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What Pro-Level MIDI/Audio Tools Are You Using?
groovemaneuver asks: "Over the years, I've managed to build a small home-studio for composing and recording my music. The one component that has always been the biggest obstacle to my productivity has been the digital audio workstation. I started with a MIDI-only Atari, moved to a PC with Logic Audio, and now have a Mac with Logic Audio. The problem is that I seem to spend more time trying to get the software and hardware working than I do actually making music. I really love Logic Audio, but I can't stand the Mac. Surely some of you out there are having success on the PC making music. What are you using, and how much of your time is spent fiddling with your studio rather than making music? Is there Linux software that can reasonably fill the shoes of Logic, Nuendo, or Sound Forge?"
Propellerhead software makes a lot of really good stuff.
http://www.propellerheads.se/
Especially Reason. It may be expensive and non-free. But it can emulate audio hardware that you'll never be able to afford in your life. Technically it has infinite rack space. It may not be midi, but I know a lot of people who swear by it for making electronic music and remixes. It's cheaper and easier than actually buying the hardware, and it works almost just as well. If you have Rebirth Reason and Recycle you can make some really crazy shite.
For midi I hear Cakewalk is still numero uno. There's not much more to say there.
And for wav editing Cooledit seems to still be the best. My roomate has it and swears by it.
The GeekNights podcast is going strong. Listen!
I'd be more curious about why you're having so many issues getting the hardware and software to work...and why those problems are repeating themselves? Is it the same problem everytime? Or is it a new issue at every corner? The professional recording studio that my group used in the past used Macs quite reliably. We had no time lost with hardware issues.
I personally LOVE Logic Audio and think it is some of the finest software built for its purpose. I'm not as much up to speed on the Linux platform stuff, but if you're looking to do primarily notation, you could also investigate Finale for the PC. It is excellent. Good luck!
Not that I'm flaming, but maybe there's something that you can be helped with in terms of using the Mac. I understand (really! I do!) that it's not for everyone, but I've found that usually when people say that they don't care for the Mac experience, that they haven't been educated how to use it. This is true among power users especially--they have grown accustomed to having certain features/abilities in one place, and when they can't find it on the Mac in the same place, get frustrated.
So, are there any particular problems that you, or anyone, is having that you wish to pose to the community?
--
$tar -xvf
I use a whole slew of applications from Sonic Foundry and I find they suit my needs quite nicely. I tend to use Sonic Foundry Acid Pro more than anythignelse but I began using Vegas when it was version 1.0 and I've been quite happy with it. Even though they added video editing to the package they haven't slouched with the audio editing capabilities. Sound Forge is excellent for doing effect editing though I find I use it less and less and just work right in Vegas for most of that sort of work. This allows me to do non-destrucive editing and export single wave or aiff files when I'm done. Anyway, pretty much anything Sonic Foundry makes is excellent audio software. Acid is the only software that lets you edit MIDI via piano roll but Sound Forge can be automated/triggered via MIDI commands. Hopefully Sonic Foundry will add full MIDI editing to Vegas or come up with a stand alone MIDI application.
At risk of making myself unpopular, the Linux apps just aren't there yet.
Of course, a Protools setup with a nice fat Mac would be preferable I'm sure ;)
Smegma.
For MIDI composing, I use Cakewalk (Home Studio, old version), paired with a standard Audigy and a couple of free soundfonts in the 100MB range. I'm not quite getting "professional" quality out of it all the time, but it works amazingly well for my needs. See, I'm usually not interested in playing around with sounds, but rather in harmonization and achieving high levels of polyphonic complexity.
My only advice to you is to ignore the software market as much as possible, and decide on a *stable* platform that does the job that you need - musically - and then leave it at that.
...
So many people get into music software and lose all impetus to make music because they're always "trying out" the latest and greatest tools/releases from over-zealous manufacturers who release things at a blinding pace.
It *is* possible to get a basic set of tools working under Linux for music writing. Such things as Ardour, Rosegarden, etc. are all viable solutions - though I wouldn't encourage you to get involved with Linux for Audio right now if you're finding that you're already not making music because of computer issues.
Try taking *Just The Basics* out of a package. For example, maybe you don't *need* all the features of Logic, which is getting in the way of your creativity. There is a *lot* of 'keeping up with the Joneses' facter in the musical instrument business these days.
If you want cheap, easy to use, and more importantly PRODUCTIVE software, try the fringe:
Raw Material Software Tracktion
Cheap, works, is easy to use, and easy to configure.
If you're on the Mac, try:
Intuem
But always remember this: If you're not writing music at a pace with which you are satisfied, your music tools are not working.
Scale them back as much as possible. Just because "Joe DJ" uses "Brand X" does not mean that you need to go through the nightmare/headach configuration that they went through only to end up getting 'endorsed'
; -- the corruption of government starts with its secrets. a truly free people keep no secrets. --
Your best bet for a Mac is using ProTools. Pick a major studio and they use ProTools. A Perfect Circle used it for Mer de Noms, I know that for damn sure. As far as artists that I'm pretty sure use it goes, the list is pretty long... Zwan, Trent Reznor, D'Angelo, any pop group, any hip-hop group... it's really popular because it's so damn good. Of course, it does cost about as much as the computer itself, but it's totally worth it.
Matthew G P Coe
http://mgpcoe.blogspot.com/
CakeWalk Sonar XL - This is for MIDI and digital audio. Also has a great set of plugins based on DirectX. You can also use the VST plugins via a software adaptor.
Propellerheads Reason - An absolutely wicked piece of software used primarily for electronic music. But works great for "non-electronic" music as well.
I've had many instability issues with ProTools on the PC platform and wouldn't recommend it (on the PC that is).
Logic Audio is a great tool too, but is no longer supported on the PC. OTOH, I've always found Sonar more intuitive and easier to use for a home studio.
--is the noise in my head bothering you?-/muthanna.com/
Twenty sound applications for Linux were reviewed, both free and non-free
include $sig;
1;
I use SSL's new C200, but then I work for them ;-)
But more seriously I'd suggest ProTools on the Mac. Yes I know its not PC, but it just works. PC's just can't cope with the data I/O properly, whilst Mac's do it no problem.
I was at a Tangering Dream concert about 6 weeks ago and they had at least 3 Mac's and 1 PC helping with sequencing - guess what - 1/2 throught the PC threw a hissy fit and BSOD-ed. The Mac's just kept on rolling for the full 3 hours.
Right tool for the right job and all that.
- Cakewalk Sonar (for sequencing & MIDI)
- Cool edit (for wav alteration)
Groovemaneuver asked for recommendations about a specific subcategory of music software, the digital audio workstation. A DAW is generally defined as a multitrack audio recorder and editor, usually supporting a nondestructive editing model and some facility for applying audio effects. While MIDI sequencing and notation support may be found in some current DAW packages, they have very little to do with the DAW concept.
As such, ProTools, Nuendo, and Ardour are true DAWs, while Cubase, Logic, and Sonar are hybrid DAW/sequencers. Hybrids inherently have to make compromises between two sets of goals, and their interfaces usually suffer as a result of it. They might be better value for your money if you need both sets of features, but if you find them awkward to use, that might well be why.
An alternative to software DAWs is the standalone hardware variety, such as the Roland VS series. As dedicated hardware gear, they're less flexible, but have a more optimized interface which you might find gets in your way less. You can get used ones for the same cost as the software would be.
Sorry I can't recommend a particular package; I'm in the process of looking as well. I will say that Sonar is stronger in its MIDI sequencing features than its DAW ones.
But my grandest creation, as history will tell,
Was Firefrorefiddle, the Fiend of the Fell.
Program Highlights:
Notes:
I used to bounce between Sound Forge and Cool Edit, trying to decide which to use. Cool Edit was cheaper and seemed just as good, but Sound Forge was the de facto standard. I wound up opting for Cool Edit Pro for one huge reason - fast cut-and-paste editing. With Sound Forge, deleting 15 seconds of audio from the end of a 60-minute wav file is instant, but deleting it from the beginning of the sound clip requires that all data be shifted over by 15 seconds, which can take minutes. 90% of the work I do has do do with recording and copying/pasting, which Cool Edit Pro was far superior for. The rest of the time is spent normalizing and doing fades, which is the same for either one. I'm sure newer versions have been released and these concerns might not even apply any more, but I'm still using the version of Cool Edit Pro I purchased in mid-1998, and haven't had a single complaint or noticed any lacking features to date.
You haven't explained what your problem with Logic is, or why you moved from Logic on PC to Logic on Mac, but I suspect you are trying to keep up with the latest version and installing every plug-in you can get your hands on (after all, this IS a geek site, right?).
My advice is to simply stop trying to be at the bleeding edge of technology and concentrate on making music.
Any recent computer is capable of things that professional studios could only dream about 10 years ago. Most of the albums you own were made with equipment that geeks like us would now consider hideously obsolete, but that didn't get in the way of the music!
You don't need to be cutting edge. You don't need to have the latest versions. You don't need the latest hot software. What you do need is stability and ease of use, and the easiest way to get this is to strip your current set-up down to basics, and then don't mess with it!
Throw away all your unstable plug-ins, sell off any troublesome hardware, and go back to the most recent completely stable version of Logic that you have. Set yourself very cautious a limit on the number of audio tracks you will use, and only use plug ins when absolutely necessary. Treat your recording set-up as a piece of consumer hardware - it's complete and non-upgradable as of now.
For the record, I own (legitimately) Logic Audio Platinum, but make most of my music (or at least get it to the demo stage) in the highly restricted free version, Logic Fun.
However, if you want to explore new methods of sound scupting, I highly recommend MetaSynth (www.metasynth.com), this is a package that can do incredible things with sound, is stable, has a thriving user community, and is very well supported by it's developers, U&I Software.
A pizza of radius z and thickness a has a volume of pi z z a
The next generation of Rosegarden is shaping up quite nicely. I only use it as a MIDI sequencer, but it has support for JACK and LADSPA giving it interesting audio capabilities. The only machine I own that runs Linux does so simply because of Rosegarden (anyone working on an ALSA compatability layer for the BSD's?).
http://www.all-day-breakfast.com/rosegarden/
BEAST/BSE is also good fun, but I would hesitate to recommend it to anyone for serious use as it's still pretty raw.
http://beast.gtk.org/
Chris
Is there Linux software that can reasonably fill the shoes of Logic, Nuendo, or Sound Forge?
No. There are a lot of incomplete Linux sound projects, but no really good projects for what you're doing on the order of gimp/gnumeric/mozilla.
I'd love to find a working software synth that I could *compile* under Linux...
May we never see th
I use CoolEdit also, but you should be aware that the latest version of Sound Forge does instant deletes anywhere in a file.
I used to bulls-eye womp-rats in my pants
WinGroove - it might not seem like much, but it is a kickass software synth.
Karma: Excellent (fuck, even in the future moderation doesn't work!)
Since you mentioned pro level and audio, the only choice I could recommend is Digi's ProTools for the audio. It's a mature product and common to the majority of studios. As far as Mac or Win goes I think they're more stable on the Mac side (check their user forums).
For MIDI, your choices would then be to either use the built in MIDI sequencer in PT or to find a third party seq that interfaces with Digi's DAE. Logic and Cubase were always at the forefront. Again, check user forums and see what the feedback is like.
Depending on the music you plan to do you can check out what other similar artists are using.
My best advice is to get a stable setup and avoid upgrading it unless you really have to. I would dedicate a machine to doing only music and not fiddle with it. I've worked at studios and for a couple of these companies, the users with the most downtime were the ones who upgraded their OS or applications just because a new version was out. "If it's not broken, don't fix it!", especially in the middle of a project.
The interface is beautiful and flexible, and it works with lots and lots of hardware. And while you'll see Trent Reznor listed on the digidesign site as a ProTools user, a friend of mine worked for him and much of the project was done in Digital Perfomer.
Want a hassle free, no dickering with the technology studio? Get a turnkey solution. Any of the major music chains like Guitar Center or Sam Ash will sell you one. Additionally, you can go to Carillon Audio to get PC systems. They are the defacto industry standard. Even if you don't need a complete turnkey system, go to Carillon for the computer; they have components that work right for audio. When I switched to a Carillon system from a homebrew PC, all my tech problems went away.
As far as software, unfortunately, there is no Right Choice these days for PC. Now that Logic is Mac only, there's nothing really competitive left. You come down to choosing between limitations. Here's my breakdown of the major software kits:
1) Logic Audio. Best all around. Has very competent built in Score editor. Has very nice built in synthesizers (some for extra $$). Comes with the best, most comprehensive set of plugins. Its MIDI programmability is outstanding, and the integration with SoundDiver is very nice. Logic Control is top notch. Very customizable (also complex because of this), interface is cluttered compared to other programs. Will work with TDM systems, if you can afford it. A lot of people use Logic as a front end to DigiDesign (ie ProTools) hardware. Can't be beat for the price if you actually use all of the components. Note that many shortcomings compared to other programs have been addressed in the latest version (6.0).
2) ProTools. If you get LE, you only get 32 tracks. That's *mono* tracks; so only 16 stereo. If you're working with synths that make stereo output, this is a severe, cannot be overstated limitation compared to all other programs. To get around this limitation, you have to fork over for a TDM system, which is $5-$10K on the low end. Otherwise, LE is great pricewise because it's free with hardware, which is hard to beat. Best audio editing capabilities all around. Studio standard, and LE has full compatability with big studio rigs. Gotta watch for Mac/PC compatability (it's easy to do, but a lot of engineers don't even realise PT runs on PCs, so they never click the check-box. This has been a real PITA for me). No score editing, MIDI is mediocre, uses a different plugin format. Even the big rigs have pretty harsh limitations on inserts/sends per channel (5/5) compared to Logic (16/16). Cleanest interface (IMO). If you don't need the MIDI/Score/Synthesizer stuff from Logic, LE definitely has the best price/performance. Oh, and 6.0 supports ReWire, I understand, and 6.0 will be available for Windows in a couple more months, I guess.
3) Cubase. A real bear to configure. I still don't have it properly recognizing my audio hardware. I don't use it much because of this. It's got nice audio editing features, it has an interesting feature to link multiple machines together to run bigger projects (I haven't tried it, so I don't know if it really works). I've never tried MIDI with it, although there's no score editor. The interface is clean, but I find it very constraining. Logic is very customizable, and PT LE just works for me (so I don't care that it's not too customizable), Cubase's interface just grates me the wrong way and I can't fix it. So I wind up using Logic and PT LE. Also, I need missing features, so it can't replace Logic for me.
4) Nuendo. Cubase's big brother, it's expensive. Targeted at movie/tv/ maybe radio/post production houses. Never used it, but as I understand it, has lots of project management features. ProTools 6.0 TDM has a lot of these features; things like different logins for different engineers using the system, and remembering preferences for each one. Very useful in a pro environment, not so much at home. Otherwise, same general pros and cons as Cubase. Nuendo 2 and Cubase SX are based on the same engine, I think.
5) Cakewalk Sonar. Main plus: it's cheap, and works well for MIDI. Does have a score editor, I think. Does not support ASIO, whic
The good news is that the home studio market on both the PC and the Mac are booming, bigtime.
:)
My favorite on the Mac side is definitely Logic Audio. Full support of everything a home user might need for a relatively low price. Pro Tools is decent, but the package that gets sold to home users (anything other than tdm or HD) is really underpowered and overpriced. The big players that swear by protools have $100,000 setups with tons of ridiculously expensive plugins, and THAT is why they like it. My advice for novice/home users is to steer clear of Pro Tools unless you plan to make a career in music production, or you've got $20,000 to spend.
On the PC side, you've got some pretty decent and stable software from sonic foundry, cakewalk, steinberg and propellerheads. Other users have mentioned Reason, and I will as well...Reason is hands down the coolest software for a home studio user. If you're just getting started, the learning curve can be kind of high, and the documentation SUCKS. The software is basically a mock up of real world hardware, and if you've got experience with things like mixers, hardware synths, effects units, etc. you'll be right at home and making tracks in no time. One thing to remember about reason is that it can be complete in some ways, but it is NOT a replacement for a true DAW. Recording long stretches of live instrumentation, full MIDI feature support, and other issues keep it from being a complete solution. If you're sticking mainly in the electronic realm, though, its perfect.
For MIDI/recording, I've really become partial to Cakewalk Sonar XL. It doesn't have some of the whizz bang features that the others have, but for me its been the only program that allowed me on the first try to sit and play music without the software being a huge setup issue, or a real pain in the ass. I'm of the opinion that software shouldn't get in your way during the creative process, and SonarXL is one of the only programs that has done that for me.
I've used nuendo, but I found its complexity intimidating and I didn't really want to go through the motions of getting comfortable in yet another software suite. The feature is list is VERY sexy, though...so if it works for you I'd try it out.
All in all, when I'm really feeling like I need to get some ideas down right away, I still run to my standalone digital 4 track and "just hit record."
PS - when using any computer based stuff, be sure to check out all of the great directx effects, software synths, VST instruments, etc. They're really good these days!!
http://wharris.poweredbygeek.net
You don't say what kind of Mac, what OS, or anything else that would allow for specific suggestions...
I'm running Cubase SL on Mac OS X for multitrack digital audio editing, and I like it a lot, in a way that I really didn't like Cubase 3.5. (I didn't upgrade to 4 or 5 because they didn't run on OS X.) It's basically a whole new program. It seems to be very reliable, and the UI is much cleaner and easier to use.
Having said that, I don't use any pro hardware yet, so I can't say for sure that there won't be problems if/when I start...
GCHQ Quantum Insert installed. If only our tongues were made of glass, how much more careful we would be when we speak
Creative Audigy 2 Platinum.
So many audio people, so little mac.
Anyway, everyone's pretty much mentioned the important stuff, but they left out Ableton Live. A pal of mine owns a license, and lets me play with it from time to time. Great little software package, and I hear it interfaces with the Propellerheads' Reason, though neither of us own Reason so I couldn't speak on the usefulness of that.
Also, search for Deck and Peak. They come in LE versions, for $99 at the Apple store (or cheaper online, if you dare to Google); while a lot of people will downtalk the LE versions (and I know you did ask about pro software), if budget is a consideration the LE versions work just fine.
- Cloud
And you used Notator on Atari? That was Logic's ancestor. So in that case, you used the Logic family all along, and it's probably what you're comfortable with. Stick with it unless you have a compelling reason to switch to another software sequecer.
MIDI problem? Audio interface? MIDI/audio latency? Dude you'll have to live with all these problems as long as you're gonna make music on computers!!! It really doesn't matter what software/hardware you use. Well, using an intergrated virtual studio software like Reason exclusively will help, since the package does everything, MIDI and audio routings are all within Reason itself, so MIDI/audio latency is almost nonexisitence if you use a good sound card. It does limit you to what synth+FX modules Reason has, but you just have to be a little more creative about how you used them.
As far as software goes, I use PC. Mostly because I need Acid. Other than that, I don't have a particular workflow yet.
I love Reason and use it a lot, but I tend to run into roadblocks halfway like not having the right FX (say, vocoder, or multiband EQ), then I really wish it supported VST plugins. The samplers in Reason are great, but a little less feature-rich as modern samplers like A4000's loop-remix. Chopping loops in Recycle can be a chore, and since I use a lot of loops so I'd have 10 Dr.Rex in my rack, and then 2 FXs for each of them... Then the synths... It gets out of control easily. The lack of linear audio tracks in Reason sequencer means I will have to export the project to CuBase eventually (at least I can still control Reason from Cubase via Rewire).
I love Cubase for its power, but it's a steep learning curve (just like any high-end sequencer on the market), a learning curve that I'm still struggling with. Latency is a real problem, even with just a few VSTi. Unfornately VST/i are why I need to use Cubase in the first place.
Acid is great for doing remixes and re-arrangements. Very intuitive to use. It's my favorite 2nd to Reason. Acid has a primitive MIDI squencer now, and support DXi instruments (though not VSTi).
In an attempt to get linear audio to run alongside with Reason, I tried to sync Reason with Acid using internal MIDI loopback but it just not practical, lots of stutters.
Then I tried syncing Reason with Ableton (via Rewire), that worked beautifully. However Ableton isn't as mature nor flexible as Acid in its loop handling.
So what I do is primary loop-oriented as you can see. Truthfully neither Acid, Dr.Rex and Ableton satisfies my needs, so I'm still seeking out other loop-based tools. I'm waiting for Native Instruments to release Intakt, a loop sampler. Hopefully it will save me from some tedious time-stretching and beat-slcing.
I can babble on for another 10 pages.... LOL Anyways, You know what I think you need? A paradigm shift. Put aside your tradtional MIDI/audio sequencers and racks of equipment, and start using something integrated like Reason, or something entirely different like Ableton. Maybe just play your kwyboard of a few hours record straight into AIFF, then cut-and-chop and feed the loops to Ableton.
Try some new approaches as to how to make music on the computer, get creative with your methology. Maybe go to your local dealer and go to some free classes just to get familiar with the new software and see what sparks ya.
Good luck man!!
He wanted squencers, that's what he used all along, not multitracking DAW.
As to the notion of hybrids, it's redundant IMHO. All audio production software are hybrids technically. Pure MIDI sequencers are virtually extinct nowadays, so it's sufficent to say sequencer since it implies that the software would be MIDI-oriented but still provide some level of linear audio tracks support.
Have you tried Acid Pro 4? The latest patch level seems to run pretty well with VST instruments (4.0b right now). Don't use Win9x, ME, or XP. You need Windows 2000. Also, if you're using a Creative Labs or EMU APS sound card, you NEED the kX project drivers. With the kx driver, Windows 2000, Acid Pro 4, and two or three softsynths, I can get down to 5ms latency on my Athlon XP1800+. It helps if you turn off all the user interface effects in Windows, like scrolling and fading menus, mouse shadow (if possible), smooth scrolling, etc. as the GDI stupidly runs at a higher priority than the applications themselves. So, when you open a menu, the softsynths will buzz and/or skip.
Another cool thing about Acid 4 is the ability to use odd time signatures. Sure, you could make a 5:4 song on a 4:4 grid, but proper grid snapping makes laying out the song a whole lot easier. I just finished a 5:4 jungle-ish track in Acid. Very cool stuff.
You might be able to find Acid Pro 4 for as cheap as $160 in a music or guitar magazine. I paid $200 from Sonic Foundry's web site. The SF price is a bit higher now.
Finally, if you make movies too, the 5.1 plugin is the cheapest Dolby Digital encoder available (I got it also for $200, up to $250 or so now). All other DD encoders I've found were at least $800-$1200.
A solution to the problem with music today
On another note:
:)
I'm a little bit concern about the fragmentation of the many multichannel audio protocols out there for internal routing.... Rewire, VST Link, TDM, maybe Logic has it's own too.... none of them will interconnect with another directly, and if any kind of wrappers are to become available, it'll probably introduce massive latency issues (since all these protocols deals with many channels of real-time audio + MIDI too).
Like all those proprietary physical protocols (eg. ADAT LightPipe, Roland R-Bus, Tascam TDIF, etc.) aren't enough, now we have to deal with software protocols.
Rewire works like a charm though. Very low overhead. VST Link is unique that it works over network.
As we approach the pure virtual studio era (and I'm sure it won't be long), and audio software being able to process more and more channels of audio in real-time, interoperability of these protocols will play a huge role in our future.
Maybe everyone will standardize on mLAN, then maybe I can sleep at night. LOL
Just a thought. Probably a little offtopic. Sorry.
You know I always wonder how well the nForce 2 MCP's audio circuity will suit for audio production needs.
I just recommended my landlord to pick up an nForce2 mobo (he was gonna go with a KT400 mobo). It's all setup but no audio stuff on it yet. Maybe we'll give the MCP a test drive this weekend.
Computer Music may be useful to you. I'm not going to start writing an advertising spiel for them, but I find it quite useful (plus it comes with free plugins :)
One more crippling bombshell hit the already beleaguered *BSD community when IDC confirmed that *BSD market share has dropped yet again, now down to less than a fraction of 1 percent of all servers. Coming on the heels of a recent Netcraft survey which plainly states that *BSD has lost more market share, this news serves to reinforce what we've known all along. *BSD is collapsing in complete disarray, as fittingly exemplified by failing dead last in the recent Sys Admin comprehensive networking test.
You don't need to be a Kreskin to predict *BSD's future. The hand writing is on the wall: *BSD faces a bleak future. In fact there won't be any future at all for *BSD because *BSD is dying. Things are looking very bad for *BSD. As many of us are already aware, *BSD continues to lose market share. Red ink flows like a river of blood.
FreeBSD is the most endangered of them all, having lost 93% of its core developers. The sudden and unpleasant departures of long time FreeBSD developers Jordan Hubbard and Mike Smith only serve to underscore the point more clearly. There can no longer be any doubt: FreeBSD is dying.
Let's keep to the facts and look at the numbers.
OpenBSD leader Theo states that there are 7000 users of OpenBSD. How many users of NetBSD are there? Let's see. The number of OpenBSD versus NetBSD posts on Usenet is roughly in ratio of 5 to 1. Therefore there are about 7000/5 = 1400 NetBSD users. BSD/OS posts on Usenet are about half of the volume of NetBSD posts. Therefore there are about 700 users of BSD/OS. A recent article put FreeBSD at about 80 percent of the *BSD market. Therefore there are (7000+1400+700)*4 = 36400 FreeBSD users. This is consistent with the number of FreeBSD Usenet posts.
Due to the troubles of Walnut Creek, abysmal sales and so on, FreeBSD went out of business and was taken over by BSDI who sell another troubled OS. Now BSDI is also dead, its corpse turned over to yet another charnel house.
All major surveys show that *BSD has steadily declined in market share. *BSD is very sick and its long term survival prospects are very dim. If *BSD is to survive at all it will be among OS dilettante dabblers. *BSD continues to decay. Nothing short of a miracle could save it at this point in time. For all practical purposes, *BSD is dead.
Fact: *BSD is dying
I gave up on the PC side, and got a Yamaha AW16G. It works much better, and is engineered for the job.
Since the sound cards for PC's are aimed at the gamer, they don't give a rats arse about studio quality sound.
You can buy a premium sound card, but.. it costs a premium. You're still stuck with a non real time OS with both Windows and Linux (and Mac I guess) so
its the wrong OS for the job. Several companies make dedicated audio recording stations that work, and don't bluescreen, or get viruses on em.
check out
homerecording.com
aw16.com
for discussions on various recording gear..
---
Bavarian Purity Law of Rice Krispie Squares: Rice Krispies, Marshmallows, Butter, Vanilla.
I was using Logic Audio under Windows until Apple bought them and dropped further PC development. I wasn't ready to buy a Mac just for music, so I crossgraded to SX.
I hated earlier (demo) versions of Cubase that I had tried, but I've found SX to be surprisingly good -- fairly easy to learn, pretty functional interface, stable (especially compared to Logic 4.x). Still some strange interface quirks -- but then, Logic had plenty of those, too.
I work in several studio settings that are fueled by Macs. I use Logic Platinum 6 on a Mac at home. I process an intense amount MIDI and Audio data without a hitch.
Try OS X or examine your I/Os. If that doesn't work, you are not fit to run a computer. I'm telling you, with a little coaching my niece could maintain a complex setup using a Mac.
have a laptop, p4 1.9 ghz running win2k, has built-in firewire.
as far as pro gear goes, i have a motu 828 firewire card and a roland 2 port midi interface, plus the m-audio oxygen 8 controller. all of this runs spiffy using cubase sx, reason, or ableton live 2, very low latency (512 k buffer or about 6 msec output latency) running a fair number of software synths.
in terms of DAW software, i prefer cubase SX because although is not quite as flexible as logic for audio routing, the (esp audio) editing is about 100X faster (for me, YMMM)
btw check out synthedit.com, freeware that allows you to roll your own vst synth. there's even an sdk for adding modules.
Logic on OS X is pretty effin good. With Core Audio and AudioUnits on top of a UNIX system, I think we are in pretty good shape.