Pro Tools 11 is here

With offline bounce!!! Can't believe it has taken so long (not being ironic!) for this to be implemented and I find it fun how the people are waxing lyrical on the Avid video about how amazing it is, and how it is something brand new! Funny! Anyway, as you all know I am not really a Pro Tools user, except at one of the places I work, so it is interesting to see what they are putting out with this update, and of course making me feel sadder that there is still no Logic X news!! Would I fully switch to something like Pro Tools? I doubt it to be honest, especially not for composition work. But hey, I have to use it in a Post Production environment, so it is always good to keep the chops up! So here are the features they are shouting about! 64 is pretty cool too (finally!)

• Fully redesigned audio engine and 64-bit architecture
  • New Avid Audio Engine — Delivers multiple times the processing power of Pro Tools 10 on the same hardware configurations.
  • 64-bit architecture — Exponentially increases the number of simultaneous virtual instruments and the performance to handle the most sophisticated sessions.
  • Offline bounce — Delivers mixes up to 150 times faster than real time.
  • Low-latency input buffer — Ensures ultra-low latency record monitoring without sacrificing plug-in performance.
  • Dynamic host processing — Maximizes plug-in count by reallocating processing resources as needed.

• Expanded metering
  • Extended standards support — Features a broad range of built-in metering standards, from peak and average to VU and PPM, to maintain adherence to regional broadcast requirements.
  • Gain reduction — Shows gain reduction for all dynamics plug-ins on each channel.

• Direct HD video workflows
  • Built-in Avid Video Engine — Enables audio post professionals to play and edit a wide range of HD video formats includingAvid DNxHD®, directly in the Pro Tools timeline without transcoding, using the same core engine as in Media Composer®.
  • Video interface support — Enables monitoring of DNxHD and QuickTime media through Avid Nitris® DX, Avid Mojo®DX, and other video interfaces.

 Interesting times!PeaceNeil

Logic X features

I feel I have been a bit down on Apple in recent posts, but I do feel that it is getting a little bit insane that it is coming up to nearly four years since we had an update to Logic. This got me thinking, what is it that I love about other DAW's that Logic just doesn't do for me any more (or ever!). Logic is the DAW that I would say I am without doubt most proficient in, I invested a hell of a lot of time over decades learning the in's and out's of it, and there is something homely about coming back to it. I do have some similar feelings about Digital Performer, but a recent spate of crashes and the fact it is much heavier on the CPU that always brings me back to Logic when I need to work fast or compose.So I thought I would detail the things which really mean that Logic struggles to be perfect for me and what features I am hoping we will see in Logic 10, if it ever comes out1)Audio editing, it is terrible...yes I can get the job done, but when you look at Reaper, DP, ProTools (or even Soundtrack Pro RIP) you realise how it should be done. Also, it is pretty impossible to do fine editing in the Arrange window, and the edit window is SOOO old school, plus it has to render the file each time....so slow!!!2)Crossfades, it would be nice to have a intuitive way of manipulating these3)Track folders, see DP for how this could be implemented, it is fantastic, especially when working on large scores or big sound design work pieces.4)Mixer layout, please can I get to rearrange the organisation of the tracks...thanks!5)Pitch correction, see how DP does this in the arrange window, it's awesome!6)Updated EXS24 Sampler, please it is so old and lacking in features, it could be awesome again!7)Improvements to group editing and bussing!!8)Drum editor, or perhaps just a change to the way the Hyper Editor works?That is it off the top of my head, I am sure there are some other bits and pieces, but it isn't much to ask for after four years is it??What are you hoping for??PeaceNeil 

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Samsung Galaxy S4 (and the musician)

Can't help noticing that the new Samsung Galaxy S4 has been released to much fanfare, particularly as it is heralded as the iPhone 'killer'! I have to say that from first impressions it certainly does look very swish (like the S3!) and makes the iPhone 5 look a little dated.So, why am I writing this article you might ask, well as some of you know I am particularly keen to see how mobile technology can be useful for the creative/musician types. Apple certainly are the market leader in this area currently, but I would love to see Android catch up, in particular for the remote controlling of DAW's or software instruments and plug-ins. I would also like to see the equivalent Garageband iOS or Cubase lite versions available on Android, but perhaps it is only a matter of time. I own the older Galaxy S2 and for the most part it has been a good phone to use (if you forget the connection and battery issues I have been plagued with!), but the music apps and software integration with something like Logic, has been very poor, I would say unusable infact! But, from a 'running a business' perspective, it certainly excels over the iPhone, with it's fantastic Google integration (ignoring the fact that Google now know everything about me!!). I keep looking, slightly enviously at those musicians and creatives doing cool stuff on their iDevice. But, even with that in mind (and the fact otherwise I am a complete Apple users), I don't really think the iPad or iPhone to be worth the outlay!I also have a concern, it would seem at the moment that Apple are a bit on the back foot, they are no doubt pushing much of their resource into playing catch up in the mobile device market, with much or their  focus on phones and tablets, rather than the products which made them the global success! From the professional creative/musician/film maker perspective, it seems Apple don't care any more. I have talked at great length about the lack of development or even appearance of Logic X or Logic 10 (whatever it will be called), but it seems that with no new high end machines (Mac Pro's), the Final Cut Pro fiasco, no word on a new Aperture 4, it might be time to step away from the might Apple.We live in interesting times and it will be interesting to see how market share changes to Samsung (and other Android producing companies, Nokia, HTC etc) with new phones like the S4.All we need now is for a company to take up the reigns and develop a super DAW platform (hardware I am talking about!).PeaceNeil

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Reason 7 Review

Wow, so the announcement has just gone out that Reason 7 is coming, and wow there are a couple of features which make me very happy, and probably returning back to doing a lot more work when it comes out! You can watch the Propellerhead's video hereSo what is it that is exciting me, well firstly Midi Out! I guess many people have been waiting for that for a long time. I am guessing that if you are running a multi-workstation DAW setup, you can control soft synths as well as hardware synths. That would be fantastic and in a sense give you software integration within Reason.Secondly, and this is the biggy for me....create your own Rex files!! Finally!! No need to use Recycle!! And (it isn't completely clear in the video) then you could import them in to Stylus RMX and then I would be the happier person around!!Looking good, I wonder what the release date will be (and the upgrade price more importantly!)PeaceNeil

Interesting article on Avid and possible financial investigations

Just stumbled across this article that makes interesting reading I think, suggesting that AVID might be in a bit of trouble (and with a massive drop in their share price), I wonder what this means for the ubiquitous Pro-Tools. This article is also backed up by this one, suggesting that there are delays in posting financial results. We are really interesting times in terms of the DAW world. No new Logic 10, Pro-Tools potentially in trouble, new contenders coming along (Reaper, Studio One, Digital Performer 8 on PC) I am kind of glad I am not in a position to have to invest money at this currently time in a new set up, as I wouldn't know where to go!PeaceNeil

No Logic X at NAMM 2013

Well it isn't surprising really. Apple gave up having a presence at Namm a while back, but I guess some of us hoped that given the insane amount of time since anyone has heard anything about Logic and the possibility of Logic 10 or Logic X, that perhaps this year might be the exception. But no, the silence continues. Interestingly it seems that Apple are also having a bit of a blip at the moment, according to the BBC News website, their shares falling 12%. I found this quote from the article particularly interesting,

Shares in the firm have fallen by a third since September over concerns the company may be losing its edge over increasingly confident competitors.

as I guess this also applies to the DAW world and the Film post production world too. Adobe seem to be coming on leaps and bounds with Premiere and associated products, especially After Effects which is a much more mature application than Apple Motion. Likewise, with the releases of Cubase 7, Digital Performer 8, Presonus Studio 2, they do seems to very marketing themselves as very confident products for the first time in a while (imho).Time will tell, but the doubts are very much ingrained in the psyche now. Sorry Apple!PeaceNeil

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Logic X and going to Digital Performer (DP) 8

So I published this article a while back on my personal thoughts about Apple Logic Studio and a number of months down the line and Apple are still tight lipped about the future of Logic and any possible update or Logic X. So the thing has become rather more crucial, as I am currently doing lots more audio editing than composing (at the moment) and Digital Performer has been my weapon of choice for a long time in terms of audio editing. So I am thinking, I am a business and I am alive now, I need something to work now, so if the future is so unsure with Logic, if I am waiting for something that might need even meet my needs. So what are my problems with DP, well to be honest nothing really, it is just that I can work lightening fast in Logic, something which I could easily do with time when it comes to  DP. I guess there are two other little things, I don't like that DP doesn't have regions (like Logic) and of course Logic comes bundled with loads of lovely Plug-ins and Software instruments. But DP8 now hosts VST....that means I can take my pick of some of the wonderful free plug-ins and synths out there, so that is that issue over with, and of course the region thing....I guess I am going to have to get used to it. So why am I telling you all this, well, firstly I believe we all put an incredible amount of effort into learning our DAW of choice (as we should) and casting this aside shouldn't be sniffed at, it is a big investment in your business and you. But sometimes our hands are forced. I am now making the business call that I will have to invest time into becoming a Digital Performer guru.So what else has swayed my decision? So I have made the call to go to Digital Performer 8 permanently now (invested in some online videos to get back up to speed as I haven't used DP in anger for a while now) I guess I am covering bases. I am really uncomfortable with Apple at the moment, and shock horror think I might end up going back to Windows....now don't get me wrong I really don't want to, I do this, but with this decision I have options and you always need options! Apple is not giving me options right now....PeaceNeil

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