Digitrax VS Deck VS Session (1996 article)

[supernova777]

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1996_articles/mar96/powerrangers.html

"For the first time, multitrack digital production is almost entirely a software issue."

Several software houses are producing modestly priced programs which take advantage of the audio capabilities of the Apple Power Macs. The result can be high-quality multitrack digital audio at a suprisingly low cost. PAUL D. LEHRMAN finds he's got the Power...

 

It's amazing how much the 'entry fee' for high-quality digital recording has come down. Around 10 years ago, the cheapest multitrack digital system cost tens of thousands of pounds -- and that was just for a single tape machine, with no editing or mixing capabilities. Digidesign's launch of Sound Tools in 1987 abruptly changed the world of two-track digital editing, for the first time bringing it within reach of a project studio budget. It also represented a sea-change in audio editing user interfaces, and a few years later, Pro Tools did the same thing for multitrack recording, mixing, and editing.

Now the RISC-based Power Macintosh computers from Apple have arrived, and the field has changed again. Apple's design includes data and disk I/O paths that can support multiple streams of digital audio inside the computer's central processor, and 16-bit, 44.1kHz A/D and D/A convertors, so that no additional hardware is required for work with high-end audio. For the first time, multitrack digital production is almost entirely a software issue. With the hardware already provided, the only decisions to be made are what features the software should have, and how the user interface will look and behave. With Power Macs now available for under £1000, and the necessary software costing no more than a good MIDI sequencer, musicians and engineers can now own a system for what, only a few years ago, it would have cost to rent one for a day.

is this the same as macromedia DECK?
what is this company OSC? never heard of it

[Metrophage]

Yes, Deck changed hands quite a few times, I remember something about OSC.

[MacTron]

But, Alaska/Opcode Digitrax is a different App than Deck. AFAIK.

http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php?topic=951.0

Digitrax was the first and the only app that allow  real time effects on 68k macs with DSP on board: 660AV & 840AV.

[supernova777]

But, Alaska/Opcode Digitrax is a different App than Deck. AFAIK.

http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php?topic=951.0

Digitrax was the first and the only app that allow  real time effects on 68k macs with DSP on board: 660AV & 840AV.

yes of course - the article is comparing the use/production value of these 3 seperate tools and mentioning the historical relevance ... of the ffact that they can do all those things "in the box" using only software. 1996 was the year before the jump to light speed (VST!!!)