ACID 5 heads up

Ben  wrote on 10/28/2004, 5:36 AM
ACID 5 is on the way guys - see the front page. Exciting stuff!

Looking very cool and seems to have improved MIDI, plus can be a Rewire slave. And a whole bunch of other great looking features.

So, I'm banking on the fact that Vegas 6 has surely got to have Rewire support (as a host) and so we could finally have the MIDI integration with Vegas that we've long hoped for. Here's to hoping ACID 5's MIDI is a lot better than 4's! Difficult to fathom from what's up on the site so far. Now it's on the way, can any Beta testers comment?

From the huge new feature list, it really is "Now That's What I Call An Update"!

Ben

Comments

H2000 wrote on 10/28/2004, 8:30 AM
Awesome! Some good news!
ibliss wrote on 10/28/2004, 11:22 AM
It looks good, I probably will upgrade BUT strange how they don't seem to have included the realtime automation recording found in V5.

Native VST support, can it really be true!?!?! :-)
And seperate outs for VSTi is great too.
Ben  wrote on 10/28/2004, 11:29 AM
Yeah, for years Sonic Foundry was against all things Steinberg - can you blame them? But then over the past couple of years we have experienced a creeping 'Steinbergisation' what with ASIO support and then VSTIs in ACID. But yeah, no VST FX until now.

I guess it's got to be a good thing, though it does seem like Direct X is slowly dying - as far as I know Cakewalk's the only other company that seems to still actively push it, beside Sony. I don't know whether this is significant or not, though Direct X has already striked me as more 'solid' and no silly having to drag dll files all over the place.

The best thing surely is that this means ACID (and hopefully later Vegas) will natively support things such as the TC Powercore, and hopefully the UAD will now be able to be used 100% problem free...? That would be great.

Ben
Spirit wrote on 10/28/2004, 3:26 PM
Hmmm. I'm not so upbeat about it. I'd characterise the release as "focus on the loop paradigm; target home hobby users; rejection of midi sequencing".
Chienworks wrote on 10/28/2004, 5:07 PM
The loop paradigm is what ACID is all about.
MJhig wrote on 10/28/2004, 5:27 PM
That's unfortunately true Kelly but I had hoped that since Acid 4 dabbled in MIDI that the next version would at least challenge the other MIDI apps. allowing me to go all Sony.

Since the MIDI implementation in Sony's "music production" app. is obviously insignificant in Acid 5 then there's no hope for Vegas at all since it's been stated it's an MTR/NLE.

I held out hope Sony would implement MIDI to at least Acid with similar voracity they added video to Vegas.

Looks like it's time to come to grips fellow musicians, Sony will focus on video and audio support for video.

Very depressing, looks like Twelve Tones will have to be in my toolbox for some time to come.

MJ
Spirit wrote on 10/28/2004, 7:58 PM
This "look elsewhere for MIDI sequencing" is the message from AP5. I think a lot of people were hoping they could stay with an all-Sony music production environment.

That is simply not possible.

The biggest focus seems to be on features which are suited for buyers of Acid loops - in other words a very calculated set of revenue-enhancing features.

I sense a mild mood of disappointment.
MJhig wrote on 10/28/2004, 8:02 PM
Mild? There will be no yardstick for the revenue loss unfortunately but the gain of non-musician multi-media user/layman will be realized. There are many more "users" with cam-corders/digital cams that would like "instant" music beds than pro audio folks.

That's the target, I stated this over a year ago. Vegas/SF is superb in all respects as they were/are, but I doubt the fact I can no longer preach to other DAW users the benefits of Vegas' GUI/workflow will have an impact on Sony's marketing.

Sad but true from a musician, AE, video guy.

MJ
Nat wrote on 10/29/2004, 9:43 AM
Looks like we might get folder tracks in Vegas 6 !
Weevil wrote on 10/31/2004, 12:53 AM
I can’t agree with these criticisms of A5 at all. I have been very vocal about the (lack of) direction SF/Sony have been taking in the past few years but I think A5 is a great step in the right direction.

The MIDI stuff is so involved; I think big developments on that front would have nuked a bunch of the other new toys...If the A5 update comprised of vastly improved MIDI and only a few other bits and pieces it would have been a huge disappointment to the vast majority of people.

Most of the features seem very practical and focused on people who make looped based music...ACID’s core business.

They have had their heads buried in the sand for far too long about issues like VST and Rewire...Refreshing to see them finally taking a much more realistic approach.
Geoff_Wood wrote on 10/31/2004, 2:45 AM
So now you all know what we can expect in V6 .

I'm still hanging out for a simple integrated midi player (why frig around with rewire for something so basic ?).

And integrated project backup to CD/DVD-R

Oh, and the metronome bug to be fixed....

geoff
MyST wrote on 10/31/2004, 8:51 AM
I don't get the statement that, simply because midi wasn't improved upon, it automatically means AP5 was targetted toward home hobby users.
Of course it targets loop buyers! Hello! This is Acid!
You want to use a midi keyboard and softsynth to create your own loops, the've given you that option.
People who wanted a better midi app will be dissappointed I'm sure. But those of us who bought Acid for it's "intended use" are very happy!

Mario
Spirit wrote on 10/31/2004, 8:58 AM
Look at the main changes & features: media manager (which is useless unless you use commercial loops); the dinky little NI keyboards; the groove templates, and 1000 loops. That's newbie-hobbyist loop-bait if ever I've seen it.

That's not necessarily bad, but that's what I see.

Looking for some serious pro enhancements.....

looking....

looking...

Ah ha ! Rewire - so we can forget about Acid and use something decent for sequencing.
SHTUNOT wrote on 10/31/2004, 10:30 AM
Dude...

>>> media manager (which is useless unless you use commercial loops<<<
If you create your own loops you can tag them and be able to find them later with ease. MANY people also have thousands of loops that get thrown on top of theirs so you can see how much of a timesave/workflow enhancement this is. This one is as big as rewire slave is IMHO.

>>>the dinky little NI keyboards<<<
Compared to the dinky dls synth It's more than enough to get your feet wet. The upgrade is worth it ten times over without it.

>>>That's newbie-hobbyist loop-bait if ever I've seen it.<<<
Man you are getting really good at being "glass is not only empty but freakin' shattered". If you look for the negative your surely going to find it. At least you realized the importance of rewire slave support.

Spirit...Not to flame dude but what would you have taken out of this release so that you would have gotten the midi upgrade that would make you smile?
Folder tracks? Vst support? Rewire slave? Tempo based fx? Groove mapping? Etc?

Ed.
Spirit wrote on 10/31/2004, 1:11 PM
Everyone does things differently, so for some this upgrade is probably wonderful: a few new keyboards, lots of new loops and a way to arrange their collection of commercial loop material.

But for me the media manager, cheapy keyboards, 1000 loops, groove templates, and snap-to-scale filtering (another bit of newbie bait) are useless.

My big requests for AcidPro5 was that it expand EITHER (both would have been nice) its MIDI capabilities or its audio capabilities.

We got neither.

We got $149 of "enhancements" designed to attract hobbyists and to sell loop CDs.

Of course there are a few slithers of joy for others. The "save path" functions, nested tracks, and real-time sample drop to track are nice. But $149 nice ? Nope.

As far as the upgrade price goes I'd have much rather seen, say, a $89 upgrade which just gives the app; and a $149 upgrade which includes the 1000 loops and NI's beginner keyboards.

And considering those who are upgrading are probably doing so from the cursed version 4, a little consideration for the agony suffered by many would also have beena nice psychological touch.