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At 10:37 PM +0200 7/17/06, Per Boysen wrote: > >I do not like Kontakt 2 (because of NI's paranoid licensing strategies). I'll agree. This, combined with their legendarily crappy support, keeps me from actually giving any cash to NI. However, that said, Pro-5x is actually pretty nice *if* you scoot over to G-Media to get their Richard Barbieri patchbanks @ http://www.gmediamusic.com/signature/richardbarbieri.html (okay, now i'm nicked -- I used to be a big fan of Japan in a past life). Also, I've got a freeware version of Metaphysical from which I'll record odd ambiences occasionally. Likewise, I enjoy all the stuff from LinPlug (Peter Linsener rocks!). In addition to Albino, CronoX3 ( http://www.linplug.com/Products/CronoX3/cronox3.htm ) is wonderful for ambient soundscapes and space music. And their CM-505 Drum Synth (comes free with every issue of Computer Music magazine) is a great little analog drum sound module, and you sure can't beat the price. Speaking of beatboxes, Sonic Charge's MicroTonic ( http://www.soniccharge.com/products/ ) just outright bashes the heck out of most anything out there. I sometimes have to lay off using the thing because it's so full of character that it will take over a track if you're not careful. For "four on the floor" though, nothing else out there can compete. Also, for unique sounds, I love both Steinberg's now-disonctinued D'Cota (the full version; not that crappy "Lite" thing they bundle with a lot of stuff. D'Cota Lite removes all the interesting elements), and VirSyn's MiniTera ( http://www.virsyn.de/en/E_Products/E_miniTERA/e_minitera.html ). I had been using MicroTera a lot until I realized I was getting my most creative results by simply using the randomize function. While MiniTera eliminates more discrete editing, it does incorporate randomize together with more realtime controls. MiniTera also lets you use Microtonal scale tables -- standard Scala format -- as will CronoX, which I mentioned above. Finally, my standard "bread & butter" synth that I keep falling back to is, of all things, Spectrasonics Atmosphere ( http://www.spectrasonics.net/instruments/atmosphere.html) . The damn thing just sounds soooo good, and there always seems to be a preset that, with only minor tweeking, will fit whatever application I need it for. Never thought I'd say that about a rompler, but I love it. --m. -- _______ "You are in a maze of twisty little passages, all alike..."