digi 001 betrayal

[AverageJoe]

It WOULD be nice to see Digi go ahead and make the 001/Panther thing official, but then again the 32 track PTLE version that we all use(d) in OS 9.2.2 never made it out of beta, did it?

The big problem here as I see it is that while Digi stuff is COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY and therefore subject to planned obsolescence, it is also RECORDING GEAR, which we like to stay around for a while... like mics, preamps, compressors, and tape machines.

I plan on using my 001 until I really really really need to upgrade. And for me that would mean needing higher sample rates, ins/outs, or more tracks. I can nurse along my G4 with upgrade cards for a long while, and upgrade the front end with converters, but I try to not worry about the technology behind it.

My computer is a tape machine. I don't care what OS it runs, as long as it does the job.

And just for a point of reference, I only think this way with regards to my Pro Tools gear (lest you think I'm a technological neanderthal), on my other 3 Macs, I update stuff way too early, overclock whenever I can, etc. But with PT, I just want it to work and work with stability. That's all.

[dans]

From the Digi Compatibility page:

Q: Can I use Pro Tools LE 6.2.2 software with my Digi 001 system?

A: Digi 001 qualification testing with shipping Power Mac G4s is currently in progress. Although not officially qualified with this release, no major problems have been discovered in early testing with the Digi 001 and Pro Tools LE 6.2.2.

If that wasn't a wink and a nod, then I don't know what is. Everyone on here has had copmplete success with the 001/6.2.2/10.3.x platform. I think I've seen one post that contradicts that but hey, this is the DUC, there's always problems! There's no way in a million years Digi would post a statement like if they had any doubts about compatibility.

[Schmee]

So to make your statement more accurate: "Unless you really want to buy a G5 or unless you don't mind ingoring the advancements made in Panther, then you should be able to get plenty of use out of your 001."

I forgot about Panther, I am still running 10.2.8. But it still doesn't take away from the fact that the 001 is still a very nice bit of kit and very usbale. To still keep running mine I am switching over to PC until such time where I have enough cash to go TDM then I will bring my Mac back into action but I didn't see the point of changing from my 001 to a 002r which in effect does pretty much the same thing.

As I said before if you want higher sample rates then it will be worth it but if you are happy recording at 24-bit 44.1/48 then why change? The only problem is if you want more power (hence the PC move) as the 001 doesn't work on the G5.

I personally think that Digidesign are pretty good at supporting old hardware, ok so the 001 has been phased out now but 5 years is pretty good going. You also get the option to trade in for a discount rate, that is something you don't see very often.

I can see why you might be annoyed if you just brought a 001 then a couple of months later the 002r came out and the 001 made a legacy item, but presumablly you brought the 001 because it did what you wanted it to do. Surely you needs didn't change that much in a couple of months.

I gave up along time ago trying to keep up with the latest technology, it is impossible as it changes to quickly. From now on I buy something because it does what I want, I don't care if it is old technology or about to be replaced as long as it does what I want and I can get a good couple of years worth of use out of it before having to think about upgrading I am happy.

Sorry about the long post, I appear to have waffled on a bit

Lee

[pk_hat]

I don't get it.

I had an 001 for 3 years and made some incredible music with it. The 002 came out, went to the sorry-ass Sam Ash seminars, thought it was cool but opted to wait a little. Kept making music with the 001. Then, the 002R comes out and I start re-assessing my needs to see if I can justify the purchase. At this point, I knew I wanted a laptop as I enjoy writing outside my home studio, so the 001's days were numbered. I got an 002R and a new Powerbook late last year.

Why all the fuss. The 001 may be phasing out but it's still regarded as a great product and a pivotal moment in Digidesign's history. Face it, new products which theoretically prove to be better will never cease to be released. Better converters on an 002/R are not a reason to all of a sudden look down upon you DIgi001. "Subtle suggestions" from Digi are not a reason to get pissed and vent about the 001 and/or the assumed devious marketing from Digidesign. It's simple, don't buy into it if you can't afford it. When you can, then look at your options and determine what's the next move for your studio and music. No one is forcing you to buy anything, regardless of when you bought your 001 or how long it took until they released the next best thing.

When you buy an 001 and let go of a hard-earned $1000, one can only assume you've done some research and determined that this combination would allow you to record your music and keep you happy for a while. The only constant here is that technology keeps changing and evolving, resulting in new products coming out on a monthly basis and this does not discriminate against anyone, we are all victims of it.

I bought my 002R in December 2003. They could release a new 'use anywhere' dongle for PTLE tomorrow and I wouldn't be upset about it. It's life. Sure, I can't afford every new toy, I can't afford a Benchmare DAC-1, much less an Apogee Rosetta 800, but I keep reading about em, and "how good everything sounds, how peeps are wondering how they did without them for all this time." So what. I'm not gonna start bitching about my 002R and it's converters, knowing that they were considered 'very good/a great step up from Digi001' merely a few months ago. A Benchmark or Apogee will not make me write better music. By the time I can gather the money, something better and cheaper will be out, making the wait a blessing in disguise.

As for upgrading, why even bother with Digi's pawn-shop style upgrade path? You can sell your stuff for a lot more on Ebay, Craigslist, any recording forum with a classifieds section.

I'm losing perspective on what I'm saying. Guess I needed to vent about the venting. Sorry.

[Lucky]

Bravo!!!! Excellent post. I agree. I had the 001 and it was (and is) great. I decided to go to the 002R and I am thrilled with it. Is it the best thing out there? No. Is it better than the 001? Yes. I sold the 001 on eBay for $700.00 and I am still in contact with the buyer. He loves it. It works great and does what he needs it to do. I was able to put $700.00 of the 001 into an 002R and I am very happy. Someday I'll be looking at upgrading but I'm sure, like the 001, the 002R will still have a lot of life left in it. I just got a CD from an friend that used a Project III system to record it. It sounds great. These things don't die when a newer, better interface comes out. Use and enjoy what you have until you are ready to upgrade. Don't look over your shoulder and see the newest piece of hardware comin up the pipe. You will waste too much time not creating. Something better is always just around the corner. Make music and create with what you have. It still works and will for a long time. Don't feel the need to always have the latest operating system or hardware. Just create.

[birdFEEDER]

Don't feel the need to always have the latest operating system or hardware. Just create

While I agree with 99.999% of what you say, as foreign an idea as it may seem, some of us use our computers for MORE than just ProTools. For this reason, some of us like to enjoy the benefits offered by advances in the OS (Expose, XCode).

Think about the Digi-001 target market, these are semi-serious hobby projects, not professional recording studios. As such the systems are shared for multiple purposes (Photoshop, Internet, Development, Etc...)

In my opinion, this is where Digidesign got blindsided. They are drawing on their experience in the past as their guide. And who can fault them for that? They are used to real studios where the computer used with PT is used as an exclusive host. This is reasonable for TDM/HD users in professional studios. But, you see, this same logic does not apply to the home-users/hobby-project market (read: Digi-00X, MBox). This is where they failed, IMHO, they came out with something truly useful for the home market but expected home users to surrender their only system to the PT-way (Cripple deep sleep? Single-Client Driver?) Again, these types of restrictions are feasible for a dedicated computer in a professional studio, but not in the home market for which the MBox and Digi-00X are targeted.

Even with all this ranting, I'm not that salty these days because I found a solution that works me: dual boot to allow PTLE to run in its own OS.

Peace...
-bF

[Tito Ricci Arballo]

Can I join the list of people who use and love their 001 in Panther? It's rock solid. At least it is on my Dual 1.42 G4.

Someday I'll upgrade to the 002 r but till then....it's all gravy.

Thank's Digi.

[Doc]

Some of you may laugh but I'm still using my 001 on my 400Mhz G4. This is far from the latest technology but it does everything I need it to. I'm running OS 10.2.6 with PT 6.1.2 and everything is rock solid.
My last project is pushing things pretty hard. It's a half hour soundtrack so the extra video features of PT6 have been a real bonus (playing DV movies through firewire to a couple of video monitors). No longer do I need to look at a tiny preview window cluttering up my PT workspace.
The session uses around 30 tracks and has quite a few automated plugins running on it too (Waves, Sony, Northpole, Digirack) and lots of bussing and hardware send/returns to my analog synths. Yes, the screen redraws are a little slow but this is running on a "ancient" 400MHz G4 . I haven't had a single crash with this system since installing OSX.

So thumbs up from another very happy 001 owner.

[pk_hat]

Some of you may laugh but I'm still using my 001 on my 400Mhz G4. This is far from the latest technology but it does everything I need it to.

That's what it's all about. I don't know how many people here read Future Music, Computer Music or Sound on Sound magazines (I have been reading them religiously for the past 4 years) but I've found it amazing to see how many artist interviews revealed a less-than-stellar setup. Some are less known than others but still, these are the artists/producers who's tracks inspire us, tracks that make it to charts, or artists that perhaps have a more 'underground' following, whatever. I can't tell you how many times I've read interviews with some of my favorite artists only to find out that - in 2003/4 - they're still using OS9 with Cubase VST, or Logic 4.8 on a 500mhz Mac, or a simple AKAI MPC2000 with a 667mhz Ti-book. They are banging out tracks, that's what they do.

[dfusion]

That's what it's all about. I don't know how many people here read Future Music, Computer Music or Sound on Sound magazines (I have been reading them religiously for the past 4 years) but I've found it amazing to see how many artist interviews revealed a less-than-stellar setup.

Funny you should mention that as I was thinking the same thing! Artists like Hybrid and Armin van Buuren (Euro chart toppers!) are still using Mix 24 systems.