XPost: rec.audio.pro   
   From: digilyd@hotmail.com   
      
   Hank wrote:   
      
   > "Two platforms?"  I see only one in your comments.   
      
   The other is the MAC's. It surprises me to have to specify. My own strategy   
   has been - from my days as an amigan - to start with the problem, then find   
   the application and then get the OS the application runs on, for that very   
   reason I have had MS-DOS emulation on my Amigas from the onset, not all   
   niche software can be found on a niche platform.   
      
   > Pee Cee hardware I've got---several.  Disks I've got---several.   
   > Windows I haven't got.  Microsoft Tax for same ranges between   
   > $200-$300 depending on version, level, OEM install vs. full, etc.   
      
   Again: when I purchased my current daw, a HP Compaq ml115 server sans OS, I   
   payed USD 100 on top of what it cost me second hand for two HP's, one a   
   Pavillion with a 2 GHz Athlon and a valid XP Home license, but no media and   
   the other a newer Pavillion with a 3-something GHz P4 and 2 gigabytes ram   
   and a XP Prof license.   
      
   > XP vs. Windows 7?  Hmm---let's got look for drivers for the M-Audio   
   > cards.  Some yes, some no.  Do I want to run Creative Soundlaster   
   > cards?  Hmmm---not really into gaming these days.   
      
   Midiman 2496 does all you need, replace caps and opamps for cleaner sound at   
   the risk of getting some RFI issues.   
      
   > And is Pee Cee hardware a suitable low-noise environment vs. Sun   
   > Sparc?  I've already mentioned electrical noise in the Pee Cee.   
      
   OK, pay some more and get something with external converter, say a USB or   
   firewire thingie, you get from 100 dB dynamic range to 110 dB dynamic range   
   then.   
      
   > Cost of Pro Tools, last I looked, $300.  Filter add-ons, not included.   
   > Looks to me more like $1000 for software licenses, and that with no   
   > development system (more $$$) and no hooks for devising filters that   
   > aren't included in the shrink-wrapped stuff.   
      
   Again, not the only thing out there, but the one I am familiar with, Adobe   
   Audition 3 is some USD 350. 500 of your local dollars will have you up and   
   running and productive in a week.   
      
   > And what have I got when I'm done?  Maybe it will work and maybe it   
   > won't, particularly when the driver question is considered.   
   > Notwithstanding all the other drawbacks to relying on Microsoft to   
   > deliver anything with adequate availability.   
      
   Be religious some other day.   
      
   > Cost (to me) of setting up a Sparc with the M-Audio card, drivers,   
   > OS, etc.: zero.   
      
   You say you have clients, such usually wait anxiously for results and you   
   have been tinkering for a month and you're still not ready to start learning   
   to operate your software, something that WILL take time.   
      
   > Solaris is a major player in the Enterprise O/S   
   > world.   
      
   YESSIR, but you are on a quest for a hobbyist daw.   
      
   > Like the Timex watch, it takes a licking and keeps on ticking.   
   > Sparc Debian (yeah, I can download suitable software, prebuilt, for   
   > that) comes in second---by quite some distance.  So say nothing of   
   > having not one, but two development systems, software available in   
   > modifiable source form all of which I don't have to go get because   
   > I've already got it.   
      
   Sorry Sir, all fine and well but not relevant to the described task of   
   delivering transscribed audio to presumed paying clients, presumed since you   
   ask also in an audio production forum.   
      
   >>> I'd expected more and better pro-level audio processing   
   >>> software to be available in the open source world.   
      
   >> They are too busy telling us audio guys how poor our working   
   >> production systems are to find the time to discover how to actually   
   >> make something that works out of the box or download file.   
      
   > Let's just say that I am not "they."   
      
   I didn't say you are. Also I reiterate that I can appreciate the joy of   
   getting things to work and respect it.   
      
   > At this point, I've spent a month assessing what's available, set up   
   > some hardware, looked at software issues, And think that for a modest   
   > time investment, I can get some good results.  And, with a bit of   
   > diplomacy, maybe get those results back into software that others can   
   > use.   
      
   Make no mistake, it would be great if you could get a good swiss knife kinda   
   package to work for the *ix platform, allow me to suggest that you decide   
   whether you want to do that or to get some audio from round black things to   
   mp3 players. Very many years ago when I was getting "into computers" I read   
   a piece of advice: "You can program them or use them, you are not likely to   
   be able to find time to do both".   
      
   > Hank   
      
     Kind regards   
      
     Peter Larsen   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)