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Subject:Which features would the perfect ACID contain?
Posted by: Martian
Date:2/2/2005 2:00:10 PM

Everyone knows that some things could be better in Acid. I have my personal ideas and so does a lot of you out there. I want to work towards a hardware model of Acid which features the stuff you could add. Not to make any comparisons but I really think that the digi 002 was a good idea. That is because it combines good sound with affordability. unfortunately the dig 002 does not have the flexible workflow like Acid does. Likewise Acid doesn´t have the many of the features the digi comes with. It may sound funny that my dream is to work on a system which moves towards a clone of the digi 002 and the acid software. I base this on working on both systems in music production. Please do not reply with a sarcastic or negative tone on this add. I know that some of you out there have a lot of experience and if you feel like me then please start adding stuff :- )

Subject:RE: Which features would the perfect ACID contain?
Reply by: mactac
Date:2/2/2005 2:21:30 PM

- record more than 1 stereo track at a time
- a midi drum machine editor
- a better project management tool like cubase
- shuffle on the grid, and a customizeable grid (link to grooves maybe?)
- better VST fx support
- ability to freeze tracks as in cubase etc (pre-renders the track, but leaves the original there & disabled) for better performance
-better midi support
- a better beta program so I can tell sony about all of this before they release their next version. too many problems that should not be there if there was a good beta testing program.


Subject:RE: Which features would the perfect ACID contain?
Reply by: mactac
Date:2/2/2005 2:24:18 PM

oh, and of course native waveform editing ... just something basic.

The things I noted above would turn acid into a truly professional DAW, and save us having to use other software constantly. the way it is now is about 75% of the way there.

Acid was ahead of the game when it came out, but it seems as though it's quickly falling behind current technology.

Subject:RE: Which features would the perfect ACID contain?
Reply by: mactac
Date:2/2/2005 2:33:00 PM

.. oh and dump that file manager. SQL server is *exactly* the type of thing everyone recommends that you do not install on your music computer. It's hard enough trying to keep it stable & without glitches!

.... or don't install it by default at least

Subject:RE: Which features would the perfect ACID contain?
Reply by: TRANCEBOY
Date:2/3/2005 12:43:06 AM

i noticed if media manager is simply disabled in acid, sql server does not load up on my computer. check task manager/processes. It was there when media manager was enabled, but has never been there since I disabled it, even when acid is running.

As far as suggestions, I have of course my main gripe of wanting sidechains.

other than that, mactac's ideas are pretty good.

Subject:RE: Which features would the perfect ACID contain?
Reply by: Zacchino
Date:2/3/2005 3:33:26 PM

Nothing to add, Mactac said it all.

Subject:RE: Which features would the perfect ACID contain?
Reply by: Rednroll
Date:2/3/2005 8:11:35 PM

"- a better beta program so I can tell sony about all of this before they release their next version. too many problems that should not be there if there was a good beta testing program."

That's pretty funny!!!! I was part of the A5 beta team, and most of those features you asked for, was the first comment I said when we received the first beta release. I'm sure there's a few beta testers hanging out here that can vouch for that too. Let me fill you in on a little something on beta testing. The feature set is pretty much set in stone when the beta testing begins. The only thing I've been able to add is feature enhancement suggestions and even then if those enhancements take too much time to develop, then don't expect to see them until the next version.

Subject:RE: Which features would the perfect ACID contain?
Reply by: Zacchino
Date:2/4/2005 3:50:34 AM

That's one of the reason they should hire more devellopers... Or give actual devellopers more $$$

Subject:RE: Which features would the perfect ACID contain?
Reply by: Rednroll
Date:2/4/2005 7:33:44 AM

"That's one of the reason they should hire more devellopers... Or give actual devellopers more $$$"

Then wouldn't they have to charge more money for the product to pay for that? I see people in these forums crying about the price of Acid, Vegas and Forge now. It shows me the spoiled, crybaby generation they grew up in. They never had to pay $200 for a 15 minute 2" tape, that maxed out at 24 tracks. Oh and to record and playback that tape it cost you $50,000 for the machine. If you wanted mixing power close to the capabilities of todays software, you'll need to pull out at least $500K. Oh and you want the ability to add good quality reverb to your mixes? Let's go buy a Lexicon 480L for $15k Everybody wants every feature under the sun, and they want it so its easy to use, and they want it for free. Sounds like a good recipe for a company to go out of business, but as long as you got everything you needed, then who cares right? Those other people who actually did all the work, can go on and find a new career right?

Subject:RE: Which features would the perfect ACID contain?
Reply by: Gordian
Date:2/4/2005 7:48:57 AM

I second that
Gordian

Subject:RE: Which features would the perfect ACID contain?
Reply by: Zacchino
Date:2/4/2005 9:52:47 AM

200$ more for multitracking abilities... That'll make 600 bucks for an all-in-one tool. That's okay with me, even if the product isn't rock solid.

But my point of view is useless, as it seems that we're too few people to use Acid as a main music production tool.
I edit samples in Acid, record singers, record midi tracks, arrange wholes songs, etc. Now I'm not using Acid as a simple loop tool, in fact, I almost don't use loops anymore. I'm stuck with Acid just because of its fantastic logic and workflow.

Subject:RE: Which features would the perfect ACID contain?
Reply by: bartchilders
Date:2/4/2005 11:24:11 AM

I love the UI, workflow and tools of ACID. But it is hard for me to use as my primary host and I *hate* using multiple hosts. It's a head-space thing.

A Drum-specific MIDI editor-mode.
It appears the current MIDI PIano-Roll has some problems that need fixing - badly.
Some basic multi-track audio features (one-shot tracks?) - Though this isn't a deal-breaker for me. I think I could live with Folder-tracks and then bouncing down to a new track and archiving the source tracks.

Subject:RE: Which features would the perfect ACID contain?
Reply by: SHTUNOT
Date:2/4/2005 2:35:31 PM

"It appears the current MIDI PIano-Roll has some problems that need fixing - badly."


Please explain in detail. Thanks.

Ed.

Subject:RE: Which features would the perfect ACID contain?
Reply by: JohnnyRoy
Date:2/4/2005 3:22:41 PM

> - better VST fx support

What does this mean? All my VST FX work fine for me. What more do you want?

> - ability to freeze tracks as in cubase etc (pre-renders the track, but leaves the original there & disabled) for better performance

It’s already there, Try Ctrl+M to render to new track. (this is what freeze is) Then mute the original track. To unfreeze, just delete the rendered track and unmute the original track.

~jr

Subject:RE: Which features would the perfect ACID contain?
Reply by: Studio_de_Lara
Date:2/5/2005 6:32:14 AM

LIVE INPUT MONITORING :) !!!!!!!!!

Subject:RE: Which features would the perfect ACID contain?
Reply by: Martian
Date:2/5/2005 1:25:04 PM

The content of this message was deleted by the owner.

Subject:RE: Which features would the perfect ACID contain?
Reply by: Zacchino
Date:2/5/2005 2:24:08 PM

With Acid, in audio and midi, you can't do any recording while hitting a touch on the keyboard to mark up the one you liked. And beatmapper won't cut the loop punch-in and punch-out in your file then render it on a new sub-track of a folder.
Or you just can't record for example a precise region looped, and then press one touch to erase the take you're recording.
Or you can't even listen to the shot you've just made pressing another shortcut.without interrupting the playback and recording.

That'll be shuch a creative detail in acid.

PS to Rednroll... (sorry I've just understood your post, my french is good but my english sometimes get rusted) : at each Times its Difficulties. I'm a spoiled and lazy client only because I know most of the possibilities of a DAW. I keep my mouth shut everytime that the technology I bought doesn't suit my needs. I try to find a workarounds then, like everybodyelse. But when I know that there's just a few things to achieve on this very technology, so it gets almost perfect, I yell it here.

Subject:RE: Which features would the perfect ACID contain?
Reply by: pwppch
Date:2/5/2005 8:21:02 PM

>>Or give actual devellopers more $$$

I like that! More $$$ for the developers!<g>

Peter

Subject:RE: Which features would the perfect ACID contain?
Reply by: JohnnyRoy
Date:2/6/2005 4:38:30 AM

> The only thing I´m interested in saving is the files that is used in the song and only those

If you use File > Save As... with the Copy all media with project option and specify a different (new) directory, you will get only the files used by your project. You can then delete the old directory. Isn’t this what you’re asking for? If so ACID already has it.

~jr

Subject:RE: Which features would the perfect ACID contain?
Reply by: JohnnyRoy
Date:2/6/2005 4:49:22 AM

> With Acid, in audio and midi, you can't do any recording while hitting a touch on the keyboard to mark up the one you liked.

Being able to record overdubs and punching in/out are high on my list of must haves for ACID. I’d also like to see the ability to set the loop markers in the track properties and only have it play that looped section when painted on the timeline just like Cakewalk Project 5 does. In fact, I just got an email from Cakewalk that the Project 5 version 2.0 is going to add the ability to pitch shift individual loop slices like SONAR 4. With ACID you have to split the loop and render it out again to get this. SONAR lets you pitch-shift slices in place like Melodyne does. The competition is adding some impressive looping capabilities to their products.

> I like that! More $$$ for the developers!<g>

It’s sad but software developers are some of the lowest paid people on the planet when you think of how many sleepless hours they put in (days and nights and weekends) to get a release out the door. I vote for more $$$ for the developers too! ;-)

~jr

Subject:RE: Which features would the perfect ACID contain?
Reply by: Martian
Date:2/6/2005 6:00:38 AM

JohnnyRoy.... You are absolutely right. I never noticed the "Copy all media with project" function. It´s been there at least since Acid 4.0 so I have been sleeping. Thanx for the help.

Subject:RE: Which features would the perfect ACID contain?
Reply by: txharp3
Date:2/6/2005 8:19:27 AM

I just wish Acid Pro 5 included a pre-roll (count-in) function for recording audio and midi. It's a shame that a version 5 product, which is considered for professional usage, does not have this basic functionality that has been included in almost every sequencer since the 80's.

Ted

Subject:RE: Which features would the perfect ACID contain?
Reply by: JohnnyRoy
Date:2/6/2005 9:49:30 AM

> It's a shame that a version 5 product, which is considered for professional usage, does not have this basic functionality that has been included in almost every sequencer since the 80's.

Actually, that’s not a fair assessment. ACID did not get MIDI sequencing until version 4.0. Before that, it could only play back MIDI files and was strictly a multi-media loop based composition tool. Even now in version 5.0, Sony still claims it is NOT a MIDI Sequencer product. I know that pre-roll was something they wanted to add but ran out of time so its not like they aren’t working on it or aren’t aware of the need for it. I think ReWire support was much more important because now I can ReWire ACID to SONAR or Tracktion and have the best of both worlds.

I agree that I’d like to see pre-roll in the next version.

~jr

Subject:RE: Which features would the perfect ACID contain?
Reply by: bartchilders
Date:2/6/2005 10:42:44 AM

See this thread:

http://mediasoftware.sonypictures.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?MessageID=356409&Replies=4&Page=0

ACID 5.0 has problems handling MIDI tracks feeding (some?) multi-output VSTi-s.

Subject:RE: Which features would the perfect ACID contain?
Reply by: pwppch
Date:2/6/2005 12:34:15 PM

Multibus VSTis behave correctly when used from the main timeline. All routing and busing for multibus VSTis work as they should in this context.

The problem you mention, and I confirmed, has to do with the specific work flow of previewing to a multi bus VSTi from the Piano Roll, List Editor, or MIDI Track general page.

Peter


Subject:RE: Which features would the perfect ACID contain?
Reply by: txharp3
Date:2/6/2005 12:35:22 PM

I understand, JohnnyRoy. However, I believe a pre-roll function is so basic that it should have been included in version 4 (or 3?) when midi sequencing was first implemented. It's very disappointing to see this function still missing in version 5. Other than that, Acid Pro 5 works perfectly for my needs.

Ted

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