Yaking Cat Music Studios
QAQA answers

 
 
Subject:0012
             Re: DTD PCI card
       Date: 
             Wed, 21 Apr 1999 14:27:22 +0000
       From: 
             Brandon Amison
         To: 
             c.fuchs@tic.ch
 

   i also want to produce my first own record 
   in about a year.

Keep me informed.  I can put you in my "Profiles" page whenever you're ready. 

   Another thing is the sounds. With the package there was a little amount of the originally included Timbre lib. 
   But as the original owners lost some of them i'm wondering how to get at least some more sounds for the system Any ideas?

I had a hard time with this.  Let me "cut" the answer out of my site's "Q&A": 
"This is the hard part.  You can buy a used 12" optical drive for $1300 and blank media for $400 per disk from 
 Demas.  But 12" used WORMs are very unreliable and VERY expensive to repair.  So you would
 want to buy a 5" MO drive to transfer the library.  An MO drive is about $1600.  The media is around 
 $40 as opposed to $400 for WORM media. 

 My advice:  BUY A SYSTEM WITH THE LIBRARY! " 

If you have release 4.02 or higher, you can format a hard drive as an "optical".  What this means is that I can transfer sounds to a hard drive and send it to you.  A hard drive is MUCH faster than an Optical or Magnetic Optical.  More and more owners are turning to this.  You can buy a 9 gig used hard drive from ICS (THEY ARE THE BEST-check my "Service and Support" link) with a warranty for $249.  And it works in the Synclavier without a hitch.  This could be done in a couple of hours per "side" plus shipping.... 

I'm really a composer.  Honest!  :) :) 

   As a next thing i want to 'pep up' the system with the new PCI card (are you using this one?)

No.  Can't justify its expense at the moment.  That kind of money could buy a ProTools 24|mix card!  Not to say that I don't think the PCI is fantastic...  I believe in maintaining my machine properly in its current state as opposed to investing money that will not generate any current foreseeable return. 

   and RAM, Voices, small tower 
   and kick out the DTD.

I use my Sync II, 6400 and DtoD.  Then I transfer sounds to my Mac with S/Link to be loaded into my mac.  Then I publish on CD-RW or Zip.  The DtoD sounds too good!  And it is very fast to use with the Synclavier (after you figure the DAMN THING OUT!) 

   Is there a way to upgrade the Synclav to PCI and use the Model D processor in the DTD.

Sure.  If the DtoD was a Stand-Alone tower (i.e. upgrading a 'C' processor to 'D').  Good idea.  If it is a slave, then you might have to repackage the unit - expensive! 

   So i have a chance to sell the DTD as a stand alone unit and having some money to finance the upgrade. Or would you keep the DTD and build everything in a small tower?

I have tried to figure that one out myself.  This is my reasoning: 
My system is in three packages.  A Sync II Stand-Alone connected to a 6400 Stand-Alone connected to a DtoD Stand-Alone.  That way I can pick and choose what I need to suck electricity and produce heat.  A very good way to go! 
No need to jump into PCI.  There is a lot to learn on the system.  You might learn that you hate it.  Or, by the time you become a Syncla-expert, the PCI option will have all the kinks worked out.  Then you will be ready to take the plunge.  Tough call.  Get to know your system (minimum of one year)  Then it will be MUCH easier to determine what is the important stuff and what's the fluff. You're in retail.  Take slow steps.  Don't make any financial mistakes.  Get the 'core' system running - sound library, broken stuff fixed, get comfortable with environment, etc.  THERE IS A LOT TO KNOW BESIDES RAM AND SAMPLING- trust me.  It's like buying a Porsche 911 and asking for more horsepower 'cause its slower than a McLaren.  If you master the Porsche, you'll find that it beats everyone on the curves- where it counts! 

   Mitch told me that a Synclav with no FM (i don't need it) and the new PCI would fit in a 12 HE rack space. Does it make sense to keep or expand the DTD. I am not willing to run into more technical problems just because i keep DTD (more hardware = more problems). If you suggest to keep it, could it be fitted in a single rack.

The same conversion could be made to the DtoD.  Either PCI or making it into a "Slave".  I know you need some comforting with your purchase (boy, we all sure do!).  Give it some time.  Last week I almost sold all of my systems.  The next day, I couldn't believe that I was that 'crazy'!  Once you learn it and integrate it with ProTools, you might never look back.  Then again, ProTools 24 really is a SAFE BET.  I much rather have them both (at least today :))  You bought it.  Play with it - it takes a lot of time to learn.  I don't think the price of the DtoD will drop drastically in a couple of months...  Consider it  a non interest bearing savings account (unless you paid too much, then it is more like the Stock Market). 
 

   My 'dream system would be: 32Voices, DTD?, 64 plus RAM, small tower, keyboard, PCI card, 16 Outs and a fixed keyboard 'cause mine has some problems with the keys and the red knobs...(mainly 1st track, record and so on) With the keys i have problems when MIDI gear is connected.

Sticky buttons, we all get 'em.  They can be replaced individually.  Call Mitch and get some prices on parts. 

   Some keys just play very loud MIDI notes, the others are playing dynamically. I guess when i send Mitch the system, i also send him the keyboard to check out.

Wait!  I have had the same problem even AFTER I had my COMPLETELY REBUILT.  Here is the "skinny" taken from my "Sync Tips & Tricks": 
"The keys on my VP Keyboard aren't working. What happened? 
 If your keys on your keyboard are dead, make sure the circuit board backplane is not warped. Try inserting folded pieces of paper between the A frame and the circuit board to push it back into place otherwise you have to trim the top of the wood 
which the board rests against to have it sit at an angle closer to the keys." 
Humidity is the culprit.  Sounds keys trigger loudly, some not at all.  If it is humidity, shipping the keyboard to LA might temporarily solve the problem (warping back due to being near the coast line).  When you get the keyboard back, the problem could pop back up. 
 

Let me know if this helps or you need more info. 

Brandon Amison 
Yaking Cat Music Studios 
and Synclavier Information 
http://home.earthlink.net/~yaking/

THE source of Synclavier information 


 

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