Subject: Re: [linux-audio-dev] [ardour] new CVS version
From: Paul Barton-Davis (pbd_AT_Op.Net)
Date: Fri Apr 14 2000 - 23:38:48 EEST
>Can you comment on how ardour compares to Mackie's 24 track HDR, now that
>you have the punch in kinks worked out?
I can't comment in much detail on the Mackie HDR, since although I've
put my hands on one and have read all the marketing blurb, I've never
actually used one. In terms of the front panel functionality, ardour
does everything that their system does, and in some cases, it does
more (ardour's handling of location points, for example, is more
flexible; we have Bill Gribble's cool idea for over-length metering
implemented; i happen to like my meters better too).
but the fundamental feature of ardour is: cost. If you have a
reasonable computer system with a hard disk that can give 9MB/sec of
sustained throughput, then you can spend about $500 on a Hammerfall
and get a system equivalent to the HDR when it comes to straight
recording, except that the latter costs $4K (street).
HOWEVER, the main thing that their system has is a builtin non-linear,
non-destructive multitrack editor, so there is no need to export the
files to another system if you want to do clever things with the stuff
you've recorded. Ardour doesn't have anything like this yet, and I
don't plan to write too much code to do this - my goal, as mentioned
before, is to harness the power of snd as the editing side of things,
but also to leave the files in standard formats (WAV right now), so
that any editor can be used.
This integration is *very* critical, because it will force ardour to
use a playlist rather than linear progression through the sample data
of the file. I have no plans to do this until "static" recording is
perfect, and all the up-front functionality associated with a "tape
recorder" is implemented and correct.
The Mackie system also includes the idea of a "take" - each track can
have up to 8 "takes". I am not sure how best to do this right now. I
think it may be intimately connected with the notion of the playlist
generated by the editor. Takes would simply go into an "additional
buffer file", and the playlist would indicate motion in and out of
that file as needed. But as I said, I'm unsure how best to do it, and
it may have to wait for integration with an editor.
On the other hand, by comparison with the Alesis M20 ADAT, ardour
already has a lot to recommend it. Mostly the benefits that any
HB-based recording system would have. But also: 24 bit (well, scope
for 32) recording. We also have the capability (it needs a tweak to
the code) to handle submix/bounce down tracks even when you already
have 24 tracks full of stuff - ardour allows the use of tapes with
more tracks than we have channels available, and the mapping of any
track to any channel, including disabling the track.
The big clock display isn't bad either. Did I mention that I'm
designing plugin support ? :)
Does this overly-long ramble answer your question ?
--p
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b28 : Sat Apr 15 2000 - 00:16:53 EEST