Re: Fill my rack!

["David Kirkdorffer" <vze2ncsr@verizon.net>]

I agree.  Go into a mid-priced recording studio nowadays, and look at all
those rack-mounted effects that no longer get used.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jeff Larson" <Jeffrey.Larson@Sun.COM>
To: <Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com>
Sent: Friday, May 27, 2005 3:15 PM
Subject: Re: Fill my rack!


> mark sottilaro wrote:
>  > On the other hand, it seems that there are some new
>  > things coming out but they're software.  As much as
>  > I'm a fan of dedicated hardware, I think this point in
>  > time is it's swansong.
>
> This has been hotly debated on any number of forums.  I happen to
> agree with this, though I'm not sure we're going to see any major
> shift within the next ten years.  This isn't like CD vs. vinyl, it
> will be a more gradual change.
>
> I think it is becoming pointless to argue about which is "better" at
> a technical level.  What is important is the harsh economic reality
> that it is *dramatically* cheaper to produce software than hardware.
> Any knowledgeable person with a few thousand dollars worth of tools
> can make a VST plugin.  This is where you are going to see the most
> innovation.
>
> Currently, this movement is held in check by another harsh reality.
> PC's are simply not as reliable as dedicated hardware.  But think back
> to what a "pc" was 20 years ago, what will it be 20 years from now?
> It can only get better.  But if you're a hardware manufacturer, in 20
> years you're still going be dealing with labor, supply chains,
> inventory, distribution, and repairs.  Unless dedicated hardware is so
> dramatically better in some way than the competing software, it just
> won't make economic sense to manufacture.
>
> I'm sure dedicated hardware will continue to have a niche at the high
> end, and maybe the high-volume low end (e.g. stompboxes).  But
> for mainstream signal processing, my belief is that we will eventually
> evolve to a small number of general purpose hardware platforms,
> designed to be rugged and stable, which then host the software.  Heck,
> have you looked at the specs of a game machine lately?  Stick an 8x8
> audio interface in an X-Box and you're almost there.  In not too many
> years we'll have 100GB flash ram cards so you won't need those nasty
> spinning disks.  About the only stability issue that won't be
> solved in my lifetime are the security holes in Internet Explorer :-)
>
> Flame on!
>
> Jeff
>