I would like to make some suggestions/comments concerning V4:
I understand why latency occurs when dealing with application based monitoring as does any engineer who has worked with any recording medium.
With tape machines we do what we call "monitor tape", we aren't actually monitoring tape on record, we are monitoring the input of the tape machine when the machine is in record. When the track is punched out, we then are monitoring tape.
This is crucially important from a monitoring standpoint when using a multitrack recorder because the performer who is being recorded must hear themselves in their headphones (without any latency at all) in an acoustically isolated environment. They must also hear the track they are recording to, in playback, without any monitoring diferential whatsoever from the channel input, so when the track is punched in, there is absolutely no change in the way they are hearing their performance (recorded or live). Remember, the concept of multitrack is to record many different tracks at once or at different times. Recording different tracks on the same song at different times is also referred to as overdubbing.
The concept of monitoring tape can happen with V4's digital application-based technology. Sonic Foundry/Sony ... pay attention:
Put together a new and "required" protocol for sound card driver developers to meet that includes input monitor switching on the sound card that corresponds with the auto input function in your application.
Let's not spend time worrying about realtime effects and forget about the fundamentals of multitrack recording. It's physically impossible to have real time application monitoring. So, do it the way it has always been done by the pros...
The application NEEDS to have the ability to monitor its armed track while the tracks are rolling, then when punchin occurs, monitor the sound card's channel input. Yeah, you may have to use outboard effects and so forth, but it will remove the headache of input monitoring.
...Actually the bussing capabilities of V4 as it currently exsists would allow for using realtime effects if the monitored channel is bussed and the buss had the desired plugins in line, then the result could be consistant in monitoring from record to playback as an effects return works on a console.
Unfortunately, everyone that is trying to cut while monitoring EQ and Dynamic effects in real time would suffer ... But let me also add:
Engineers who need the type of functionality that a multitrack recorder has concerning monitoring and punchins are (in most cases) using very good outboard mic-preamps, compressors and EQs already and have developed their tracking sounds around that. Everyone I know that makes records would ONLY want to be using EQ & Dynamic plugin processing when they were mixing anyway.... NOT when they were doing a tracking session.
When you take care of that issue, go ahead and implement real time punchin capabilities.
I guarantee when you nail the two issues of auto input and real time punchins; tape machines, Nuendo & Pro-Tools will be considered completely obsolete.
But until you do, professionals who are paying big dollars on union scale master tracking sessions, will not want to deal with splitting tracks for punchins and multilateral monitoring setups that cause major confusion when working in a fast paced, high pressure scenario and for those reasons will not use V4.
I've done plenty of these type of high-end tracking sessions and the harder the technology is to operate, the easier it is to make very expensive and potentially career damaging mistakes.
I'm totally amazed that something so basic as these fundamental multitrack functions are not implemented yet when everything else in V4 is so very amazing. I can run 10 times more tracks and effects on V4 than I can in its competitor's applications. Totally stable with perfect sonic results.
Don't everyone jump down my throat on these comments, either. I am an endorsee and I totally love Sonic Foundry's products. I just want it to be the best stuff available and these changes will make THE difference. It will also make me (and many other industry pros) get out of multitrack recorders completely and start using Vegas exclusively.
BTW, congratulations on Sony's Aquisition of SF. I believe this will prove to be a very beneficial & successful business marriage!
I understand why latency occurs when dealing with application based monitoring as does any engineer who has worked with any recording medium.
With tape machines we do what we call "monitor tape", we aren't actually monitoring tape on record, we are monitoring the input of the tape machine when the machine is in record. When the track is punched out, we then are monitoring tape.
This is crucially important from a monitoring standpoint when using a multitrack recorder because the performer who is being recorded must hear themselves in their headphones (without any latency at all) in an acoustically isolated environment. They must also hear the track they are recording to, in playback, without any monitoring diferential whatsoever from the channel input, so when the track is punched in, there is absolutely no change in the way they are hearing their performance (recorded or live). Remember, the concept of multitrack is to record many different tracks at once or at different times. Recording different tracks on the same song at different times is also referred to as overdubbing.
The concept of monitoring tape can happen with V4's digital application-based technology. Sonic Foundry/Sony ... pay attention:
Put together a new and "required" protocol for sound card driver developers to meet that includes input monitor switching on the sound card that corresponds with the auto input function in your application.
Let's not spend time worrying about realtime effects and forget about the fundamentals of multitrack recording. It's physically impossible to have real time application monitoring. So, do it the way it has always been done by the pros...
The application NEEDS to have the ability to monitor its armed track while the tracks are rolling, then when punchin occurs, monitor the sound card's channel input. Yeah, you may have to use outboard effects and so forth, but it will remove the headache of input monitoring.
...Actually the bussing capabilities of V4 as it currently exsists would allow for using realtime effects if the monitored channel is bussed and the buss had the desired plugins in line, then the result could be consistant in monitoring from record to playback as an effects return works on a console.
Unfortunately, everyone that is trying to cut while monitoring EQ and Dynamic effects in real time would suffer ... But let me also add:
Engineers who need the type of functionality that a multitrack recorder has concerning monitoring and punchins are (in most cases) using very good outboard mic-preamps, compressors and EQs already and have developed their tracking sounds around that. Everyone I know that makes records would ONLY want to be using EQ & Dynamic plugin processing when they were mixing anyway.... NOT when they were doing a tracking session.
When you take care of that issue, go ahead and implement real time punchin capabilities.
I guarantee when you nail the two issues of auto input and real time punchins; tape machines, Nuendo & Pro-Tools will be considered completely obsolete.
But until you do, professionals who are paying big dollars on union scale master tracking sessions, will not want to deal with splitting tracks for punchins and multilateral monitoring setups that cause major confusion when working in a fast paced, high pressure scenario and for those reasons will not use V4.
I've done plenty of these type of high-end tracking sessions and the harder the technology is to operate, the easier it is to make very expensive and potentially career damaging mistakes.
I'm totally amazed that something so basic as these fundamental multitrack functions are not implemented yet when everything else in V4 is so very amazing. I can run 10 times more tracks and effects on V4 than I can in its competitor's applications. Totally stable with perfect sonic results.
Don't everyone jump down my throat on these comments, either. I am an endorsee and I totally love Sonic Foundry's products. I just want it to be the best stuff available and these changes will make THE difference. It will also make me (and many other industry pros) get out of multitrack recorders completely and start using Vegas exclusively.
BTW, congratulations on Sony's Aquisition of SF. I believe this will prove to be a very beneficial & successful business marriage!