Finally, our long waking nightmare has ended. I’m speaking personally here as a user and fan of all the Slate Digital plug-ins…wait, let me back up here…I’m speaking personally as a fan of all the Slate Digital plug-ins that I could use. They’re fantastic. You probably saw our review of the Virtual Mix Rack. The EQ alone is worth the price of admission. I probably overused it on the last record I mixed because it was new and shiny and I couldn’t help myself.
But here’s the rub: I picked up Virtual Mix Rack along with the entire suite of Slate plugs in a Black Friday or Cyber Monday or whaterverthehell sale, and I was only able to use half of them. I took full advantage of VMR along with VTM (Virtual Tape Machines) and VBC (Virtual Buss Compressors). But what about all of the other three-letter acronyms that SD sold me in that package? As a Pro Tools 11 user who lives the jet-setting 64-bit AAX lifestyle I was SOL.
Well finally I can get my fix. You probably noticed a couple days ago that VCC (yeah you know me Vintage Console Collection) has been bumped up to version 2.0 and not only plays nice in 64-bit audio engines but also integrates easily into the new GUI format of the VMR. But what about Slate’s FG-X mastering plug-in suite? I know that mastering engineers don’t get the love they should in today’s “just crush it with a Waves L2” world, but come on guys. What’s the deal?
The deal is that it’s been upgraded: not to version 2, which will come later, but the current FG-XÂ 1.4.0.4 now at least works with modern DAWs again. That’s AOK by me. According to Mr. Slate himself (heretofore referred to as Mr.S so that I can run this acronym gag completely into the ground) an actual FG-X 2.0 is coming soon, tweaked not only for today’s computing environment but also packaged with updated audio algorhythms. But personally, I’m just relieved that I no longer feel like I took a $100 and lit it like a cigar.
The official Q&A (is it a Q&A if you’re answering your own questions?) from Mr.S is included below:
Q: Where is FG-X 2.0 and what is the difference between FG-X 2.0 and today’s 1.4.0.4 release?
A: FG-X 2.0 is going to be a brand new, completely reworked plugin with new algorithms, created from the ground up in our new framework. It is being developed right now, and will be a free update later this year. The FG-X 1.4.0.4 in your user account is the same algorithms as your current FG-X, but with added support for the 64bit DAW formats.
Q: What is the difference between FG-X 1.4.0.4 and the old FG-X 32bit version?
A: Not much besides the 64bit support. However, users in beta did claim that their CPU usage did go down, but it is not an official feature that we are advertising. If you found a few bugs in your current FG-X, you’ll likely see some of these same bugs in the 1.4.0.4 version. But rest assured, the FG-X 2.0 update will also be FREE, and will fix all of these issues.
Q: Will the FG-X 2.0 still be FREE?
A: Yes, when the FG-X 2.0 comes out later this year, you will get it for FREE.
Q: How do I get FG-X 1.4.0.4?
A: Go to your Slate Account, it is waiting for you right now.
Folks, we’ve learned a lot over the past year about how we can be a better company for you. As I’ve said in the past, we did not prioritize things properly and thought we could achieve big feats without having the manpower to do so. Well, this is a thing of the past. The Slate Digital Team has grown significantly. I too have grown as a CEO, and can better appreciate the responsibility of running a complex and often unpredictable technology company. Therefore I can assure you that delays like this will never happen again, no matter what new plugin format may be sprung on us! Although I really hope there are no more new plugin formats!!!
