No PC authorization yet. I sent an email to them and blasted them for only cloud and dongle iLok for live performance. It’s no sweat off their nose to allow PC authorization like all my iLok vsts. Plus, the cost, and the storage of the dongle sux. It didn’t work on my last gig, and wanted internet for the damn dongle. Geez!!!
According to iLok, the choice of iLok authorization is up to the developer. All UAD would have to do is add PC iLok and catch up from archaic days. All would be fine. I am going to hound them as often as I can.
I checked on my ilok manager. The maintenance alert has gone. It should all be working.
We really do need to get some definitive answers on this policing policy. If one authorizes via the cloud and heads to a gig with no internet, what guarantees are there that the end user will not be blocked?
I was finally able to move one of my authorizations to the dongle. What a headache. Apparently, UAD is all about studio work. I guess no one there ever thought about live performance.
Insists upon internet or physical dongle.
For me, I don’t like it, but I would suffer it. I think UA have not considered the live scenario, as @Corky said above.
Wrote to UA on this cloud situation, and await their response.
Been doing some head to head comparisons of VB3fx mk1 vs Waterfall rotary, both addressed by identical VB3 Mk1 input and with The Anvil amp between organ and rotary. I like what Anvil opens up sonically in the organ and how that plays into the rotary response. It seems to me that the VB3fx is far less sympathetic to ‘enhancement’, which seems to reveal artifacts not nearly so obvious when operating through its rather veiled default.
The F# harmonic seems far more pronounced through the VB3fx. Distortion more gritty. Bottom end boomy.
It does a great job for half of the CPU consumption of the Waterfall but it is increasingly obvious that even a modest organ plugin through an excellent rotary simulation can be convincing, and the naked VB3 mk1 still holds up remarkably well given the opportunity.
Thanks for contacting UAD. The more we get addressing this, the more chance of changing it.
Agree with your findings. I am mostly finding the same as you.
My Mercurial SS-11X preamp is the most perfect, naturally sounding drive for the Hammond vsts at the default setting. Using it between the organ and Leslie. Expression pedal drives the pre-amp very well.
I’ve tested waterfall B3 and Rotary with the iLok USB plugged in, but my macbook without an internet connection, and it’s working fine. The only noticeable thing is that loading the concert file takes 1.5 minutes, which normally takes max. 20 seconds
A few years ago I tried putting several recommended plugins between the Hammond vst and the Leslie vst but (Softube and Klanghelm) but at the time didn’t really understand the problem being solved. After playing live more I started to understand why I might want more control over the distortion. My solution was to assign and label a controller for both the organ drive and leslie drive controls in B-3X and VB3/IK Leslie.
Please elaborate on how you’re using the SS-11X preamp in between - Thanks!
EDIT - I’m better with the expression pedal now to control drive. BTW, just bought a second Yamaha FC7 to replace the m-audio. It works way better for Hammond VST’s
I was using stand alone Leslies, such as Blue3 rotary, TRacks Leslie, whatever would allow separation from the organ. Just slide the SS-11X in between the two. As usual, using GUI pedal connected to a hardware pedal. I adjusted the pedal thru Cantabile to slowly reach maximum volume. SS-11X responded perfectly, being driven by thru the organ. Very clean at minimum…Jon Lord at max. The real beauty in this is the tone. A strong humming one that doesn’t get gritty till near max. The higher keys can be heard without lower keys stealing volume from the higher.
There are other tubes and settings within SS-11X, but I found what I wanted with the default. I was working on this with @dave_dore awhile back but didn’t finish it. I still have the racks I built. I downloaded every free pre-amp I could find, so I could share it with everyone. But, nothing came close to SS-11X.
I haven’t used the Waterfall Rotary much. I was just released from the hospital and am trying to catch up with things.
This is an example of something, somewhat near, the tone I was looking for. @Ade should be aware of this, lol.
With USB in it works. The issue is the cloud authorization. It insists upon an internet connection. Those folks who don’t want to use dongles live are not comfortable with this overreach.
Oh yeah
That might be the same ol’ Korg CX3 Paul used live when we first toured in 1985!
Can you tell? It had an ‘ok’ leslie simulator for that time, and was certainly a lot easier than lugging a B3/Cabinet on tour (he did buy a beautiful, mint B3 as I remember - strictly for studio use) That voice and him on a Hammond (type) - what a golden combination. I will certainly check out the SS-11X.
There is magic sauce to be had in these virtual organ setups, and sometimes it just feels as if life is breathed into them when the balance is right. At the same time, it is a challenge to stay on top of the artifacts revealed by enhancement, and to move easily between optimized sounds without tweaking each preset - and that’s why we love Cantabile, ain’t it?
In my Hammond racks, I also include the pre-amp, and Leslie which can be modified with each preset I create. So, with each preset in a state, I can switch within a song, and many other ways, thanks to Cantabile.
Yeah, I could tell the Leslie was not real, but at that time, not bad. Paul is definitely pure magic. Never got to see him live, but was hoping he would be with Clapton or Ringo thru my area. That never happened. I’ve turned many musicians on to him, and they have become big fans.
The Waterfall B3 seems to have a very smooth distortion, much like the newer clones Hammond is building. We have come so far from the “Charlie” vst, and yet, we are like guitarists searching for that perfect tone. Never quite satisfied, but always working on it.
