Apple and Audio apps...what's the real story??

[jholzner]

I don't use any pro audio tools but I read a lot in the forums that a big reason many can't migrate to X is due to a lack of native audio apps. I stumbled across this article on Apple's site that shows all the native X apps for audio as well as X native plugins. Are things getting better or are things pretty bad on the audio front? What needs to happen to get the audio crowed on the X side?

 

[noverflow]

I know that the hardcore digital studios are all on protools. Usually using 9600s with osx. (9600s because of the 6 pci slots)

Computer power does not matter on the audio side because of farm cards.

When you launch protools, the farm cards take over the cpu and system. In os9 with the farm cards, you can click on ajustments and change windows with out the system stoping for a sec, and while recording 24 tracks of audio. The system acts alot like osx when using the farm cards.

My brother has a protools system with 3 farm cards. He is still running it on 9... mainly because the filters he has spent thousands on are still os9. I know he wants to go to X, just to consolidate his system... wants out of the dual boot system.

I dont think it matters when they go X... because PC audio (true high end) is a joke.

 

[dialectro]

The only thing still in the way from migration, as far as I can tell from reading forums, is that there are LOTS of plug ins which were made in VST and they need to be ported to Audio Units to work in OS X. There's a VST-AU adapter that someone made which works pretty well, but it costs $99 and I've never used it. The other problem is that many audio card manufacturers are very lazy with the driver port to OS X. I don't know if this is Apple's fault with Core Audio or if they are just understaffed. Otherwise, as far as the big apps go, they are almost all available on OS X, and by the end of the year Native Instuments and Steinberg, along with the whole Propellerhead line, should all be there as well.
I make electronic music on my mac in with Logic, Digital Performer, Reason and Peak and I love OS X. It NEVER CRASHES!!

 

[daveg5]

Originally posted by dialectro
The only thing still in the way from migration, as far as I can tell from reading forums, is that there are LOTS of plug ins which were made in VST and they need to be ported to Audio Units to work in OS X. There's a VST-AU adapter that someone made which works pretty well, but it costs $99 and I've never used it. The other problem is that many audio card manufacturers are very lazy with the driver port to OS X. I don't know if this is Apple's fault with Core Audio or if they are just understaffed. Otherwise, as far as the big apps go, they are almost all available on OS X, and by the end of the year Native Instuments and Steinberg, along with the whole Propellerhead line, should all be there as well.
I make electronic music on my mac in with Logic, Digital Performer, Reason and Peak and I love OS X. It NEVER CRASHES!!

i second most of that, must manufactors were waiting until jag before writing apps or they would have to rewrite them, when you consider jag has only been out 10 months the progress is good.
My experience is that the os9 apps are more mature, just as stable, and yes osx does crash apps do quit and there is an ocassion kernal panic like the usb hub bug i had, it is also a good idea not to have 2 pro daws up and running at the same time. (pro audio apps are very well written), work with all midi interfaces, serial and usb and work fine with all audio cards, usb, (osx has major problems with distortion and what nots, with certain supported cards esp. usb) firewire, and pci also all special features on those cards are unlocked for instance the yamaha dsp factory card has 2 fx, eq, and compression on 24 channels not using cpu power, yamaha states drivers will be out in fall/winter (3years late) and that it will be up to the music app makers to unlock on those features, read none of those features will be present. my audiowerk2 card works great in os9 in osx there is distortion from time to time, many serial and usb midi devices are not supported in osx fully esp. opcodes, who wrote both oms and parts of core mid for apple, you would think they would support there own cards (midisport32usb)

nevertheless it is getting much better with plugins being the biggest sticking point, rightfully so many users of logic and vst who have a large vst collection of fx and instruments in os9 really think it is unfair to have them buy a osx version of what they already own plus the updated osx version of the app
and apples decision to only support vst in os9 logic 6 has not helped matters. even though audio units is technologically better, vst has been the standard for over 5 years, every one knows how to program for it and it is cross platform , meaning developers can sale it to mac and pc users for more return on investment.

I am glad I have a dual boot system as thier are as much as 10 years of good audio apps for os 9 and must wont work in classic, i never understood why grphic programs ,must games etc work in classic but not music apps, maybe it is because the asio and oms and freemidi and soundmanager drivers take over the system,
This is the single biggest reason more pro and novice musicians have not upgraded to osx or bought a new osx only mac, as they really want to keep thier software hardware investment, if 10.3 addresses this along with the 970 powermacs and a good economy then there really will be no reason to upgrade if your finances allow.
Just think if your new 970 powermac with 10.3 could run protools, vst, dp3, farm cards, oms, freemidi, asio, plus run jag and panther apps as you upgrade.
that would be great.
as it is i use os9 and cubase, rebirth, logic etc. in in osx i use deck, cubase sl/sx, etc. and will probably get logic or dp4 around xmas along with a controll surface. i think those who use only os9, osx or both can find what they need at this time and in another year with the faster machines i expect osx apps to really pick up as it is a great os for audio and almost thru with it's growing pains.
I hope 10.3 allows classic to run os9 apps that are now only available if you can boot in OS9, this is the single biggest complaint of those moving slowly to OSX and who want to buy a new machine(that would mean all new apps)
the second is a vst-audiounits converter, vst to rtas, vst-mas and backwards audio unit to vst, to rtas, to mas.
the third is support asio and core audio and core midi for as many audiocards and midi cards as possible along with a generic configurable driver and bug fixes and free or nominal upgrades from os9 apps.
make some good music
peace

 

[pianojoe]

I'm not endorsing piracy but the recording scene are "known to be somewhat reluctant" (to put it mildly) to use legally purchased software as long as there is a crack available.

Belive me, the very moment those cracks are "upgraded" to "support" OS X versions of the more popular plug-ins, a major part of the industry will migrate.

(In case you feel pissed: I know that YOU would never do that, just talking general.)

 

[daveg5]

point well taken.

Originally posted by pianojoe
I'm not endorsing piracy but the recording scene are "known to be somewhat reluctant" (to put it mildly) to use legally purchased software as long as there is a crack available.

Belive me, the very moment those cracks are "upgraded" to "support" OS X versions of the more popular plug-ins, a major part of the industry will migrate.

(In case you feel pissed: I know that YOU would never do that, just talking general.)

you hit the nail on the head.
one of the reason there is still twenty million os9 and earlier users at least with pro audio is that Motu, Emagic/Apple, Steinberg all refuse to make a demo version of there multi track apps avial. track or time or feature limited.
How are you supposed to decide on one (word of mouth dont think so as each app has users that only use it and berate the others they never used, this is especially true with logic as all applecians including myself at time find it hard to say anything bad about an apple app vs. the compettition as it is hard to be objective agianst apple.
Also the above 3 should make quicktime tutrials available free as a tour of the apps. www.macaudiolab.com
peace