever spent!
It makes ZERO sense not to get this free...even if you feel that the installation of RE's are better...once you are done installing what you get access to is Amazing.

Does Xpand2 offer a Feature rich UI NO!. Any rear I/O...NO! BUT it rivals both KLANG and PANGEA together. Xpand2 has an Arp section and a deep as f*ck effect section with 51 effects to choose from including your basic reverb/delay. It also offers more options in the MOD section then KLANG and PANGEA. It's actually both of these devices on One and then some.

A must have IMO.

[pjeudy]

People keep saying this, but we have access to the same preset library, and I just don't hear it. Sure, it's a neat rompler with some cool stuff, but the majority? Naaaaa.. and their sequenced stuff is almost laughably dated.

It's mostly good for filling out arrangements and or sketching out ideas. The samples are not the best quality and definitely not up to the quality of choirs, kalimbas and harps etc etc that come with Reason V10.

We all have our taste but how do you expect to hear a song and know what Xpand sounds like enough to say "that layered sound must be Xpand" you can't possibly know what Xpand Sounds in a Mix unless it's just a straight up unaltered patch that you can recognize.

I have seen "pros" use KONTAK library as fillers or simply as one element of a "single" sound. It's all up to the user. Xpand is Fantastic! Oh...to me of course.

[DonnieAlan]

I paid $1 for this last year...best dollar ever spent!
It makes ZERO sense not to get this free...even if you feel that the installation of RE's are better...once you are done installing what you get access to is Amazing.

Does Xpand2 offer a Feature rich UI NO!. Any rear I/O...NO! BUT it rivals both KLANG and PANGEA together. Xpand2 has an Arp section and a deep as f*ck effect section with 51 effects to choose from including your basic reverb/delay. It also offers more options in the MOD section then KLANG and PANGEA. It's actually both of these devices on One and then some.

A must have IMO.

Don't forget its a true 4 patch multi-timbral VI, too, with each of the four capable of having a MIDI channel 1-4 assigned to it, each with their own patch, MOD and FX levels. And, each part has its own set of master controls for envelopes, filters, resonance or what have you, depending on the patch. Plus, there's an overall master control for the whole thing. Unfortunately there are no individual audio outs for each of the 4 parts, but maybe in a future upgrade there may be. Its got more to it than meets the eye, which is why it get used more than you'd think, even by the pros! Its no toy but a serious VI. And when you can get this free, and then for a mere $75 U.S. more get the ENTIRE AIR Instrument Expansion Pack 3 with some 30 VI's and fx, plus some expansion packs. That's an unbelievably sweet deal. AIR Transfuser, one of the AIR VI's that comes with the AIEP, alone is worth double that price, if not more. IMHO its the very best groove maker, loop player, slicer, dicer, all around plugin out there. And its just ONE of some 10 VI's that come with the AIEP. This is a no brainer!

[hurricane]

Been using it for years in Pro Tools and it's NEVER crashed on me. I use it in Logic and again it's never crashed on me, and I am very surprised to hear it crashing on people because it is like one of the most rock solid plugins I own (actually all the Air plugins are solid too).

Xpand is like a Roland rompler to me, so it's sort of like a swiss knife for rompler-type sounds. I agree that altogether it's better than Reason's factory sounds - in fact it's actually a very good compliment to Reason because there aren't that many refills that cover everything Xpand does and at the high quality that it does, and there certainly are no rack extensions either that cover the ground that Xpand does, and yeah, it's an upgrade over Reason's factory sounds, particularly the acoustic and world sounds, even with the 3 new "waste of time and space" romplers. (quote of the year, selig)

If you can't get a useable sound out of Xpand, but can make the factory soundbank work for you, than I'd say you're lying, lol. The scope of sounds, the quality, the simple and easy to use interface, and most importantly the PRICE, make Xpand an absolute no brainer for anyone, but particularly more so for a Reason user, especially if you haven't ventured outside the rack and are craving higher quality acoustic sounds.

You don't use VSTs? I can't imagine anyone not using VSTs in this day and age. I think you are holding your sound back if you don't use them - but that's just my opinion. I'd say get over your aversion to them because there are a lot of fantastic sounding plugins out there and they can contribute to your track in a sonically pleasing way.

So let Xpand!2 pop your VST cherry...