What's gonna happen to our plugins when Windows 8 launches?

[HeavensOnEarth]

Driver latency is drastically increased on Win 8. You can see this by running DPC Latency checker on a PC running Win 7 and then on the same PC after upgrading to Win 8. It is said that this is indeed due to some power saving features which do not appear to be user-configurable.
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That's interesting you discovered that. Were they WASAPI or RI drivers?

The current Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) doesn't indicate anything is changing that would prevent prior VSTs from functioning correctly. In the past there were issues with run-time library incompatibility for different SDK releases. Some time ago Microsoft introducd a new system for supporting multiple run-time libraries simultaneously, so if you did have problems in the past, and your VST host binaries are less than a few years old, it shouldn't happen again.

The MIDI interface should also still work, but MIDI predates plug and play. Some are finding they have to quit the application and restart it for some MIDI interfaces. There are some indications the USB MIDI interfaces are better, because they can to some extent piggyback on USB plug and play. Applications may connect to the MIDI driver at an older interface level, and it's still in the SDK, in fact it is the oldest driver code in the SDK. That's as much as I know at the moment.

the VST interface itself is not in the SDK. It, like ASIO, is a Steinberg proprietary interface which Steinberg made open to the industry to foster growth. And it was certainly successful in that )

[4damind]

Driver latency is drastically increased on Win 8. You can see this by running DPC Latency checker on a PC running Win 7 and then on the same PC after upgrading to Win 8. It is said that this is indeed due to some power saving features which do not appear to be user-configurable.

Microsoft supporters stated that tools like DPC Latency Checker are not working correctly because some changed stuff in Windows 8. The tests from Cakewalk showing also very good results. So we must wait if some more users and OEMs making some tests and if there is some solution/idea about this DPC Latency Checker stuff for Win8.
This time I trust more some real usage tests like this from Cakewalk. We will see similar tests/benchmarks for Cubase and other DAWs with Win8 (I hope the guy from DAW Benchmark will provide such benchmarks in the near future).

[HeavensOnEarth]

portcis, for hardware-accelerated mixing in an RT miniport, is described here:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library ... 59116.aspx

[hibidy]

I'll be on Windows 7 for a long time. Everything is working fine so no way would I mess with that.

Can I get an amen! I don't want to break ttoz's copyright, but it happens to me every time I launch windows 7

[HeavensOnEarth]

portcis, for hardware-accelerated mixing in an RT miniport, is described here:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library ... 59116.aspx

This won't be the first time the Windows API has pushed down into audio hardware acceleration. The same was attempted with WDM, but it wasn't successful. As WASAPI is slow, DAWs could choose to integrate hardware mixing, and some audio card manufacturers could choose to support that path instead of ASIO. When Steinberg introduced ASIO it wasn't possible to obtain the same latency in audio drivers any other way. With WaveRT it is at least theoretically possible for new cards. They are likely to be expensive though, because most of the focus is currently on Metro, and Metro's not good for pro audio at all.

[IrionDaRonin]

I'm still sticked to XP.
No need to being forced to jump out, yet.

Have a good day

[trimph1]

I'll be on Windows 7 for a long time. Everything is working fine so no way would I mess with that.

Can I get an amen! I don't want to break ttoz's copyright, but it happens to me every time I launch windows 7

Amen Brotheren and Sisteren....

I don't think I'll be doing the Windows8 thing for awhile yet...

[zendorf]

Who the f**k makes real music on a tablet or iphone anyway. That is just one big worktime void/ lunchtime filler little gag anyway. Like this bunch of stylish mixes 'done in ableton at a starbucks' on Resident Advisor lately. Way to kill the craft.

Yeah I am coming to a similar conclusion after owning an Asus ep121 tablet (win7 i5 proc)for about 6 months. A very nice machine to be sure, but the whole form factor of a tablet per se for doing any real creative work just fails to deliver ,compared to a good workstation or laptop.

The combination of small screen, touch interface and lack of hotkeys just makes most things take twice as long. In theory a mobile workstation is nice, but who really wants to be creative in public or on a bus/train anyway? I actually relish the time when away from normal screens and don't want to endlessly stare at small ones

I create CG for a crust and find drawing on a tablet is possibly the best creative use for one, but for music give me a decent sized screen and a mouse any day.

[stonestreet]

ttoz...

"but the win XP thing is getting a bit long in the tooth now... it's time to give it up i think, seriously... "

Still works ok for me. I still have W98 running on one of my machines. It's ok until something breaks... or you want new shiny.

Once my machines go tits up. Then I will get a new operating system. Once this happens my Yamaha 01X becomes a rather large door stop. I spent good money on this and want it to last a bit longer.

My work computer is still XP. My bosses pc is W7. I realy find it difficult assiting him in times of woe. It's like how super markets always move thing around and you then have to look at every item in the shop trying to find the tin of beans that you have bought for the last twenty years. I still like having menues rather than that ribbon strip thing.

Laters mark

[Oxalis]

There's also the Mountain Lion's Gatekeeper hassle that needs to be addressed in the plug-in installation package..

[rj0]

I've still got one of those (and it still works). State-of-the-art!

[hibidy]

We had something similar to that at a retail store I worked at when I was a late teen/20ish. Not surprisingly, I used to sample things and bug the coworkers

[myrna]

I've still got one of those (and it still works). State-of-the-art!

i had it too, very nice little toy, 1 sec. sampling

[HeavensOnEarth]

The combination of small screen, touch interface and lack of hotkeys just makes most things take twice as long. In theory a mobile workstation is nice, but who really wants to be creative in public or on a bus/train anyway? I actually relish the time when away from normal screens and don't want to endlessly stare at small ones .

you have a point. When touchscreen was expensive, there was a split: desktop control surfaces without them, and handhelds with them. Now the void betweeh is going to fill with new devices, and there will be a continuum. Apple has patented a lid for its handhelds which contains one of its thinscreens, also. Some people want the convenience of a smaller programmable controller. Another issue for the handhelds is that they just can 't provide GLOPS like a desktop can, but the desktop heating is noisy, so people want a remote controller sometimes which can interface with any VST, and that's something palmtops can provide. As to whether the VSTs will be on Windows 8, generally it seems studios which have invested alot in hardware won't upgrade. It's the new places which will put Windows 9 in place instead.

[myrna]

I've heard windows pad will be 14' by the way. If runs vst: little revolution. Touchscreen technology is nothing new for musicians, see Korg Trinity (1996)...