Sonivox Big Bang - Universal Drums - Virtual Instrument Software

I didn't like that it wouldn't work for any of my computers. It let me go through each process to upload it onto my computer, but that was it. Not happy with it at all.

Purchased this from another source to install on my Win7Pro64 digital audio workstation. The online seller didn't post the software version, so I assumed it was current, or at the very least upgradeable via free download.WRONG!The version sent is v1.0, which comes in a cigar box sized box, which felt empty. In fact, opening it and shaking out the contents onto the table yielded ONLY a card with a registration serial number. I thought "did they forget the DVD?"Upon closer inspection, there was a CD in the box - the inside has a thin cardboard sleeve which when removed from the box has the CD slipped between the outer and inner box.It installed easily enough, with something like 5gb of samples, which disappointed me - elsewhere version 2.1 boasts of 15gb of samples / goodies. Upon finishing installation, it shut down my Asus Zenbook abruptly after saying it needed to reboot to finish install. I mean, it required/asked for no user response, just turned off like I cut the power.Started it up again and it was there, but with most every click of the mouse to select drum sounds, there was a Win7 busy icon pop up. A drum set did eventually load, and it sounded nicely by simply clicking the mouse on the drums/cymbals. But there is no apparent means of recording, nor loading a MIDI to hear the it playing a song. It is apparently a soft-instrument only, not a sequencer. It runs in standalone mode, but I don't know what good that does if it can't record midi. And there is no apparent means of triggering the kit drums by keyboard. It needs a MIDI controller.I tried to access it via Presonus Studio One Pro DAW program, but it did NOT see the drum instrument - supposedly it's VST instrument, but created NO steinberg/vst directory in the typical c:\program files directory as have other VST instruments and plugs I've installed.Off to the web site, I grabbed the 2.1 update and it wouldn't run saying "please install v2.0 first" ... I looked all over the program I installed to find the version number and it was nowhere accessible via menu. The only indication of how old the program/software is the (c) 2011 symbol on the serial number card. Finally I went directly to the program files / sonivox subdirectory, right clicked the Big Bang Drums application (.exe) file and checked the properties, which indicated it was v1.0.0.Back to the Sonivox web site which offered v1.2 for free download and it installed without a hitch. After rebooting, I fired up Studio One again and there it was. It loaded as a VST instrument and I was able to play drums.Where it get's interesting - and perhaps this is just my limited understanding of virtual instruments - I applied the kit to the percussion track of a *reggae* styled track I've been playing with - which uses variety of world type percussion instruments ... notably a 'timbale'? Anyway, that instrument is nowhere to be found on Big Bang drums - it appears to be just a standard drum kit - 4-5 cymbals including hat, bass/kick, snare and 3-4 toms. Whenever the sequencer sent a midi note for one of the toms, it sounded but not the timbale or other rhythm instruments (shaker, tambo, etc.). Perhaps that's normal for a virtual instrument? I'm used to loading a kit on a hardware synth and having a different percussion instrument sounded by each of the 88 standard notes ... I don't have a controller to test it further.After reading something to do with Win 64 bit support in version 2.0, I figured to upgrade to 2.0/2.1 via their web site, for $29.99. Clicking on the upgrade button promises that you can enter your serial number to get the $29.99 price. The upgrade takes users to the Digital River site, and after entering all my info, including credit card, there was nowhere to enter my serial number; just a "submit" button which carries the statement "by clicking submit, you agree to pay the listed price" ... in other words, there's no getting the upgrade for $29.99 as promised on the SonivoxMI site.I fired off an email/support request to Sonivox asking whether the 2.1 upgrade was free to new buyers/owners, but haven't heard a thing. Other buyers complain that the mail/form support for customer service is abysmal. So I figure to just cut my losses at the 40 clams I spent on this as a 'blowout' deal and put my money towards a better, established and supported product.Avoid this like the plague.--- UPDATE 14 March 2014 UPDATE ---After the retailer resolved the complaint about BBUD v1.0 to my satisfaction, I received a reply from Sonivox for my support request filed 6 days (4 business days) earlier. Sonivox provided me with a code to use with Digital River to download v2.1 for free.This statement in the PDF manual for v2.0/v2.1 suggests it is a complete re-write of v1.0/1.2:Important: If you are using a version of Big Bang Universal Drums that is older than Version 2.0, this installation will not overwrite or uninstall that version. Also, any files you use or save with either version are neither backward-compatible nor forward-compatible--you cannot use files from Big Bang Universal Drums 1.0 with Big Bang Universal Drums 2.0 and vice versa.The v2.1 upgrade comes in 5 files; 1 documentation file (1.2Mb), and 4 files for the application (6.07Gb). The downloads from Digital River must be done one file at a time as when trying to download all 4 at once over my 20Mbps internet connection, they all failed. In fact, downloading them 1 at a time failed repeatedly and required manual restart several times before all 5 files were finally downloaded. Max download speed from Digital River was 900Kbps / 7.2Mbps. Suffice it to say, it takes awhile to download the v2.1 upgrade.Launching the installer (.exe) file joins and unpacks the 4 files (1 .exe and 3 .rar) into a folder named "BigBangDrums2_Setup". Size unpacked on disk is 14.2GB with 29 sub-folders and 16,235 files.Once unpacked, the installer named "BigBangDrums2" launches and proceeds to install it in your Program Files directory. My PC is Win7Pro 64 bit, so it installed in Program Files (x64) directory. The full installation in the Sonivox folder under Program Files (x64) is 14.2Gb on disk, 16,236 Files, 29 Folders.Lest you think I'm repeating myself, I'm not.You need to have 35Gb available on your system hard drive/SSD to install this software. The 4 files downloaded from Digital River are 6.07GB; after unpacking and joining the 4 files, the installer folder is 14.2GB; the folder installed in Program Files (x64) is 14.2GB. Since the unpack and install programs are sequential, 35GB is needed to install, unless you intervene manually and delete the original 4 archive files from Digital River after they're unpacked and while the installer is running.While installing the software on my Asus Zenbook, which has a 120GB SSD, I found myself watching the SSD fill up quickly and deleted the original 6.07GB install files to give the program enough room to install.I did not try it, but it would probably be best to attempt the installation from an NTFS formatted 32Gb or larger flash drive, or USB hard drive, rather than try to do it all from your PCs C drive.unRARing and joining the files, and the installation, took about 40 minutes and came off without a hitch. As it wraps up the installation, there is a license validator program that takes you to the Sonivox site for validation. You must enter name, address, email, phone and serial number for validation. After installation, it is necessary to reboot your PC to complete the install.Upon re-boot, I looked in the Sonivox folder under the Start/All Programs icon, and the only option is "Uninstall BigBangDrums 2". There is no l`stand alone' version of the program under v2.0/v2.1 like there was with v1.0/v1.2.After launching my DAW program, Presonus Studio One Pro v2, I looked for BigBangDrums under VST instruments, but it was not there.BigBangDrums does NOT isntall the VST .dll files in the typical Steinberg/VST folder location under "Program Files" or "Program Files (x86), it was there in the subfolder Sonivox/VST/Sonivox folder of the Program Files (x86) folder. It was a simple matter to add the Sonivox/VST/Sonivox folder to the list of folders scanned by Studio One Pro v2 during start up.After restarting Studio One, Big Bang Drums was there waiting to be played with.I grabbed a zip file of free MIDI drum grooves from the Groove Monkee site and dropped several of the into Studio One and assigned the Big Bang Drums virtual instrument to the track.It played well, with no glitches whatsoever. Pop up menus to change drum kits and customize the various drums used worked as shown in Sonivox demos on Youtube. Sounds, particularly when playing with the room mic setting, were excellent.So this leaves me with a mixed recommendation. Version 1.0/1.2 is unusable on my Win7Pro64 laptop and desktop. Version 2.0/2.1 which is a complete re-write of the program, works as advertised, and has many nice sounds and options for a relative VSTi novice such as myself.So the real cost of acquiring v2.0/2.1 is either full price via the manufacturers site (Sonivox via Digital River), or, acquiring v1.0 from a retailer at these `blowout' prices and then upgrading via Sonivox / Digital River for 3 Hamiltons.And if the retailer is offering v2.1, go for it.Before purchasing this, ASK the seller what version it is they are selling, if they do not post it in the item description.The v1.0/1.2 frustration / upgrade route is very frustrating; I have about 24 man hours invested in getting it all up and running (installs, uninstalls, support requests, downloading 2.1, reinstallation, troubleshooting VSTi location, etc.)This review is for v2.1, which warrants 4 stars. The one star being deducted for requiring 35GB of hard drive space to install it if downloaded from Sonivox / Digital River, which is apparently the only way to get v2.1.