Future of SoundDesigner II

[Matthias Allgayer]

At present I work with ProTools|24 Mix and SoundDesignder II on an Audiomedia III. For future investments I would like to know the following:
1) Is there any futher developement of SD II to be compatible to future digidesign hardware?
2) If not, is there any substitute for SD II for the same use like SD II?
Tank You

[DigiTechSupt]

Hi Matthias,

1) No. SDII has reached the maximum size for an app that was created in it's language/compiler. No additions/changes can be made. For a more detailed explanation look back a ways at earlier posts on the subject.

2) BIAS Peak is probably the best substitute for small file-level editing.

-bm-

[josquin]

PEAK is "ok", but it is still no real replacement for SDII!
Come on, Digi, quit making excuses and rewrite the d___n thing. It's what got you folks on the map in the first place. You've certainly had enough user feedback to justify a re-write. If I won the lottery I'd privately hire a couple of your programmers to do it!

[George888]

Seriously,
I think that if Digidesign could come up with a new software with a combo of SDII and Masterlist functions in it...maybe supporting Waverack, it could be the next editing/mastering standard tomorrow!..

just my 2NTs worth..

[Matthias Allgayer]

I'm an on air talent of a local radio station. SD II is my most useful tool for preparation of my radio show. I do a lot of Interviews and cut them with SD II. Today, I'm a very quick cutter and SD II helped me for this. With the powerful playlist functionality of SD II it is a very easy and quick work to edit nondestructive interviews and other elements for my show and get a few other edit versions for other radio shows at our station. I tried do the same with ProTools, but I think, it's not the same and not so easy and quick. I got a download version of Peak and I tried to do the same i do with SD II. I felt a bit disappointed, because I couldn't use the playlist functions like I used with SD II. I feel for my field of work peak is no substitute for SD II and it makes me sad to know, at the next step of my ProTools my SD II will not be able to continue ...
Digi, I hope SoundDesigner will stay alive. Please do Your best!

Tank You
Matthias

[josquin]

Matthias, I entirely agree with you about SDII. I, too have tried PEAK but one thing that ruins it for me is that there is no way to continue recording into a file once you have closed the "record" window!! (Try assembling a CD that way.) Unbelievable. It is a good programme, but SDII is quicker, at least for me. And ProTools, as good as it is, is not as fast or convenient for straight editing. And for Digi to now decide that SDII and PT are no longer compatible is even worse. Basically the message seems to be. "we are no longer interested in stereo editing. Find another solution - somewhere else." I can understand why Digi wants to concentrate on ProTools (much more lucrative for one thing!) but until PT's editing functions are as quick and easy as SDII's it will be an awkward "second best"
solution for those of us who do not need multiple tracks but DO need really precise editing capabilities. PEAK may eventually fill the bill; I think Bias is receptive to user feedback, but the problem is that those of us who know and love SDII need solutions NOW, not in two or three years.

[This message has been edited by josquin (edited 01-14-99).]

[Jerry Tubb]

I agree with all you guys, SDII is simply the best stereo editing tool! I've mastered over 2,000 CD's using SDII. It is a shame that digidesign won't rewrite it for us SDII diehards! I would gladly pay $500 or more for the upgrade. Maybe if we keep pluggin' digi will eventually get the message!

[josquin]

Funny that Digidesign still says the following on the SDII page of the website ---

"Sound Designer II, which has quickly become the world's most widely used and praised digital audio editing
software, features a large, easy-to-read waveform display, straightforward tools for arranging
recorded sound files, and sophisticated digital signal processing functions--all included in the price of
one software package.
Whether you need to do music editing and remixing, mastering, sound effects editing, or audio for
multimedia projects, Sound Designer II, paired with any of Digidesign's Macintosh-based recording systems, provides the best balance of power and ease of use for your needs--indeed it is ideal for any stereo
recording or editing situation. "

Doesn't sound like the blurb for a product that they have effectively given up on, does it? The ad is a half-truth at best. Of course, many of us agree that it is a superb programme but the R&D folks (or perhaps the bean counters) at Digi obviously don't have the conviction of the Advertising Dept. who created this ad.
Sorry to keep hammering you folks, Digidesign, but let's have some real truth here. Either live up to the ad and upgrade SDII (and incidentally, respond to the many requests by satisfied users) or publicly admit that SDII is passé and give PT the same power.
My comment to Jerry (Tubb - see recent post) is that Digi's attitude seems to be "I used to be indecisive, but now I'm not so sure."

[marcello]

I spent good $$$ to get the most recent version of SDII many months ago.

However, I will not be able to use it with the Project II card. I still plan on buying the card so I can use it with Studio Vision Pro, but I can not afford to buy an AMIII JUST to use SDII.

On the bright side, I have read somewhere within this message center that Digidesign plans on making the project II card work with the pro tools software. that's cool.

But I say, if the Project II is being planned on working with Pro Tools software, is it technically feasable to work with the SDII software?

Or as someonw else wrote, simply integrate ALL of SDII within the pro tools software.

That is probably what is going to happen?

[Gantt Kushner]

I just spent 45 minutes on the phone w/ a fellow SDII user bemoaning the imminent demise of Sound Designer. I just don't like Peak. Protools sucks for stereo editing. Please Digidesign; create a new Sound Designer!