UPDATE 4-16-08: >:( >:(

--

UPDATE 2-22-08: >:(

--

UPDATE 2-1-08: Well, I understand that this list has just started... but still, it's small! So, anyone who could contribute to this list, contribute - and anyone who knows anyone who can contribute, spread the word! ;D This list isn't going to be very much use if it covers only nine products, with only one comment each. ;)

--

Here it is, at last! Thanks to everyone who contributed to this list! :D We're starting out small, but hopefully it'll grow. >:)

For anyone new to this list, the basic point of it is to give quick and easy insight into any sort of product related to music, to anyone deciding whether or not it's worth buying. Each product will have anywhere from one to several short summaries, each accompanied by a rating out of 5 and any other important information, all written by users of that product themselves! :D If the short summaries, ratings, and other information listed here aren't enough, a good idea would be to PM one of the users of that product for more details. Categories, products, users, etc. are all sorted alphabetically.

If you want to contribute to this list, just send me a PM, or leave a comment here, with five things:

1) The actual comment - try to keep the length to around two or three sentences of reasonable length.
2) A rating - out of 5, decimals allowed.
3) The price of whatever your comment is about.
4) Any other important information, which will be listed next to the price.
5) A link or URL to the product's website.

Any and all contributions will be very appreciated! ;D If anyone wants to edit a comment of theirs, all they have to do is PM me/comment here with what they want to be changed, and what they want me to change it to. ;)

First off, the missing list, then the actual list itself.

MISSING LIST:

- Currently, nothing's missing! :D

==

--HARDWARE--

EMU 0404-USB - $229
Rig: "If you're going to get this, make sure you don't have Vista. It doesn't have a driver for this external sound card. And my old laptop doesn't like it either - I have to disable my graphics card for it to work properly. All the problems are on my end, though. It's worked fantastically otherwise, with its two Mic/Hi-Z/Line combo inputs and line outs. Recording quality is top notch - up to 32bits and 192kHz with internal soft clipping for clipless signals."
Rating: 3.75/5
Claxor: "The 0404 is perfect for me, enough I/O (see Rig's review), non-noticable latency (below 10ms mostly), and flawless recording quality. I guess it could use more jacks, but other than that, it's very good."
Rating: 4/5

Korg KONTROL49 - $349
Rig: "This is a great MIDI keyboard, it has all the pads and sliders that I need! One of the sliders doesn't work due to a food mishap, but otherwise it's been solid. FL recognizes it and I've had no problems linking anything to anything else."
Rating: 4.75/5

Kurzweil SP2X - $1390
Claxor: "The SP2X is a stage-piano (it can be used as a MIDI keyboard though), and has the functionality you'd expect from one. It features a not-so-big, but very high quality sound bank. It also features multiple effects that you can apply to the sounds. It has 88 keys that feel really good, if you're a pianist, you'll love them. Best buy ever!"
Rating: 5/5

==

--SAMPLE CDS--

Soundsense Trance Inducer - $59.95
Karco: "Don't be fooled by the demos - this is a sample CD, after all, and is made up entirely of hits and loops. Look elsewhere if you want your own synths. As for drums, this has a good variety for a lot of styles that you won't find in the more popular sample CDs - Vengeance Essential Clubsounds, etc. Though if you want these styles, there are better ones out there for the same money, especially considering inflexible synth and drum loops make up half the content. To put it concisely, it's eJay on a CD."
Rating: 2.9/5

==

--SOFTWARE--

EWQL Symphonic Orchestra Gold Bundle - 35 GB - $595
MaestroRage: "East West Symphonic Orchestra Gold is a huge step up from Silver. The samples all have reverb on them, the strings section has upped the ante a great deal. It lacks strength in the brass section however. A great more range of instrumentation and stylistic performances. Ideal for starting composers who are serious about their game and are looking for some heavy substance in their performances." (more...)
Rating: 3.7/5

EWQL Symphonic Orchestra Silver Edition - 2.4 GB - $195
MaestroRage: "East West Symphonic Orchestra Silver is the ideal package for composers who are looking for textures of the orchestral variety, but not ultimate realism. The samples in this library all lack reverb and are very dry, which is quite ideal for some electronica and game composers." (more...)
Rating: 2.8/5

FL Studio - $49-$361 (depending on version)
Karco: "Definitely a great starting sequencer. Easy to use, though there is a bit of a learning curve - you won't pick it up right away, but rather after a some playing with it, and maybe some learning how to use it from someone else. The capabilities have satisfied me up to my current (pretty advanced :P) level, and have yet to really let me down. The only downside is for starting users - you'll probably want to use a sample CD and/or some outside synths along with it, as most of the samples and synths that come with FL Studio are easy to recognize."
Rating: 4.5/5

Reason - $499
SBB: "Works wonders for about all electronica genres, from yer casual trance or acid house to idm and ambient, with its great synths and routing possibilities. It is not recommended if you do any kind of recording, since its audio in functions are practically none. (however, if you'll rather use sampled instruments, you can easily make realistic and great sounding classical/rock tunes with the right ReFills and samples.) If you do that, you can use Reason as a huge synth by rewiring it into a DAW with audio recording capabilities. The user interface is simple and userfriendly, but might be confusing if you've used other programs."
Rating: 4.25/5

ReFX Nexus - $299.99
Karco: "Currently my most-used VSTi. It has an amazing sound, as well as an amazing preset library: initially you have over 650 presets, and you can buy 128-preset expansions as well, for just about anything - even drums. Downsides include being CPU-hungry, being a ROMpler (no custom synths) and steep prices - $300 for Nexus itself, and $70 per expansion, save the Dance Drums expansion, which will cost $40."
Rating: 4.3/5

ReFX Vanguard - $89.99
Karco: "A decent VSTi - it comes with several presets and is, in my opinion, a pretty good fit for the novice artist. It has a somewhat flat sound in my opinion, though, and since buying better synths I've hardly ever had to use it. I don't know for sure, but there are probably better purchases out there for this money."
Rating: 3/5

==

STATISTICS:

-Total Number of Entries: 11
-Total Number of Products Covered: 10
-Total Number of Users: 5