Zynewave.
FessHi people,
Other than the changeable skins are there any advantages to getting this software over say Logic platinum or Cubase SX? Is this a pro quality application and how does it dig at the CPU. Thanks alot and hope to hear back. Take care.
Fess
ZynewaveHi Fess,
One advantage is price. Podium costs appr. 1/10 of the two products you mention. What you don’t get with Podium is built-in effects and synths etc. Furthermore the featureset of Cubase and Logic are more extensive, allowing them to reach a broad customer base. The featureset in Podium is of ‘pro’ quality but is narrower, and therefore the potential customerbase is more limited. The limited featureset can in a way be an advantage as the user interface is not cluttered with options that most users will never find a need for. So it’s up to you to decide if the features Podium offers are fitting for your work style. It’s a matter of taste. Certainly try the Podium demo and make sure it will work for you, before deciding to buy it.
Frits
duncanparsonsWhat I like about Podium is its simplicity. This may seem an odd thing to say, but honestly, after you have used it a while, are comfortable with the interface, got a decent studio profile set up, etc., it really does just fly.
Though it may seem unusual, the mixing engine is simplicity itself, readily presenting groups, automation, drill-down/back-out functionality in a clear straight forward way. If there are odd sounds to track down, it really is very simple to isolate and cure the offender – the routing is displayed in an easy to read fashion.
Of course, its not for me to tell you what you should buy. As Frits says, try the demo. If it works for your way of thinking, then really there is nothing to touch it.
HTH
DSP
duncanparsonsActually there’s a thread over at KVR asking who uses Podium…
I’ve replied there, and I’m sure others will.
DSP
kagemushaHi,
This is certainly a pro application in the sense that it handles audio and midi with the same quality as the big names. So you can achieve the same quality standard as any other application like Cubase, Logic etc.
Of course Podium does it his own way, it has its own structural concept . And this structure could seem difficult at first it’s infact the logical or “natural” flow of audio and midi data. In Cubase and in lesser extend Logic these processes are more hidden and you see and work with more hardware referenced structures and concepts. For myself I never liked and understood the suggestif hardware references in application. 10 years ago it was perhaps good to make a bridge beacause sequencers and audio recording on computer were fairly new. But these days I find it irritating and not in relation the way computing works.
For that I find podium very natural and completly integrated with the computer way of working.
So it cost indeed 1/10th of the others big ones and you get basicly the same functionality.
Cubase an Logic have more different options to span a broader potential userbase. for example scoring, direct acces to Digidesign hardware, support for Hui consoles etc etc. So the question is if you need any of these things. Do you need acces to Digidesign hardware, do you need score, do you need to export broadcast waves, do you need to score for movies etc.
The core of Logic and Cubase is where podium fits (without all these supplements). And I think podium is as good.
I always worked with Logic and since I switched to pc I crossgraded to Cubase SX2 and exept for some finesses I don’t mis anything in Podium of them. Certainly not the plugins which come with cubase (never used them) and also not for the score because I have other programs for that and don’t use Cubase to score.
Podium offers more then the light version of Cubase and Logic and still cost less.
You’ll have to work a bit with podium and see it appeals to you. And it’s not the bread and butter application but once you understand the logic of it you see or feels it’s logicality and every thing becomes easy.
What it has what non of the others has it’s complete organisation of your material in the project browser. and podium has (in sync with it’s concept) a very unique and flexible way of bouncing
sugesI’m a little concerned that all the new sequencer projects that are on the go these days–Podium, Tracktion, the Linux whatever it’s called–are all targetted towards amateur users. The word “amateur” is not used here to be demeaning, it’s used to indicate the amount of functionality the user requires (and whether the user makes a living off producing music or not).
You can tell this not only from the featureset each program comes with, but also from the amount of default or factory-included presets they come with…you’ll find studio setup files and host compatibility with virtually every FREE and cheapo VSTi/plug-in made, but Traction, for instance, was strangely incompatible with Hypersonic, Battery and Kontakt (for a while), and I know a number of other expensive, professional-level plugins. I asked for a fix to the Hypersonic problem in Tracktion for almost 4 months before I finally just uninstalled Tracktion from my computer (and found out Jules finally fixed it like a few days later!).
The point here is this: producers who make money/make a living off their music need a certain number of “pro” features that admittedly will take the developer more time to complete then filling small requests like “improved coloring for velocities” and other trivial stuff. Pros need to be able to control their sequencers with their Mackie Controls, HUIs, and Tascams. Yes. All pros use these. They do not mess around with mice. Pros in the electronic/dance/hip hop/R&B genre need ReWire support. Pro scorers need movie import, SMPTE sync, notation functions. Etc.
New sequencer developers may have discounted these pro users as never being potential customers because they make enough money to be able to afford the Big Boy sequencers. This is an ignorant and plainly wrong assumption. Many people who are stuck on the Cubase/Nuendo upgrade path are VERY tired of being screwed over and over again, paying almost half a grand for updates that plainly do not work as advertised…basically being treated as paying beta testers. Many people who are Logic lovers have a bad taste in their mouth from Apple’s poor treatment of them: 1) forcing them to switch to Mac’s (and paying $3000 for hardware that’s about $700 for the same speed on a PC); 2) after many users bought each of Logic’s legendary plugins seperately (and spent thousands), suddenly Apple offers Logic Pro with all the plugins included for the price of ONE plugin, 3) Apple attempting to simplify the plug-in standards arena (and in typical Apple arrogance practically announcing “this is the be-all and end-all of plugin formats”) introduces the Audio Units format and discontinues support for VST, expecting all Mac developers to get onboard. Meanwhile Pro Tools says “no, we’re gonna stick with RTAS”, PC developers think AU is a more convoluted and difficult platform to develop for than VST…so all Apple’s done is FURTHER complicated the market.
Even if you consider the “official alternative sequencer” (SONAR)…that program has come a long way, but it’s still a little unstable and most importantly, SONAR’s biggest weakness is its reliance on the decrepit DXi plugin format. SONAR doesn’t natively support VSTi’s, and uses an adaptor to access them. The adaptor doesn’t work well with plugins that offer up multiple mono and stereo outs (such as Battery).
Perhaps ANOTHER reason to conisder developing for pros is that pros CAN afford your program no matter what you charge for it. And pros DO buy their software, and usually multiple copies for their home studio, studio proper, and laptop. Amateurs, let’s face it, the majority of them use cracked software and feel no guilt about it since they don’t make money with it. Many other amateurs who are working their way up to semi-pro level buy these “studio in a box” kits from people like M-Audio and E-Mu, which COME WITH sequencing software like Live and Reason and sometimes Cubase Lite or whatever it’s called.
Pros want a REAL alternative. Pros WILL pay well for it. Pros DO talk to their pro friends and convince them to buy software they like. And new seuqencer developers like Frits and Jules are in the perfect position to capitalize on this oppourtunity because, through mediums like these message boards, they are in DIRECT contact with their users..a sense of community is felt. And nothing makes pros AND amateurs feel more comfortable and happy. (Actually, that last bit is a lesson Jules seems to have forgotten.)
Anyways, that’s my argument for the inclusion of pro features.
FessJust wanted to say thnks for all the informative feedback. It can’t hurt to try the demo:) Thanks again everyone!
Fess
FessI notice from screen shots that the level meters are green in color. any way to change these to say blue? everybody goes with green yet blue would look so much better-well to me anyways! hah!
Take care,
Fess
ZynewaveYou can change the meter colors to anything you like. Even the overload color can be customized. Take a look at the fourth screenshot on the frontpage (the dark one). The Color dialog is found in the setup menu.
Frits
anfmusicHaven’t had time to write much lately Frits; but love the updates! Hope the review helps to interest a few more people!
http://www.kvr-vst.com/get/834.html
Zynewave@anfmusic wrote:
Haven’t had time to write much lately Frits; but love the updates! Hope the review helps to interest a few more people!
http://www.kvr-vst.com/get/834.html
Hi Alphonse, good to hear from you.
That is a glowing review, thanks!