Audio Units support in Mac OSX Tracktion 2?

[ModuLR]

Oh, and on my powerbook, it's not CPU being used for that anyway, but rather GPU.

just to add a touch of reality here... Powerbooks are SLOW so be thankful it's using the GPU.

[Sage]

Seems like Tracktion is on of only 3 apps left which do not support AU. I'm sure if users want it enough, they'll eventually get it.

If everybody jumped off a bridge....

50 million Elvis fans can't be wrong.

[AD80]

Oh, and on my powerbook, it's not CPU being used for that anyway, but rather GPU.

The point is its sucking something. I dont care if its CPU, GPU, XYZPU, ripples on an interface are a waste.

[AD80]

50 million Elvis fans can't be wrong.

You're right. Which is why we should have DX support immediately.

[semiquaver]

AD80 don't be so prickly. Better to supporrt more plug formats than fewer. So you don't have any use for AU support. I do.

Might there be some advantage to AU vs VST? maybe yes maybe no. I don't know and neither do you. I just want to be able to use whatever people develop and I want to see T compete in the mac market.

[AD80]

Well I want to see T compete in the windows market. So I want DXi and DX support immediately. I want Jules to stop everything to support a platform that only includes half the users.

Seriously tho, my gripe with AU is that it makes developers stop everything to develope for the niche market, when they could be implementing new features that benefit everybody in that same time. And why pick AU first? When DX has been around a lot longer and has a bigger user base.

Dont worry guy, I'm sure jules doesnt agree with me, and he's the one in charged so, I wouldnt stress of it. But you gotta admit it wouldnt be fair at this point.

[Sage]

Well I want to see T compete in the windows market. So I want DXi and DX support immediately. I want Jules to stop everything to support a platform that only includes half the users.

Come off it, man. What would he be holding up, seriously? T2 is OUT now. And the only thing it's really lacking, aside from a built-in drum map step sequencer, is support for non-VST plugins.

Seriously tho, my gripe with AU is that it makes developers stop everything to develope for the niche market, when they could be implementing new features that benefit everybody in that same time. And why pick AU first? When DX has been around a lot longer and has a bigger user base.

I'd be hesitant to make that claim without numbers to back it up. AU has become incredibly widespread in a short period of time. What's more, it's integrated into the operating system. You can't get that with DXi or VST. Yes, I know DirectX is part of Windows, but the DirectX effect and instrument plugin architecture is not.

But this is beside the point. Nobody's arguing that Jules shouldn't put DX support into Tracktion. I wouldn't expect less from him than to add AU and DX at the same time.

Honestly, what's wrong with developing for niche markets at this point? Tracktion already serves the mainstream so well that it's difficult to imagine what could be added to serve that middle-of-the-road demographic. Now that T2 is out, niche markets are the only ones still untapped.

[ModuLR]

Come off it, man. What would he be holding up, seriously? T2 is OUT now. And the only thing it's really lacking, aside from a built-in drum map step sequencer, is support for non-VST plugins.

so the fact that T2 is out negates the desire for folder tracks, improved timestretch, automation clips, and the list of other *general* needs that could benefit all? AU is more important than those? ok. It's time to develop for niche markets? uh.. ok.

Either way, I won't bitch... because I have no control over it... but there are still quite a few things that have been voiced which could easily benefit everyone as opposed to a particular platform.

Honestly, what's wrong with developing for niche markets at this point? Tracktion already serves the mainstream so well that it's difficult to imagine what could be added to serve that middle-of-the-road demographic. Now that T2 is out, niche markets are the only ones still untapped.

do you really beleive this? you honestly can't think of features that could benefit everyone at this point? please take off the apple blinders.

[DHR53]

Wait a minute... If we're in such a minority, would WE be the one's with the blinders on?

[eluxtria]

What graphics tricks have you seen? I can say one thing about these so-called gimicks, they can be useful visualizations.

I can think of a lot. But the first one that jumps to mind is this one my friend showed me. I dont remember the name. Its green and its a subtractive synth. When you click on the knobs you get a little ripple effect like the interface is made out of liquid.

All those ripple effects suckin up cpu for what? They didnt "provide a visual representation of what is going on under the hood" . Unless it was using some type of liquid synthesis that I never heard of. Either way the synth sounded like crap. All show, no go.

Well, that's not exactly what I had in mind. Those types of gimicks, are of course, useless when you are creating a sound, but are 'cute' when you are some sales guy demoing the plug-in.

I'm more interested in visualizations of reverb in a room using a particle system or something which directly visualizes the effect of the parameters on the model being programmed. In Ozone 3, there's is a histogram built into the threshold controls for the limiter section. That is REALLY fantastically useful and happens to look really cool too. Now, Ozone 3 is _not_ exclusively an AU, so my guess is that it looks the same on all platforms. It does provide an example of gimimcky graphics that are helpful for programming the sound/settings.

[ModuLR]

@DHR53 even worse.. being in the minority and having blinders... whoa!

Just so I don't come off like a total ass ... tho I much prefer my Winbox for music, I have a powerbook too.. and the VSTs which I have purchased, with the exception of short circuit, are all crossplatform. I can make music on either machine. Would I rather see focus go to making something available just for the powerbook at this point? no, because there is so much other stuff... such that I could benefit on either machine.

[eluxtria]

All those ripple effects suckin up cpu for what? They didnt "provide a visual representation of what is going on under the hood" . Unless it was using some type of liquid synthesis that I never heard of. Either way the synth sounded like crap. All show, no go.

This is what seperates musicians from sound engineers -- the ability to realize that visual stimulation promotes creativity, and that sound, while paramount, is not everything.

Interesting. I am part of a generation of musicians who sound design, compose, arrange, mix and master their own work. Its a difficult, broad, interdisciplinary process, but one which has great rewards. I think the era of the specialist is probably coming to an end. It used to be, if you were a musician, say a drummer, that was all that you would do. You might learn a bit about miking your drums, but you probably wouldn't know much about mixing them.

Anyhow, we're digressing. I'd like to see AU's added simply because its become the predominent format on the Mac. It will also continue to get a lot of support from Apple. Look at all of the cool stuff they've added in Tiger to Core Audio services. Including a new class of AU's called "Generators" which includes a very cool new networking plug-in that can send audio to other plug-in hosts on on different machines via an IP address. I just don't see M$ changing DX to add this type of functionality. Also, on Windows, most DAW users don't care about DX, and prefer to use VST. I'm fine with VST being the top format on Windows and I think that's covered in T2, quite well.

[Sage]

Honestly, what's wrong with developing for niche markets at this point? Tracktion already serves the mainstream so well that it's difficult to imagine what could be added to serve that middle-of-the-road demographic. Now that T2 is out, niche markets are the only ones still untapped.

do you really beleive this? you honestly can't think of features that could benefit everyone at this point? please take off the apple blinders.

Yeah, I do believe this. Because of the 100 new features Mackie says are in T2, I get use out of three of them, tops. That leaves 97 new features we already have that aren't immediately useful to more than a particular niche. Do you really think 64-bit mixing is going to be appreciated by more than a niche market right now? Or support for Mackie controllers? The only one wearing blinders is you -- everyone benefits from improved extensibility.

[Sage]

Just so I don't come off like a total ass ... tho I much prefer my Winbox for music, I have a powerbook too.. and the VSTs which I have purchased, with the exception of short circuit, are all crossplatform. I can make music on either machine. Would I rather see focus go to making something available just for the powerbook at this point? no, because there is so much other stuff... such that I could benefit on either machine.

I use a powerbook, but I do focus on cross-platform music software so that I can switch back if I ever need to. This isn't about Windows vs. Macintosh -- like I said, I fully expect that if AU is added we'll see DX as well.

[DHR53]

O.K. someone tell me what DXi plugs are must have...?? And you can't live without? I never bought a single DXi plug the whole time I was buying stuff for my PC, yet you T pc types keep bringing that up, like it's a big deal? There are definately more AU plugs than DXi, right?? Hmmm... It's Sonar that uses DXi right?... O.K. Never mind