New host for SCOPE - what's currently the dog's?

Mr Arkadin · Post by **Mr Arkadin** » Sun Jan 15, 2006 3:50 pm

OK, here's the scenario. My Mac's HD has finally died and i don't know yet if i can get it working again and i really just want to get on with music. With that in mind i've been thinking about using this PC that i'm currently typing this on as a possible music computer.

Now i can swap the cards no problem, but as a long-time Cubase VST v5.1 user i've lost touch with the latest and greatest host sequencers. The logical step would be to get SX3, but i really would like to get away from Steinberg if i can (shoddy support generally, Mac support even worse, just all round bad eggs). i would also like to use programs that have both PC and Mac versions in case i go back to Mac in the future (if SCOPE ever goes OSX).

My main options seem to be:
Cubase SX3 (with the above caveat)
Tracktion2
Ableton Live5

and i might consider Samplitude7, although this is PC only so i'm not sure about that yet.

So my question to you is what do you think about the above sequencers? i like the look of Live5, but what's the audio quality like? All audio would be bussed through SCOPE's mixers. Tracktion looks nice and simple, again what is the sound quality like when bussed? Also what are the MIDI/VSTi side of thses hosts like? What other options are there? i have some demos, but haven't got very far with them yet.

Lots of questions, all views welcome.

Regards,
Mr Arkadin.

[ This Message was edited by: Mr Arkadin on 2006-01-16 12:26 ]

Mr Arkadin · Post by **Mr Arkadin** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 12:25 pm

Yes i want to get away from those buggers.Do you think the audio engine in Live is comparable to SX when bussed through SCOPE? i hear some people think the sound quality isnt all that, but are they referring to its internal mixer (which i won't use)?

Nestor · Post by **Nestor** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 12:29 pm

This is perhaps useful about your HD, as I have just recovered fortunatelly, all my information from a dying one:

http://www.planetz.com/forums/viewtopic ... forum=1&21

About your new sequencer, I would strongly recomend that if you don't get to Cubase SX, so you get Ableton Live 5, a great choice. I have tryied it and found it to be truly interesting and professional working.

darkrezin · Post by **darkrezin** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 12:53 pm

Mr.A - yeah you should be fine when you use multiple outs and mix in Scope. Live works quite differently to other sequencers though - make sure you demo it. It can be quite a refreshing alternative to traditional fiddly sequencers though.

skwawks · Post by **skwawks** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 2:09 pm

Maybe you could look at steinberg mac support in terms of apple support for pc logic , i.e. it doesn't exist:roll: I think that even if a manufacturer claims cross platform compatibility the apps are usually MEANT for one platform above the other .SX and Scope is cool enough for me .
Cheers
Paul

valis · Post by **valis** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 4:03 pm

Live 5 is probably more suitable as a replacement than Tracktion2, although Tracktion is definately a cool app. I think it still needs to mature a bit though.

There's also an interesting app called Podium that is a good alternative to Tracktion, but not quite mature enough yet either to carry full studio duties imo.

Cubase SX3 seems to be doing quite well these days, although since it still lacks the flexibility I enjoy I'm one of the reluctant Logic 5.51 PC users still...

AudioIrony · Post by **AudioIrony** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 5:05 pm

I heard a rumour that Sonar may be coming out on Mac - possibly when Apple are fully intel.
Might be the way to go.
This is only rumour and based on a fact that they are starting to release some of their soft synths on OS X. The Dimension Pro synth is available for OS X

The only spanner in the works is whether or not we will ever see Scope on OS X

Mr Arkadin · Post by **Mr Arkadin** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 9:06 am

Currently trying the Live demo, but i haven't got a clue yet what's happening. Dammit, i'll have to read the manual.

AudioIrony · Post by **AudioIrony** » Wed Jan 18, 2006 4:00 pm

Good luck with Live.
There were some tutorials on Ableton's site that you can follow. http://www.ableton.com/index.php?main=tutorials
Someone else has put up a couple of tutorials in pdf - link to site can be found here: http://www.em411.com/forum/26184/1/able ... rials.html

I'm sure if you google you will find more

I went down that road a while back - I think version 3 - I just never got the hang of it and and never bought it.

Many people swear by it - so if you have the time to dig deep and get used to a new paradigm - go for it.

Mr Arkadin · Post by **Mr Arkadin** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 2:00 am

Thanks for those links - watching the Ableton movies now. The only thing i can't stand is the guy's constant references to a 'DAR' (i think he means DAW) and 'rowting' whatever that is!

samplaire · Post by **samplaire** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 3:32 am

If you got used to cubase then stick to it. SX is completly dfiferent software but the work is 90% similar to the one you used to. Somebody suggested Logic . For me it's the best sequencer for Mac but you have to have in mind there is no PC development now (though you can buy Logic 5.5 PC cheaply these days (re-registering it to you is also a breeze - I can tell you the details if you choose logic) and it works in XP AFAIK but nobody knows if it works in Vista in the future - perhaps somebody tried it in beta version if such exists - try sonikmatter forums for any info.

And changing from cubase to Logic was a breeze for me

You benefit in

Mr Arkadin · Post by **Mr Arkadin** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 3:39 am

i just checked and Cubase VST to Cubase SX3 upgrades ended at the end of 2004!. That means i'd be paying full price again for this product which i've used since Pro24 days, so £500 is a bit steep i think. It would be easier to take my current half finished projects across - but i'm slightly peaved at there being no upgrade path.

[ This Message was edited by: Mr Arkadin on 2006-01-19 03:40 ]

samplaire · Post by **samplaire** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 6:34 am

Perhaps on ebay?

[ This Message was edited by: samplaire on 2006-01-19 06:34 ]

AudioIrony · Post by **AudioIrony** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 6:37 am

I've also been using Cubase since Atari days - still have my Atari version laying around.
I also had to pay full price for Cubase SX 3 - but in the end I figure it was worth it - I love working in SX - makes a lot of tasks very easy.
The annoying thing for me is that I can't use my scope card when using SX - so I end up using two computers for a lot of projects. One running OS9 and Scope - the other running OS X and Cubase.
You would be in a better position running Cubase SX 3 on PC as you will be able to use your Scope environment - just like in the good old days of OS 9

samplaire · Post by **samplaire** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 7:16 am

OS9 rules. It's a pity almost nobody cares about the system anymore, I mean software developers...

Mr Arkadin · Post by **Mr Arkadin** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 8:07 am

Well my mate's looking at my HD so i may be back in the OS9 camp before you know it (still prefer it to OSX). However this still means that at some time in the future i'll have to change hosts, so without the upgrade offers anymore i'm tempted to say bye bye Steiny and go for something a bit different - Steiny don't really think outside the box much, whereas i'm quite liking this Ableton thing - although i still don't get it yet.

Not sure about eBay for software - is it safe? i'd have to use the UK site anyway as my friends at the Customs & Tax office will slap some extras on it.

Post by **hubird** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 6:11 pm

On 2006-01-19 07:16, samplaire wrote:
OS9 rules. It's a pity almost nobody cares about the system anymore, I mean software developers...

To be honest, I feel more concerned with the fact that certain devellopers (still) don't care about OSX support...

samplaire · Post by **samplaire** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 2:40 am

If Apple cared about the 2 OSs at the same time (I mean the classic OS development as well as and OSX) I bet nobody would have switched to OSX because OS9 is much more intuitive. For me.

As for the software purchase of safety of eBay - it's the same amount of risk as for anything else. If somebody states it's original and the seller has only good points then nothing should stop you from buying from the seller. I bought my copy of Logic Pro 6 on eBay (UK by the way). The procedure of reregistering is simple. I read the licence for my Logic 6 express before I bought the Pro to know if this is legal to buy secondhand Logic and I knew that your proof of ownership and the right to use Logic legaly is having all the CDs, printed manuals and the so called XSKey (dongle). I got all of the thngs from the previous owner as well as I informed Apple support about it and they changed the registration to my name. I don't know if the same applies to Cubase but you can ask about it.
I don't know how it works in the eBay UK but you can buy worldwide from the Polish eBay and you have all the benefits from being the Polish eBayer.

As for the printed manuals - the manuals for the Logic Pro are 5kg so the package cost was a fortune for me (55 pounds!!!).