Anybody got a Plugiator yet ?

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oh yeah that whole split with creamware was a shady and messy affair. Two guys owned the rights to the algorithms. One wanted to go high end (scope) the other wanted to go as cheap as possible hoping to sell more units...it was messy from what I heard.

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I created a comprehensive Plugiator Touch OSC suite which when coupled with the Plugin manager and routed with virtual midi cables give automation of the almost all of the parameters in Plugiator across the 8 synths with parameter feedback and XY controls. I used an earlier version of TouchOSC which didn't support AfterTouch CC controls so a number of the effect parameters cannot be automated with my version but I did add the controls into the templates as I thought the capability would have been added at some point and I believe it can with the latest version. I will update the file at some point. I'll post some images later today.

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Scotty wrote:I created a comprehensive Plugiator Touch OSC suite which when coupled with the Plugin manager and routed with virtual midi cables give automation of the almost all of the parameters in Plugiator across the 8 synths with parameter feedback and XY controls. I used an earlier version of TouchOSC which didn't support AfterTouch CC controls so a number of the effect parameters cannot be automated with my version but I did add the controls into the templates as I thought the capability would have been added at some point and I believe it can with the latest version. I will update the file at some point. I'll post some images later today.


When I last tested it, my templates were working on both Windows 7 32 bit and Windows 64 bit. It doesn't use the cludgy vst plugins and instead works in tandem with the standalone editor. It allowed me to select the presets on the standalone editors and records cc automation into Cubase from my ipad touchOSC template. YOu'll get a better idea when I post the images. I am amazed with the length of this thread... obviously there is still interest in this very capable synth box.

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EDITED

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MusicRadar said when reviewing it in May 2008:

"Simply brilliant from start to finish. This little bargain deserves to sell by the bucket-load."

So why didn't it :(

It had some nice plugs included (and also expansions) for sure

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Because the software was cheap and buggy and restrictive and the guy that ran the company made too many enimies. He had the reputation of being a bit of a prick. He always took care of his responcibilities and got the job done, he would often make you jump through hoops and it depended on his mood though.

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How is the build quality of the hardware device?

Those plastic buttons look like they can break with time...

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It is a heavy enclosure and a quality build.

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If you get one that's put together correctly it's a tank. Very heavy enclosure. Sturdy buttons and encoders. It would be tough to dent it. Super bright LEDs. No, if you get one that was constructed correctly you won't have an issue with the build. Occasionally you find one that was put together funny but they were always returned and my guess you won't find too many of those on market anymore.

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Dasheesh wrote:Good morning, you've been busy golden. They are 36 bit through put I know that, could probably find the kHz in the manual if I looked, doesn't matter they have a level of realism that I'm not getting out of my laptop right now. It's in the algorithms. yes, I think the solaris is one of those things I would dearly love to own. I used to buy and own all those big old expensive hardware back in the day...in the mid 2000's I started going desktop units and then figured the computer software was getting good enough to go in the box so tat's what I did. trying to keep up with the young ones now. :)

I do miss having some hardware around, but i have a kid now who took over my studio room. So no where to put instruments and such anymore. Just a half a hobby room and a lot of shelves and such now. Nice big work desk though. anyway, looking back on it, it is obvious what happened. When the recession hit everyone stopped making great boards and started making these cheap desktop units for the sequencer dance music crowd. I can see it getting better though. It has been a looong hard road but the developers are making boards again and I've even noticed that there are some pretty talented young players showing up on the scene.
I don't think it's only the recession, but I'm sure that factors in a bit. I think a bigger factor is computers have become so fast and operating systems generally stable that they became a very good alternative to cheaper digital hardware. The other day I was reading posts about a new digital synth called the Modor. It's $1200, and while cool, I priced out what it would cost for a decent PC, controller (that comes with a light version of Studio Live) a software synth of very high quality and an audio interface, and it was the same cost. This was on Gearslutz, where there are a lot of "I WILL NEVER USE SOFTWARE!" people, but the truth is the software/computer system I priced out would run rings around that static box in so many ways. It's only advantage is it has a dedicated hardware interface. I doubt it will do well though. In fact, I don't think we'll ever see many mid-range priced digital synths. We'll see cheap ones, like the Roland Aira line, and expensive ones, like the Solaris, but the KingKORGs and Viruses of the world. There's just little reason for them and the market for such things gets smaller and smaller every year as the younger people who have no issues with working on a computer become the consumers of musical instruments.
Zerocrossing Media

4th Law of Robotics: When turning evil, display a red indicator light. ~[ ●_● ]~

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These things are really good. The Moog bass is better than most moog vsti's and actually has a more useable tone than the Phatty in my opinion. Bit too much reverb on the presets and some annoying issues with having to use midiloopback tool etc but well worth looking into. I think they could have easily done an excellent Juno and Jupiter emulation way before Roland if they wanted.

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We've been held back in the soft synth realm by the physics of the processors them selves but that will change very shortly with quantum computing. I read the other day that they have produced the first quantum computer gates so that will be a paradigm shift in human existence and software instruments. It's not quite there yet. I actually think the old style emulations were better than this new sampled wave oscillation but the processors just can't handle it until the jump in computing. In the mean time we have traded hi modulation rates for hi kHz rates. Still, as I get closer to death than birth I've made the jump from timbre music to pitch music. The next step for me will combining the two. Excuse the tangent, I'm out drinking with the wife today :clown: .

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I originally bought a creamware minimax. I loved the interface but it had polyphony issues and it was a bit buggy. when they came out with the plugiator I jumped on it. It didn't have the sweet interface but with all of the plugs available and the reasonable price it was a steal imho. They fixed the polyphony issue and mine is perfectly stable. I thought they would sell like crazy but they didn't. I think part of the problem was so many complaints about the creamware ASB boxes having the aforementioned issues that people assumed the plugiator was the same. also there wasn't much advertising and use audio just didn't stick around very long. I was pleased to find the software runs fine on windows 8.1 when I upgraded to a new computer. I sold my minimax but I will be keeping the plugiator, I still think it's a brilliant piece of hardware.

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OK, I had some correspondence with the current owner and he said that the hardware editor no longer needs any on-line registration. I'd just as soon use something like touchOSC if that works.
Zerocrossing Media

4th Law of Robotics: When turning evil, display a red indicator light. ~[ ●_● ]~

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zerocrossing wrote:I think a bigger factor is computers have become so fast and operating systems generally stable that they became a very good alternative to cheaper digital hardware.
I agree, we've arrived. The funny thing is people were saying things like this back in 2002 when the Minimax was first released yet it didn't come true till now.

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