Users' Opinion - Daytona
For the moment, I haven't really tested synchro recording with Cubase since I have an external DtD (DARWIN EMU 8 tracks) which records on 1GB Jazz disks, then I can get back to my recordings directly in native (.WAV). I just need to plug my Jazz in the PC in order to read, copy, paste my samples (I've got many old songs that I try to re-master within Cubase...).
But as I have a lot of voices to record again, some midi to add, etc. (this system which consists in shutting down the PC and the Darwin in order to switch between recording and edition is too fastidious), I'm about reading and trying all this nice gear a little bit in each aspect...
As I don't have any experience about sampling, it's the first time that I've got in my hands a system which doesn't crash. So, I don't have any point of comparison regarding the sound quality of the DAYTONA.
On the other hand, I recently achieved several editings via Cubase destinated to be CD-burned in order to be played in big concert rooms and I have only compliments about the sound quality ( I precise that I make Cubase editing under WIN95 and CD-burning under NT4.0. I had a lot of problems when burning CDs under WIN95 without any success, except about twenty lost blank CDs).
I can tell you at this time that midi works well, I realized some music more than 40 minutes long in type of symphonic orchestras without crashing. I've made some editing from audio CD on more than 20 minutes long in stereo.
The problems appear only when I want to add a MIDI kick on audio, or when I want to make a voice on MIDI : audio doesn't stop to lag and I've got the terrible feeling that I don't sing in rhythm, whereas it is one of my main qualities, being a singer..
Considering my machine set-up, I set everything thoroughly and my system seems not to have any problem. Yesterday, I worked on a 4-minute song (stereo rythmics, 5 mono choir tracks and a stereo track for the lead voice) on which I tried a maximum of plugins in insert as well as in master effect or send effect (DirectX and others without crashing). I had only two problems (as long as the question was not to mix midi and audio) :
- The sound distorts and "glides" in every directions but it's me who under evaluate the dynamics of the machine (I'm accustomed to analog).
- Windows can't close itself after working with Cubase. I must reset each time.
The negative points now : The PCI Daytona card is supposed to do some .DLS. If I understood well, it consists of creating some midi virtual synths from samples. The problems :
- The installation tells that a S3legacy file in the autoexec.bat refuses the plug'n'play on my configuration. Any success in booting WIN95 (this S3legacy file is useful to readjust the 2 IRQ needed by the card - impossible to use only one IRQ). It's a friend of mine being a computer scientist who resolved the problem. He was obliged, among other things, to rewrite entirely the file, that meant for me 3 weeks lost, 100 francs lost in telephone for calling the WAVES system hotline for nothing... And so an installation which seems to me hardly doable for a non-experienced computer scientist (Note of the editorial staff : in order to have the whole modification proceeding of this famous file, see the page Fiat Lux !)
- Before the opening of win95, the S3GM2.BIN file is told to be "not found" and thus "MIDI WAVETABLE not available"(I had even so succeeded in hearing their wavetable !!!! How strange !!!). I called the HOT LINE... who didn't know this file !!!!!!!!!!!!! And who was supposed to recall me in order to tell me what to do, it was about 3 months ago, I'm always waiting for the answer.
- The card is released with a simple DLS reader and some not very good samples. I tried to found a .DLS editor and then I had the surprise to not be able to create any BANK for program changes - or I didn't find the way to make it - and the unlucky sample which I succeeded in installing (a cow mooing) took the place of the midi program 01, that is to say a piano.
In fact, as I am the owner of a home studio, I didn't care anymore with this system about which Turtle Beach do some adverts (It really sucks to me to not at less try the products I buy). Ph. BOT.