Post by swurveman on Dec 16, 2015 9:43:59 GMT -6
I bought a used Yamaha S90 ES synth, mostly for the piano sound (which is excellent), because I get people who want to record piano and it's easy money. The benefit of the S90 is the keyboard action, which feels like a piano compared to the keyboard controllers I've used.
So then, I thought I'll use it as a synth in Cubase for multi parts in my songwriting demos. Turns out they developed software for the ES for multi part recording, then three years later software for the XS. The ES can't use the XS software and now they're phasing out the ES software. Soon, I expect the XS software won't work.
I think that I'm going to draw a Maginot line between hardware and software. My 15 year old GML 8200 is always going to work in my DAW as a hardware insert until the hardware actually breaks down. Hardware like ROMplers's, Controllers etc. are always going to be given the old "software has changed and your product is now obsolete." Thousands down the drain. I wonder if Yamaha, Avid and everybody else selling hardware is going to survive selling hardware. I won't get burned again buying hardware for software integration's sake. It's too short of a lifespan for the cost. It's not worth it.
So then, I thought I'll use it as a synth in Cubase for multi parts in my songwriting demos. Turns out they developed software for the ES for multi part recording, then three years later software for the XS. The ES can't use the XS software and now they're phasing out the ES software. Soon, I expect the XS software won't work.
I think that I'm going to draw a Maginot line between hardware and software. My 15 year old GML 8200 is always going to work in my DAW as a hardware insert until the hardware actually breaks down. Hardware like ROMplers's, Controllers etc. are always going to be given the old "software has changed and your product is now obsolete." Thousands down the drain. I wonder if Yamaha, Avid and everybody else selling hardware is going to survive selling hardware. I won't get burned again buying hardware for software integration's sake. It's too short of a lifespan for the cost. It's not worth it.
but, Akai was forward thinking enough to use generic PC drive hardware. He shouldn't have an issue popping that $15 IDE drive in. Same way you can replace the HD in it for $40-50 any day of the week now. But, I bring it up because he can't afford to even buy a new computer--let alone the whole compliment of IO and software...why I was more than happy to give him my old spare CDRW to keep that beast running for him. He loves that Akai. Has learned how to use it. And has fun making music on it....he's not making money with it, so that's the functional design requirement--you know? If he'd instead bought a....what would that have been? A G4 tower with 2gb of RAM and MOTU PCI interface? Firewire maybe? OS9? While, technically that MIGHT still function "as is"....it's certainly not more portable to the future than the Akai....and wouldn't sounds as good--promise. Been there. That only argument might be that Cubase SX or whatever he'd have bought from that era would be closer to Cubase 8.5 on a new machine than his Akai is compared with ANY new embedded system that might be available now.