Is TDM on the way out???? (sorry, lame opener)

[PeterScherr]

Yeah, I know, it's a rather hackneyed sensationalist opener, but:

• With HD Native taking care of monitor latency issues (soon to be perfected)

• Super powerful cpu processing (soon to be qualified for use)

• PT 9 ADC (soon to be perfected)

• technical hurdles in the news (thank you Brad)

Why would Avid bother to R&D new DSP cards?

Anyone have any thoughts?

FWIW, I am a long time TDM user (since '94) and I love the reliability of my HD3 system. Up to this point figured I would send in all of my PCIe cards for upgrade the instant that new DSP cards are offered. I don't like spending time managing my DSP allocation with TDM/RTAS. I just want masses of processing power, seamlessly integrated at all times. Now! and the waiting is... It's ok, actually. But it does feel like a rather long wait.

But recently, I thought: If issues of latency, ADC, resource management and reliability were definitively worked out, why should I care if my system runs on DSP cards or the computer itself?

My mixes are getting more complex, bigger track counts and more processing. These days, plug ins are so good that I am contemplating selling off a lot of great vintage outboard gear. But I need much more DSP power, and a convincing direction forward with the workstation.

How do other folks feel about this? I'm not interested in starting a war, or rumor thread, but am very curious how my fellow DSP hogs are feeling about the future.

Peter Scherr
www.peterscherr.com

[Ray Lyon]

Just my opinion but it seems to me there will always be a place for hardware processing... processor intensive things like convolution reverb or pitch shifting and/or a good virtual piano... if you put several of those on RTAS now matter how powerful the processor there will be latency on the CPU... combined with VI's... big picture its an inefficient way to handle all processing and just asking for trouble.

[IO Composer]

There's really nothing here to debate. TDM development is over. It seems pretty clear at this point. I'd bet that within the year, Avid will release an offline bounce feature that will obsolete the hardware and they'll stop supporting TDM cards altogether. I'll miss my Eventide Plugins and my Sound Blender/Pure Pitch plugins, but pretty much everything else is or will soon be covered in native.

[JFreak]

Don't really know about TDM's future, but Offline Bounce for one is not very likely to happen. It would make outboard hardware obsolete (and yes, I know several of you already think that "everyone" is doing 100% ITB mixes anyway. But no, outboard is still very much alive.)

[paranerd]

Originally Posted by Ray Lyon

Just my opinion but it seems to me there will always be a place for hardware processing... processor intensive things like convolution reverb or pitch shifting and/or a good virtual piano... if you put several of those on RTAS now matter how powerful the processor there will be latency on the CPU... combined with VI's... big picture its an inefficient way to handle all processing and just asking for trouble.

I agree. Whether TDM is dead or not is not clear, but there's always going to be a need (or want) for more power. I can't see Avid dropping the idea of PCIe cards altogether.

[JSR]

oh man...are we REALLY going to start ANOTHER thread about this over discussed, beaten to death topic?

[PeterScherr]

I guess I'm still interested in what people are thinking now... Sorry if this is overkill for you...

[Tom Hartman]

Not only did AVID say in their live feed of the release of PT 9 that they were listening and knew that people wanted offline bounce and freeze, but they have stated many times publicly that they are committed to DSP.

They did not say "committed to TDM" so you can take that for what it is worth.

TH

[relaxo]

"Realize the only plugin that needs to be active is the one you're currently adjusting and those affected by that plug-in...all others should be quickly, invisibly, seamlessly and automatically rendered into audio. Now dust off your G5s."

90% of today's hardware DSP loading can be alleviated with intelligent software design. Read: AUTOMATIC BACKGROUND RENDERING

Many of you do not have the belief or vision that this could actually work, but it can with time and effort in the design department. External DSP can be rendered unnecessary...within a couple of years with a crack team of nerds and a lot of elbow grease.

My dream is to pay $4000 for my hardware-less Pro Tools 11 iLok authorization which kicks the $%#@ out of any TDM system ever assembled..intelligent software design.

[Dism]

Originally Posted by relaxo

"Realize the only plugin that needs to be active is the one you're currently adjusting and those affected by that plug-in...all others should be quickly, invisibly, seamlessly and automatically rendered into audio. Now dust off your G5s."

What happened to the G4s???