Recording ain't just Kansas anymore, Dorothy

[CryingBass]

I realize that not everyone does their own at-home studio recording or digital composing.
And I know that those of you that do probably don't use Ableton Live as much as maybe
ProTools, Logic, etc.

But man - look at what Steven Slate is doing now - for $999 dollars! ( not cheap, but if you
even think about what this would cost for hardware/analog gear, nuff said ). This, and
Ableton Live, is probably 99% of what anyone could use for a lot of musical genre's. And
it works with ALL major DAW's allegedly.

Waddaya think?

 

[seamonkey]

Looking great!
This stuff is really converging in very cool ways. Ableton has some great things going on.
On the cheap tablets, even android can be used as a touch interface.
I like the interface to lay flat, then use a big screen(s) on the PC to actually see other things.

 

[J Posega]

There's a studio in town that just 'upgraded' to the Slate system. Two Slates in Studio A, two in Studio B. They used to use a big digital desk, motorized faders, etc. for years.

The guys that work full-time there and cut their teeth on big analog style desks now just do their automation in the box with a trackball and keyboard shortcuts because the touch screen doesn't give you any haptic feedback.

Guys that freelance, those that have long done their mixing in the box and with iPads or other touch screen units are really into the Slate.

The old school guys are warming up to the touch panels. I've tried using my iPad as a control surface, but the lack of feedback from the screen just doesn't do it for me. Obviously the Slate is gonna be higher quality than an iPad for such things, but I'm withholding judgment on it until I can get my hands on it (I'm interning at said studio now).

In the meantime, for my home projects, I bought a Faderport. It's really great for transport controls, the fader is great quality. I really only need it for automating fades and finicky volume adjustments that are otherwise a pain in the ass with a trackpad or trackball.

The Slate is a great price for all it does, and is a really nice looking display. I can't wait for a version 2 or 3 with some haptic feedback that gives you some really good feel when you adjust stuff.

 

[duo8675309]

Coming from a software background, I would be wary of buying any type of specialized hardware. If I wanted to go this route, I would buy a nice multitouch, pressure sensitive laptop and gravitate towards software that supported those features. Five years from now a nice Lenovo Thinkpad will still be supported and capable of running whatever new software is out then. I don't trust companies like this to stick around long or offer much support for older products.

 

[silky smoove]

I can't wait for a version 2 or 3

Wait no longer! The hardware is already on version 2 and the software is on version 3

 

[J Posega]

Wait no longer! The hardware is already on version 2 and the software is on version 3

I DIDNT EVEN HAVE TO WAIT!

I guess I knew the hardware was v2, I more meant that I hope they incorporate some sort of tactile feedback in an future iteration.

I might get to fondle the Slates tomorrow. The engineer/ owner seems to like me so I hope I can get a couple minutes behind the desk.

 

[seamonkey]

Touch screens can be frustrating when things don't align right to where you touch.
I recall reading about the history of the computer mouse and how hard it was to convince many that it just worked. You look at the screen, move the mouse and it just becomes second nature. Mice, touchpads, trackballs., and other remote devices will still have their place.

Now Pressure sensing as in polyphonic after touch, and velocity sensing, is what I want.
Tap harder and it does something faster. Touch a filter then push harder to modulate the filter.
That's the dimension I'd like to see added. Apple has some of it in IOS but lacks it totally in their PC's