[linux-audio-user] Plugzilla LADSPA support

[Mark Knecht]

On Fri, 2004-09-17 at 09:48, Paul Winkler wrote:
> On Fri, Sep 17, 2004 at 06:55:55AM -0700, Mark Knecht wrote:
> > Dave Phillips wrote:
> > >
> > >This just in:
> > >
> > >   http://news.harmony-central.com/Newp/2004/Plugzilla-LADPSA.html
> > >
> > >
> > 
> > Plugzilla is interesting, but I can use my Pro Tools / 002 Rack in the 
> > same manner for a lot less money. I get 18 I/O's (or 10 @ 96KHz) and 
> > support for both VST as well as native RTAS plugins, as well as an 
> > internal bus arrangement that allows me to mix audio before it comes 
> > back to Ardour.
> > 
> > Throw in 8 96K A/D's and at least 10 96K D/A's and 4 pretty good mic 
> > preamps to boot and the 002 Rack makes a pretty nice outboard processor!
> 
> Unless I'm missing something, it's just an I/O box for protools?
> I looked at digi's site and didn't see anything about hardware
> DSP with this box.

No, you are exactly right Paul. The 001/002 level stuff doesn't have any
DSP hardware. Those platforms are 100% native processing. On the other
hand so is anything running on my Linux box, right?

What's happened in the last few days (for me) is the realization that I
could actually move tracking and mixing to Ardour one of these days and
my Pro Tools investment wouldn't be wasted at all. In fact I'll bet that
VST's running under Win XP Pro/Pro Tools are better supported and more
stable than they will ever be on Plugzilla, but even if they reach
parity then the 002 Rack (at $1700 I think) is a nice price point for
mic preamps, lots of reasonable converters and a platform for native
processing plugins. Granted you need a PC on top of the $1700, so there
is additional money, but you're also not stuck with a specific amount of
processing power like you would be in the Plugzilla.

Heck, I can probably put a Creamware board in my Pro Tools box and wrap
it with the VST wrapper. Lots of options.

And again, I hadn't considered this sort of use for an old Windows box
in a new Ardour based environment before the last couple of days so I
thought I'd share the idea as sacreligious as it is. 

;-) Crucify me! Please! ;-)

> 
> OTOH, the Plugzilla box can run totally standalone.
> That's a lot more attractive for live use.

I completely agree with this comment. good point.

> But still hard to justify $3000.  
> Maybe if I was a gigging keyboardist or something.
> 
> What I'd really like is a portable road-hardened box that
> could run PD patches (without GUI), LADSPA plugins, and 
> SAOL orcs.  That would really rock.
> For adding new patches, hook it up to a computer via usb or firewire or 
> ethernet, whatever's cheapest to implement.

Sounds cool. If you're a keyboard player then possibly that Liontracks
machine could be part of that solution one of these days, should it ever
actually come to market...

Take care,
Mark