I’ve been waiting to see them live since their televised performance in Brasov some years back.

(The clip is not mine. Check the YT channel for more.)

This one marks going into production stage.

Workin on a project. Til it’s done, everything else stops.

Can’t write a lengthy review, so this is just a quick rundown of the most important features.. Scratching the surface as they say, and a bit of the next layer.

Pricing, licensing, protection:  Basically, it’s up to you do the right thing and pay the 60$ fee (40$ atm) after the 30 day trial ends. Next major version + updates included. Costs more if you’re big business.

Tracks and Routing : supreme! I still can’t wrap my mind around all the possibilities just yet.

A track is a track, there is no audio-midi distinction. And an effect is an effect, instruments included. Drop them in any order and they’ll probably work. You can have two instruments in the same track with some effects between them and they output sound from the same midi data. Both of them.

Also, you can split the chain from within into several parallel lines via aux routing, add various effects to each line, then join them again for some final torture. Example : you can process the sound from a delay with a reverb without affecting the dry signal, all within the same track. So there is not much need for FX channels if you don’t want them. And speaking of sends, you can route pretty much anything to anywhere across tracks in order to abuse your effects even more. Crazy good!

There is also a dry/wet control on any effect (how this is not industry standard I don’t know) and an UI bypass button which displays a list of sliders, one for each parameter, just in case you missed something.

Adding effects is easily done as you can filter the list using a text field, like in the jump to file window in WinAmp. You can also define lists of favorites and there’s a ‘recent effects’ list.

Parameter modulation: Ever seen a synth modulation matrix? Well, imagine that applied to the whole workstation, linking parameters across effects and tracks. Didn’t touch on this madness myself just yet.

Automation: the program supports several types of curves between two automation points so you don’t have to draw a lame approximation of a curve by hand. Can record stuff, of course.

Midi editor: is still a bit minimalistic and there’s no scoring. Does the job pretty well however, and I hope the new version will expand the feature set.

Mixer: different panning modes (v4 feature). Can arrange tracks on several rows if size allows it.

Graphic interface: does not look as evolved as others. However,  things are properly sized and in the right places so everything is easy to read at a glance. Version 4-alpha comes with a different look and feel and it’s a bit too ‘square’ for my taste. Themes are available, and can be modded.

Parameter lists: Some plugins offer hundreds of controls and when a list of such controls pops up you’ll find them quite difficult to work with. However, a trained eye will find information rather easily.

Supplied effects: Can’t really compare to the big names but what is included works well. And for the price difference you can get a bundle like Melda or Blue Cat or something else.

Customization: Lots of options to change shortcuts and menus and everything. And it supports horizontal scroll via my second mouse wheel, which makes life much sweeter for me.

Audio/Midi recording: works well, but i didn’t do much of it. I edited midi by hand mostly, like newbs do.

Support: Great forum, and they also replied quickly to an e-mail we sent.

Don’t want to extend this any further, but check this out for an in-depth article from a pro.

Conclusion: Love.

Se pare ca IQads i-au ars deja, dar voi scrie acest articol asa cum il aveam in cap, cu referinte acolo unde este cazul.

Puncte slabe, pentru ca nu vad nimic deosebit de bun la acaseata campanie, si nici ratiunea existentei independente a acestui produs nu o inteleg:

1. Numele “Frog”. De ce ‘frog’? De ce o broasca? In Romania broasca nu este cea mai iubita vietuitoare, iar felul ei de a comunica prin sunete, nici atat. Cuvantul englezesc nu suna bine in romana. Dexonline spune asa:

Cuvântul «frog» nu a fost găsit, dar am găsit următoarele cuvinte apropiate:
drog | firog | frag | frig | grog | trog

‘Firog’ imi place, dar tot inseamna ‘ceva de munca’. Deci negativ.

2. Mascota galbena (ocazional protocalie). Arata dubios in majoritatea imaginilor. In cele outdoor pare chinuita, parca ar vedea un meci recent al Nationalei de fotbal. In poza de pe pachetul cartelei arata complet altfel! E alt model 3D cu totul, aparent cel folosit la greci – e mai simpatic si nu pare chinuit, doar obosit sau beat.

3. Culoarea de fundal. Purpuriul/violetul care completeaza galbenul devine in anumite executii de-a dreptul mov (si inca unul urat). Foarte nefericit. Vrand a parea imperial, probabil pe ideea de ‘auriu-purpuriu-print-transformat-in-broasca’,  arata mai mult a ‘ghetto-pimp-cartoon’, idee intarita si de spotul TV. Ceea ce ne duce la punctul..

4. “Cine a zis ca POTI SA AI DOAR O PRIETENA?” Nu stiu altii cum sunt, poate s-a facut o cercetare pe undeva, dar pentru mine bigamia nu este tot aia cu un threesome si pe langa acest insight maret trebuie sa ofer inca unul: mai sunt si broscute, nu doar broscoi pe balta. Ele s-ar putea simti jignite de un produs care promoveaza valorile lui Ludacris (rip Nate Dogg, btw). Vedeti si comentariul nr 4 al articolului IQads.

5. Panourile outdoor. Sunt ilizibile la o distanta mai mare de 5 metri. Textul prea mic, fonturile alese aiurea. De peste drum abia daca disting ceva, si ar trebui sa pot citi totul.

Pe langa asta, daca tot e lansata prin Cosmote, de ce nu este Cosmote? Sau Globul.bg sau ce o fi la greci? De ce sa o iei de la zero? Nu e tot o cartela?

Din punctul meu de vedere, un tratament vizual mai atent ar fi rezolvat toate problemele.

Oac!

ps: azi, la AdBreak #39 sunt prezenti si amicii mei de la Radio 21 si cei de la Frog. Cine poate, go for it, si poate scrieti un review.

Scris pentru AdMasters.

I only got to see Ana Vidovic and Goran Krivokapic‘s peformances, unfortunately. But thank you, lovely people, you were amazing!

Goodnite cruel world!