Re: Hardware vs. software etc... (Re: £900!!!!!!!!!!!)

[Mark Sottilaro <sine@zerocrossing.net>]

On Saturday, August 23, 2003, at 12:09 PM, Andre LaFosse wrote:

> On the other hand (and at the risk of over-simplifying), people who 
> don't dig the EDP are generally looking for "more" options - more 
> audio channels, more tracks within a given loop, more memory - 
> basically, a "bigger" and "broader" general universe of possibilities. 
>  The more subtle (and unique) aspect of the Echoplex - and the VERY 
> deep and broad world of possibilities within that particular world - 
> don't seem to be much of an issue for these folks.

I thought about this a bit, and I'm not sure you're 100% right about 
wanting a broader feature set.  Maybe more automation could be cool.  
Imagine a random insert function.  Could be fun.  On the other hand, 
since unlike Andre, a lot of my sound sources are stereo, I just want a 
decent midi synced stereo looper.  I've often remarked that the JamMan 
feature set in 24bit stereo would be heaven for me.  Sometimes you want 
a Swiss Army knife, sometimes you want a dagger.  While I'm impressed 
with what Andre does with Loop4 I know that most of it isn't for me.  I 
think I want something in between a full featured Swiss Army knife and 
a dagger.

I'm also a product of being spoiled by cheap electronics.  Back in the 
day during my time working for Laurie Anderson I was in awe and wonder 
of the technology around me, including getting to work with Adrian 
Belew's rig.  It was also depressing to realize that it was all so 
beyond me.  I couldn't even imagine owning a 16 bit 24 track digital 
recorder, yet I'm typing this on one right now.  I forgot what the Sony 
3224 was selling for in those days (it was what Home of the Brave was 
recorded with) but it was astronomical by todays standards and took up 
the space of a dishwasher.  Matthias is right about being amazed every 
day about the technology around us.  It's an amazing world we live in.  
My good friend Keith loves to tell the story about having to be bonded 
when he first bought 16 bit a/d converters because they were military 
electronics.  Now you can buy them at Radio Shack.

But enough of this, "when I was your age" crap.  I'm not mad that the 
EDP in stereo would cost me $1600.  I'm mad that I live in a world 
where not enough people think it's a worthy piece of gear to own to 
make it worth mass producing it so I can get two for $800.  I know the 
grief that Matthais and Kim went through to get this tool manufactured. 
  I respect that.  However, imagine a world where you could buy a rack 
mounted box that would run any VST instrument... well you don't have 
to.  We're here.  Plugzilla.  It's new and expensive.  I hope the idea 
hits though.  Imagine if Matthais could give the finger to Gibson and 
just write software for the VST standard and then consumers could buy 
the box of their choice with the specs they need.  I would imagine 
Plugzilla doesn't have any latency issues like PCs using USB would.  
Maybe I could run 6 concurrent EDPs in their software form if I wanted. 
  Maybe 1 and a chorus and a killer reverb.  You get the idea.  I know 
there's already a keyboard that kind of works in this realm too.  
Roland is marketing it's VariOS.  It's got to be the way things go.  
Could be really cool.  I'm sure I'll just be cranky then and say things 
like, "I miss the nice heft and volume of my good old 6 space SKB 
rack..."

Mark Sottilaro