Some New Directions

[Joe Hardy]

Hello VTPOers,

Here are a few ideas that I am kicking around for my next VPO platform.  The Dell XPS 410 has been a good PC for running GSO, but it can only go to 4 GB of RAM, which is a bit limiting for newer virtual organs such as the CC Metz.  So a new PC is probably the next big purchase.  Fortunately, the prices just keep plummeting!  For example, today I saw a Gateway LX6810 at Best Buy on sale for $701.  It offers a 2.33 GHz Intel Quad Core with 1333 MHz frontside bus and 4MB L2 cache, 8GB RAM, 640 GM ATA II drive, and 64 bit Vista.  Some machines are also including free upgrades to Windows 7 when it is released on October 22.  Win7 is reported to be vastly better than Vista.

What to do with the Dell?  Well, I'm thinking that GSO still has much to offer - especially GigaPulse and one of the remarkably fine grand pianos that I am lucky enough to have in my collection, including a Bosendorfer 290, Steinway D, Yamaha C7, and Kawai GS50.  GSO also plays some of the best orchestral sample libraries ever produced.

The Paramount VTPO models will all have convenient MIDI outs in each division, so these could be used to play GSO samples.  Also, signals from Hauptwerk can be routed through the inputs on the GSO PC to apply GigaPulse reverb (at least until Hauptwerk introduces its own native convolver).   I believe some other folks (Owen?) are doing something like this already.

Since Hauptwerk uses ASIO, the M-Audio 1010LT can be expanded to as many as 4 units, or 40 audio outputs.  Our maybe the Echo Audiofire 12, which can be readily daisy chained; or the MOTU 24 i/o PCIe with 24 (expandable to 96) outputs.

Maybe some of these musings will get you thinking about your own new directions.

Well, I had better get back to work :)

[Steven Margison]

But, Joooeee, I just bought a new Dell for the GSO 260SP.  Now I gotta buy one that is 64 bit quad for the new stuff??  (Engage 16' Whiner Clausa and 8' HandWringer stops.)

Seriously, I was ready to order new stop tabs for my console.  Now I think maybe I wait for the new Paramount (has to be the 3/20 at the very least), buy the new PC, and see how that goes.  Any idea of the sample set pricing yet?  As long as the total price of Hauptwerk and samples is well under the $1700 for their 3/31 set, I'm game....

Steve

[Joe Hardy]

Steven Margison wrote:

But, Joooeee, I just bought a new Dell for the GSO 260SP.  Now I gotta buy one that is 64 bit quad for the new stuff??  (Engage 16' Whiner Clausa and 8' HandWringer stops.)

Seriously, I was ready to order new stop tabs for my console.  Now I think maybe I wait for the new Paramount (has to be the 3/20 at the very least), buy the new PC, and see how that goes.  Any idea of the sample set pricing yet?  As long as the total price of Hauptwerk and samples is well under the $1700 for their 3/31 set, I'm game....

Hi Steve!

Your new Dell should be more than adequate for the Paramount 330 (targeted to work in < 4 GB).  If you can expand to 8GB, then the 440 will surely fit.   Since HW loads all sample data into RAM, it has very high polyphony on a Core 2 class machine.  To get past the XP32 limit of 2 GB, it will probably be best to use Vista64 (or better still Win7) for HW.  With the Paramount's MIDI stops, you can put your old Giga PC to good use!

Upgrade pricing for the 320, 330 and 440 is still under discussion, but it will be very reasonable.  The 310 will be very, very reasonable :)

Timing for the four models (please don't hold us to this, Murphy always gets in the way) will be roughly as follows:

Paramount 310 - 30 to 60 days

Paramount 320 - 60 to 90 days

Paramount 330 - maybe by the end of the year

Paramount 440 - God only knows - a number of additional samples will need to be built (Style D Trumpet for example)