[Ti] Pet Shop Boys + Powerbook

[b]

Victor Eijkhout paused, thought it over, and spoke thusly:

>At 11:06 -0400 2004/07/11, b wrote:
>>Every synthesizer from the last 15-20 years, or so, is simply a 
>>computer with a keyboard on it. And a lot of 'storage'.
>
>Kinda sorta. They often rely on DSP chips (Motorola 56k series and 
>such) that you don't normally find in a computer.

DSP chips come under my heading of a 'computer'. It's all ones and 
zeroes. The point was: The poster had expressed some surprise at 
seeing a computer onstage, and the truth is computers, in one form or 
another, have been onstage for a long time. (and most of the first 10 
or 15 years worth of synths were pretty lame as far as the processing 
power was concerned),

A G4 or G5 replaces countless racks of 'dedicated' DSPs. And even 
rudimentary software (say, first generation Opcode Vision) could take 
a 66-key keyboard and transform it into a 256-key multi zoned, 
programmable juggernaut, all the while with the keyboard and its 
documentation stating that it could only be split in two pieces.

E-mu, the old Emulator, another case of thousandss of dollars worth 
of dsp and 4 A/D/A circuits, and almost no memory. Helllooo.  I had 
little 20MB drives (remember them?) loaded with every drumbox, e-mu 
sample pack, Linn drum patches, you name it. All courtesy of a mac 
Classic and cheap software.

Like I said, they were computers, but not by much.

As for Logic... my advice to anyone still working on their degree in 
Ellectrical Engineering.. forget it. You'll be turning out your third 
CD in Cubase, DP, etc before you figure out the menus in Logic. I 
came from a ProTools background in the studios, and it was refreshing 
to be able to focus on the work, rather than the 'process', at home.

I launch Logic platinum here for a laugh every once in a while. But 
for a newbie, ouch, no way.

~flipper