W. A. Production

I've already left a bad review for Loop Engine 1 as well as Chords, Chords Pro + Notes, and all for similar reasons. One main reason, really.

That being said, there was no way I would buy Loop Engine 2, based on my earlier experiences (timing issues with simple loops in all DAWs, crashing on MIDI export) with WA's other Loop Engine-based products. However today I was given a copy of Loop Engine 2 in a larger Pluginboutique bundle, so I figured why not? They couldnt POSSIBLY have left the DAW loop timing issue in ANOTHER version of this same plugin, could they have??

Yes. Yes they could, and yes they did. Is Loop Engine 2 just Loop Engine 1 with a new version number?? I cant even see any differences between version 1 and version 2. When I try to export MIDI from this, it freezes for a second and does nothing(Bitwig), just like all the other versions. In Cubase 13, this does export MIDI after a 5-6 second freeze.

The big issue -- in Cubase 12, 13 & Bitwig 5.1.9, Loop Engine 2 doubles up the first note in any loop(only Cubase), AND cuts the final note in the loop when the arranger loops around. (Bitwig AND Cubase).

Try it out - try any version of Loop Engine, from version 1 to Chords Pro + Notes to Loop Engine 2, and see what you can see.

Ive emailed the vendor about this. They act confused, they ask for videos of the issue, but they do not fix the issue. The only way to avoid this is to turn off cycle/loop mode in your DAW, which isnt something I should need to do to accommodate a looping plugin.

Its my fault for actually installing this, and thinking the issue would be gone. If its been there this long, they have no intention of fixing it.

This synth is solid, offering a well made UI and a pretty good sound. I am not someone who uses presets, however despite that, I find that a lot of them are a bit lackluster, and their is a lot of filler. It is also functionally rather standard, which isn't exactly a problem, however I believe it is on the more pricey side for what it offers (however I did get this synth for free, which in that case it was absolutely worth downloading). Overall, good synth for sound design and beautiful UI.

Only bought this when it was on sale for under 20 but eventhough it is very good made I rarely ever grab it. It's different to other synts out there but still.

Puncher 2 is a great tool for putting real thump into your drums, especially kicks. I used to use it on kick channels and it never failed to improve the impact and cut-through. These days, because I don't separate my drum channels any more, I put it on the drum mix and it works just as well. I would never even think of doing a mix without it.

It definitely works best on kicks but when used on a drum mix it can also add a bit of an edge to the other percussion sounds, too. I mostly just use the presets it comes with, one of the first 5 or 6 will always give me what I want. Trying to dial it in manually feels a lot more hit and miss, probably because I've never bothered to try and understand how it works. There is no need to. The CPU hit is minimal, the interface is simple and clean and it has never failed to give me what I want.

I try not to give 5 stars too often but this is definitely one effect I would never want to be without. Give it a go, put it on your kick channel and try a few presets and you'll understand why.

This one is bad. I don't think its a good or well made plugin. Got this some time ago for free.

Aviod.

I will come back and update this after the dev gets back to me on my support request. Im using this on Win10, on Cubase 12 pro as a plugin.

First impressions: very simple, colorful, intuitive software with an easy-to-understand workflow for designing and generating chords and note progressions. I was able to quickly set up and register the software, and routing and playback was no trouble (I also use other MIDI generator/chord/scale plugins and they all route similarly).

What stopped me in my tracks is that I couldnt get Chords Pro to play back the right number of notes per bars when my DAW was in cycle mode, no matter how many times I tried or how I approached it.

When my DAW has cycle mode off, Chords Pro will continue playing without interruption, playing back(looping) the number of bars specified at the speed specified.

When cycle mode is on, when the play head returns to the start position Chords Pro goes silent for a whole bar every time.

Also, whether cycle mode is on or off, I get a stutter note when Chords first starts to play. Every time. Instead of only the first note or chord of the pattern, it plays twice in rapid succession. This never happens again as long as it keeps playing. Ill come back later if the dev fixes this.

It's usable but basic. Scaler 2.5 is much better for the price. Far more functionality and a less cutsey and more practical interface.

Good for a quick and dirty mix just to get something out of the way but is generally unpleasant when pushed beyond just a small amount of compression. Extremely easy to overdo especially given the touchy interface.