Word from developers confirms what I had suspected: developers were as surprised as we were to learn Apple was shipping a new operating system on August 30.

If you have to ask yourself whether you want to upgrade, then the simple answer is – don’t, not yet. And via Christopher Wimbrow on Twitter, here’s the first tool that we can confirm will outright break if you jump too soon – PreSonus hardware. From their forum, earlier today, PreSonus’ Nick RICK Naqvi tells a user (unofficially):

Right now, we are planning to have support for Snow Leopard by the end of October. We had originally heard they were going to release it in September, so our plan was to test it thoroughly and then release a new driver about 30 days later. They moved up the date to August 28 so it looks like we will be a little more than a week later than we expected.

Please note, if you update your OS, your PreSonus hardware will not work.

If you have to install it to play with, I’d recommend doing a partition. But leave Leopard on it so that you can continue to record.

Ouch. I’ll let you know if this gets fixed sooner. And remember, this is an operating system that is being tested under a Non-Disclosure Agreement; more incompatibilities are likely to appear next week.

This illustrates a problem, too. Shipping an application early is great news. Shipping an operating system early – with countless hardware and software vendors pulling time from other work (like new features) to keep their stuff working – not so great news.

Fortunately, you have power over your computer. Ignore that Apple email that appeared on Monday saying Snow Leopard is “In store or at your door Friday,” and consider it a bleeding-edge operating system. Assume that for most users, the current build of 10.5 represents the best compromise of Mac stability, compatibility, and features – at least for the time being.

UPDATE – PreSonus WILL have beta drivers. And like the vast majority of vendors, real stable versions are expected in a few weeks.

Earlier in the week, I was told that we weren’t going to have Snow Leopard driver until October, but our engineers worked overtime the last week or so to release a beta driver that is fully functional. We have tested it internally and it is working well and allows for daisychaining of interfaces and full feature functionality. This driver will work with all of our Firestudio Family Interfaces including:

Firestudio 2626
Firestudio Project
Firestudio Lightpipe
Firestudio Tube
Firestudio Mobile
StudioLive1642

Our other interfaces are class compliant and are going to be immediately supported on Snow Leopard:

Firebox
Inspire1394
FP10 / Firepod
AudioboxUSB

Lastly, our new recording software, StudioOne is also ready for Snow Leopard. Here’s a link to the StudioOne page: http://www.presonus.com/products/SoftwareDetail.aspx?SoftwareId=11

If you are an early adopter, let us know your experiences.

I love the sound bugs make when you squish them under a solution.

AlexP, whose blog is also a great source for multitouch and the Sony PS3 Eye Camera and Windows drivers we used in the recent hackday, has been diagnosing his MacBook under Windows Vista. Hardware problems are often the source of sound blips on computers. I’ve talked previously about using the DPC Latency Checker to find this issue.

The good news: Alexander has found the problem (the Broadcom Wireless Adapter in some Apple MacBooks) and a solution (switching off Windows’ automatic wireless network search when you don’t need it). I actually wonder if a similar problem was culpable in early problems with network WiFi on Mac OS X Leopard. Whatever is going on, check out the fix here if you’re encountering this problem. And let us know if you’re seeing this on machines other than just the MacBook revision F; I’d imagine any PC with a similar wireless adapter might have the issue:

MacBook Rev. F Audio Skipping in Vista Analysis and Solution – Part 2

And yes, hardware/driver problems may frequently manifest as what Windows terms DPCs – basically, a symptom of hardware usage that can interfere with reliable audio performance. I’m curious whether WiFi connections specifically may be a cause in other cases. The problem is almost certainly not limited to computers from Apple – especially since, in this case, the MacBook is just behaving like any PC laptop with similar specs.

Is your MacBook Pro a rightie?

Something’s going on with the one or two left-hand USB ports on all MacBook Pros. I’ve heard some issues with hard disks, and now some problems with audio. (Controllers are evidently just fine.) The solution: use the right-hand USB port for audio instead.

Updated: Reader Adam suggests that this is probably due to a difference in power delivered to the respective ports. USB audio requires more power, and so odds are you’re under-delivering on the left-hand ports. I’m inclined to think that this is exactly what’s going on – unless someone knows something else. (Easy way to test: try plugging in the power adapter. Note that this can be an issue with FireWire, too.)

In fact, even if for some reason M-Audio has found another reason behind this, Andy Ihnatko noted the issue with different USB ports and power variation way back in 2008. It affects non-Pro MacBooks, and I expect likely many PCs, too.

The MacBook. All USB Ports Are Not Equal [Wired Gadget Lab]

M-Audio (now Avid) has gone as far as to tell its customers officially to avoid the use of that port for audio entirely. Native Instruments forum users have evidently had similar discussions. Via matt_bot on Twitter:

The use of USB Audio Devices on the Left-Hand USB Port Is Not Recommended.  This applies to ALL MacBook Pro Models (Core Duo and Core 2 Duo).

•    The 15" MacBook Pro models have 1 USB port on the left side, and one USB port on the right side.
•    The 17" MacBook Pro models have 2 USB ports on the left side, and one USB port on the right side.

Due to the current USB configuration of the 15" MacBook Pro under OS X, use of USB audio devices is supported on the right-hand USB port only.  Use of such devices on the left-hand USB port(s) is not advised because it may cause audio interrupts and/or dropped samples.  However, the use of an iLok on the left-hand port has been qualified and is fully supported.

Due to the current USB configuration of the 17" MacBook Pro under OS X, use of USB audio devices is only supported on the right-hand USB port, and the left-hand USB port farthest from the screen.  Use of such devices on the left-hand USB port closest to the screen is not advised because it may cause audio interrupts and/or dropped samples.  However, the use of an iLok on the left-hand port has been qualified and is fully supported.

These USB port recommendations are specific to USB Audio devices only (such as the FastTrack USB or Audiophile USB).  USB Keyboard and Control Surface products do not have a recommended USB port at this time.

MacBook Pro recommended USB port(s)

That’s got to be a tough technical advisory to issue, like having to tell your users they should turn around in their chair three times counter-clockwise and shout “Mimmymabby” before recording. But I’ve heard indications that devices other than M-Audio’s are seeing symptoms, so I’m inclined to believe there may be something to this.

Now, before you use this to assume this means FireWire is better than USB or PCs are better than Macs or veganism is better for your love life or the end times are upon us, the whole point is what’s causing the issue and why. (Correction: I’m satisfied enough with Adam – and Andy Ihnatko’s – explanation above that I think there’s not much mystery here! So quit with conspiracy folks and trashing vendors you don’t like, folks. Technology doesn’t need superstition; it needs users hungry to know what’s actually going on.)

Of course, that raises a question: why are some USB ports not entirely up to spec on power? My hope would be that USB is USB and you don’t have power variations between ports, but then, I live in a fantasy world of naive hope. (Can anyone comment on PC laptops and power on different ports? I imagine some would have exactly the same issue.)

One theory for the power discrepancy: John von Seggern claims via Twitter that the issue could be the iSight video camera, which does indeed use the USB video bus. (I would think it shouldn’t draw power when switched off, but perhaps that has caused some other change in the configuration.)

Further, we have reports that not only the iSight, but also Bluetooth and other power-consuming peripherals are on the same bus, as well. (That means turning off Bluetooth might be a good idea if you don’t already.) And we have at least one PC with the same issue. This will definitely be something to research with computers, as it’d be pretty desirable to get machines that, erm, don’t do this to their USB ports.

And someone’s having the opposite port work or not work? Now I’m really confused. (I guess we could simplify all of this to say if you’re having problems with USB audio, try either connecting your AC adapter or switching USB ports.)

Amidst all of the USB audio hating, I have to say, it is possible to get good performance out of USB audio interfaces. On the other hand, removing FireWire from MacBooks seems again like a poor choice.

Computers speak digital signal. Analog synths and modulars speak control voltage. (It’s sort of a “men are from Mars, women find these metaphors insulting” kind of situation.)

What if you could bridge the two elegantly and graphically, using a drag-and-drop, modular interface with calibration and control features? MOTU has developed a solution called Volta. It’s a plug-in that turns your audio interface into a control voltage device. It works with all MOTU audio interfaces that have quarter-inch outputs, and MOTU intends to make it work with any 3rd-party audio interface with DC-coupled quarter-inch outs.

In other words, one software plug-in does more than what a similar module would do, more easily, more elegantly, all from your Mac. It makes your computer a powerful tool for analog synths in a way that it hasn’t been before – arguably in a way that even digital synths can’t approximate.

I’m pleased to welcome Matthew Davidson of MOTU in a CDM exclusive on Volta’s launch. He describes in detail what Volta is about, and why MOTU developed it.

All photos courtesy MOTU.

A video demo follows, as well.

What is Volta?

Volta is software; a virtual instrument that turns your audio interface into a voltage control interface. Anything with a control voltage (CV) input can be automated from your DAW with Volta. This includes modulars, analog mono synths and even effects processors like the moogerfoogers.

Volta provides access to the automation system of your DAW through ramps. You can draw in whatever whacky timeline based automation you desire and use this high resolution data to control anything with a CV input. No stair-stepping or zipper noise. You can also route any MIDI controller to control voltages. Volta provides audio-rate rendered software LFOs, step and trigger sequencers.

Each instance of volta supports up to 24 slots of outputs, and you can have as many instances of Volta as your hardware allows. For example, a MOTU PCI-424 system with four 24io interfaces provides 96 channels of output.

Of course, you can also use Volta to send note information. MIDI information goes in, and control voltages go out. All control signals are running at audio rate, and MIDI note playback is pre-buffered. This provides sample accurate timing of your external hardware.

Volta First Look from Matthew Davidson on Vimeo.

(Click through to Vimeo for HD video)

How did Volta come about?

The limitations of hardware CV-MIDI converters are pretty frustrating. Their workflow…these things are programmed though tiny LCD windows and they’re designed to be a ’set up once and forget’ type of affair. So, you spend an evening with the manual in your lap (an abridged version, translated from German) and create what you think will be a good ‘general purpose’ patch. So, as long as you stick to that and nothing else, you’re set. Only… that never turns out to be the case. You want to reassign controllers. You want to turn an envelope into a trigger. You want to move outputs around. Total nightmare.

But usability is only one issue. There are annoying technical limitations to hardware MIDI to CV convertors. Resolution. Why should we be limited to 8-bit controllers? Why can’t we leverage the awesome automation system in our DAW? Latency/lag; it is critical to have events occur at the points you specify in your sequence. If an onset occurs before a massive controller jump, the results are disastrous.

We had a hunch that a software solution could solve all these issues, so we hatched a plan than became Volta…

Tell me about the calibration feature.

The calibration feature came about as a direct result of ensuring Volta would work on non-MOTU interfaces. In our research, we found output levels varied not only from model to model, but interface to interface and even output to output. We were nearly ready to give up by this point until we came up with the idea of a closed-loop calibration system. Most oscillators have multiple outputs, so why not plug one back into the interface and measure the frequencies coming out of it? Then you can create a complete profile that addresses any non-linearities in both the interface and the oscillator. You can even tune self-oscillating filters this way.

I’m curious if some non-tracking oscillators like the livewire Dalek modulator and the Blacet dark star chaos will track with Volta. We will test that out. You can walk away from your modular and come back hours later, hit ‘calibrate’ and you’re back in tune. It is like the tune button on a Prophet 5. Volta not only tunes and scales your oscillators, but when you hit a C4, you get a C4.

Some of my personal impressions of using Volta

It feels like a combination of some of the programming conveniences from MX4, like using multiple host-synced LFOs to create rhythmic effects, combined with everything I like about analog. As I write this, I’m modulating a filter with one Volta LFO, and modulating the waveform morph feature on a Plan B Model 15 VCO with another synced LFO to create a percolating effect. This really wasn’t easy or possible before.

Things I didn’t expect

The chicklets display at a glance what is assigned to what outputs. A hardware MIDI to CV convertor is a black box with no visual indication of what is coming out where. If you’re used to tracing cables with your eyes and fingers, this was an unexpected workflow bonus.

I can’t emphasize enough what a revelation it is to have everything in sync with your project. Syncing an LFO in the analog realm to your DAW usually involves sending a sync trigger to reset the onset of the LFO, then you have to manually tweak the period of the LFO to line up with the sync point. With Volta, you just drag on an LFO, set the metric period and you’re done.

The audio output of your modular gets returned back into the Volta instrument plug-in so you can easily apply host-based effects to the output. This naturally leads to a whole world of host-synced effects processing with delays, things like Automaton, etc. You can put real time MIDI effects on the MIDI input, like an arpeggiator.

So, in a nutshell, complete, accurate, precise digital control of your modular from your DAW via a virtual instrument interface. I would be curious to hear your reaction to what I’m describing.

How much is Volta?

Pricing has not yet been announced.

Do I need a MOTU audio interface?

Volta will work with any audio interface with DC-coupled outputs. All MOTU interfaces (PCI, Firewire and USB) with 1/4″ outputs will work.

Do I need Digital Performer?

No. Volta is an AU plug-in, so it will work in Logic, Live, Garage Band, Digital Performer – anything that supports AU instruments. Some features like sample-accurate timing require a sample-accurate host.

Will Volta work with 1.2v/oct gear?

Volta’s calibration feature supports different oscillator scaling standards.

Where can I buy Volta?

Visit motu.com for further info. You can sign up for an email alert when Volta is available.
http://www.motu.com/other/feedback/volta-information/

Today is set to be an orgy of computer music-y, Abletronic, drum machine-loaded, Max-patching news, so let’s throw one out to the guitarists. IK Multimedia has two new announcements today that are actually quite cool. The StealthPedal is a Wah pedal that’s actually an audio interface, sort of like a James Bond pen that’s also a gun. And IK also landed the only official Fender-endorsed software amp emulation.

Here’s a quick look at the specs. By the way, I’ve consulted everyone I know (especially as I’m not a guitarist), and basically what we’ve come up with is that a whole bunch of the guitar emulations out there (Apple, IK, NI, and Waves) are pretty damned good. Apple recently upgraded their own guitar emulations, meaning even what you get in GarageBand ‘09 is a big leap forward (and I have it on good authority that they sound terrific). NI has a guitar announcement coming later today, too. I’d choose based on taste, basically; each has a unique personality.

AmpliTube Fender

• 12 Fender guitar amps (Twin Reverb, ‘59 Bassman LTD, Super-Sonic, Metalhead)
• 12 matching cabinets
• 9 microphones
• 6 stomp effects, 6 rack effects (tape echo, Fender reverb, fuzz/wah, triangle flanger, wah, the works)
• Digital tuner, stomp pedal board, amp head, cabinet plus mic, rack effects. (Here’s one point of differentiation: NI, for instance, has more toys here; IK plays it a little more conventionally; that’s a matter of taste.)
• SpeedTrainer, RiffWorks T4 recording included
• “Certified” by Fender
• US$229.99 for the full set, or get the LE (4 amps, 5 cabinets, 2 stomp, 2 mic, 2 rack FX) with the StealthPlug USB audio interface for US$139.99
• Available late February

It’s a pretty stunning deal if you’re a Fender fan.

http://www.amplitube.com/fender

Stealth Pedal

• Looks like a wah pedal – same form factor
• Works as a controller (it’s basically an assignable expression pedal)
• Comes with a double foot switch, and you can optionally add a second expression pedal via a foot input
• Also a USB audio interface (24-bit, 44.1/48)
• “Low-noise” input stage
• Headphone out, volume control, LEDs for use as a tuner or level indicator
• ASIO PC, Core Audio Mac drivers
• Software bundle
• US$269.99
• Available late April

This looks just incredibly functional for someone wanting something compact. There have been controller/audio interface bundles before from IK, NI, and others, but this you can throw easily in your case.

http://www.stealthpedal.com

Speaking of Rain Recording, Rain is about the only vendor I’ve found that offers a 2-port FireWire ExpressCard known to work well with audio interfaces. Now, your mileage may vary depending on the chipset in your laptop, but based on what I’ve been hearing, this looks like a good option. I’ve also seen a cheap (US$30) card floating around some random Internet vendors; it’s so cheap, I’m probably going to buy one just to see if it works. I’ll report back.

2 Port FireWire Express Card (formerly ADS Tech PYRO1394a) [Rain Recording]

I get nothing out of this, for the record; Rain actually hopes you’ll get this card with one of their laptops, but I’m just as curious to hear how it works on other machines. Of course, this would be a nice add-on not only for PCs, but also potentially for MacBook Pro users wanting dedicated FW400 ports and the TI controller – theoretically, at least. Let us know what happens if you take the plunge.

If you’ve had experience with different chipsets and ExpressCard slots on Mac or PC, we’d love to hear it. And I hope to offer my own tests soon.

Updated: The StarTech EC13942 also shares the TI chipset and is available from a number of vendors if that’s a vendor you prefer. It’s the only one endorsed by PreSonus aside from this former ADS Tech card that Rain sells — and may give you better results with other, non-PreSonus hardware, based on reports I’ve read. See PreSonus’ official word on the matter:

Presonus Hardware Compatibility: Approved Chipsets [PDF]

As I’ve noted, unlike the new MacBook, the MacBook Pro revision retains FireWire, in the form of a FireWire 800 port. This does represent a switch to an NVIDIA chipset, so there may be new performance wrinkles with some interfaces. But it’s not the FW800 port per se you have to worry about. It gives you one less physical connector (previous MBPs had both a FW800 and FW400 port), but even the earlier models had just one bus for FireWire, shared between those two ports. There is a little bit of inconvenience there in that you need an adapter cable and have one less port free, but it’s much less of the deal-breaker the MacBook’s lack of FireWire or expansion is.

MOTU had already published a support note out about supporting FW800 ports — executive summary: don’t worry about it. Now Apogee, makers of the Mac-only Duet, weigh in:

Connection between a “late-2008″ MacBook Pro and Ensemble or Duet is made with a commonly available FW800 to FW400 adaptor or cable. The connection of Ensemble or Duet to a FW800 port is fully supported and in no way alters the performance of the interface.

Ensemble and Duet Compatible with New MacBook Pro [Apogee Digital]

Via MacMusic; thanks to USO Project

It should have been another home run for Apple today. The new MacBooks and MacBook Pros look like absolutely gorgeous, brilliantly-engineered, environmentally-friendly machines. And for many, the fact they run Mac OS is all you need to know. I really do look forward to seeing one of these machines in person. But in case you haven’t caught on, a lot of people aren’t exactly overjoyed. The loudest complaints: creating digital music and creating digital motion (ahem) are crippled by the lack of FireWire on the MacBook, a format Apple once championed.

Generally, Apple remade their entire line in the image of the MacBook Air: form over function, with design, beauty, and manufacturing excellence, even multi-touch gestures, but without a clear story on value and features. They removed key connectivity (FireWire, particularly on the MacBook) with nothing new to replace it. Talk about putting aesthetics first: some have speculated the FireWire port was removed on the MacBook because it would have necessitated making the case slightly thicker. They added a new connector for video without supporting some standards ordinary people want for video output. Instead of price breaks, they protected their price points, even edging up the mid-range MacBook by $100, which upset some folks – especially since there wasn’t as strong a left-brain rationale for the new models. Perhaps it’s partly the fault of how beautiful the machines are: they shine so brightly, it’s hard for the spec sheet — even the strongest parts of it — to hold up in the glare. (Or maybe that’s the non-optional gloss screen.)

Now, under the right conditions, that could have been a huge hit, except the people who care most about aesthetics already own the MacBook Air — and we’re currently in a global economic slump that’s arguably worse, statistically speaking, than anything that’s happened since Apple was founded. Apple’s case was to get people to make a sacrifice for luxury, right when they want to do just the opposite.

Where were these sentiments at their worst? As it happens, among the creative pros who are Apple’s most cherished users, and some of the press specialists who had been their strongest cheerleaders. That one little matter of the FireWire port turns out to be at the heart of the matter. Read through users’ complaints, and you hear some specifics about why FireWire isn’t ready to go the way of the floppy just yet:

• Eugenia’s Rants and Thoughts links various complaints, and points out you can “just buy a DELL Vostro 1310 with Sony Vegas Platinum 9, which is more feature-complete than the older Macbook (more RAM, hard drive, ports) at the same price” as the newly-crippled MacBook.
• Even though he likes the new features, Adam Tow notes that on the MacBook, “I wouldn’t be able to import footage from my video camera nor can I get super-fast downloads from my Compact Flash cards using my SanDisk Extreme IV card reader.” And he points out you can only get a glossy screen.
• IMJEFFP calls it the “$700 FireWire port” and notes the new model wouldn’t allow him to use a camera he uses for planetary photography.

Some in the press are turning on Apple entirely – and it could be the sign of more dissent to come:

• The Guardian says the new models “fail to excite” in the headline, and goes on to blame missteps in the announcement for poor stock performance. (A stretch, I think given the volatility of the market, but it shows how bad the spin is today for Apple.)
• Newsweek’s Daniel Lyons “sours” on Apple entirely and explains “Why the company’s laptops aren’t worth the hype.” His main complaint: Apple keeps dragging journos to these live events only to deliver incremental changes.

… just to cite two examples. Whether that’s fair or not, Apple obviously didn’t get the press they wanted. I think at some point, you have to let the press get excited on their own. Push too hard, and they get cranky.

So Are the Skeptics Right?

A lot of PC partisans I know claim Apple gets a free pass. I think they’re unaware just how high the expectations of Apple’s most passionate enthusiasts can be. And I think, frankly, the press can set the bar absurdly high, like wanting major laptop innovation every eight months. Apple made that worse by over-hyping this event at the worst possible time.

There’s plenty to like about Apple’s new machines. There are significant architectural improvements, so it will be interesting to see benchmarks. And they look beautiful. The trackpad gestures sound interesting.

But here are the problems:

Removing FireWire ports is a downgrade, no matter how you look at it. Removing the floppy disk on the iMac turned out to be an upgrade. But remember, the iMac added fast Ethernet and USB ports at a time when those features were often optional. The new MacBooks don’t give you anything, connectivity-wise, in exchange for the FireWire you lose. On the non-Pro, that impact is the worst. HDV prosumer cameras still hold up to AVCHD options, and lots of devices only capture footage, play and record back tapes, and capture live video via FireWire. Musicians rely heavily on FireWire drives and (most importantly) FireWire audio interfaces. On the Pro, they now need FW800 adapters and lose a port. On the non-Pro, they’re completely out of luck.

Imagine how audio maker Apogee may feel. They made their Duet audio interface Mac-only and co-promoted it with Apple, touting exclusive integration with Logic Studio. Now it doesn’t even work with half of Apple’s new laptops, because it’s FireWire only. (No word yet on whether they’re ready with USB, but my guess it they may be hearing about this at the same time the rest of us are.

FireWire isn’t perfect; don’t get me wrong. FW400 offers limited advantages over USB2, and it’s possible to damage some components by hot-swapping a live capble. But then, why not put the FW800 port on Apple’s entry level MacBook, especially since there are still reasons (bigger screen, better GPU, faster specs) to upgrade to Pro? Or why not replace FW400 with eSATA? Or use a 4-pin FireWire port if the case has to be slimmer? Or wait until USB3 is available? Or even give us another USB port? Or at least not constantly keep telling us how you’re always right? Anything would ease the pain.

The integrated video doesn’t sound fully-baked yet. The NVIDIA 9400m will be a big upgrade from the MacBook’s previous integrated graphics. But you can find PCs with beefier graphics cards in them at the MacBook’s price point (especially at US$1600). Worse, if you want to take advantage of its battery-saving feature, you have to stop your work, log out, log in, and reload everything you were doing to switch modes. Windows Vista supports seamless switching on at least some models of the 9400m. Apple may soon, but that’s another demerit at launch.

We’re also still waiting to hear about whether we’ll be able to add connectors for HDMI, S-Video, and Composite TV out. All can theoretically be supported on Apple’s DisplayPort, but only if drivers cooperate. The fact Apple isn’t offering accessories for these formats? Very bad sign. (Updated: Note that that’s not even a standard DisplayPort. Apple is piping standard signal through a proprietary connection that’s not part of the spec. Uh… thanks?)

Apple has to stop acting like no one else exists. Here’s my other beef: aside from the superior aesthetics, Apple overstates what is uniquely theirs. For instance, the whole laptop industry is moving from underpowered integrated graphics on laptops to new, hybrid integrated/discrete graphics chips from ATI and NVIDIA; that’s not just Apple. Now that so many Mac users are dual-platform or switchers, press included, Apple may have to more clearly differentiate what makes them special, and what is PC-wide. There’s really no sin in being clear on that; I think people will respond more positively. And quit with the Vista swipes; that ship has sailed.

Waiting could be a good option. Bottom line? I think what happened is Apple did innovate on form, and function wasn’t quite ready. More video cameras may indeed go the USB route — but it hasn’t happened yet. Intel has some big performance improvements in store — but they’re not here yet. NVIDIA’s hybrid platform looks promising — but the payoff isn’t there just yet, and it sounds like Apple may not even be done with the drivers yet.

And most of all, I think the mood of the world right now is that we’ll buy new tech when it’s ready for us, when we don’t have to throw out gear we care about just to make the case a little thinner, and when we can pay in cash. Not too many people are excited about credit card debt in the moment. If this industry is in it for the long haul, maybe that’s a good thing.

We now return to our regularly scheduled, Theremin-filled music tech news.

By now, you likely already know that Apple came out with new laptops today. I could talk about the new features at the existing price points or about how the new machines are very pretty, but you can easily find that elsewhere. Instead, I want to address some unfortunate details on the new laptops in terms of ports. After all, small details can make a big difference for audio users.

For connecting drives, audio interfaces, MIDI devices, and the like, you get:

• MacBook Pro: Two USB 2.0 port, one FireWire800 port, one ExpressCard/34 slot
• MacBook: Two USB 2.0 ports
• MacBook Air: One USB 2.0 port

Those are Pro specs for laptop ports, really?

So FireWire is gone from non-Pro models. FW400 is gone from the Pros, though that turns out not to be entirely a deal-breaker (you can use FW800). And eSATA is still missing, which I personally think is too bad given the increasing availability of great external drives. (eSATA is an external SATA connector. In the real world, it blows away USB2. In theory, it also blows away FW800, but in practice, they’re typically neck and neck and both pretty great. Problem is, having just one FW800 limits flexibility.)

Note: A holdout from the previous generation, the white polycarbonate MacBook and 17″ MacBook Pro live on — at least for now. The US$999 white MacBook is a good buy if you don’t need the NVIDIA 3D graphics, with a FireWire 400 port and (now) a SuperDrive. The US$2799, 17″ MacBook Pro has a third USB port and a FireWire 400 port the “improved” models lack. I would guess both models will be phased out soon, however.

With Apple leaving their price points more or less in place, that means now could be a great time to snap up some deals on used or refurb models if you’re thinking of upgrading and want to save some cash versus a new model. And it means the MacBook, for at least some users, just got less appealing, not more.

FireWire 800 vs. 400

First off, FireWire 400 is gone entirely. On the MacBook Pro, this doesn’t wind up being as bad as it sounds. The FireWire800 jack is still available, and using an adapter, that means fairly easy backwards-compatibility with FireWire 400 audio devices. Here’s what MOTU has said in the past about using their popular FireWire-400 audio interface with FW800:

Also, you can use a FireWire 800-to-400 adapter to plug a MOTU FireWire interface into a computer with a FireWire 800 port. As our FireWire interfaces are FW 400 devices, there will be no performance increase by connecting them to a FW 800 bus, but there will also be no detriment to MOTU FW performance either. Using a FW 800-to-400 adapter simply provides you with more connectivity options.

In fact, I believe you will still get the benefit of bus power via the FireWire 800 jack. That actually makes this less annoying than using FireWire on PC laptops, as most (though not all) PC laptops use a 4-pin jack that doesn’t use power. (The upside of the 4-pin jack is, because it doesn’t carry power, it’s also not likely to fry gear when hot-plugged. I have heard isolated incidents of that happening, at least with video cameras.)

I’m also really disappointed that Apple hasn’t added eSATA. This is widely available on PC laptops, and allows superb drive performance – ideal for recording – and doesn’t involve squeezing anything else on our overburdened USB ports. Sure, you could use FW800, but many drives include eSATA in place of FW800, and you’ve just taken up your FW800 port with your audio interface. See the problem?

The break for the MacBook Pro is that you can make use of the ExpressCard slot and add functionality you don’t get, though that is an extra investment and you only get one slot.

MacBook Deal Breaker?

But let me be clear: there’s really, really bad news for the MacBook. FireWire 400 is gone. There’s no way to add it back, because the non-Pro models lack ExpressCard. You can’t edit video from a DV camera, you can’t plug in audio interfaces from the likes of MOTU and RME, and you’ll have to do all audio, MIDI, and external storage through two USB 2.0 jacks.

In fact, given this, I think I have to revoke my recommendation of the MacBooks. I’d suggest getting a US$999 plastic MacBook, which is still available, if you’re on a budget. It’ll run software like Ableton Live and Logic Studio quite well, and it offers better connectivity than the new MacBook. Otherwise, if you want a Mac, you should opt for the US$1999 Pro – or, if you want something in between, look for a used or refurbished previous-generation MacBook Pro, which has none of these compromises.

Apple: Stop Killing Our Ports!

I think Apple deserves a lot of the great press they’ve gotten lately. I think there are real reasons people switch to the Mac that aren’t related to marketing or image, which is something Microsoft often fails to recognize. But this does reveal a weakness of the Mac platform, which is that you are constrained to what Apple gives you in hardware choice. It’s worth noting that this is a definite mark in the plus column for standard PCs running Windows and Linux. That might not change your mind on OS choice, but there is still a choice, and each platform choice involves tradeoffs.

And OS choice aside, I hope Apple reconsiders and finds a way to occasionally add a port and not just take them away.

Yes, there is a lot of other news on these models, and I’m sure for some, on balance, this will be great. Go have a look at the specs and decide for yourself. I’m going to pass on this one, though – just my personal call.
MacBook Pro Specs
MacBook Specs

Updated: It’s time to talk to Apple, say fellow Mac users. Eugenia of Eugenia’s Rants and Thoughts is encouraging unhappy Mac users to tell Apple they want FireWire back on the MacBook:

No firewire on new Macbooks
Apple – MacBook – Feedback

“Integrated” hardware and software is a mysterious thing. It tends to hit extremes. At one end of the spectrum, you have bare-bones hardware bundles with an interface and software, or basic integration features so an audio interface doesn’t require extra configuration or a control surface works out of the box. These might save you a few dollars or a few minutes here and there, but they’re hardly revolutionary, and in the end you might not bother at all. At the opposite pole, you have the titan Digidesign Pro Tools HD solutions, which typically involve an investment in tens of thousands of dollars of hardware gear. These can work nicely, but only if Pro Tools is your platform of choice, and for many the price means they’re not an option at all.

Cakewalk’s new SONAR V-Studio 700 heads straight for the middle of that spectrum, the area a lot in the industry have ignored. The V-Studio is a massive love child of Roland’s controller and synth hardware, a multichannel audio interface, and Cakewalk’s software. In brings a deeper level of software control than SONAR has seen before.

When Cakewalk became “Cakewalk by Roland,” after Roland bought a controlling interest in its long-time software partner, everyone wondered what integration that deal would bring. The V-Studio may be more substantial than anyone imagined, particularly after simplistic offerings in the past (some Roland sounds in a soft synth or a bundled Edirol audio card pre-configured for SONAR). I expect your take on it may depend on how you already feel about Roland hardware and Cakewalk software. This is definitely more of what these companies already offer – it’s just a lot more of it, and better integrated.

What’s included:

• SONAR 8 Producer: Big, spendy hardware aside, this is really a Cakewalk product and software is central. Cakewalk’s flagship audio software is here with all the extras, including end-to-end 64-bit audio, 64-bit processor support, and lots of included effects and instruments, including the Dimension Pro sampler, mastering effects, and vocal processing.
• Rapture: Cakewalk also throws in the full release of their deep soft synth Rapture, which has become a favorite among electronic producers for its easy envelope editing and sound design. The only danger I see: it might upstage Roland’s more conventionally-minded Fantom VS hardware.
• Control surface: The VS-700C V-Studio Console (ah, Roland branding) is the control surface part of the equation. Cakewalk has already been touting their ACT control system, which is designed for zero-configuration integration with controllers. What’s unique about the VS-700C is that you get a really full-featured control surface, and a greater level of integration. Transport, motorized faders, push-button rotary encoders, of course. Where things get interesting is there are automatic mappings to any active plug-in, surround joystick panning, and other goodies. We’re also supposed to get excited about the fact that you can then switch the same control surface to control Roland’s non-linear video editing hardware, but I’m going to go out on a limb and assume that applies to exactly none of you and move on.
• Audio interface: Interestingly, this runs on USB 2.0, but offers 20 inputs and 26 outputs, digital effects, some eight XLR ins, 24-bit, 192 kHz audio, digital I/O, MIDI, and front-panel metering. If Roland nailed the audio quality here, this could be a fantastic bargain.
• Roland Fantom VS hardware synth: This is the part you probably didn’t expect. The Fantom VS hardware synth from Roland adds 1,400 presets and integrates with SONAR as a VSTi for “zero-latency” synthesis without taxing the CPU.
• Two cables, no configuration: To make the whole thing work, you plug in two cables (one for the controller, one from the controller to the audio interface), install, and go. There’s no configuration or extra drivers to install.

Grand total: “around” US$4000, estimated, with international distribution in February 2009.

It’s a big, Roland-style box, even with the Cakewalk name. To me, the results will live and die on the quality of the audio I/O and the controller integration. Fantom synth? If you want it, you probably already own it. To anyone using SONAR, a hardware Fantom synth is just icing; potentially nice to have, but probably not the selling point. V-LINK? I’ve yet to hear from anyone using Edirol’s hardware DV editor; I’m sure they exist, but they’re a small market, so the number who would want that and this would be even smaller.

So, let’s look at those control surface and audio details, at least on paper – and expect more on the specifics soon.

Control Surface Specs

The “VS-700C” identifier is particularly misleading, as there really hasn’t been anything quite like this exclusively geared for SONAR.

• Nine 100mm, touch-sensitive motorized faders (8 channels + 1 master)
• Tab between fader banks and lock a specific channel. (For reasons known only to the engineers who designed them, some high-end control surfaces won’t lock down one channel as you tab to others, so you can’t, for instance, ride the first fader while making adjustments to the second bank of faders for access to channels 9-16.)
• Transport, X/Y cursor, jog/shuttle controls with scrub and zoom support
• 12 rotary encoders which access EQ, sends, or automatically map to active effects, instruments, and mix parameters. (Now, Mackie Control also does something like this, but the integration appears to be a little deeper and more flexible via Cakewalk’s ACT.)
• Surround control with joystick panner and other dedicated controls
• Access to views, utilities, and custom assignments for dozens of SONAR commands
• T-bar for integration with video, but also assignable to surround front/rear balance and other parameters. There’s actually no reason why a t-bar can’t make a very nice audio control, in fact.
• LCD screens with parameters (2×13) and (7-segment) timecode / time position
• Audio input for easy access, including Hi-Z if you want to plug in your guitar, etc.
• Metering
• Monitor section for controlling stereo, sub, 2-way headphone mix

It’s not unprecedented stuff, but there is a some sophistication and deeper integration you don’t get from controllers like the Mackie Control line. The tradeoff – you don’t get double-duty as you would with a Mackie Control-compatible unit, which you could use in conjunction with other hosts. (I can’t say for sure that you can’t use the VS-700C with other hosts, but it looks like it’d be most useful with SONAR.)

The integration and how it came about to me is a big issue – not only specifically in terms of this product, but because CDM as a website is always most interested in how you control software and design hardware around it. We’ll look at this area in more detail soon.

Audio Interface

Audio is no slouch, either:

• 24-bit, 192 kHz, USB 2.0 with “low-latency” performance
• 20 inputs, 26 outputs; 18/24 simultaneous
• Compression, LF Cut, Pad digital effects on input
• 8 analog ins (XLR + 1/4”), +48v phantom power
• 10 1/4” outs (balanced/unbalanced); XLR main monitor outs
• AES/EBU, S/PDIF, ADAT digital I/O
• MIDI I/O
• External sync
• Front-panel metering (that’s on top of what you get from the control surface, which makes sense as you’d use the latter for monitoring the mix engine in SONAR)

I’m also told by Cakewalk that the A/D and mic pre specs are very good; we’ll go into more specifics soon on that.

What Matters, Who is it For?

There’s a real danger here. Part of the whole value equation of software like SONAR is its flexibility, the fact that you can get software synths and mix-and-match audio I/O and controller hardware to meet your needs. Releasing integrated hardware doesn’t really hurt that; it can simply wind up being upstaged by the software itself. I’ve already heard from Steinberg pitching integration with their hardware products, and Apple pitching integration with Apogee audio hardware. The implication has a tendency to veer toward the “Pro Tools killer” territory. The results just often don’t live up to that, and I suspect part of the reason is that people who choose these software solutions are already used to picking their own gear. And if you read this site regularly, you should be very, very aware that people’s needs differ wildly. It’s not pro versus consumer, it’s countless fundamentally different approaches to the entire music making process.

So, I’d be remiss if I didn’t say it, I’m sure to many SONAR users the existing a la carte approach will be just fine.

That said, I think it’s worth noting that Cakewalk and Roland are being far more audacious than some of their competitors. Whether you want a V-Studio or not, you have to appreciate the sheer dedication to putting the best bits of Cakewalk and Roland into one box. You’re likely to feel strongly about it. Even if you feel ambivalent, I think you’ll feel passionately ambivalent. Forget the Fantom and the V-LINK bits for a second. If they really have nailed the audio and controller integration bits, it’ll find its market.

We’ll be looking at what Cakewalk has done, partly because it could finally lead to smarter integration with hardware. Stay tuned.

Let us know what you think – whether you’re saving up pennies or ignoring it entirely.

Cakewalk SONAR V-Studio Site