I'm still leaning back to a PC farm, sample libraries, and Cubase, when i return to Europe and invest in a bigger setup (yet another one!). At least there i can manipulate the score a little easier, and if i'm going to spend a lot of money buying new samples, i'm fairly convinced the difference in performance between MAC vs PC is not worth the hype or difference in price.
Shame really, because EXS, pound for pound, is the bright spot in the Emagic/Inteligapple/VI scenario. A simple sample player/editor that handles resource well.

It is a bit ironic that we're discussing a basic task, inputting, we're almost agreed on the general pittance that is available for those who prefer the notes in front of them, with equipment running into the thousands of dollars, programs just as comparatively expensive, with multi level complexity that are trained to market themselves as sit up and do as told, and valuable time spent doing all this with stuff that simply doesn't cut it.

I find that wistfully amusing......[*-)]

Alex.

@hermitage59 said:

I'm still leaning back to a PC farm, sample libraries, and Cubase, when i return to Europe and invest in a bigger setup (yet another one!). At least there i can manipulate the score a little easier, and if i'm going to spend a lot of money buying new samples, i'm fairly convinced the difference in performance between MAC vs PC is not worth the hype or difference in price.
Shame really, because EXS, pound for pound, is the bright spot in the Emagic/Inteligapple/VI scenario. A simple sample player/editor that handles resource well.

Alex.

I think that if you intend to make a go of the whole Vienna VI thing then it won't really matter what you get, as (assuming that the current Mac problems disappear) both Mac and PC will work well.

I'm in a holding pattern until Vista, so my "farm" is likely to be increased by another PC in the near future. However, as it is all running via FX-Teleport I have no soundcards or MIDI interfaces/cables to worry about, and it should cost round about £400. Not bad for a machine that will handle 2.8Gb of samples [H]

DG

@R.K. said:

Yes Its just you. JWL You're a perfectionist and plenty of energy to boot, obviously.
Must be nice. thanks for the info by the way. Its is very helpfull.

I'll take these as positives... I think...

Don't know how helpful I've been if you think I'm swimming alone in this regard, but good luck on your book.

@R.K. said:

Yes Its just you. JWL You're a perfectionist and plenty of energy to boot, obviously.
Must be nice. thanks for the info by the way. Its is very helpfull.

I'll take these as positives... I think...

Don't know how helpful I've been if you think I'm swimming alone in this regard, but good luck on your book.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, "Sequencer notation is CR*P!!!"

DG

@hermitage59 said:

I'm still leaning back to a PC farm, sample libraries, and Cubase, when i return to Europe and invest in a bigger setup (yet another one!). At least there i can manipulate the score a little easier, and if i'm going to spend a lot of money buying new samples, i'm fairly convinced the difference in performance between MAC vs PC is not worth the hype or difference in price.
Shame really, because EXS, pound for pound, is the bright spot in the Emagic/Inteligapple/VI scenario. A simple sample player/editor that handles resource well.

Alex.

I think that if you intend to make a go of the whole Vienna VI thing then it won't really matter what you get, as (assuming that the current Mac problems disappear) both Mac and PC will work well.

I'm in a holding pattern until Vista, so my "farm" is likely to be increased by another PC in the near future. However, as it is all running via FX-Teleport I have no soundcards or MIDI interfaces/cables to worry about, and it should cost round about £400. Not bad for a machine that will handle 2.8Gb of samples [H]

DG

And it's partly your success with FX teleport and the favourable comments you made about it that has got me thinking, Daryl.
Your end result is scarcely different in terms of output and RAM usage to a setup with more expensive kit (Mac), and as i've used Cubase, Logic, and Sibelius fairly regularly, the learning curve isn't as big an issue. I agree with the holding on for Vista, something i'd do anyway while i'm still here, and of course there's the potential of MIR.
I have an OT question at this point. Are you using Cubase in conjunction with Nuendo and Gigastudio, or do you have something else?


Alex.

@hermitage59 said:

I have an OT question at this point. Are you using Cubase in conjunction with Nuendo and Gigastudio, or do you have something else?
Alex.

I use Nuendo, GS3 and K2 (pause for spitting). I will probably be retiring GS for the VST version at some point, as it doesn't really like to play with Vienna VI on the same PC. I don't use Cubase or ProTools any more, as Nuendo covers all of that ground and more.

DG

@hermitage59 said:

I have an OT question at this point. Are you using Cubase in conjunction with Nuendo and Gigastudio, or do you have something else?
Alex.

I use Nuendo, GS3 and K2 (pause for spitting). I will probably be retiring GS for the VST version at some point, as it doesn't really like to play with Vienna VI on the same PC. I don't use Cubase or ProTools any more, as Nuendo covers all of that ground and more.

DG
Daryl,
I didn't know Nuendo covered all the Cubase workings as well. Anyway, I've just downloaded the manual and presentation PDF, so i'll have a browse.

Thanks for the info,

Alex.

@hermitage59 said:

Daryl,
I didn't know Nuendo covered all the Cubase workings as well. Anyway, I've just downloaded the manual and presentation PDF, so i'll have a browse.

Thanks for the info,

Alex.

In mathematical terms Cubase is a subset of Nuendo.

DG

@R.K. said:

Yes Its just you. JWL You're a perfectionist and plenty of energy to boot, obviously.
Must be nice. thanks for the info by the way. Its is very helpfull.

I'll take these as positives... I think...

Don't know how helpful I've been if you think I'm swimming alone in this regard, but good luck on your book.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, "Sequencer notation is CR*P!!!"

DG



JWL

Yes of-course I meant it as a compliment.


And DG, is cubases notation that bad !! I had no Idea.

I skimmed this thread and didn't see anyone mention that there's no such thing as IRQ on a Mac, nor is there BIOS. Intel Macs have the next thing after BIOS, whatever it's called, but as far as I know you don't have to use it (anymore than you have to use the terminal and fool around with Unix nonsense).

@R.K. said:

And DG, is cubases notation that bad !! I had no Idea.

Try sending the output to a Publisher and you'll soon find out [[:|]]

DG

@R.K. said:

And DG, is cubases notation that bad !! I had no Idea.

Try sending the output to a Publisher and you'll soon find out [[:|]]

DG

My publisher wants more, more , more, Its more money for him.

I'm sorry to hear that its different with your DAW.

Correct me if I'm wrong DG, But arn't most conductors or concert scores in hollywood are non transcribed ? and a copiest is almost always used who writes orchestra parts by hand ? If thats the case then its just a luxury to hire a copiest who loves what he does. And saves alot of printing time. Notation programs have to be mastered or else they are just an agony. After all its just notes in uniform distributed on paper, made clear to see. Providing one has complete control over with ease.

As far as what nick just posted, I have no Idea what you guys are talking about.
I'm just, have my system working and then off to work i go. By the way that took years to get. So the old saying if it works , don't fix it. Is worth alot.

How's that DG , I hope I'm not ticking you off. Are you still a happy person ?
Thats more important to me. If not just say so , I'll swash buckle my face for you.

By the way DG, I want you to know that I anaiyzed and dissected your piano compositions and picked up a few pointers from them. Had Bach or Mozart or Carmen written your compositions, they would no doubt be in their top masterpieces, and I don't see the time of day how you can write that prolificly and yet not orchestrate them by now. Maybe one needs a MAC to fulfill ones habitats.
To MAc or not to MAC. I believe that qoute came from a chap in your neigborhood.

@R.K. said:

Correct me if I'm wrong DG, But arn't most conductors or concert scores in hollywood are non transcribed ? and a copiest is almost always used who writes orchestra parts by hand ? If thats the case then its just a luxury to hire a copiest who loves what he does. And saves alot of printing time. Notation programs have to be mastered or else they are just an agony. After all its just notes in uniform distributed on paper, made clear to see. Providing one has complete control over with ease.

It really depends of what composers we're talking about. Most things are transcribed into a notation program for preparing the musicians' parts. The benefits of this are that it is very easy to make drastic changes if necessary. I have seen a bevy of copyists with their laptops sitting around at sessions just waiting for the first big re-write. I don't know of any orchestral composer whose music is not computer transcribed these days.

However, the music preparation team can receive their "dots" in various ways.

1) It can come directly from the composer in pencil manuscript (very rare nowadays).
2) Directly from the composer in sequencer notation. This is used as a guide and the copyists will re-input it (maybe from the MIDI file) into a dedicated notation program.
3) Directly from the composer in Finale or Sibelius. The copyists will tidy up the scores and then extract and print the parts.
4) A pencil score from the orchestrator
5) A Sibelius or Finale score form the orchestrator.

DG

Daryl,
Just spent a goodly time going through the Nuendo manuals. Come a long way from the beginning, hasn't it!
Some questions, if you are willing.
Do you use this for video as well? (Converted in some way?)
How much can you load before the boat starts swaying? (to use a nautical analogy.)
How tight is the midi clock? Do you use an external device?
In terms of FX Teleport, are there limits to how many boxes you can lash together?

I'd appreciate any help with this, as i seem to getting some fairly steady work here, and i think i'm going to have so invest in some more gear.
(Did 3 cartoon jobs right in the laptop, freezing, bouncing, etc. fighting like a maniac to get it all right in the end. Too many workarounds, and the LP's whining it's heart out. Still, they were interested when i wrote the cue themes in front of them, sitting in a little flat with a LP.)

Nuendo does look promising as a alternative, at this stage.
You also mentioned GS. I've asked questions elsewhere about the GVI, so if i get anything substantial i'll certainly pass it on, but you are definitely going to know more about than I, as i've never used GS.

Regards,

Alex.

Thanks for the Transcription DG, As you notice I'm back about ten years or so.

But I've managed to master Logic's notation and can very easily make it look very presentable. No Copyist needed. With the new VI of-course its a whole new way of scoring which leaves me behind, but I write for myself, I'm greatfull so far I can pay my bills, thats all I ask for. One Mac, independent, with liberty and justice for all.

@Another User said:

I'd appreciate any help with this, as i seem to getting some fairly steady work here, and i think i'm going to have so invest in some more gear.
(Did 3 cartoon jobs right in the laptop, freezing, bouncing, etc. fighting like a maniac to get it all right in the end. Too many workarounds, and the LP's whining it's heart out. Still, they were interested when i wrote the cue themes in front of them, sitting in a little flat with a LP.)

Nuendo does look promising as a alternative, at this stage.
You also mentioned GS. I've asked questions elsewhere about the GVI, so if i get anything substantial i'll certainly pass it on, but you are definitely going to know more about than I, as i've never used GS.

GS has been rock solid for me, but I would say that if you are intending to get it wait until GVI is released and all the winkles have been ironed out. The only real reason to get GS would be if you intend to do copious editing of the wav files of your samples, as I believe that GVI is lacking in this area.

If you need more info either PM me or drop me an email and I'll try to help as best I can.

DG

@Another User said:

It does play Quicktime movies, but unfortunately as Apple doesn't know how to write applications for PC

LOL - this is what i've also often thought in the past, i had severe problems with some QTversions on windows.
but lately i found this on a secret place: http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/standalone.html
it comes without iTunes helper and iPod services and all the other *contaminations* - runs very stable here
christian

@DG said:

If you need more info either PM me or drop me an email and I'll try to help as best I can.

DG

Thanks Daryl,

I'll go through the manual, and see what else is there.

Regards,

Alex.

@cm said:

...........but lately i found this on a secret place: http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/standalone.html
it comes without iTunes helper and iPod services and all the other *contaminations* - runs very stable here
christian

Thanks Christian; I'll check it out.

DG

The new intel macs boot in Windows XP and OS X


soooo....

Mac it is [;)]

SvK