Hi guys..

I want you to know, that there is a host out there, that is designed in such a clever way, that I will never look back to all the ones I tried in the past. I am talking about Podium from Zynewave. Many of you might have tried it out some time ago, and considered it being unintuitive or difficult to learn..

But in the meantime, Podium got many many new features that it was lacking in the past. I had Cubase SX 2 and SX 3. I still own Tracktion, which I love, but there are many things about Podium, that make me love working with it..


here are some of its key features:

- it has Dual Core support! (even before Cubase had!!)

- 64 BIT audio engine (ok, the others have it too)

- template tracks!! That is such a timesaver.. If you have set up multiple tracks for drums e.g., you save it with 2 clicks and can recall it in another arrangement, together with all its effects. That is something, that I really miss in Tracktion. Rack Presets aren't a help there..

- Podium didn't have fades for a long time, but now it has, and it is implemented in such a stylish and useful way.. Wave forms are drawn according to the fades.. Even automatic crossfades are there finally!

- now the really best thing about Podium is its ability to record (realtime) or render (offline) EVERY signal in the signal path. No matter where you want to record a signal, you only have to create a bounce track and record it. In Tracktion e.g. you cannot record the output of a VSTi.. Even in Cubase this is impossible! Once you tried this feature, you'll start asking yourself how the other host devs can get away without such a flexibility!

- the price: it is only 90 Dollars, and it is free of dongles or challenge and response! I cannot tell you how often I had crashs in Cubase because of the synchrosoft driver.. countless!

- If you find a bug, you are lucky, but if so, tell it Frits (dev) and he finds and fixes it in 2 days maximum. The next update (which comes every 2 weeks aprx.) will have the fix! Now look at Tracktion: the last update is one year in the past!!

- The audio engine: it is "gapless". That means, whatever you do in the arrangements, there won't be gaps in the engine! When I use Tracktion and add a VST which induces latency, I get a gap in the audio output.. In Podium you always have a reliable audio output!

- the main feature which Mackie uses to promote Tracktion is: "single screen interface". You have the same feature in Podium! If you want, you do not need any additional window. But in contrast to Tracktion, you have a very good mixer!

- perfect latency compensation. Again something I had problems with in Tracktion. In Podium you won't have to worry about plugs that have a high latency.

- a high standard of external synth integration..

- zynewave.com as a user wiki, where you can find tutorials and write you own



I can talk months here, and you would get bored. I say you should try the demo on zynewave.com
Give it a chance, because it is really clever and powerful!

I am in no way paid by Frits (dev of Podium) but I guess most of you will never read something about Podium, because it still has a rather small user group. If you like stability, quality and a superb support, you should try the new demo of version 1.77. If you are looking for specific features, go to the "about" page on zynewave.com.

Please feel free to tell your opinion about it!

Max

And I forgot to mention, that you can change Podium's appearence to your liking. If you do not need certain controls, you can hide them or delete them. You can even use different screen sets and profiles.

Some of the things you listed about Tracktion are misleading, but I won't get into them except for this one:



Tracktion's PDC isn't perfect, as Podium's may be (dunno, haven't tried it). However, it won't give you a gap simply by adding a VST. There IS at least one situation in which a gap is created (I can't remember which), but it doesn't happen simply by adding a VST as an insert effect.

--

That said, although not a Podium user myself, I keep a close eye on it. There's something very interesting to me about its approach. If something ever happened to my dear Tracktion, Podium is the first place I would look, and I encourage others to have a peek, too.

Greg

I get gaps in Tracktion when adding VSTs that have a latency. I even get gaps when opening the plugin editor sometimes. Don't misunderstand me: I really love Tracktion!! I didn't want to evoke a false impression. I can only tell from my experience.. I found Podium to be the most stable and reliable host out of every host I tried.

Agreed - that's because stability, reliabilty and usability always come first for Frits - on the other hand new features are added rather slowly compared to some of the competitors... (but the same goes for Tracktion (save your breath and swallow it, Greg... ))

I don't know what to tell you, but this simply isn't the case by design. This is the first thread in which someone has made that claim... I'm talking about as a normal insert or instrument (acknowledging that I remember there being a specific scenario in which PDC is not working), but for this usage, Tracktion's PDC is full and functional.

And I didn't say, that my problem with Tracktion (it is not really a problem, just an observation) exists for every user. But I still do not believe, that I am the only one, who experienced small hickups in Tracktion when doing this or that, nevertheless he or she has a stable and audio optimized system. But I didn't want to start a comparison between Podium and Tracktion in detail. I only mentioned it, because I used it (together with Cubase). There is no offence intended.

I am happy to see, that you have no problems with Tracktion. I wish I hadn't too.

I tried it and sold it again - far too over complicated. Just impossible to even play a plugin without having to go through several tick boxes and dialogues. Needing a wizard to create a basic set up says it all. Never could get working with it. I'm sure it is solid and it has some very good features but ergonomic it is not.

???

i don't understand... click and drag whatever plug you want from the menu on the left side, and a track is created with the plugin mapped. click and drag whatever MIDI controller you want to the same track, and start playing...

click and drag any effect you want to the left edge of the track, and you automatically have it routed through that effect.

drag as many instruments as you want to the same level, and they can all be run through that same effect, or etc. etc. etc.



not to discount your preference for something else, but there has been no need for check boxes or anything else since the Beta versions.

this host is new and different from most other stuff on the market, in many ways, so if you have done things in the standard cubase/logic/sonar/etc. way, then it will take some small effort to suss out, but once you do (and it took me all of an hour ) you just may wonder why this kind of thing hasn't come sooner. maybe ...

Hello everyone,

I just want to add some general feedback about Zynewave Podium. I just started recording and unfortunately I tried to start with Logic and Cubase - understood? - I quickly learned that a beginner is nothing but lost in Logic,Cubase&Co. . So I seemed to be invited by Tracktion to give it a try and I was really blown away. I loved Tracktion because of its process' transparence and its usability and I learned a lot.

But then I had a look at Podium and although it works a bit differently and although I still have to learn countless things about functions but also abilities of this sequencer, I have to say that I adore working with this program.

I wouldn't name the hierarchic structure of Podium "difficult" but helpful to layout my projects and handle them in a very structurized way.
The new update concerning the group panel showing up in the inspector just is an example for an optimal handling of tracks/events in Podium (I think)and I just love the possibilities and shortcuts to arrange and nest the tracks.

But, even if this has nothing to do with recording techniques itself, another important aspect for me is the appearance of Podium.
In comparison to Podium, Tracktion presents itself (sorry, I really like it, but ) a bit lumpy and dumpy concerning the layout and design.
Not only the fact that you can create and design your own "skins" and colour shemes in Podium is a plus but also the fact that the dev of this sequencer knows how to design software which really attracts the consumer's eye. I know that this is a question of taste but for me it is also important that I like the design of the whole thing I'm working with and if I'm able to personalize parts of the layout here and there - great!

I know this feedback will not help you to check out if this sequencer may meet your technical expectations (just check above or better: try it!), but what I can tell you is that it is a real pleasure to work with Podium...

And the price is just nothing for what you get. And don't forget, the flexibility to fix bugs, to release updates or to just meet the user's wishes and needs is of highest level. No big company with marketing machinery and a controlling department is able nor willing to provide its customers monthly with REAL updates (not only bug fixes) for free.

I am not trying to start a marketing machinery for Podium myself but you should have a look at it and I hope many of you decide to work with it on a every-song basis

Podium DOES look great. Ie. it is visually appealing.

I don't recall it being so simple. You had to go through this wizard to set up "mappings" everytime and as you went down the wizard it asked questions about busses etc (most of which I didn't understand) and even when I managed to get it to import a plugin I couldn't get a sound out of it or even load presets half the time and in the end I gave up. I know I was doing something wrong but it just isn't as intuitive as say Tracktion or Reaper or Logic or eXT all of which I got straight away and there's no point in trying to make out it is. I think it's more suited to people who understand the language better.

I downloaded the Podium demo a month ago. I wanted to like it because it looks great and seems to have a top flight audio engine, but it just didn't do it for me (workflow). However, I will check back every once in a while to see how it is developing.

One issue is that I couldn't get it to add more than 1 plugin per track. Is there a way to do this? Looking at the zynewave forum awhile ago it seems like this is still not an option (awaiting a "zmatrix" plugin or something). Am I wrong?

seriously... i am not trying to make it out to be something that it's not! i own and use it, and there is none of what you describe anymore; there hasn't been since the betas. Ask anyone who uses it if i am making anything up; it really is that simple, i kid you not!

as i said, i certainly am not trying to say that your preference is not valid; if you don't like it, that's not any of my business i was only pointing out that what you describe has not been the reality for quite some time now. But of course, you don't have to believe me, you could ask any other user, or go to the site and check for yourself

as for the project wizard, for mapping plugins it never asked any questions about busses. You could go into individual plugin properties and change all kinds of things, but that was never part of the mapping wizard.
however, during the beta period, in early versions, there was no 'quick setup' mode; one had to set up ones own template projects ( a powerful concept in itself, the way podium does it ), and use the project wizard to import plugins. It went like this: control W, "import plugin", then drag from the 'map' menu to a track, or to an empty space to make a track.
There was some setup involved in the early betas, but that was no longer necessary as soon as 'quick' came in.

i do hope people will try it themselves if they are curious. don't take my word for it, but also don't take other's who don't actually use it
Last edited by Z3R0T0N1N on Tue Jan 09, 2007 12:42 am; edited 1 time in total

You are right. This is mainly because Podium has a unique aproach to working with signals.. For everybody else this must be looking "strange", because no other host does it that way. In Podium you have a hierarchic engine. And you can SEE the signal flow in the arrangement and in the mixer. Now WHICH host offers that??

So Podium has to put one chain of a signal path on one track, in order to make you SEE the flow. When your arrangement gets too bloated because of the enormous number of plugins you use, you have the ability to hide any track you want. Sub groups with all their nested tracks can be hidden, and with one shortcut unfolded again. Working with a large track count is a brease with Podium. Again, something we still wait for in Tracktion (ok, T3 is coming...) However, when zGrid is implemented, even this point (every plugin needs its own track) will be solved for those users, that do not get along with this new concept. Frits again plans something really unique for this, as the user will be able to change the routing of plugins in a grid. Take this together with the track templates and you are going to set up your songs in no time.



I can't imagine why eXT should be more intuitive..
Only because Podium has a unique approach of doing things which in the end is a lot easier as in other hosts, it does not mean it is unintuitive.. I admit it takes longer to learn when you come from a host like Cubase.

When I tried to setup Halion in Trackion 2 for 16 outputs, I got a really messy project and spent a lot of time to set it up. In Podium, this project can be easily controlled with group tracks, nested folders and track templated. When users had certain ideas how to optimize the workflow, Frits was open minded to them.. Many user ideas have found their way into Podium.

It is really a matter of taste, as I said before, but the initial thought why I opened this thread was, that Podium is in a constant progress and a lot has changed in the last releases.. Try the demo to see yourself.