MY HONEST THOUGHTS ON XP RELEASE

[el matador]

It's nice we got XP finally. Still no Softsamplecell I see. I still prefer softsamplecell on win98 before getting XP. Since XP is finally a "solid" platform, does this mean we start getting the ounce "mac only" plugins and softsynths and effects like amplitube? We really need 3rd party plugin support like the mac people get. I hope they dont expect us to be happy and satisfied with just XP. Digidesign has alot of making up to do. We should not be happy till we get the same features the mac people do.
that includes

-softsamplecell
-all the "mac only" features
-all the "mac only" plugins.
-and the end of the mac snob digidesign employees. (you all know what I am talking about)

[pk_hat]

What do you mean you prefer SampleCell on Win 98?
There never was a PC release for Sample Cell!

My thoughts on this whole XP thing -

We will most likely be flooded with new compatible software to run with ProTools because of this XP release. Everything happens for a reason, and with Win98 becoming archaic, no one wanted to develop anything for it, they were waiting for this PT release in order to go forward. Seems like the most sensical reason why we were left hanging for so long.

All these NI apps, they will happen, either via DirectConnect or as RTAS, it's now just a matter of time. Digi didn't develop and release DC for nothing. They know what's going on, as do the 3rd party developers. Mac parity will happen now that the PT/PC world is slowly anchoring down on XP.

As for track count. Well I feel I may get flamed for this, but I'm tired of hearing complaints that 32 is just not enough. I'm sorry, but if you can't put together a decent tune with 32 tracks and all the Aux tracks available, you're either in the wrong business, or you simply need to switch your software and call it a day. Furhtermore, I felt the same way with 24 tracks.

Get Cubase or Logic, a TDM system, or whatever else if you need a huge track count. I'm not saying I would complain if we were given 48, 64 or more tracks with PT Le, but becoming a better engineer while creating the music is half the fun (for me at least). You can do wonders with 32 tracks.

pk

[Roy Howell]

pk,
I totally agree. I used to get only 11 tracks on the Davec test, but still managed to get some good songs done(I could easily record 24, just not simultaneiously).
And the other companies would be inane not to jump in with support for this new system. Believe me, they're on it.
So, it's all good... [img]images/icons/cool.gif[/img]

[DigiTechSupt]

-and the end of the mac snob digidesign employees. (you all know what I am talking about)
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">I "resemble" that remark !

Tom S.
Digidesign customer service

[RonH]

So you are saying you want all the plugins that we get (Mac users) and saying that Digidesign has a lot of making up to do. Dude, you just get an upgrade on your software, which seems to have helped pc catch up with Mac features. As for third party support, that really isnt Digidesign's fault. If third party companies dont develop thier plugins for pc then there isnt much Digidesign can do. My suggestion is flood the companies with emails asking them to release thier plugins for pc. I am looking forward to the Mac upgrade, but I will say it is nice to see the pc guys get it first. After all, we have had some of the features that you just received with this upgrade for a long time. Let me go back to the mac side and see if there are any "When is OSX coming?" post on there.
Ron

[citi]

I am going to agree with RonH. People be happy with your upgrades! I am. This is a huge step in the right direction. Other companies are sure to follow!

[B.Ray]

pk_hat,

In principle, I agree with your points. Where we may slightly differ is the timeframe when things will begin to change (as far as 3rd party support is concerned).

Based on conversations with Digi reps and 3rd party vendors, the number of registered PTLE/PC users is equal to or slightly more than PTLE/Mac users. This tells me that the incentive for PC support is there (potential customers is a nice motivational tool). Now that they only have to develop code for one Windows OS, life has instantly become less complicated for them. (I say less complicated because one guy told me that coding/compiling on Windows is still more complicated than coding for Mac OS 9x. He said, now that there's only one Windows OS, he's seriously thinking about jumping into the PC market, though.)

For general RTAS/AS efx, I think products will continue to trickle in as they have in the past.

For DirectConnect, I don't think we'll see many for that. This appears to be a sort of interim technology that will be overcome by RTAS Instruments. RTASi is a much more robust technology than DC, that's why I call DC an interim technology. The idea of a VST/DC Wrapper (a la Ugly VSTi) will allow DC to still be useful for a long time for some of us but we may not see many products written specifically for DC.

For RTASi, I think we're in for a long wait on the PC side (maybe a year or so depending on Digi's priorities). Based on reports from Digi and 3rd party developers, RTASi for PC has lots of technical problems to overcome. (I don't think this has much to do with WinXP vs Win98/Me - my opinion only). Digi is still struggling with SoftSample Cell for PC. So, until they get the Specification straightened out, I wouldn't expect to see any 3rd party parts on the market.

I agree that more support is coming, I just don't think it will happen over night. I also agree that there are work-arounds to deal with all those issues (soft synths/track count etc.) so a good recording engineer should be OK with PTLE/PC. In many ways, its an excellent product.

[gerax]

Hi guys

Please don't flame at me, but honestly, my thoughts on this new release aren't so pretty: to me after all of the time, crying, begging, delaying of announced release dates, and all of this waiting, 32 tracks and Control 24 support isn't that much: I really felt a little like " well, is this the best you can do?", sure, 32 tracks is cool (even if I really didn't feel the overwehlming need for them), but I think some major features (that still are Mac only) like dual monitor support, or dual processor support were left apart: they included video support: great, so some simple features like the previous ones could have been usefull too, and in the end more usefull than a little cosmetic upgrade in the Playback engine/ hardware setup panels (IMO).
I'll wait a couple of months before upgrading, since I'm in the middle of some projects and my PTLE setup on 98SE works like a charm right now.
Plus all of the other apps I'm using that didn't get XP drivers (Sonic Foundry CD Architect first) aren't going to work with XP, so I'm definitely waiting.

Cheers

L.G.

[greenroom]

As i've said before

'Quit your squawkin' and keep on rockin' ' [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[citi]

gerax...the mac version does not have dual proccesor support either. I would have loved dual monitor support. I don't know why that is so difficult. Oh well.