Being an owner of multiple VSL libraries I already pine for a few giga machines with a mac sequencer front end. Having a PC "mixer box" seems quite logical. For about the same price as a good digital board you could get the hardware at least so hopefully the price point for the software won't put the whole thing too far out of reach.

At this point my one computer (mac) is elegant from the standpoint that the mix is just a bounce away, but a bear considering I practically drag the computer to its knees with these sounds, etc. Having more machines would be great but as Lee pointed out this lands you in elite gear territory with extra interfaces and so on. In addition, having multiple computers makes the whole simplicity thing a moot point from a hardware perspective. Here's hoping that VSL has very specific recommendations/requirements for interfaces, etc. PolarBear's suggestion on including a part list for the MIR machine at the VSL labs is right on the money, IMHO. I have had some terrible luck with hardware in the past so eventually having to deal with all these boxes makes me very nervous.

Lee makes another point that I would like to address: if only the pro user is the intended customer, does this mean that the "separate mixing team" concept is already changing? With the stuff I do the scale is much smaller so I become the ADR team, foley team and the mix team besides being the composer. Is there a "trickle up" phenomenon happening here like the home studio thing of the last 15 years or so?

Clark

Clark,
Thanks for the info.
I have the perception that Shirley will groan and complain loaded with with 3 sound cards connected for audio in, and positively whinge about a further card for audio out to MIR.
Then there's the interface route. 3 Audio ins (six for stereo?) then into Shirley.
How will she cope with all the audio? even now you've said your Mac groans when you load up more than few sounds. With an orchestra's worth of noise, will any 'modern' sequencer housed in your version of Shirley be able to cope?
These are questions to ponder, and more.
Do the sample computers effectively take the strain? With 3 pc's, one would think you can configure the system, so the sequencer computer only has to accept the sounds, and not have to push that hard, playing the sound from the combined efforts of three sets of processors, and wizz bang hard drives. Is this really so, or does the three into one configuration really mean your Shirley is the one who still has to do all the work?
I've written many times about the notation/host/multiple sampler setup. Is this better?
Will multiple VST/AU instruments sit in Shirley, or can you share them out between the three sample PC's, using their processors instead of belting the digital daylights out of her?
Even without considering MIR, one computer for samples and DAW seems to be inadequate judging by comments here.
Is it possible to house everything on a server, and simply have one computer wired into it, for the working interface? Would this be reliable, relatively latency free, and capable of playing all the sounds at once without Bouncing, Freezing, Pausing, Sweating, Drinking or anything else?
Whatever the answers to these questions and more, there remains a basic fact.
The sample base (VSL) is light years ahead of the software and hardware, and it's the day a Soft/hard company builds a computer and programs capable of coping with everything easily is the day we take another step forward.
Of course by then, Herb and the team will have recorded 25 million samples, house on 63 Dvd's, and it will take a month to load them all!
(Perf-Leg Oriental leftlegged bone claves in 7 different dynamics, and 27 different articulations!)

If anyone has any light to shed on possible setups, please contribute, no matter the budget potential. At least if we know what we're facing we can choose our own options.
I DO want all the VSL samples, and MIR, and a good notation playback program WITHOUT compromises, or a degree in astrophysics. It's just a matter of how much it will cost, and which way is the best to go.

Regards to all you esteemed ladies and gentlemen,

Alex.
[[:|]]

We're all going to need an extra screen to see what Mir's doing.

Aren't we?

Regards,

Alex.

Hopefully it can be set up for a template once, and you only have to look at it if something needs adjusting or is boke

@hermitage59 said:

We're all going to need an extra screen to see what Mir's doing. Aren't we?

I use a Belkin switcher which allows for a single screen, keyboard and mouse to control 4 PC's. They also make them to control 8 PC's and even MAC and PC. Still plenty of other things to think about but I wouldn't worry about extra screens.

My guess is that MIR is going to be so perfect for us VSL guys that it will be a must-buy whatever the considerations.

Dave Connor

@hermitage59 said:

We're all going to need an extra screen to see what Mir's doing.

Aren't we?

Regards,

Alex.

If you use XP Pro maybe you can use Remote Desktop.

DG

@clarkcontrol said:

[...] Lee makes another point that I would like to address: if only the pro user is the intended customer, does this mean that the "separate mixing team" concept is already changing? [...]
Clark

From my totally subjective, extremely biased point of view: A good planer doesn't make you a good carpenter.

Of course, new tools are meant to make life easier and to broaden our creative possibilities. But in the end, it all depends on your creative vision, your knowledge, your experience, and - in our case - a pair of decent ears, to make use of a new tool to its full extent. - You know, the GIGO-principle: Garbage in, garbage out.

[+o(]

All the best,

@hermitage59 said:

[...] (Perf-Leg Oriental leftlegged bone claves in 7 different dynamics, and 27 different articulations!)[...]
Alex.

[:D] So you already know about that ...?

Dave,
you've made mention of a belkin switcher to control 4 PC's. Even with my limited tech knowledge (Spartacus move over) I understand that process.

And i think from memory you're on PC, not Mac, so how have you lashed everything together, both audio and midi? And how do you have your samples allocated?

Regards,

Alex.

p.s. Just listened to Ludwig's Triple Concerto again. That fella can shore rite!
[H]

Dietz,
I've known about it since i got out of bed one morning and fell over.

[H]

OF COURSE!!! Ok, so I just finished a session recording myself heavy breathing, multisampling and looping as I went. I now have a ready-made porn-flick soundtrack tool ready for anyone dubiously lucky enough to be using VSL for such soundtracks!

I have always thought that a lovely bit of sensitive orchestral music would be so much more suitable as accompaniment to two or more people indulging in beautiful acts!!! (before anyone flames me, my tongue is in my cheek as I type, so to speak).

CM,

you mentioned way back in this thread that other additional DSPs had been considered for MIR. I had hoped that it would be available to run on the Powercore platform (I currently use a firewire powercore alonside Logic). Using such a universally available crossplatform device seems logical to me...or am I way off here on the requirements of MIR?

The main idea behind the MIR is a native engine, as computers get faster and faster over the time. - That said, there is still an option for additional hardware being involved.

Please - we try to be as talkative as possible, but we can't discuss the final appearance of a product that is in its late development stage, but not _ready_ for the market yet.

Thanks for your understanding.

Dietz

no problem, I understand. I'll be interested to see exactly how it is achieved.

Your interest is higly welcome, John (... of course this is true for all our esteemed forum-members, too).

@hermitage59 said:

We're all going to need an extra screen to see what Mir's doing. Aren't we?

I use a Belkin switcher which allows for a single screen, keyboard and mouse to control 4 PC's. They also make them to control 8 PC's and even MAC and PC. Still plenty of other things to think about but I wouldn't worry about extra screens.

I'm using a KVM switcher myself, but I wonder if this is going to be possible for that much longer. The new Windows Vista operating system requires a monitor with CP hardware built in that ties it to a specific computer. We may well end up needing a separate monitor for every PC we use.

Lee Blaske

It would be beyond ridiculous if KVM switches didn't work with the next version of Windows. And if you couldn't unplug one monitor and plug in another one if you damn well felt like it.

But even if what you say were true, I think the KVM switch loads the input even when it's switched to a different monitor, and it would becomes the ID.

... that's what somehow usable KVMs are already supposed to do with mouse and keyboard connectors also ...

but i think this is a misunderstanding: high resolution digital TV signals (same for DVD) will need a CP chip in the monitor for digital input - if they have not (or are connected via VGA) they will show low resolution (in best case) ...

christian

Ah. That's different. Thanks CM.

By the way my IOgear 4-port Miniview USB KVM works fine - with the exception that once in a while I have to power it on and off after first starting up to get my Windows machines to see the USB keyboard and mouse. But that's probably not the switch's fault, since it works fine on my Macs every time.

(Not a religious comment, just a USB comment - I'm not a USB fan at all.)

nick, this is a plug'n play issue i've also noticed often after a fresh install of windows - the USB keyboard is recognized as HID (human interface device) and not immediately useable after it has been detected (besides the fact that a motherboard has to support USB keyboards).
this is related to the order drivers are loaded - the keyboard driver is loaded very early during the boot process and USB device recognition happens later.
christian