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Technology

My quest to buy Plugin Alliance plugins

1 October 2022 By Avinash Meetoo Leave a Comment

I discovered Plugin Alliance in 2020 and, since then, I have been regularly buying plugins from their collection. As the name indicates, Plugin Alliance is a group of plugin creators who have decided to join rank and have one website to sell their numerous plugins. These companies include Brainworx, ADPTR Audio, Lindell Audio, Mäag Audio, Unfiltered Audio, SPL, Ampeg, Elysia, NEOLD and Knif Audio. Since then, Plugin Alliance has joined Native Instruments and iZotope to create a mega company called Soundwide.

Here are the plugins I now own. I really would like to learn how to use all of them but there are so many… In fairness, I have received many plugins for free over the years but I is also true that I have put some decent money too (about $450 which is more than 20,000 of my hard earned Mauritian rupees). Mind you, the plugins are never ever sold at their recommended retail prices. Most of the time, they are on sale and Plugin Alliance is very very generous with discount vouchers and special deals.

But, I’ll confess that I am happy to own mythical plugins such as the bx_console AMEK 9099, the bx_console Focusrite SC, the bx_console SSL 9000 J, the Lindell 50 Channel, the Lindell 80 Channel, the Black Box Analog Design HG-2MS saturation plugin, the Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor Class A, the AMEK EQ 200, the Knifonium, the bx_oberhausen, Phil’s Cascade, BIG AL, V76U73, BYOME, Metric AB and Streamliner. All of them are wonderful pieces of software and, as a software engineer who is a music fanatic, I am amazed by them.

Here is a chronological list of the various plugins I have purchased or obtained for free over the years:

On 14 Jun 2020, I obtained bx_tuner by Brainworx for free thank to their SUMMER 2020 promo.

On 29 Jun 2020, I purchased Metric AB by ADPTR Audio, and I paid $24.99 instead of the normal price of $199 (87% Off). I benefited from $25 which I got by doing a user survey.

On 29 Jun 2020, I obtained 7X-500 and PEX-500 by Lindell Audio for free thanks to a $20 voucher.

On 5 Oct 2020, I purchased EQ2 by Mäag Audio, and I paid $9.99 instead of the normal price of $99 (90% Off) and I also benefited from another $20 voucher.

Using a new $20 voucher, on 28 Dec 2020, I obtained Sandman Pro by Unfiltered Audio for free.

On 28 Dec 2020, I purchased Transient Designer Plus by SPL, and I paid $9.99 instead of the normal price of $199 (95% Off) thanks to yet annother $20 voucher. I also got Instant Delay by Unfiltered Audio for free.

On 30 Dec 2020, I obtained Fault (Pitch and Time) by Unfiltered Audio for free thanks, again, to a generous $20 voucher.

On 30 Dec 2020, I obtained Fault (Pitch and Time) by Unfiltered Audio for free.

On 19 Jan 2021, I obtained SVT-VR Classic by Ampeg for free. It was being given for free to anyone asking. That’s cool.

On 3 Apr 2021, I obtained 6X-500 by Lindell Audio and Indent 2 by Unfiltered Audio for free thanks to another $20 voucher.

On 7 Apr 2021, I asked for and obtained ChannelX by Lindell Audio for free as I owned the three Lindell Audio plugins: 7X-500, PEX-500 and 6X-500. ChannelX is a channel strip combining the three plugins.

On 27 Jun 2021, I purchased SpecOps (Spectral Effects) by Unfiltered Audio, and I paid $9.99 instead of the normal price of $99 (90% Off) thanks, once more, to a $20 voucher.

On 28 Jun 2021, I purchased Dent 2 and G8 by Unfiltered Audio, and I paid $4.99 for each instead of the normal price of $49 (90% Off) thanks to a generous $20 voucher.

On 30 Jun 2021, I obtained bx_bluechorus2 (Boss CE-2 / Chorus) and bx_yellowdrive (Boss SD-1 / Overdrive) by Brainworx for free using another $20 voucher.

On 2 Jul 2021, I obtained bx_distorange (Boss DS-1 / Distortion) and bx_greenscreamer (Ibanez TS808 / Screamer) by Brainworx for free using another $20 voucher.

On 14 Sep 2021, I obtained bx_meter by Brainworx for free as it was being given to anyone asking. Cool. I love meters.

On 28 Sep 2021, I obtained bx_blackdist2 (RAT2 / Distortion) and bx_metal2 (Boss MT-2 / Distortion) by Brainworx for free using another $20 voucher.

On 1 Oct 2021, I purchased bx_rockrack V3 by Brainworx, and I paid $9.99 instead of the normal price of $149 (93% Off) using yet another $20 voucher.

On 3 Oct 2021, I purchased Karacter by Elysia, and I paid $9.99 instead of the normal price of $149 (93% Off) using another $20 voucher.

On 3 Oct 2021, I obtained Niveau Filter by Elysia for free.

On 11 Oct 2021, I purchased BYOME by Unfiltered Audio, and I paid $14.99 instead of the normal price of $249 (94% Off) thanks to a Customer Loyalty Monthly Voucher of $25.

On 8 Nov 2021, I obtained bx_masterdesk Classic by Brainworx for free as it was being given to everyone.

On 24 Dec 2021, I purchased bx_console SSL 9000 J by Brainworx, and I paid $24.99 instead of the normal price of $349 (93% Off) thanks to a Customer Loyalty Monthly Voucher of $25 and a XMAS21 promotion.

On 28 Dec 2021, I purchased bx_oberhausen by Brainworx, and I paid $14.99 instead of the normal price of $249 (94% Off) thanks to a $25 voucher I got by doing a user survey.

On 28 Dec 2021, I obtained bx_opto Pedal by Brainworx and Sandman by Unfiltered Audio for free thanks to a $20 voucher.

On 4 Jan 2022, I finally decided to download the free plugins given by Plugin Alliance: bx_cleansweep V2 by Brainworx, bx_rockrack V3 Player by Brainworx, bx_solo and by Brainworx, bx_subfilter by Brainworx, Double MS by Schoeps and Free Ranger by SPL. On the same day, I also took the plunge and purchased Alpha Compressor by Elysia, and I paid $14.99 instead of the normal price of $249 (94% Off). I benefited from a Customer Loyalty Monthly Voucher of $25.

On 13 Feb 2022, I purchased the Plugin Alliance Mastering Bundle 3 at $14.99 instead of the normal price of $79.99. The bundle contains bx_dynEQ V2 by Brainworx, and I paid $5.00 instead of the normal price of $249 (98% Off), bx_hybrid V2 by Brainworx, and I paid $4.00 instead of the normal price of $199 (98% Off), bx_limiter by Brainworx, and I paid $3.00 instead of the normal price of $149 (98% Off) and Vertigo VSM-3 by Brainworx, and I paid $2.99 instead of the normal price of $149 (98% Off). It also contained two other plugins which I already owned.

On 8 Mar 2022, I purchased Streamliner by ADPTR Audio, and I paid $24.99 instead of the normal price of $199 (87% Off) during a flash sale and using a Customer Loyalty Monthly Voucher of $25.

On 12 Apr 2022, I got the PA Soundwide Welcome Bundle for free which contained Black Box Analog Design HG-2 by Brainworx, bx_console Focusrite SC by Brainworx, bx_masterdesk by Brainworx and Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor by Brainworx.

On 28 Apr 2022, I upgraded to Black Box Analog Design HG-2MS by Brainworx and Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor Class A by Brainworx, and I paid each $18.49 instead of the normal price of $329 (94% Off). I used a Customer Loyalty Monthly Voucher of $25 and the fact that both plugins were on sale.

On 12 May 2022, I purchased Lindell 80 Series channel strip by Lindell Audio, and I paid $24.99 instead of the normal price of $249 (90% Off) thanks to a flash sale.

On 27 May 2022, I purchased BIG AL by NEOLD, and I paid $19.99 instead of the normal price of $249 (92% Off).

On 19 Jun 2022, I purchased Lindell 50 Series channel strip by Lindell Audio, and I paid $30.99 instead of the normal price of $349 (91% Off) benefiting from a sale where all plugins were available at that price.

On 26 Jun 2022, I purchased Phil’s Cascade by Elysia, and I paid $24.99 instead of the normal price of $249 (90% Off) during a summer sale.

On 27 Jun 2022, I purchased Vitalizer MK2-T by SPL, and I paid $19.99 instead of the normal price of $199 (90% Off) during the same summer sale.

On 29 Jun 2022, I purchased the iZotope Community Appreciation Bundle (aka the Soundwide Intro Bundle) containing Brainworx bx_console N, Brainworx bx_delay 2500, Brainworx bx_digital V3, Brainworx bx_stereomaker and Brainworx bx_subsynth (as well as other Exponential Audio, iZotope and Native Instruments plugins) and I paid $49.99 (98% Off) for the lot.

On 27 Jul 2022, I purchased bx_console AMEK 9099 by Brainworx, and I paid $30.99 instead of the normal price of $449 (93% Off).

On 9 Aug 2022, I purchased Vertigo VSC-2 by Brainworx, and I paid $19.99 instead of the normal price of $149 (87% Off) during a flash sale.

On 27 Sep 2022, I purchased Knifonium by Knif Audio, and I paid $20.99 instead of the normal price of $299 (93% Off) using a $10 voucher.

On 29 Sep 2022, I purchased AMEK EQ 200 by Brainworx, and I paid $15.98 instead of the normal price of $399 (96% Off) using a $25 voucher.

On 1 Oct 2022, I purchased V76U73 by NEOLD, and I paid $9.99 instead of the normal price of $249 (96% Off) using a $20 voucher.

On 4 Oct 2022, I obtained Bass-Mint by Unfiltered Audio for free as I benefited from a $20 voucher and the plugin was being offered at $19.99. Apparently, it is a great plugin to shape the low end and works wonders on bass drums and bass lines but also for sound design in general.

On 12 November 2022, I purchased DS Tantra 2 by Dmitry Sches, and I paid $14.99 instead of the normal price of $199 (92% Off) as the plugin was being offered at $39.99 and I had a $25 monthly voucher. I am working on my fourth album at this moment and I want it to be more house / techno oriented than my previous albums and a rhythmic plugin like Tantra can be very useful.

On 19 November 2022, I finally purchased EQ4 by Mäag Audio (after having owned the EQ2 for two years), and I paid $19.99 instead of the normal price of $229 (91% Off). It was being sold at $39.99 but I got it during a 24 hour Flash Sale. The EQ2 and EQ4, while having a few similarities, are different EQs and both are well regarded by professionals, the EQ4 even more so.

During the Christmas period, I used multiple coupons ($50 and $75) for purchasing 6 plugins over three days. On 24 December 2022, I got Unfiltered Audio Needlepoint at $14.99 (90% Off). The next day, I used the $50 voucher to get ADPTR Audio Sculpt, ProAudioDSP DSM V3 and Unfiltered Audio TAILS at $29.97 only (95% Off). Finally, on the same day, I used the $75 voucher to purchase Deskew Gig Performer 4 UNLOCKED at $24.99 (87% Off).

Yeah. I know. I am an addict.

Filed Under: Mauritius, Music, Technology, Web

Our third PC bought in 2005 in Mauritius

8 July 2022 By Avinash Meetoo Leave a Comment

This would be our last custom PC after the first one bought in France in 1997 and the second one bought in Mauritius in 2003. We purchased the following components:

  • Processor: AMD Athlon 64 3000+
  • Motherboard: Abit KV8 Pro
  • RAM: 2Gb
  • Storage: 160Gb HD
  • Video: Inno3D Nvidia GeForce FX 5200
  • Audio: Terratec DMX 6Fire 24/96

For the first time ever, I had a 64-bits processor, the fantastic AMD Athlon 64 with AMD64 technology. The processor would boot into 32-bits mode and Linux would transition it to 64-bits where it became a completely different (and much better) processor. In fact, Intel would license the AMD64 technology after some time. At that time, I was running Gentoo Linux in 64-bits mode and it rocked!

I also had a whopping 2Gb of RAM which was a lot for the era.

I purchased the Nvidia GeForce FX 5200 to run X-Plane 9 under Linux and it worked really great on the PC (and also on the iMac I would buy a few years later).

Finally, the PC also had a Terratec DMX 6Fire 24/96 which was a professional audio interface. It came with a break out box which took one bay of the computer. This had a number of connectors including audio ins and outs (in both analog and digital), a microphone number (with a good preamp), a headphone out and two MIDI ports (which I used with my trusty Kawai K4 synthesizer). I remember paying a large chunk of money to purchase the Terratec but I had a great time composing music using it.

I sold the Terratec to a friend of my brother-in-law when I moved to an Apple iMac in 2011 and, shortly after, purchased a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (which is still running great!)

Filed Under: Family, Linux, Mauritius, Movies, Music, News, Technology

Our second PC bought in 2003 in Mauritius

8 July 2022 By Avinash Meetoo Leave a Comment

We used our first PC bought in France for some time (with a new hard disk of course) and, five years after returning to Mauritius, decided to upgrade. I bought components from a shop in Port-Louis which does not seem to exist anymore (Professional Computers) and I got:

  • Processor: AMD Athlon XP 1800+
  • Motherboard: Asus A7V333
  • RAM: 256Mb
  • Storage: Maxtor 80Gb HD
  • Video: Inno3D Nvidia MX440 64Mb + InnoDV DV1000LE
  • Audio: Zoltrix Nightingale Pro 6

The processor was still an AMD but, instead of getting a K6, I upgraded to an Athlon XP aka a K7. The AMD processors were still so much better than anything Intel had at the time. They were more efficient despite running at lower frequencies and I loved the architecture. As a computer scientist with some computer engineering background, I could appreciate how good the AMD designers were.

I remember having a dual boot system with Windows XP and, probably, Ubuntu or Mint Linux.

We opted for an MX440 graphics card which was, in fact, an Nvidia Geforce 4 MX. I remember that the graphics performance were not fantastic (short of the real Geforce (non-MX) 4) but the card was cheap and, at that time, I had started to play less and use my computer more for music, programming and the web. I didn’t really need top-notch graphics performance.

But I still purchased an InnoDV add-on card to provide a Firewire port to the computer. I used that port to transfer videos in DV format (720 x 576) from my Sony DCR-TRV18 camcorder to the computer for editing. USB was not used for video at that time. The software I used for video editing was Sony Vegas and TMPEGEnc for encoding the rendered videos into H264 (a video codec which was quite new at the time). Interestingly, I would trade the camcorder for an Ethernet switch a few years later after moving to Full HD video…

I was still making music but I settled on the Zoltrix Nightingale Pro 6, a very cheap audio card, which, for some reason, contained a very good audio chipset, the C-Media CMI8738. At that time, I had just discovered software instruments such as mda Piano and Crystal and they worked fine on the card.

Filed Under: Family, Linux, Mauritius, Movies, Music, News, Technology

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