PlanetZ forums - scopeusers.com

Greetins all,

First off let me apologize for semi spamming this kind community with my questions in three different threads, just these are semi different scenarios and the older threads have they're own content.

Now on to my latest and greatest venture into the decision process of purchasing a scope system. I have spoken with AudioMidi as well as a few people at CW, here my latest situation, it turns out I am being recommended to go with a 15 DSP system " PowerPulsar II" they tell me while I could prob get away with a Pulsar II I am best off to go with 15 DSPs due to some of the apps coded to take advantage of say DSP #9 to ease processing power who knows, but better to have more and use less than have less and need more I suppose.

Now I have an option to purchase the PowerPulsar and A/B it against my Lynx Card to see if I am happoy with the sonic quality of the card. But does this become redundant?

Here is the redundant part,

Lets say I own the Lynx Card, a TC Powercore and a UAD-1 and as for VSTi's my collection is the following:

- Spectrasonics Atmosphere
- Spectrasonics Stylus
- Pro53
- Reaktor4
- V Station
- Moog Modular V
- Pentagon
- Junglist
- Kontakt
- Battery

Any my Outboard Synths are:

- M1
- Juno 106
- Juno Alpha 2
- SH101
- TB303
- Moog Source
- Roland JX3P
- Nord 2
- Bass Station
- Orbit

Is it all a bit redundant? Ill be honest when I say I am heavily vested into my VSTis as it just is so much easier to work with than my outboard gear these days, and I truelly love the flexibilty you have working with softsynths, but what do you guys think? tomorrow I will prob order the PowerPulsar II to A/B it, but just curious what you guys think?

Thanks again, and I apologize if I am starting to enter the pest phase here lol, just wanna be sure I know what I am doing before I commit to 2k in hard earned cash

Cheers!

First of all, that's quite a setup. You will have a little overlap in the hardware arena, the Juno and the UKnow007 will be obviously similar. Though I think the places of overlap the Creamware will not sound exactly the same (cept for the moog which if it's a miniMoog, should sound identical) and can be used to thicken tones against each other. With the SFP system it's really easy to have one midi channel go out to a bunch of different synths at once; DSP based or external. You'll still have to make duplicate tracks for the VST though as you can only load up one VST per track. But using the routing you can use one track of midi to control several items at once provided they share the same channel.

The VSTs may make interesting textures for a changeup here and there, but I think you'll find, after some exploration in SFP, you won't have much use for many of them again.

The Spectrasonics stuff is pretty cool, but many of the synths in the Creamware platform can make pads (or whatever) of exceptional quality and similar character. Check out Prisma, Plastic (by Wavelength... he also just updated it with a new version which is supposed to be sick), the Bluesynth, and Saturn all make fantastic pads.

There are others I'm sure I'm forgetting for the moment, but if you search the files section of PlanetZ and start playing with everything you got, you'll be wrapped up for a couple of months before you can even make sense of all you can do with the stuff.

You can really get mad scientist-like with some knobs and a good sequencer.

I think you will find, though, that your whole setup will really come together in a way that you hadn't anticipated previously.

If it clicks with ya, it's a spiritual transformation. You really begin painting with sound.

That's been my experience anyway. I could have my head up my ass.

Hope that helps,
Sam

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: dehuszar on 2003-08-22 00:44 ]</font>

One other thing, you will not be able to use ASIO drivers at the same time with the Lynx card. Just a limitation of ASIO. I dunno if you've got one of those 192kHz cards, but I think you will find that the converters on the Pulsar will be at least as good as the Lynx, and you might be able to sell off the excess fat and put it towards some good plugs.

Just a thought,
Sam

ditto.15 dsps will be nice at mixdown(xtc )......

On 2003-08-22 00:23, dehuszar wrote:
... Plastic (by Wavelength... he also just updated it with a new version which is supposed to be sick), ...

it IS sick
the first thing I'd do with 15 DSPs is feed the output of one UberPlasic into the input of another instance (probably about 10 DSP usage for 4 voices)

received mine yesterday and couldn't resist, Tom

back on topic: each of your hardware synths has a special sound color, which will add something to the whole picture - as Sam wrote - the best of SFP is that it makes that integration so easy.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: astroman on 2003-08-22 06:18 ]</font>

UberPlastic and Interpole are also quite a sick combo

Basic Pitch,
Well you seem to be covering every angle on this purchase (better to do the research than start pissing us off with with: "I bought a Pulsar and it sucks").

OK, let me list my set-up to give you an idea of where i've come from, how i got there and i'll tell you where i'm going:

Mac G4 with SCOPE & Pulsar 2plus (21 DSPs)
Cubase VST/32 v5.1
VSTi: Oddity & M-Tron
SFPi (my name for SFP devices): MiniMax, Pro One, Prophet Standard, uberplastic, B-2003 (i've not included the 'standard' synths, but there's some goodies there too)

Hardware: Roland JD-800, JD-990, R-8M, MC-202, SH-09, CR-78
OSCar
Kurzweil PC88 and Expressionmate ribbon controller
Moog Rogue
Simmons ClapTrap
Yamaha Motif6
Line6 Pod2

As you can see i have different stuff to you but there is some crossover in types if not makes. But wait, only two VSTi? Yes i've only ever bought two because they are honestly the only two that cover a sound area that i want that SFP doesn't cover. i will be puchasing impOSCar when it comes out to replace my real OSCar.

Now i started out with my SH-09, then Moog Rogue, then OSCar and built up from there (we're talking 1981 onwards here!). Now with SFP i've reached a stage where something that i thought would never happen has: i'm going to sell my JD-800. i lusted after this synth for so long and i can't believe it but SFP is easier to program than my JD-800 and has a greater sound range. i'll be keeping my JD-990 so that i still have access to the JD-800 sounds i love, but even that is being used less and less. My 09, Rogue and OSCar are still used, but again less and less, but their sentimental value stops me from selling them (plus they look cool). The MC-202 is going too.

My dream is to reduce my system to a Mac with SFP and a couple of keyboards and some odd gear.

Now i've tried Pro 53 and Zarg's Prophet poos on it from a great height. Email John Bowen http://www.zargmusic.com/ and ask for a demo of Prophet Plus (and Solaris - great synth) and tell me that you think Pro53 is better. Make sure you get the demo before you get the trial SCOPE card. Also try the demo of MiniMax and tell me that MMV is fatter (switch off the effects on both and see what's left) - i like MMV's step sequencer but the demo presets didn't do much for me. Likewise try the demos for B-2003 and Pro One and wavelength's uberplastic http://www.track0.com/wavelength/ (ill undustrial to spooky pads). Also try some of the freebies like Space F's Synthetic http://www.planetz.com/forums/viewtopic ... orum=16&36 and Neutron's Sonic Attack http://www.planetz.com/forums/viewtopic ... orum=16&22. Honestly these things are replacing my hardware and stopping me buy VSTi also, most VSTi just don't cut it compared to SFP. Also try OptiMaster as i believe you were interested in that - you could set up a simple project that has one stereo ASIO out from Nuendo going into OptiMaster then back into the stereo in ASIO (back into a stereo track of Nuendo) and record the output on a different track. As you only have an hour with the demo try the 'Wizard' function on your mixes to give you a quick idea of what it can do.

i think supplementing SFP with a few quirky things like CR-78 and Clap Trap and the ribbon controller add flavour to a great sounding product. If you're finding you're using your hardware less now because of VSTi, then with SFP you may find that your hardware is redundant and that you use your VSTi less too. That's what happened to me (i've cleared out my VSTi folder except for the two instruments mentioned above). Things like Atmosphere don't really exist on SFP, but i think all your subtractive VSTi will gather dust once you hear the difference.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Mr Arkadin on 2003-08-22 07:40 ]</font>

Thanks again all!

Yes I am trying to cover EVERY angle, we are talking a nice chunk of change here and I am already over budget this month as it is on studio expense lol..

As far as hardware, yes its VERY sad indeed, I havce some classics that just sit and collect dust =( the list of gear I posted is only partial to what I have in here that does not get used, there are still TONS of out board effects, compressors, spectral enhancers, stereo expanders, drum machines, dats, samplers etc etc, its very disheartening..

I have my MPC and SP1200 sitting on the side lines collecting dust since I started using "Battery" for drums, its just so flexible that how could you not use it. My poor SP1200 now servers as a book holder when reading manuals, they dont make machines with faders that large these days

Ohh well, maybe ill be happy with a SFP system, and start selling off all the gear I have laying around..

One other question though, these cards have no jitter control? Do you find on large projects that you have any audio issues with slow playback, jitter, or any other sort of audio anomalies(sp?)..

Cheers!