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So, tomorrow, or soon thereafter, Digi is announcing new generation TDM hardware and the new input unit for LE. How ready are they and the third party developers for the paradigm shift? Sounds like there's going to be a 96 kHz gml/oxford eq plug (likely the compressor too?), but are the other plugins going to be up to speed? Is there a need to update the Pro Control, or should it do fine? What about the Control 24? I assume it'll be able to use the legacy port for i/o, but will it also be useable as a controller? I guess backup options aren't an issue until the software upgrade (until which the plugin upgrades are a moot point, but better to have them really on the market if you're blowing the dough on the hardware). Are they killing the Digi001 for the M Box or whatever they call it? (I went into GC for some cheap laughs and saw they had a mountain of 001's stacked up. I wonder how bad they got stuck on the price.) Are they still going to sell the 24/48 hardware? Are they buying it back in an upgrade program? What happens to hardware that's bought back?

This is a mountain of questions that might not all be answerable soon, but I'm trying to stay aware of whatever will come, as it creates to potential windfalls: the M Box could rock for the track-at-a-time home recordist, and old TDM stuff could become outrageously cheap to use with PT, Logic, or MOTU (they support it too, right?). It'll be a good free circus, at least, and hopefully not a screwing of the installed user base. And watch out, the elephant had an "accident" right next to you . . .

Bear

Comments

Opus2000 Wed, 01/16/2002 - 18:28

Hear hear...it's totally true..all companies or engineers are truly in a quandry as to what the hell is going to become of this new fandangled PT system and what it means to the older hardware users.
I await in berated breath as to WTF is truly going to happen!!
Tomorrow is sort of like D-Day aint it?!!
Opus

Greg Malcangi Thu, 01/17/2002 - 10:12

Hi Bear,

After the announcement here are a rew answers to your questions.

RE: ProControl and C24. No changes are required. PC and C24 don't directly handle any digital audio, so regardless of the new system and the new sample rates these interfaces will be unaffected.

RE: Plugins. All plugins will have to be updated for PT HD, even if you are still going to use the old sample frequencies.

The upgrade path looks very good and there are a few improvements with the mixer and mix bus.

More later but I've go to rush off ...

Greg

Opus2000 Sun, 01/20/2002 - 08:20

So far lots of people are telling Digi that they wont upgrade unless Apogee is involved in some way..what we need is for people to tall this to Digi so that the more they hear about it the more they will realize there's a heavy need for it.
The talks I'm sure have begun between us and Digi ..so just to let you know.
Opus

Greg Malcangi Sun, 01/20/2002 - 09:20

Hi Jules,

The NEW PT looks to be mostly for the film world ...

Strange, I would have said exactly the opposite as there is not yet a PT|HD AV version. Digi has said that the AV features which are an optional extra for Mix+ will be imported into the standard version of PT|HD in a future software release. All of the features of PT5.1.3 and PT5.2 have been dropped in PT5.3 and these all relate to the online collaboration features of 5.2 or the film world features of 5.1.3.

Greg

SonOfSmawg Sun, 01/20/2002 - 14:08

OPUS, OPUS, OPUS...you've been around RO too long! Have you forgotten about "DUC Hell"?
To refresh your memory...
The DUC is a place where you go to vent your frustrations about owning an overpriced system which was built by an insensitive, monopolistic corporation that doesn't give two shits about their customers' needs, wants, or complaints. Digidesign doesn't give a rat's ass about anyone's "input", and thinks it can reign on high above the rest of the digital recording world forever, so there's no sense in wasting your breath or keystrokes, and definately no use in trying to rally the troops to voice their opinions en masse. Digidesign is going to continue to do whatever makes Digidesign the most money.
Oooops...did I say that?
I guess I just had to vent...I'm still using 001 so I guess I still have the right to do that...
Jeez, I wish Joel would just GIVE me a R.Ed to shut me up!

anonymous Mon, 01/21/2002 - 12:02

I heard the rumors of people complaining about digi and apogee. I asked around and then came up with the conclusion, the Apogee users can't really complain about the 192 I/O solution until they have actually heard the box. I don't think that the 192 I/O is over priced. I think it has great value. The apogee stuff at current is out dated. Digi has moved the mark up two notches.

All the rules have now changed. I talked with Apogee at NAMM to include them into some of our Audio solutions and I was hoping that Apogee would've had something new also. But since digidesign raised the standards so high, it is going to take a while for everybody to catch up.

... meanwhile back at the ranch...

The Apogee/PT users just need to listen to the new 192 I/O first before flaming digi for their decisions. I'm sure the 192 will convert (no pun intended) alot of users. Even though I know alot of Apogee users will always be Apogee users just because...

Just a few cents.

Darren
http://www.dixondigital.com

Jim Chapdelaine Sun, 01/27/2002 - 11:35

I'm holding off on the PTHD upgrade until they allow Apogee etc. into the upgrade path.
I was actually paid to be at NAMM as an 'artist' (what silly term) and I heard the new Digi stuff. Not exactly a critical listening environment but it was easy to read the prices for the upgrade. Yikes!
I don't understand what market they are after?

Ang1970 Mon, 01/28/2002 - 20:23

Originally posted by vagelis:
Everybody's gonna play the game cause there's no other chance.

Do you mean "choice"? If so, there are a few systems that would like to think they compete with digi. Perhaps if enough of us started getting the word out, the rest of the world would realize that PT is NOT the only choice (anymore).

anonymous Tue, 01/29/2002 - 08:33

Do you mean "choice"? If so, there are a few systems that would like to think they compete with digi. Perhaps if enough of us started getting the word out, the rest of the world would realize that PT is NOT the only choice (anymore).[/QB]

I hope that they realize what they do ! The System is great and they know it. But i hope - like you said- that there are other good choices too. May be they gonna stop thinking that they can do with us what they want