Is Sony stopping the 'Pro' software division?

VMP wrote on 3/19/2014, 11:02 PM
Like many others on this forum
I have been waiting for so long for a 64 bit upgrade for Acid Pro 7.

But there has been no news about AP7 since 2010 (4 years now!).
It being 32 bit/ memory limited I can't run the new synths on it.
Forcing me to switch to another DAW.

Now there is no news about Vegas Pro 13....

Should one start to worry?
Their new software releases seem to be simple non 'pro' user targeted.

Is the 'pro' software department still alive?

VMP

Comments

musicvid10 wrote on 3/19/2014, 11:10 PM
Is Sony stopping the 'Pro' software division?
1. I doubt it.
2. Starting rumors isn't going to change anything.
videoITguy wrote on 3/19/2014, 11:31 PM
SCS is only a small division of the large SONY - it is accountable only to the market it has defined (not even necessarily prosumer) , does not relate to any other "pro" division, and if it makes profit for SONY it will live on, otherwise
VMP wrote on 3/19/2014, 11:48 PM
Interesting.

This is probably another division too:
Sony Sells Laptop & PC Business, Stops All Development

Lets hope they can keep the pro software running.
Anyway SCS has my support.

monoparadox wrote on 3/20/2014, 2:48 PM
Don't tell Boris. I just got an upgrade notice for BCC 9. The Sony Vegas version is due out in May for $195 upgrade price.

tom
VMP wrote on 3/20/2014, 3:09 PM
That sounds nice!

Hope something similar will happen with Acid Pro too :-).
Even if it is a 64 bit update.
TheHappyFriar wrote on 3/20/2014, 10:04 PM
I'd imagine that they're putting their development $ where they believe they'll make $. Since they put out two versions of SF for Mac they could be thinking that it where their $$ will be (or is) coming from.
Geoff_Wood wrote on 3/20/2014, 10:22 PM
Or given the traffic and satisfaction level expressed in that forum, maybe not !

'Pro Division' not dead, but Acid Division desperately in need of resuscitation. If nothing else to 64biterise it, and to add the nice touches (ie event alignment aides) that V has built up over the last 5 years.

geoff
drewU2 wrote on 3/21/2014, 11:07 PM
I have been a Sony Vegas Pro user and upgrader for 7 years and this year truly feels different... they are late on the upgrade and I get the feeling that SVP is not profitable for Sony. I am just about to join Adobe Creative Cloud because almost every professional I know is using it. I have loved SVP but will Sony bail this sinking ship? I don't think there are enough users.
monoparadox wrote on 3/21/2014, 11:49 PM
You might be surprised at the number of Vegas users. Didn't I see something recently that showed an extensive base of users based on google and/or youtube searches?

It could be though, the Vegas user group has a large number of "cracked" installs. I'm wondering if Vegas doesn't have a number of younger users who are part of the "action" video crowd.

tom
farss wrote on 3/22/2014, 12:57 AM
[I]" Is the 'pro' software department still alive?"[/I]
They are but from what I've seen they're now tasked with writing the software that supports the camera divisions. For example the Content Browser and Raw Viewer is from SCS. They've also had the "Blu" line of BD software for a couple of years.

I suspect we'll see a pruning back of the range of products that you're talking about such as ACID. I'm not at all that familiar with music creation software but from what I see ACID seems so far behind the rest of the competition as to be beyond hope. TBH I'm surprised Sound Forge is still being developed and the port to OSX seems a flop, trying to compete in an already crowded space of happy users is difficult and the product has not had good reviews.

Hopefully all this means more attention can be given to Vegas but I'm not terribly optimistic as the direction seems driven by head office's plans.

Bob.
Lovelight wrote on 3/22/2014, 2:23 AM
How dramatic.
willqen wrote on 3/22/2014, 6:05 AM
Have you guys forgotten about Spectral Layers Pro?

And How it fits with Sound Forge Pro 11?

It came out for Windows First. Both of them.

Now we have either or both (Audio Suite) for both Windows or Mac.

I don't think the pro division is quite dead yet ...
TheHappyFriar wrote on 3/22/2014, 7:21 AM
I have been a Sony Vegas Pro user and upgrader for 7 years and this year truly feels different... they are late on the upgrade

Unless they missed an announced date, they're not late.
PeterWright wrote on 3/22/2014, 7:41 AM
Yeah, I've been "using" since Vegas Video 3.0, and for many of those years, the new version came at NAB, so what's the alarm?
rraud wrote on 3/22/2014, 9:23 AM
Vegas user since Ver. 1. But I'm mostly audio. Acid has a limited user base due ti it's primary use, looping. It's not very good as a multi-track audioprogram IMO. Vegas works better, faster. I also use SloTools on occasion.
VMP wrote on 3/22/2014, 10:08 AM
rraud, All the looping functions are still fine in Acid pro.

My point is the synth instruments VST2,3 s loading them just crashes AP7 due to its 32 bit RAM limit which only supports 4 gig max.

I often score compositions using midi notes to run the orchestral synths. That is something that only Acid can do. Yesterday I have tried out Sonar X3 which is 64 bit (recommended by other users here), I think I am going to make a switch to that so far it looks good.

If a new version of Acid Pro comes along then I will be the first to buy it.

I have been using Vegas since version 3 too.

Though as long as I am working with W7 there is no immediate need for a new version for me. I hope at least that Vegas pro will be kept alive and running so that it stays compatible with the evolving OS. What AP7 is clearly not anymore.

@ farrs That's interesting info about the software team.

VMP
TheHappyFriar wrote on 3/22/2014, 12:56 PM
How often does Acid get a new release? Vegas was the only one that got a near-yearly release as far as I remember.
VMP wrote on 3/22/2014, 12:58 PM
Not sure TheHappyFriar. But 4 years of no update is a long time.

64 bit support is all I am asking for.


VMP
hazydave wrote on 4/19/2014, 1:23 AM
I think the issue is Acid, not SCS in general. After all, Sony's added a number of products, and even produced a few Mac versions. The doesn't suggest a company looking to exist that business. It may suggest some thinning of the support for any specific product.

I'm an Acid user, since 1.0, and I'd really like to see an Acid that's up-to-date. But I long ago stopped holding my breath... I use Sonar for some stuff, REAPER for others, but I do miss Acid. And it's just dandy for multi-track audio, though the MIDI support is weak and dated. Still the best thing around for loops, though, so I have moved stems from other DAWs into Acid for some final "sugar" before finishing. It's a shame it's really not up to the task of being that full fledged DAW anymore. It's more that the others haven't sat still than Acid not having been fleshed out.... the last version even got the groups that I had specifically requested.

It's also a little disingenuous to keep selling Acid, at least without a warning, if there's been some internal decision never to update it. And sure, Vegas gets a yearly update, some others less so. But other than the also-seemingly-abandoned DVD Architect, everything gets updated within two years I believe.
Spectralis wrote on 4/19/2014, 10:16 PM
ACID Pro used to get updated every 12-18 months. I used to eagerly await each update. At the very least Sony could have made an official announcement of its demise to those of us who had supported it over the years.

It's been left in the dust by other DAWS and is currently not fit for purpose as a "pro" DAW on x64 systems so it should be sent to the glue factory if it's not going to be updated. I was attracted to it because of its layout and way of working but with its midi and other limitations it just became a hindrance to use.

I know some musicians still love and use it but that isn't the point. When I invested in the ACID Pro range I was planning on the software growing along with the rest of music technology but this was cut unexpectedly short about four years ago.

OTOH if Sony turned it into a loop plugin for other DAWS then maybe it would still have some relevance.
Terje wrote on 4/21/2014, 4:25 AM
@Spectralis >> it should be sent to the glue factory

Acid was sent to the glue factory a long time ago. It hasn't had a version update since some time in the Middle Ages (software time) and the last bug fix was released somewhere around the turn of the 19th century software time (four years ago).

When software has had no releases at all for four years, that means that there are no developers working on it any more. They have all been re-assigned to do something else. Putting developers back on the software (even if you could find some of the old guys) would basically require what amounts to a full re-training on the software, which would be cost prohibitive.

Acid is dead, had been for quite a while, and I think the fact that they are still selling it (which carries an implication that it is in fact *not* dead) is tantamount to fraud. IMnsHO.
VMP wrote on 4/21/2014, 12:56 PM
One can only imagine how Acid Pro would have turned out if it was still developed by Sonic Foundry.

VMP
Frank Z wrote on 4/23/2014, 12:25 AM
Hmmmm... I guess I have a different perspective here. I've just actually started using ACID in my productions and I find it a joy to use.

I am a traditional musician that was using DAWs for recording. Recently I started getting into looping and beatmaking. I thought Ableton was going to be my tool of choice because that's what all the cool people were using. Don't get me wrong, I think Ableton's good but it really is meant more for a live context.

I think the loop painting feature is what still makes ACID relevant to me. I find that better than cutting and pasting segments that are copies instead of references. I think Tracktion might have functionality that can do the same thing but I think painting makes it really easy.
Geoff_Wood wrote on 4/23/2014, 1:45 AM
Me too, more than ever before ! But it lacks many of nice fine touches of Vegas.

Would love an update, if nothing else just for stability on 64-bit (mine crashes occasionally on simple things like moving an even, saving, just ciicking somewhere, etc.. Other (SCS) apps don't - not even V11 !

geoff