Softtube changed the game for me!

This forum is for discussing Rack Extensions. Devs are all welcome to show off their goods.
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dreampolice
Posts: 92
Joined: 16 Jan 2015

16 Jan 2015

I bought a bunch of the Softtube stuff in the last sale, and HOLY CRAP it changes so much. Doing a mix with TSAR1, Trident and Valley People is so much fun. Well worth the price! 

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normen
Posts: 3431
Joined: 16 Jan 2015

16 Jan 2015

They do have their tube emulation game figured out, I gotta say that much!

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jfrichards
Posts: 1306
Joined: 15 Jan 2015
Location: Sunnyvale, CA

16 Jan 2015

Can't live without my Trident.  Love the FET.  Dreaming of the Metal Amp Room one day.

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dreampolice
Posts: 92
Joined: 16 Jan 2015

16 Jan 2015

I already had the FXPansion channel compressor and its awesome so I passed on the FET since they overlap a bit. But yea man, Metal Amp Room would be fantastic! The more amp sims the better. Boy if IK would do Orange, Dr Z, or Jet City Rack Extensions I would be in heaven! 

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-008'
Posts: 380
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16 Jan 2015

Good stuff! Softube algorithms are some of the best in the biz IMHO.
:reason: "Reason is not measured by size or height, but by principle.” -Epictetus

Free Kits and :refill: @ -008' Sounds

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Emian
Posts: 712
Joined: 16 Jan 2015

16 Jan 2015


The FET on my drumbuss sounds so FET ;)
 
& even Sat. knob is worth a mention ! i agree, they do quality stuff !


"i might be established, but i'll never be establishement "
- Dave Clarke -www.soundcloud.com/emian

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motuscott
Posts: 3420
Joined: 16 Jan 2015
Location: Contest Weiner

16 Jan 2015

Even though I'm broke, I got the Spring Reverb thingy over Christmas for my Guitar Dilettanteâ„¢ action character. It was on sale and I feel it was a good purchase.
Who’s using the royal plural now baby? 🧂

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tt_lab
Posts: 335
Joined: 15 Jan 2015

16 Jan 2015

I have FET and Saturation Knob. the latter is on every mix

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Biolumin3sc3nt
Posts: 662
Joined: 16 Jan 2015

16 Jan 2015

I was able to get TSAR-1, but there were so many other goodies for Black Friday I couldn't resist! (Parsec, Polar, Etch Red, Euchlid, ABL, Neutron etc.)

Kinda kicked myself for not getting the Trident or FET, but that's the way the cookie crumbled

I fricken love the TSAR-1 tho - Use it on every track! Plus it was nice to see the Saturation Knob free after the sale

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dconana
Posts: 28
Joined: 15 Jan 2015

17 Jan 2015

Love the Softube stuff, in particular FET, Sat Knob & Trident.

Now I have more CPU power behind me I should really start getting to grips with TSAR again.

I remember thinking when Rack Extensions were released that even if no one else came on board, this is great, its my favourite DAW (with all its great devices) plus Softube RE's all recallable and combinated and stuff.

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eusti
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17 Jan 2015

Last Alternative wrote: My only issue with any of these is the sad fact there is no output gain knob on the Saturation. It totally needs one as it quickly sends the volume out of control but I emailed Softube and they pretty much said it'll never happen because they'd have to totally recode the whole thing and it wouldn't be backwards compatible for whoever already has it. Now that sux! I really don't like adding a gain RE just to lower the volume or having to drastically lower the mixer gain/trim or main channel fader just for a little warmth...

How do you guys get around it?
Didn't someone make a combinator for this?

D.

tibah
Posts: 903
Joined: 16 Jan 2015

17 Jan 2015

Got the little TSAR in the sale and liking it so far, for some reason because it has so few controls. Got an EQ in front of to cut some frequencies and that's about it. One for the "you can't hear it, but something is missing once you bypass it". :)

Saturation Knob is great for "loudness", not really driving it hard, but gently spread on various elements.

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djfm1983
Posts: 87
Joined: 16 Jan 2015

17 Jan 2015

I really love to sound of the TSAR-1 and Saturator knob (I wonder if Softube offers a cross grade offer for their vst version). I do own the FET comp but now after buying the Slate Digital VMR I think the FG-116 FET comp sounds way better to me (really wish there was a side chain option though). I can put way more plugins in Live 9 than I can in Reason. I started re working a 48 track count rock mix in Live and almost every channel has VCC and VMR on it (not to mention a few have VBCs on them) and I've only reached 60% CPU load. When I mixed the song in Reason I ran into CPU overload and couldn't mix unless I bounced out parts and erased tracks and REs. Looking forward to the day when REs reach their full potential and Pheads implements a RE Delay compensation instead of having to use a rack extension on every channel to put everything in order. I'm done mixing in Reason but I will never stop creating music within it. Been using Reason since version 1.0 and used Rebirth before Reason was available.
soundcloud.com/djfm1983

oldblood
Posts: 1
Joined: 17 Jan 2015

17 Jan 2015

djfm1983 wrote:I really love to sound of the TSAR-1 and Saturator knob (I wonder if Softube offers a cross grade offer for their vst version). I do own the FET comp but now after buying the Slate Digital VMR I think the FG-116 FET comp sounds way better to me (really wish there was a side chain option though). I can put way more plugins in Live 9 than I can in Reason. I started re working a 48 track count rock mix in Live and almost every channel has VCC and VMR on it (not to mention a few have VBCs on them) and I've only reached 60% CPU load. When I mixed the song in Reason I ran into CPU overload and couldn't mix unless I bounced out parts and erased tracks and REs. Looking forward to the day when REs reach their full potential and Pheads implements a RE Delay compensation instead of having to use a rack extension on every channel to put everything in order. I'm done mixing in Reason but I will never stop creating music within it. Been using Reason since version 1.0 and used Rebirth before Reason was available.
Nope!! Already asked about a year ago.

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Marketblandings
Posts: 219
Joined: 15 Jan 2015

17 Jan 2015

Last Alternative wrote:I have TSAR1, Saturation Knob, FET, Spring Reverb, and of course both amps. They are all incredible and really REALLY nice and professional. I use 1 TSAR1 per song and it's always on the send fx #1 spot for the drum "room". Sometimes it's barely heard for ambiance but I also love it when the song needs a more 'warehouse club rock' feel.

My only issue with any of these is the sad fact there is no output gain knob on the Saturation. It totally needs one as it quickly sends the volume out of control but I emailed Softube and they pretty much said it'll never happen because they'd have to totally recode the whole thing and it wouldn't be backwards compatible for whoever already has it. Now that sux! I really don't like adding a gain RE just to lower the volume or having to drastically lower the mixer gain/trim or main channel fader just for a little warmth...

How do you guys get around it?
Thanks, LA for mentioning. I got the Sat knob for free recently and have felt that something is wrong when I try to use it. I think that's it. It overblows whatever is next in the chain pretty fast. Maybe the small utility mixer in after the knob will be a habit I need to build?

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Rice
Posts: 251
Joined: 15 Jan 2015
Location: Texas, USA

17 Jan 2015

Softube is great, I would never put them down or make them seem any less than that...but just like with all gear, you've got to get to know it...there are no "secret little boxes" that'll take crap and make it smell like roses. But with Softube, if you know a lil sumin-sumin bout what you're doing, it'll definitely make it a lil sweeter

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Theo.M
Posts: 1035
Joined: 16 Jan 2015

18 Jan 2015

Marketblandings wrote:Thanks, LA for mentioning. I got the Sat knob for free recently and have felt that something is wrong when I try to use it. I think that's it. It overblows whatever is next in the chain pretty fast. Maybe the small utility mixer in after the knob will be a habit I need to build?
Last Alternative wrote:
Maybe if a bunch of us emailed Softube to add an output gain knob they would do it because it is an issue. I'm shocked they didn't even think of it after testing and noticing how loud it gets and that big empty spot they coulda put it.

And I'm in no way talking bad about Softube. This is, however, a very very weak point in one of their products and adding more tools just to make up for a missing volume knob? Really? I'd rather not use it. Sux cuz I want to.

best solution here is selig gain RE.. seriously i know it's not free but it's worth every cent and then some.. it's worth having even to finally have more standard pan laws in reason, and the instant real time peak display numerically :)

I use it for all my gain staging now after sat knob and before and after some other plugins.. works great

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Marketblandings
Posts: 219
Joined: 15 Jan 2015

18 Jan 2015

Marketblandings wrote:Thanks, LA for mentioning. I got the Sat knob for free recently and have felt that something is wrong when I try to use it. I think that's it. It overblows whatever is next in the chain pretty fast. Maybe the small utility mixer in after the knob will be a habit I need to build?
Last Alternative wrote:
Maybe if a bunch of us emailed Softube to add an output gain knob they would do it because it is an issue. I'm shocked they didn't even think of it after testing and noticing how loud it gets and that big empty spot they coulda put it.

And I'm in no way talking bad about Softube. This is, however, a very very weak point in one of their products and adding more tools just to make up for a missing volume knob? Really? I'd rather not use it. Sux cuz I want to.
Well, I'm always happy to chuck another device at a problem. I am a real patch-head! :crazy:
I know,I will put the knob and a vol control in my New Song template to be used as quickly as possible.

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offaxisdaddy
Posts: 57
Joined: 16 Jan 2015

18 Jan 2015

https://www.propellerheads.se/forum/sho ... ation+knob

joshuajohn89 posted this excellent combinator that addresses many of these shortcomings.


"Attached is my Saturation Knob Mk. III combinator, which adds all of the functionality I felt was missing, namely a smoothly variable saturation type (a 3-point crossfade between high, neutral, & low modes), output gain (pre-mix), and a mix parameter for blending the dry signal with the wet. For ease of use these four parameters (saturation amount included) are assigned to the combinator's four primary knobs, but inside I have also included an instance of Thor for an additional two rotaries controlling input gain & post-mix volume for more detailed tweaking.

This time around I am quite proud of the patch, so I hope you like it and that it will allow you to get better use out of this nice freebie from Softube. "

get it while you can :)

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guitfnky
Posts: 4408
Joined: 19 Jan 2015

19 Jan 2015

what, no love for the new Softube amps?  they're both fantastic.   :)
I write good music for good people

https://slowrobot.bandcamp.com/

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selig
RE Developer
Posts: 11685
Joined: 15 Jan 2015
Location: The NorthWoods, CT, USA

19 Jan 2015

Bavanity wrote:best solution here is selig gain RE.. seriously i know it's not free but it's worth every cent and then some.. it's worth having even to finally have more standard pan laws in reason, and the instant real time peak display numerically :)

I use it for all my gain staging now after sat knob and before and after some other plugins.. works great
Last Alternative wrote: I have the Selig Gain and use it sometimes but my point was it's ridiculous to use an RE to correct the problem of an RE. All over a knob that should've been there in the first place.
And I do use the Gain to balance out the Saturation if I have to but usually the Scream is my go-to for saturation. Tape 499 is my favorite preset.
Hey, while I'd love everyone to go out and get Selig Gain, I totally agree it's pretty ridiculous not to have input and output controls on saturation/distortion devices. Before Selig Gain I used a Line Mixer for this job.

Guitar players learned that YEARS ago when amps started adding a master volume (output level) in addition to the input level. ART didn't even have this feature initially (during beta), but thankfully it was added before release. As others have pointed out, it's not like there's no room to add another knob on this device!!!
:)
Selig Audio, LLC

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