Kuassa Mod FX

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BRIGGS
Posts: 2132
Joined: 25 Sep 2015
Location: Orange County California

13 Jul 2018

After buying the fuzz :puf_bigsmile: ...I've been trialing all four mod fx. I have to say, I'm impressed with the sound quality. :shock:

Just the chorus on a Subtractor doing some sine sub bass with mod enveloped FM, is ear candy!

I'm thinking of comparing the Kuassa chorus with reason's built-in half rack chorus.

Anyone have a similar expirience?
r11s

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sublunar
Posts: 506
Joined: 27 Apr 2017

14 Jul 2018

They do seem to be the best single effects in Reason most resembling good guitar effect boxes.

My only gripe is the price. They have a bundle.. but it's not even a discount to the regular prices. So why bundle em? As a cheap/broke musician, I can't justify spending that much on the same effects I have in physical form. So I'll save the cash and just commit the effects to tape if that's the case. But for the convenience ITB factor, I'd be all over them at roughly half the regular price.

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wireless
Posts: 100
Joined: 14 Apr 2017

14 Jul 2018

BRIGGS wrote:
13 Jul 2018
I'm thinking of comparing the Kuassa chorus with reason's built-in half rack chorus.
Anyone have a similar expirience?
Hya BRIGGS. Well I just bought the Chorus and it was the Kuassa demonstration videos that sold it. I'm happy with it - it's a sweet sound and of course it can be used on instruments other than guitar. Of course you can download it on trial - I would always recommend that anyway.

For your info, here's what I bought so far, and I'm very happy with these.
Kuassa devices.PNG
Kuassa devices.PNG (58.81 KiB) Viewed 881 times
Having said that, I do get the impression that Kuassa has a great marketing approach and the temptation is to keep buying more stuff until all your spendolas are gone.

Other options for me are
1) Guitar Rig 5, which I love!
2) Midi Guitar 2 from JAM, which is stupendous as it allows a 'standard' audio jack from the guitar to be lonked to any of your VST instruments. Midi Guitar 2 works best as a standalone programme (optionally VST) and just bringing in the audio to Reason (i.e. no midi editing is then possible). If you use hacks like LoopBe or LoopMidi then yes, you can bring in the midi, but that seems to incur additional latency which might be a major issue for you.....

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guitfnky
Posts: 4408
Joined: 19 Jan 2015

14 Jul 2018

wireless wrote:
14 Jul 2018
BRIGGS wrote:
13 Jul 2018
I'm thinking of comparing the Kuassa chorus with reason's built-in half rack chorus.
Anyone have a similar expirience?
2) Midi Guitar 2 from JAM, which is stupendous as it allows a 'standard' audio jack from the guitar to be lonked to any of your VST instruments. Midi Guitar 2 works best as a standalone programme (optionally VST) and just bringing in the audio to Reason (i.e. no midi editing is then possible). If you use hacks like LoopBe or LoopMidi then yes, you can bring in the midi, but that seems to incur additional latency which might be a major issue for you.....
I do this, and haven’t noticed any obvious latency, using the same buffer settings as in Reason. using an i7, at least, it works really nicely for me. such an amazing plugin. 😬
I write good music for good people

https://slowrobot.bandcamp.com/

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wireless
Posts: 100
Joined: 14 Apr 2017

16 Jul 2018

guitfnky wrote:
14 Jul 2018
I do this, and haven’t noticed any obvious latency, using the same buffer settings as in Reason. using an i7, at least, it works really nicely for me. such an amazing plugin. 😬
Hi guitfnky, That's really interesting - do you have time to look at my process below and maybe help me see where I'm doing something different to you? That would be a great help for me.....

I believe my desktop PC is powerful enough so that should not be the issue (spec below for info). Similar processor to you.
Spec.PNG
Spec.PNG (54.57 KiB) Viewed 748 times

Process for routing the midi from Jam Midi Guitar 2 into Reason
  • Open up LoopMidi and create a new midi port with memorable name e.g. 'Jam'
  • Open stand-alone version of Midi Guitar 2. Select the 'Jam' port from the Interface tab under 'Midi Output'
  • In Midi Guitar 2, go into Interface/Driver tab and disable unwanted audio outputs (e.g. Realtek HD in my case). I had read that failing to do this might result in Windows locking audio devices.
  • Open up Reason. Go to Preferences/Control Surfaces and connect to the Midi Guitar midi output by clicking on 'Manufacturer/Other', selecting 'Jam' port under 'Midi Input' (I also take the opportunity to rename the port in Reason as 'Jam' for clarity
  • In the Reason Rack, add an instrument (e.g. THOR), plug the guitar into my audio device and play away.
With the above process and making no changes to my ASIO settings (44kHz / 512 samples), I am getting significant latency (not measured, but definitely a deterrent to playing alongside existing tracks) when compared to playing Midi Guitar 2 as a stand-alone. The only difference I see is the routing of the midi out of Midi Guitar 2 through LoopMidi and into Reason but I may be missing something obvious.....

Any thoughts?

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guitfnky
Posts: 4408
Joined: 19 Jan 2015

17 Jul 2018

wireless wrote:
16 Jul 2018
guitfnky wrote:
14 Jul 2018
I do this, and haven’t noticed any obvious latency, using the same buffer settings as in Reason. using an i7, at least, it works really nicely for me. such an amazing plugin. 😬
Hi guitfnky, That's really interesting - do you have time to look at my process below and maybe help me see where I'm doing something different to you? That would be a great help for me.....

I believe my desktop PC is powerful enough so that should not be the issue (spec below for info). Similar processor to you.

Spec.PNG


Process for routing the midi from Jam Midi Guitar 2 into Reason
  • Open up LoopMidi and create a new midi port with memorable name e.g. 'Jam'
  • Open stand-alone version of Midi Guitar 2. Select the 'Jam' port from the Interface tab under 'Midi Output'
  • In Midi Guitar 2, go into Interface/Driver tab and disable unwanted audio outputs (e.g. Realtek HD in my case). I had read that failing to do this might result in Windows locking audio devices.
  • Open up Reason. Go to Preferences/Control Surfaces and connect to the Midi Guitar midi output by clicking on 'Manufacturer/Other', selecting 'Jam' port under 'Midi Input' (I also take the opportunity to rename the port in Reason as 'Jam' for clarity
  • In the Reason Rack, add an instrument (e.g. THOR), plug the guitar into my audio device and play away.
With the above process and making no changes to my ASIO settings (44kHz / 512 samples), I am getting significant latency (not measured, but definitely a deterrent to playing alongside existing tracks) when compared to playing Midi Guitar 2 as a stand-alone. The only difference I see is the routing of the midi out of Midi Guitar 2 through LoopMidi and into Reason but I may be missing something obvious.....

Any thoughts?
hmm, I’ll try to look at my actual settings later on today, but right off the top, I almost never do tracking with a buffer setting above 128 samples. that would be my setting both in MG2 standalone, and in Reason. I would notice unplayable latency even in Reason with a buffer of 512.
I write good music for good people

https://slowrobot.bandcamp.com/

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wireless
Posts: 100
Joined: 14 Apr 2017

17 Jul 2018

Hi guitfnky. Well, you set me off down a rabbit hole with the comments on my audio settings! I hadn't noticed any audible latency at 512/44 for my workflow. Reason reports that I should be getting about 17ms latency but this has never worried me to date.

Having experimented some more, it turns out that my computer will happily tolerate down to 32 samples! Well that's tonight anyrate. Windows is not a deterministic OS, so you can never be sure.....

So far so good, but this change throws Guitar Midi for 6. This program will happily tolerate 512 samples with no obvious audio latency as a stand-alone program but buzzes and crackles like a banshee at 32 samples. Putting sample size back to 512 and setting up GM2 into LoopMidi and into Reason, I'm back to having a system that produces Reason instrument sounds but with latency of about 150ms (guessing). I've realised that my problems are much worse than this as recording produces no midi events - so here's a puzzle. Selecting my 'Jam' LoopMidi port in Reason lights up the Advanced Midi/Channel 1 light; with say Thor selected, it lights up the Thor 'note on' lamp and produces Thor audio, but when record is selected there are no midi notes in the sequencer........

Our systems must be different in some way. I wonder if it relates to me using my audio device as the audio into Midi Guitar 2 as well as being the output device for Midi Guitar 2 (even though I turn the GM2 volume to zero) AND being the audio output device for Reason. I have not found a way to deselect an audio output driver in GM2 - looks like selecting a device enables both audio in and out...

Don'y worry if unable to help - I was just intrigued that you have your routing working!

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