By duncanparsons
On 31st August 2004
Version: 1.13
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Zynewave Podium
Podium is a marvellous piece of technology. In terms of quality and useability it's really up there with the greats. It is but an infant on the commercial scene, but has apparently had some 12 years in private development.
Starting off involves setting up a 'Studio', the most part of which can be done via a wizard. Many studio situations can be setup and saved to be recalled at a moments notice. This can include specifying hardware combinations, plugins (VST/i only), reference files, etc. I have a couple set up of common plugs already imported for quick demoing tunes, etc, and a better spec'd file for doing 'proper' work.
Podium is project based: A single project will incorporate the studio and all the relevant arrangements. Arrangements work using audio/MIDI clips, each clip can be shared across arrangements. No real surprises here, just telling how it is..
The main work area (arrange window) is presented with a slick graphic interface. There are three distinct sections:
The arrangement panel shows a standard timeline with the clips presented in their tracks. To the left is a properties window (which can be resized/hidden) for assigning track I/O mappings, plugin/channel presets/properties, etc. Finally there is the mixer which is one of the distinctive features of Podium.
The mixing engine is heirarchical in nature, MIDI and Audio events flowing from outer reaches of the 'tree' down to a single output. This can mean some rethinking, but makes visualizing output groups much easier. Branches (groups) can have their children collapsed for clarity, with the mixer and arrange window staying in sync.
The audio engine offers a freeze function on the form of a 'bounce' facility. The current version only supports realtime bouncing, with offline bouncing to come in the future. The audio engine in Podium is already highly efficient, but this just helps with those cycle-hungry plugs.
Graphically, Podium is very slick. Virtually everything is colour skinnable, zoomable, the scrolling transitions are very smooth, even when the audio engine is at full pelt. There are decent MIDI, drum and audio editors, offering basic facilities with a touch of flair.
Features include PDC, support for multi-timbral plugins, Aux bussing, post-it notes per object (arrangement, sound, device mapping, etc), MIDI import, Anti-aliased spline based parameter automation...
Customer support is superb. The developer Frits Neilson responds quickly and with good humour to posts on the forum and emails. He work solo, and so has complete control over the development, and is willing to change his priorities to meet the needs of the growing user base.
The only criticism, really, would be the manual. This is available on-line, or as a d/l of the Zynewave website. This provides basic usable information, and is being fleshed out as time goes on. There are 'videos' available outlining basic concepts which are very helpful.
It is hard to do it justice in such a short review. TRY IT! |
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By duncanparsons
On 30th May 2003
Version: 1.6
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 GUI
Sound
Features
Docs
Presets
Support
VFM
Stability |
Istvan Kaldor DirtBag
Having tried things like morphiza and ZR3 (B4 is out of my reach!) I wondered what this would be like... Actually - very impressed!
It has the grunt and growl that you need for those Thijs Van Leer/Sylvia impressions! I really like it, and it has pride of place in my 'favs'.
the presets are good - nice variety demonstarting what can be done with the plug.
wrt stability of sound.. depending on how you look at it, either variable or excellent: it doesn't crash, but there is the 'randomness' of an overdriven hammond with grit on the teeth - and I like it that way.
It does clean sounds too, but the dirty is where it excels, the distortoin unit is well honed.
If you need an organ, you could do far worse then this..
Start saving those pennies!! |
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Last edited : 30th May 2003
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By duncanparsons
On 8th May 2003
Version: 1.06
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GUI
Sound
Features
 Docs
 Presets
Support
VFM
Stability |
ART Teknika Console Sound Modular Studio
I tried Console at the beginning of the year, following a link on the site of the CMX844 mixer. I was instantly impressed at it's versatility and focus.
At it's most basic level, it is a very easy to use modular Plugin host. It has no pretensions to fully competing with the likes of Buzz, SynthEdit or Psycle - it offers no onboard sampler or internal synth. It just loads and links VST/i's and DX/i's.
I like the simplicity of this! The GUI is simple - drag'n'drop the relevant plugs onto the work area and join the in's and out's as required, from an initial MIDI/Audio in unit, through your patch, to a final MIDI/Audio unit. The work area is clear and uncluttered, the plugs being displayed as fairly uniform boxes. The Plug-Editors can be brought up with a click as required, and either hidden again or 'minimized' Mac Style (just Title bar).
Functioning as a standalone app, a complex setup can be designed, then used as an instrument in itself, working well for live performance, both for MIDI and for Audio.
It also offers itself as any of VST, VSTi, DX or DXi plugins, which is a real gem. It means that in a rack in your normal host, you can hide a complex beast in just one slot! For instance, you can route all your MIDI to a single Console VSTi, then separate each channel within a Console Patch to run through a separate synth/fx chain, then mix them all together and supply a single stereo out. Chances are you wouldn't want to be that single minded, but the option is there!
I have found the program to be very stable, both as a stand alone and a plug, and that's running on a mid spec laptop with a nasty soundcard!
The big thing I would promote is the ergonomic simplicity..I couldn't go on about it enough - there is nothing hidden, and it does exactly what it says on the box. My rating shows a poor performance on presets.. this is due to it not having any! You are supplyed with a collection of mixers and a Stepsequencer plug, which are useful.
The only thing that seems lacking, really, is the documentation, which is a small collection of HTML files. To be honest, tho', I have not had to resort to them at all, since every thing works quite intuitively.
I realise that there is growing competition from the likes of Chainer and EnergyXT, and each has it's pro. For me Console is the better, for clarity, simplicity and overall design.
..blimey, rereading thah all seems like a lot of waffle!! All i can say is - at least try it. It is well worth the cash once the 30 day trial is up! |
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By duncanparsons
On 7th May 2003
Version: 3.2.2
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n-Track Software n-Track Studio
I got N-Track at a time when I was trialing alot of MIDI sequencers and Audio software. I spent alot more time with other packages, I must admit. After a while, I found it again, and gave it a better shot - I was pleasantly surprised (so much so, i bought it, whereas I haven't bought any of the others - no I'm not going to name names!).
What you get for your money if a very varied selection of functions for audio manipulation, and a reasonable MIDI sequencer. It supports VST/i and DX/i,ASIO, 16/24 bit soundcards, decent MIDI instrument selection (tho' this has been a while coming..).
Audio: All facilities are available for volume envelopes, crossfades, non/destructive takes, etc. It doesn't have a built in Audio editor, but has provision to launch the editor of your choice: most manipulation effects are availble anyway, but you can use your favourite editor if you need to!
MIDI: There is an Event editor, and a Piano roll. There have been problems with stability in the Piano roll, but most of these seem to have been ironed out now. The editting is basic, and each track is treated as a whole unit, rather than the clips which Cubase, Cakewalk, etc have made popular. This can be an irritation, but sections can be dragged'n'dropped in the Timeline with a certain amount of ease. Functions are being added to the MIDI editting which is good to see.
Plugs: EQ and Delay included, full VST/DX Host.
Overall, what you get for your money is very good. Renders to WAV/MP3; good options for buffering, sync'ing, appearance, etc; only limites are your PC resources (the 'n' in 'n-Track' is algebraic!): there is no application limit to tracks, plugs loaded, Aux buses, etc, only the capacity of your box.
Support is also top notch. I had an issue with the piano roll. I sent a bug report to the author, and received a fix within 2 days. Since I am a developer, I had some tools to help track the bug, but others have reported similar response without the tools. Features are often requested in the user forum, and frequently acted upon within a matter of days.
There are some downsides, I have found some problems with the sync'ing of some VSTis against actual MIDI output. Being able to pull the whole track back would be useful, but not yet available! Actually most issues that folk seem to have are with the MIDI side, but there are ways to work around them. With the frequent updates (sometimes 2 or 3 new builds a week) some of the issues that are current may well have gone by the time you read this!
Lastly, the visual aspect - this is very functional, and appealing (to me anyway!). There are options to take out some of the 'bells & whistles' (various gradients, VUs, 3D, etc) to help increase processing power. There are alot of full redraws of windows tho', which can be irritating..
In conclusion, I would recommend it. It is simple for a beginner, and there is sufficient for an experienced user. If you have a limited budget, for what you get: Buy it!! |
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