tfort
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Posts posted by tfort
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5 hours ago, Ibarch said:
In my view, Apple don't need to make 2 devices with 2 different operating systems. The biggest improvement would be to have one code base that worked on both iPads and their computers.
Imagine a world where iPad users wouldn't spend years waiting for half functioning copies of programs like Mainstage to be released. Imagine if all virtual instruments and plugins were available. Imagine not spending hundreds of hours researching half decent piano apps because the same VSL and EastWest pianos that had already been bought for the computer worked on a tablet.
You don't need to imagine. That world exists. It is called Windows.
But Apple just do everything better, right?
iOS and iPad OS are essentially the same, and MacOS isn’t that different from both these days. One is optimized for a precision pointing device (a mouse), and the other is optimized with touch targets for a fat, imprecise pointer (your finger) with multitouch possibilities. There are are differences in expectations of memory available, I/O, file structure, etc. as well.
Those relatively small differences aside, Mac apps and iOS/iPad apps are running on essentially the same processor cores and most of the code base will run directly or only need slight modification, and Apple provides tools for this.
I think in terms of music software, the amount of work to make a touch-enabled version of a Mac app isn’t that much, and Apple allows iPad apps to run on MacOS- the developers essentially just need to check a box to allow it.
I believe the primary issue holding back more universal software and plugins are the developer’s business models. They are used to charging relatively high prices for an app or plugin on the PC/Mac side, but the iOS/iPad market developed to support less expensive apps. The developer may have nearly the same code base, with the same features and capabilities, but with two different historical and expected pricing structures. Developers are trying to figure out how to proceed without leaving money on the table, devaluing their work, or pissing off their existing legacy PC/Mac customers.
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I can see Apple doing this as long as it’s simple- maybe the new iPads switch immediately to (touch-enabled) macOS when connected to the new Magic Keyboards, and immediately switch back to iPad OS when the tablet is removed from the keyboard. It could work with other manufacturers’ keyboards if they used the official connectors or something like that, too.
Putting a touchscreen on a MacBook or MacBook Pro would be simple for Apple to do, I’d like to see it tried. You could touch the screen when it suits you, and use the trackpad or mouse when you need a precision pointing device. It would cause some UI/size target issues, but might be worth trying.
For going the other way, making your iPad run MacOS, see this:
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15 hours ago, zxcvbnm098 said:
Really interesting....thanks for sharing!!
You're welcome. It's pretty fascinating, and goes against the conventional wisdom that nothing can be done once you've got tinnitus. Seems like there's some hope after all.
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(this is a gift article link from the Washington Post that everyone should be able to read)
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There have been rumors about a PX-5S successor for a while. When Mike himself made one, I started this thread here on KC (in November of 2022):
I assume that supply chains got completely fouled up due to Covid. Curious to see what the new board eventually has to offer. I have an S-3000 which is great value for what it is, and while I know thin/short depth is what Casio has chosen to separate itself from the rest, I just wish they would prioritize the quality of the action first and then make it as slim as possible.
Edit:
The forum doesn't display quoted posts very well. Here's the original text and link to Mike's post (from September of 2022) over at the Casio Forums:
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Posted November 25, 2022
I just noticed that Mike Martin dropped a more recent hint about a PX-5 successor.
In September he mentioned in the Casio Music Forums that the PX-S6000 would be a good platform on which to base a PX-5S successor.
Seems like it’ll be coming along fairly soon, then. About the only thing he didn’t do was use a wink emoji (and he did use the “thoughtful?” emoji).
Seems like Mike wanted to drop a seed to get some buzz building. Sorry it took us so long, Mike, but we eventually noticed!
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Perhaps of use to some on here--
There's a review of some USB-C hubs and docks that came out today on Macworld:
https://www.macworld.com/article/349019/the-best-usb-c-hubs-for-the-ipad-pro-and-ipad-air.html
I have the first one (Hyperdrive). This has some good info on a bunch of options.
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2 hours ago, D. Gauss said:
apples to oranges. fwiw, ravenscroft is $35 ios, $199 desktop. VB3m is $15, VB3 desktop is $100. if IOS actually ran all the full-fledged DAW's like MacOS can (protools, logic, reaper, etc), then it might be different. As it stands, i use no IOS apps for recording, only playing live.
I would argue that with Pianoteq, it’s apples to apples; while with those other companies it may be apples to oranges. That’s the point I was trying to make above.
Your points about cheaper iOS software are entirely valid, though. Ravenscroft iOS isn’t the full desktop quality, but is far, far cheaper. VB3m is the quality of VB3 rather than VB3II iirc, but it’s really quite good and some people prefer the older version I think? For your use case (mobile for gigging, desktop for studio), having a “lite” version of software to use on stage makes some sense. But what if you could use the same quality both places for not much more money, or the same money if you already had the desktop version as many people here already do?
As phones and tablets become capable of running the same software and providing the same sound quality as desktop computers and laptops, the “mobile cheap, pc expensive” paradigm is going to come under pressure. I think Modartt is threading the needle well, but another option is that all prices might converge to some in-between point. I certainly think the $1-$5 prices of a lot of mobile software (or $25 for good music software) is unsustainable and leaves the user prone to freemium schemes with invasive ads, being tracked, and their user data sold so the developer can make enough money to survive. No thanks.
Re. full-fledged DAWS- it may be that on mobile devices, a different paradigm is more suitable than simply bringing the same laptop user interface to mobile, but you also make a valid point there. Rumors have pointed to Apple bringing out their pro software on iOS for years, including this just this past week:
Too bad Logic is rumored to finally arrive in 2025. I wonder if Yamaha/Steinberg might beat them to the punch and bring Cubasis up to feature parity with Cubase before Apple gets Logic on iPadOS. Once you’ve got your software running on M-series processors on MacOS, the core of it is available to run on iOS and iPadOS as they run the same processors. I’d imagine that Steinberg has considered this and is acting on it in the background; there’s money to be made and market share to claim. Stage Manager on iPad OS is rumored to get significantly better with iOS 17 this year as well, in which case the suitability of using an iPad to run your studio becomes even more tenable.
One point to remember behind all of this is that the number of computer users/owners has been stagnant or going down for decades. The market of potential users on mobile devices is so much bigger— orders of magnitude bigger. Lots of potential there for software developers, but also danger if they undercut the value of their desktop software that has allowed them to stay in business.
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A key point to remember about Pianoteq’s pricing scheme is that what you get for iOS is the same as what you get for desktop. The quality of the software and the quality of the sounds it creates are identical— the iOS version isn’t “cut down” in any way, with fewer or lower resolution samples, fewer velocity layers, fewer controls, etc.
Thinking about it that way, how would you feel if the PC/Windows version cost $50, and the Mac version cost $139? Or the Linux version was occasionally on sale for $35? It’s the same with iOS/iPad OS, except for the expectation of low prices that the drive to the bottom in App Store prices has created.
Same software, same price, any/all platforms. Fair. Seems like too much? There’s a free full sound quality trial version that’s super easy to install. Try it and if it doesn’t provide enough value for you, don’t buy it.
Also- think of it the reverse way— say you had paid $139 for a desktop Stage version, and then maybe upgraded to Standard and bought a few instrument packs over the years, so had a few hundred bucks invested. How would you feel about a) having to pay again to get the iOS version, and b) new iOS customers of Pianoteq getting the SAME software you paid hundreds for, for much less money???
I don’t mind paying a relatively high price for software that I actually use, but I do expect to be treated _fairly_. I wouldn’t pick up Pianoteq on a lark like I did Galileo or NeoSoul studio, or more than a few synths, but that’s the point of professional level software.
If the iOS/iPad OS version of Pianoteq came in at $50 per instrument, how would all the existing desktop users who paid far more feel? And would anyone buy the desktop version anymore? What would that do to the economics of Modartt’s business model? Modartt is a small company with a handful of employees who develop Pianoteq and Organteq. It’s been updated for years, getting better all the time. We undercut their bottom line, and then Pianoteq will disappear.
I’m really pleased with this pricing and activation structure.
I’m also pleased with the convergence of technologies that I see coming down the road in the near future. Buy a decent controller with MIDI 2.0 and a USB-C port that has the action you want and meets your size/weight constraints. Pair that with an iPhone to have the world of sounds at your fingertips, able to be upgraded easily, with the ability to mix and match the best piano sounds you want with the best organ sounds you want, with the best synth sounds you want… If you want a bigger interface, then use the iPad you already have at the gig to show charts to also run your instruments. Some people will always want a knobby interface and internal sounds from their instruments, so the hardware instruments will always have a place, but those manufactures will also be forced to compete with another paradigm, one where the sound engines can forever be easily and affordably updated and the amount of memory and computational power available are increasing every year. Good hardware makers also won’t be held back by also having to try to be good software makers.
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I would recommend an iPad with a USB-C port for starters; just makes connecting to hubs and such easier.
After that, get the screen size you want for your use case and eyes.
Lastly, consider future developments in iPad OS and if they’ll be relevant for you. My son uses his iPad mostly for music; I use mine mostly for general computing, for travel or at home alongside my laptop with Sidecar or Universal Control.
If you want to use your iPad as a laptop replacement or with external monitors, then the newer iPad Pro models with an M1 or M2 processor are far more capable with Stage Manager and have external monitor capabilities that older iPad Pros don’t. The iPad Pro with M1 will be future-proof for a very long time and has good discounts right now.
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From the Pianoteq forum:
“julien wrote:
Yes, we will probably need to put that in the FAQ.
All your iOS devices will share the same activation slot (as long as you use the same apple id on them).”
What a great overall way to implement a licensing scheme on Mac and iOS/iPad OS. Respects their existing Mac-based cost structure by not racing to the bottom line of typically very inexpensive iOS prices, and respects their existing customers by not forcing them to buy twice. Win-win.
Modartt is a class act.
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So if you’re on Pianoteq 8, you can also use the iOS app on all
of your various devices? I have an iPhone and a couple of iPads. Would all of my iOS/iPad OS devices count as a single activation or three?
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12 hours ago, AROIOS said:
The documentary Not Enough Time was produced by Santa Fe jazz pianist John Rangel and directed by his wife Barbara Bentree. We had a screening here in Albuquerque with Grusin and Ritenour at the Outpost Performance Space.
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I just noticed that Mike Martin dropped a more recent hint about a PX-5 successor.
In September he mentioned in the Casio Music Forums that the PX-S6000 would be a good platform on which to base a PX-5S successor.
Seems like it’ll be coming along fairly soon, then. About the only thing he didn’t do was use a wink emoji (and he did use the “thoughtful?” emoji).
Seems like Mike wanted to drop a seed to get some buzz building. Sorry it took us so long, Mike, but we eventually noticed!
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Just noticed that Mike Martin dropped a more recent hint about a PX-5 successor.
In September he mentioned in the Casio Music Forums that the PX-S6000 would be a good platform on which to base a PX-5S successor.
Seems like it’ll be coming along fairly soon, then. About the only thing he didn’t do was use a wink emoji…
If you happen to be near any shops that have the new Privias, you might want to see how they feel to you- I believe they all share the same action.
Quick aside- is Unrealbook going to keep getting updates? It lost its primary advantage for me when ForScore added the ability to import indices, but I’ve still got a soft spot in my heart for it. I’d go back if it started using MusicXML as its file format. And it could take the lead again if it was one of the first apps to support MusicXML’s successor, MNX.
https://www.w3.org/community/music-notation/Apropos of nothing, my first MIDI interface was from Opcode.
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I was joking re. Organteq. Hard to have that come across online, I know, but sometimes you've still gotta try...
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3 hours ago, Steve Nathan said:
I'm going to be redundant here because this morning, Modartt asked me if I'd like to endorse their product. I haven't said yes yet, but I probably will, and I want to be clear (for the odd stickler around here) that:
1. I paid for my copy
2. I will absolutely use these pianos because I think they nailed it with version 8. They have a richness, a depth of realism that I find both satisfying and inspiring.
That’s great, Steve. Will they upgrade you to the Pro Studio for your endorsement? Maybe they’ll ask you to use Organteq on some sessions…
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Rumors were pretty clear a few years back that Casio was working on an update to the PX-5S, Mike Martin even semi-confirmed it.
I don’t think anything that Casio has come out with recently would have obviated that replacement, so I assume it got delayed due to Covid-related chip shortages. I hope it wouldn’t have been cancelled altogether?
In your situation I’d be tempted to muddle through and wait for NAMM.
I also hope that Studiologic will update its controllers eventually and deliver a product close to what you’re talking about. I’m hoping that with MIDI 2.0 we’ll see some new stuff come out that might have been held back while the standard was being finalized. The standard even just got changed again, so maybe that means something.
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3 hours ago, Doerfler said:
that price is for the app, not the full program, should anyone be interested
Thanks for the clarification, I should have noted that. I’m predominantly interested in iPad OS/iOS apps these days, partly for portability but also for cost reasons.
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Just saw that B-3X is on sale for $40 in case that hasn't been mentioned yet.
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4 hours ago, jejefunkyman said:
I'm not so much interested in the acoustics pianos, but I'd like to give a try to the Rhodes, mostly due to the possibility to tweak numerous tone parameters.
I'm a bit disapointed by what is feasible on my SV2, especially for the key off noises. They are present in the samples but at a low level, and it is not possible to adjust only the level of key off noises, as the RX layer is mixing the different mechanical noises all together.
Therefore I see here a good possibility to solve my issue with this, in particular for studio recordings, not so much for gigging as the audience doesn't really care about it anyway.
Also, it is attractive to me that they offer an iOS version: It means I don't need to invest in a new laptop 🙂
Let's see how much they will charge for it...
I'm curious as to the Rhodes as well, although it sounds like only the Wurly (of the EP's) was revoiced in v8. I'm a bit tired of the upgrade policy of Midiculous/Gospel Musicians, and hope Pianoteq can supplant Ravenscroft and NeoSoul Keys Studio as the new iOS standard-bearers for AP and EP. Modartt has been a model of communication, support, and treatment of its customers over the years, and I have high hopes for how they will price/market Pianoteq on iOS.
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Includes revoiced instruments, updated GUI, new classical guitar, sympathetic resonances as its own plugin, and the announcement that an iOS version will be released soon, identical to the pc/Mac version.
https://www.modartt.com/pianoteq#pane_new
This Piano World forum thread has links to Phil Best’s demo, Woody’s review, and some others.
https://forum.pianoworld.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/3277167/pianoteq-8.html#Post3277167
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Came across this on tech Twitter. A couple of different Linux geeks replaced the Kronos’ stock CPU (a 1.66GHz Atom) with a 3.9GHz Skylake.
https://marcan.st/2016/06/hacking-and-upgrading-the-korg-kronos/
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6 hours ago, Reezekeys said:
I've been vacillating about making another one of my "broken record" sounding posts about the power of marketing and how a lot of folks suddenly "need" the latest & greatest, most powerful, etc. as soon as it's released. How did we manage to get anything done before this?
My wife was gifted an iPad Air 2 from a good friend who was upgrading. I "adopted" it 🙂 and decided to see how far I could go with using it as a main music rig for gigs. I have to say I'm happily surprised by how much I can do with this eight-year old device. I would not hesitate to recommend a base iPad for anyone wanting to do the same kind of thing as I - play & control multiple AUv3 instruments at a satisfyingly low latency (256 in my case, though I can go lower for a less involved setup than what I'm running now). Having said this, I do look at the CPU usage on AUM and there are a few times it's getting into the 70 - 80% range, and I've heard a few minor "snats" in the audio from time to time. For me the only thing that's a real drag with the newer iPads is the lack of a headphone output. I already have the CCK dangling off my Air 2, so would have to add a USB hub and audio interface with a newer iPad. I wonder if anyone makes a slim dock-like attachment that can handle all this and avoid the dangling cable mess.
There are definitely USB-C docks that attach to the side of iPads. I have the 6-in-1 for my 2018 iPad Pro, Hyper also makes a cheaper 4-in-1:
https://www.hypershop.com/collections/usb-c-hubs-for-ipad-pro-air-1
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My son (2nd year jazz piano student at Berklee) just ordered one, using some scholarship money he has been saving to buy an iPad. He’s pretty excited about it.
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Death of Finale: Long live Dorico?
in The Keyboard Corner
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The Dorico Pro crossgrade offer is a fantastic deal.
Dorico plus El Gato Streamdeck XL plus Notation Express XL Dorico Profile is the way.
https://www.notationcentral.com/product/notation-express-xl-stream-deck-profile-for-dorico/
https://www.elgato.com/us/en/p/stream-deck-xl
El Gato usually has decent Black Friday sales, FYI.