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[springman]

I heard a rumor today that Digidesign is ending all support for TDM systems.  Anyone hear anything about this?  I already had a low opinion of the company, but disontinuing support for a product sold as "state of the art"  only two years ago seems  like a new low for them.  Comments?

[jgp_recording]

Rumor indeed. What digi IS doing is ending support for Mix systems with lots of warning. Check their wbsite.

[drew]

And GM is dropping support for cars.

[David Schober]

drew wrote on Fri, 07 May 2004 08:16

And GM is dropping support for cars.

What??  George has become Amish?  So much for the long awaited compressor plugin!

[Seeker-Ian]

Digi is dropping Mix support, not TDM. HD is still TDM.

and that only means 6.4 will be the last version of PT's software to work on the "obsolete" hardware.

it's OK though IMHO... I am still happily running 5.x I tried 6 for a week and it was plagues with spinning beach balls, kernal panics, and sluggishness.

I think if Digi supported accell cards with 5.x, most wouldnt have upgraded.

[tptman]

Hehehe, makes you wonder what version 7 will add.


______________________

Peter "tptman" Green

[drew]

David Schober wrote on Fri, 07 May 2004 14:52

drew wrote on Fri, 07 May 2004 08:16 And GM is dropping support for cars. What??  George has become Amish?  So much for the long awaited compressor plugin!

I know!!! As soon as I hit send I realized what I posted.

[Brent Handy]

CKerian wrote on Fri, 07 May 2004 22:09

Digi is dropping Mix support, not TDM. HD is still TDM. and that only means 6.4 will be the last version of PT's software to work on the "obsolete" hardware. it's OK though IMHO... I am still happily running 5.x I tried 6 for a week and it was plagues with spinning beach balls, kernal panics, and sluggishness. I think if Digi supported accell cards with 5.x, most wouldnt have upgraded.

Pro Tools HD is TDMII, which is a noteworthy distinction.  Original TDM cards do not work with HD systems.  However, 888's, etc can be interfaced through the Legacy ports on HD I/O units like the 192, etc.

I fail to understand how a company is faulted for no longer supporting outdated software and hardware, or for being large and profitable.  Could you survive with someone paying you once for a recording or product, that you must sweeten, edit, apend, etc indefinately?  Come on.

[henchman]

Brent wrote on Sat, 08 May 2004 14:50

I fail to understand how a company is faulted for no longer supporting outdated software and hardware, or for being large and profitable.  Could you survive with someone paying you once for a recording or product, that you must sweeten, edit, apend, etc indefinately?  Come on.

How happy would you bought a car last year for 20k, and the company told you it was stopping support or parts manufacturing, thereby rendering your car comptely useless in the next 2 years?

[Waylon]

henchman wrote on Sat, 08 May 2004 20:54

Brent wrote on Sat, 08 May 2004 14:50 I fail to understand how a company is faulted for no longer supporting outdated software and hardware, or for being large and profitable.  Could you survive with someone paying you once for a recording or product, that you must sweeten, edit, apend, etc indefinately?  Come on. How happy would you bought a car last year for 20k, and the company told you it was stopping support or parts manufacturing, thereby rendering your car comptely useless in the next 2 years?

erm.. Olsmobils just did that IIRC, and besides, is DIGI plannign on driving around and smashing Mix Rigs? they will not cease to work. This has been a long time coming, and I cant believe it is a surprise to anyone.

plus, lets all go out and buy new tubes for a fairchild.... or look into parts for an OTARi 2" machiene next year... it happens.

[Zoesch]

Except you can actually find tubes for a Fairchild AND parts for Otari 2" machines... at a price, but you can... let's see that happening with your DAW of choice

[Rob Darling]

Mix Hardware won't stop working.  It just won't run under any new software introduced.  It will still work fine and if you need to tear down your computer to do a reinstall, I'm sure you'll still be able to get a copy of the 6.4 software from them down the road (parts).  And in the unlikely event that something goes wrong, it will still be serviceable.

I use Nuendo now, but still have my HD rig, because, bottom line, it is a good investment.  The only thiing in digital that can exceed its investment value is the Radar.

[Brent Handy]

I did, it's called buying Pro Tools HD, only to have Accel come out after I shot my wad.

It is the nature of the biz.  No studio ever stopped purchasing anything.  First it was custom consoles, 4,8,16,24,32, etc recorders (pick your platform analog or digital), then it was automation, digital reverbs, delays, house sync systems, monitors, mics, etc.

New products do not always make what you have worthless.  You may not be able to use the next gen stuff to it's fullest capabilities right off the bat.  What you have been using for the past three years may be more profitable, as it may have less down time.  There will be bugs the first year.  Third party manufacturers have to get their lines adapted.  There are conflicts with that, etc.  

Your gear still works.  If you can't work without new toys then you better quit, because there will always be somebody with more than you.  It doesn't bother me, because I go to the same sale/bid sites that the big studios liquidate on, and see those new toys not being used there either.

What has changed the DAW world so dramatically that you have to ditch your current, recently purchased system?  Not much.

[oudplayer]

Brent wrote on Tue, 11 May 2004 16:20

Your gear still works.  If you can't work without new toys then you better quit, because there will always be somebody with more than you.  It doesn't bother me, because I go to the same sale/bid sites that the big studios liquidate on, and see those new toys not being used there either. What has changed the DAW world so dramatically that you have to ditch your current, recently purchased system?  Not much.

It's not just an issue of new toys. It's an issue of getting support when problems arise, which they often do with TDM systems of every vintage. Other manufacturers in the pro audio world service their products for more than 4 years. That we tacitly accept less when it comes to computer-based audio is a sad tale, in my opinion (and here I don't single out Digi, as MOTU is much the same).

My friend uses a NUBUS-based protools system which he purchased new in 1998. Though the Protools hardware and software kind of still works, the system was designed in such a way that very few makes of hard drives were supported. Newer hard drives are not supported. Thus, it's impossible to make upgrades to the system to keep it up and running. Compare this with other pro audio components that use parts that are serviceable and replacable.

It's a case of system design. I think that Digi's systems are all, without exception, designed with planned obselescence in the short-term. They're systems you can't keep up and running smoothly over many years of use.

How many years from now will it be when a HD Accel customer will call up and Digi will have noone on staff to support the product? One year? Two years?

[Loco]

A friend of mine mixes with a bad-ass TDM rig... he says he will change it when he becomes blind. I believe him.