SX vs. PTLE

[APAULOS]

After one night of using SX I think I'm going to make the switch. I know some people on the DUC are currently using both PTLE and SX. While others like Yavuz and Okion have made a total commitment to SX and sold the 001.

My questions are only for those who are familiar with BOTH programs. What, if any, are the drawbacks of using SX? Is there anything you miss about PTLE? How stable is SX compared to PTLE?

I have only one test left to put the two programs through (the sound test)and if SX passes I will definitely switch, but I kinda want a heads up, as there are usually pro's and con's to every major change. Thanks for your patience.

[vonbleak101]

The main drawback is that you need third party hardware (souncard) for SX. While the price is another issue, the good thing with the 001 was that it was made for LE, so it does what it needs to do. With SX you may have some issues getting it set up perfectly, but once it is its smooth and very stable.

I have used SX with a Echo Layla soundcard and it rocked. The whole project was recorded and mixed at 24/96 then bounced to stereo using the amazing apogee VU22 plus intergrated dithering.

If you dont mind the extra money for a third party soundcard and a little fiddiling around to get it set up right, SX leaves LE in its dust. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

(I am waiting for digi to release ASIO drivers for the PC so i can use a 002 with SX and a TC POWERCORE!)

[Jayman#9]

SX? Don't you mean Nuendo? Sorry but that's the the ongoing joke over at the Nuendo forum. Basicly Nuendo and Cubase are the same program right now.

DON'T GIVE UP ON YOUR DIGI001! Trust me you'll miss it if you sold it. I'm a huge Nuendo/Cubase SX fan. It's great product but it lacks the detail that Protools has. I could go on forever about how great both systems are but I'll save you the time. Protools is the perfect platform for tracking and it's the editing king. Hands down! Nuendo destroys Protools in the mixing side of things (everyone one will argue me on this fact [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img] ). Nuendo has all the plugins availible that you'll ever need. Way more selection than Protools plugins. People may argue that VST plugs are not as good as PT, that's not true. VST has a lot of crap plugins, but way more great ones.

So what I'm saying is, save your bread so you can buy Nuendo/SX and keep you're Digi001. All the Mac guy's are saying how us PC users have no plugin support...well that's not true in VST land! The best of both worlds, trust me. [img]images/icons/cool.gif[/img]

[APAULOS]

Thanks Von. You're right about the price thing, I started making my list and I immediately passed $1000, $2000, $3000, crap it's gonna cost a lot to do this the way I want to.

Here's the system I'm looking at,

SX
The RME Multiface and/or Digiface
An RME ADI-8 DS
A coleman audio M3
Two Summit Audio TD 100's
Two high end mic pre's
Maybe a couple of those Mackie controllers too [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

Wifie's not gonna like this.

[APAULOS]

Jay, Would you elaborate on why you like editing and tracking in PT. Thank you.

[Mark_Knecht]

APAULOS,
I'd like to hear from Jay also. I do like tracking in PTLE, but I'm very iterative, so I track/mix/track/mix and then track and mix some more. I really can't imagine that if I was mixing in SX that I'd be willing to keep throwing bounces back to PTLE to do another track. would you?

vonbleak said the DOWNSIDE was 3rd party hardware. I'd personally say that's an upside.

The one real downside of your plan is certainly cost. However, if we were to compare RME/SX with PTLE, we should choose components that are roughly equivalent in quality. (For the comparison only!)

As we've said before, Digi is a HARDWARE company. They GIVE you the software for FREE! No wonder we have a hard time getting new software...

Mark

[Rock_Artist]

I've had "the pleasure" to work with SX.
and...
It's becoming a real treat to digi.

However some stuff was "too complicated" for the humble-pt user like me.

Automations!, tried it with waves and all sort of plugins the amount of time I spend just to understand it made me decide i'd still better of for a few years with digi until things would truly change.

The audio engine becomes very good compared to "cold" cubase but I still like the PT mix-engine algorhitms, but hey!, that's my taste not yours [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] .

[gabriel_p]

Originally posted by Mark_Knecht:


As we've said before, Digi is a HARDWARE company. They GIVE you the software for FREE! No wonder we have a hard time getting new software...

Mark

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">True, but we should have softsynths, many plugs and such, 'cause the software also makes that hardware sell if you get my drift. Don't skimp on the software, schik, schik, schik [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img]

[Last]

Originally posted by Mark_Knecht:


As we've said before, Digi is a HARDWARE company. They GIVE you the software for FREE! No wonder we have a hard time getting new software...

Mark

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Hiya Mark.

I have to disagree with this.This may have been more true in that past when digi was very much the only option around,but these days it holds no water because realy the only software you can use Digi hardware with is for the most part ProTools.This is a position Digi has been vehemently defending.If digi was a harware priority company,asio drivers for the 001 would have been out in the year 2000.

Currently I think Digi is primarily a Software company that uses their software as leverage to sell hardware.Both of which are pretty good,one has to say,but alas,Digidesign does not,as they expression goes,play well with others.

[img]images/icons/frown.gif[/img]

[Mark_Knecht]

Peter,
Great to hear from you.

I think this argument is one of symantics, at least a little bit. You might want to respond that they are a 'systems' company. Let me clarify my position just a bit.

I still contend that Digi is a hardware company, complete and true. There are not, however, a hardware company following open standards. They develop hardware for their own closed standard. The only way you can use it to it's full potential is with their software.

If they were a software company then I would see them working to have their software support other hardware. They clearly do not do that.

If we take the position that they are a systems company, one that supplies both hardware and software for a closed environment, then I think that's very defendable also. However, most systems companies I deal with (all outside of the audio arena) seem to place a higher emphisis on generating revenue from software, and offering more versions of software to work with their hardware. (I.e. - the customer picks the things they want and need, and then the systems company ensures that they all work together.) Digi doesn't support much in terms of mix and match. If they did, they'd probably support PTLE/001 & PT/001, or other such combinations...

Probably the best example in the semiconductor industry of what Digi is doing is a company called Xilinx. They produce great chips, and they make >98% of their revenue from their chips, but you can't use their chips unless you buy their software. The software, and the high quality of that software, ensures the revenue stream from the chips. Make no mistake though, the revenue comes from the chips.

In Digi's case, the $800 cost of the 001 package would cover either the hardware cost, or the software cost, but not both. Nuendo/Cubase/Logic are all comparible software products and they all cost something similar. How could Digi sell PTLE for $800, give the hardware away, and remain competitive if the other guys can't do it? I think Digi can't either.

On the other hand, PT led to PTLE, so the incremental cost of the software development for the 001 was low, allowing them to 'give away' the software IF you buy their hardware, thus generating an incremental revenue stream for Digi. Good business plan. We (you and I) are what the business team refers to as 'low hanging fruit'. [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

On the other hand, if someone was to try to start a company to make an 001 product, (or 002 for that matter) I doubt they could do it at this price point. And I doubt Digi could either if they didn't have the revenue stream from the high end systems.

So, that's my (once again!) [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img] long-winded view on Digi. [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

Cheers,
Mark
[quote]Originally posted by Last:

Hiya Mark.

I have to disagree with this.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">