We've set up two composers, Rob Kral and Mark Isham, reflecting Giga Systems for:
1. the proposed giga 3.0 release
2. the direction VSL is heading (230GB projected for the Pro Edition)
3. Kontakt and its ability to handle 2GB of RAM, that it's streaming and where we understand it will be in the next few weeks.
Having said that, we're setting up our systems with P4 2.4GHz and 120GB drives running 8MB cache. For VSL, we're setting two up in a RAID configuration under XP Pro allowing for a 240GB drive.
Our cases are 4U racks expandable to 5 drives, and depending on the need, can be set up to be a server. Also, our systems come with a 3-year onsite service warranty which also covers replacement of all the main parts of the computer. Audio cards and MIDI interfaces are covered under the manufacturer's warranty.
By taking this direction, our Truespec customers are not only protected depending on the direction of GigaStudio, but by fall, can be upgraded to a near 1 terabyte system with the expected release of 250GB drives by Christmas. Thus, with our modular approach, as VSL grows, so can the system, for the next two years or more.
Having said this, I have no doubt that those who monitor the GigaStudio thread on the VSL forum will remind us you can purchase $600 computers that Giga will run on.
We also offer those computers too.
But we don't normally recommend them for Gigastudio because of the speed at which motherboards and their implementation with WinXP is changing. We routinely consult with the main audio card manufacturers to check on QC issues with motherboards and their products.
We also consult routinely with the various sequencing/digital audio software manufacturers to determine the specs that truly optimize their systems. Because we put the time into it, we also don't get the tech support calls!
Think about these things. With VSL, you have a library that's living and growing. And from our perspective, you need to plan for that.
Peter Alexander
peter@alexuniv.com310-559-3779