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  4. How many years before we see VSL in a physical rack unit?

  • How many years before we see VSL in a physical rack unit?

    B
    B
    In the next 5-10 years, when huge-capacity solid state hard drives rule the world, and processors and DSP chips get really fast and cheap, would the VSL crew be interested in foraying into hardware?

    PS: I'm also looking forward to the two-space MIR unit as well. [H] [[;)]]
  • DietzD
    VSL Team
    DietzD
    5-10 years seems to be a reasonable time horizon to discuss this again. [H] ... right now, the Vienna Symphonic Library is a software-only company (ok, the Vienna Key doesn't count).
    /Dietz - Vienna Symphonic Library
  • C
    C
    When you think about the enduring popularity of Roland's JV range and Emu's themed series of rack modules it's exciting to fantasise about a VSL rack containing a functioning 1-Terabyte orchestra.

    However, if it caught on like wildfire and rendered all of Vienna's software products obsolete, this forum would become a quiet, desolate place. No howls of complaint about malfunctioning Syncrosoft licences . . . no cries of despair about recalcitrant Custom Data folders . . . no endless discussions about how many computers it takes to run X instances . . . no worried head-scratching about the reliability of Firewire drives . . .

    I can't wait.
  • D
    D
    In a way my PCs are just the same as a module in a rack. I don't even open the VI GUI on any of them, so I don't see any advantage in a dedicated, hardware rackmount instrument. Sure, setting up could theoretically be easier, and certainly quicker, but there would have to be very easy ways to update the instruments, add a multitude of expansion packs and stream both MIDI and audio over a Network for it to be even in the same league as my setup.

    The Receptor (doesn't work with Vienna VI) is supposed to be a kind of rackmount sample player, but the specs are so out of the dinosaur age that it is not worth considering, except maybe for live work.

    MIR seems to be designed as a standalone hardware unit and already there are people whining about what OS it is based on. Imagine if that was the case for the Cube as well. A few very unhappy customers I think.

    DG
  • C
    C
    Cheers DG. Playing the devil's advocate:

    >I don't see any advantage in a dedicated, hardware rackmount instrument.

    Plug it in, turn it on, play, turn it off - just like the hardware instruments we used to play in the good old days.

    >there would have to be very easy ways to update the instruments

    Not necessarily - being required to constantly update isn't a lot of fun. As new instruments were added to the database they could be built into a series of rack modules, Vienna Instrument I, 2, 3 etc.

    >already there are people whining about what OS it is based on.

    If a piece of hardware works well you don't have to worry about its OS. (By the way, I do realise this is an extremely unrealistic fantasy!)
  • D
    D
    last edited
    last edited

    @Another User said:

    >already there are people whining about what OS it is based on.

    If a piece of hardware works well you don't have to worry about its OS. (By the way, I do realise this is an extremely unrealistic fantasy!)

    I agree; try telling that to the whiners. [8-)]

    DG
  • C
    C
    >I already do that.

    Excellent! I guess you must have spent a quite a bit of time getting your system to that point.

    >If you can't get at the samples to edit them, then the developers will need to do this. There are many things that need to be edited with the current VI.

    Maybe in a few years' time all these edits will be done and the thing could be reasonably considered 'finished' - or is the concept of a product being finished an obsolete idea?

    On a side note, it seems that no-one here has anything good to say about Receptor - a pity, I really like the idea of a hardware rack containing thousands of great samples which I could take on stage.
  • N
    N
    Fewer boxes for me, thanks, not more. And certainly no dedicated hardware.

    I'd like to be able to run everything I want on something like a Treo, with KVM attached wirelessly so all you do is bring the Treo into the room and it's hooked up.