NGD 2021 thread

  • Always fun to see what everyone got their mitts on, so this is the 2021 thread.


    I started my 2021 a bit cautiously, but as with all gear lovers, I started to spiral just two months into 2021.


    Just bought a couple of recording devices so far, but I find my eyes continuously drawn to Reverb and local sales sites these days, so I am now trying to tamp down the urge to spend much more.


    What I got:


    UAD Satellite Octo: I was always running out of processing power while mixing due to the size of the projects I have been working on, and it actually put me off mixing for a while. Got this for cheap with the next device.





    Softubes Console: This mini-mixing desk of sorts has got some good reviews and it was the same seller who was offloading the Octo satellite. It also supposedly plays well with the UAD stuff I own, Offered him about US$750 for both and he agreed, so I think it was a screaming good deal. Now have about 20 DSP processors at my disposal, given the quad in my Apollo and the eight in the other satellite I own. Quite stoked about it.






    Softubes British Class A and American Class A plugins: Being stupid, I just thought I should get a couple of plugins from Softubes, which are designed to work with the Console. It was pretty good timing, given that they are usually priced at $225 or so, but Softubes was having a sale, so I got them for $99 and $125. Look forward to trying the different flavours.



    Not too shabby, about a 1,000 bucks so far this year. I am planning to play it cautious for a while more, currently thinking about selling my Engl Fireball 100 if I get a buyer, but it isn't an exigency and I can afford to keep it.

  • hum.. this year?

    Already spent some money for:

    2x rechargeble 9V lithium batteries

    2x power amp Marshall 8008,

    a new dehumidifier,

    G Force soundpectrum premium,

    Cables for midi, audio, speaker connections,

    12 pack ernie ball strings 10.46,

    and '93 Gibson BB King Lucille.


  • Guys, pics are always welcome! Is that the Stealth version?

  • My FM3 arrived and I’ve got to say, it’s an impressive bit of kit! The set up of expression pedals etc. is way more convoluted than on Kemper, though creating presets, scenes and using channels is way easier than I was led to believe, even without the editor. Now I have the best of all worlds (bar the still-vapourware Neural unit...).


    Edit : obviously not the best of all worlds, otherwise I’d have the full-fat Helix and Axe FX3 to go along with my Kemper Stage, but you know what I mean.

  • My FM3 arrived and I’ve got to say, it’s an impressive bit of kit! The set up of expression pedals etc. is way more convoluted than on Kemper, though creating presets, scenes and using channels is way easier than I was led to believe, even without the editor. Now I have the best of all worlds (bar the still-vapourware Neural unit...).


    Edit : obviously not the best of all worlds, otherwise I’d have the full-fat Helix and Axe FX3 to go along with my Kemper Stage, but you know what I mean.


    They're getting new stock here, sambrox. Once you've had it for a while, could you fill us all in? I've been toying with the idea of getting one, or a Axe FX 2 or maybe even another Kemper for a solo project of mine.

  • Ampeg VT-60 is gone

    Abasi Pthos has turned into a Friedman BE-OD pedal

    Also picked up

    Earnie Ball flat ribon cable patch cable pack

    Adventure audio Thaw (gated fuzz)

    Adventure audio Again (multi option delay)

    Have a Digitech SDrum coming in on Monday

  • They're getting new stock here, sambrox. Once you've had it for a while, could you fill us all in? I've been toying with the idea of getting one, or a Axe FX 2 or maybe even another Kemper for a solo project of mine.

    I really really like it. The sounds are really great. The only minus is the complexity of programming things like wah pedals and such. I’ve been totally spoiled by Kemper’s ease of use and programmability. Having to go into different menus just to link a wah block to the expression pedal is a bit cumbersome, for example. However, the complexity comes from being able to set it up to suit your exact personal workflow and needs. The switches are configurable in a gazillion different ways and make the three switches perfectly fine for gigging, though I was sure it would be restrictive.

    I think the difference between the Kemper and FM3 can be analogised like this : the Kemper is like having an amp and analogue pedals, whereas the FM3 is like having a rack system and rack effects. The sound can also be analogised like that, I think.

  • I got some new gear! I was looking to build up my home studio, so I picked up a couple of used DAW controllers.


    Euphonix MC Mix




    Steinberg CC121



    As you can see, one is minty, the other is greasy (but cleaned up nicely).


    I think with the Console 1 I picked up, I should be good when it comes to mixing my projects in a more intuitive way.