DP8 announced: 64 bits and available for Windows!

[MIDI Life Crisis]

15k? Really!?

[toodamnhip]

Even if DP goes to Windows,
What about the tons of Mac based third party plugs and VIs some of us have?
DP may be the “main" part of my system, but it is certainly the least costly part and least focused on part as far as upgrades and enhancements. I have spent years NOT compiling DP but compiling plug ins and VIs, I could care less about DP compared to all that work making a universe of plugs and VIs. DP happens to be the central engine, but so could any number of MAc based DAW programs. Of course I want to stay with DP, but anyone who thinks that DP is the key to any system must not have many VIs or Plug Ins.

I really don;t think all my VIS and plugs would be windows compatible so DP being windoze means little to me.
Except it might add to the longevity of the company, which is good news.
And, in the event Mac Pros aren;t supported by Apple anymore, (a total rumor), then of course, the option to go to PC then becomes a possibility.

[bayswater]

Are there that many plugins you have to pay for separately for Mac and Windows? I haven't paid attention that much, but it was my impression that the purchase gets you both. Still a PITA to go through the installation and authorization all over again.

On the topic of plugins: MOTU will have to support VST within the Windows verison. Wonder if they'll port that to OS X, and drop MAS at the same time?

[Frodo]

Even if DP goes to Windows...

If? It has, from the sound of things.

I really don't think all my VIS and plugs would be windows compatible so DP being windoze means little to me.

Not everyone has to buy a new computer at all. The Windows thing becomes a matter of staying power. Who knows? You might even start seeing some of that heavy hitting advertising you've wanted.

Where VIs go, *most* are delivered in a variety of formats. It would be wise to take note of which of your plugins are cross platform. Even so, your next computer could still be a Mac and you'll be safe!

Wonder if they'll port that to OS X, and drop MAS at the same time?

Yep. My question, too.

15k? Really!?

Don't believe everything you read.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

...anyone who thinks that DP is the key to any system must not have many VIs or Plug Ins.

In fact, I don't have many plugs or VIs. It's rather old school around here. Lots of music on paper. ☺ I really don't feel the need to have a ton of stuff, but as far as what's "key" is workflow and in that sense, DP is key to my system.

15k? Really!?

Don't believe everything you read.

I don't even believe everything I believe.

[toodamnhip]

Are there that many plugins you have to pay for separately for Mac and Windows? I haven't paid attention that much, but it was my impression that the purchase gets you both. Still a PITA to go through the installation and authorization all over again.

On the topic of plugins: MOTU will have to support VST within the Windows verison. Wonder if they'll port that to OS X, and drop MAS at the same time?

I really haven’t paid attention to windows compatibility. And yes Frodo, I mis-spoke, DP IS in windows-land.
I have assumed that waves and all my plugs are Mac-based. If I am wrong, then it is even cooler news to have the option.

I do wonder though, what happens to a wave file or any number of Mac files when stored on a drive and pulled directly into a PC? Are they even recognized?

[HCMarkus]

One big concern: will resources that used to go toward Mac development be shunted off to the PC, and will stability suffer as a result?

Like Frodo, DP has been the reason I have not considered going the PC route. But as I consider the ramifications of MOTU's move, I start to realize there are other considerations as well... And then there's this: I'm still running PPC. My Quad is fantastic with DP, until it chokes on VI's. Maybe the Slave PC approach with Vienna Pro is a better idea than investing in a new Mac.

As for MOTU, I think the company will be well-served in the long run by cutting (or at least rendering non-essential) the umbilical chord to Apple. Logic is a loss leader for a hardware manufacturer, and it's tough for MOTU to compete. And if Apple ever DOES drop the Mac Pro (not gonna' happen for at least one or two more generations of Pros, I'm 99 and 44/100's sure) where would a Mac-only DP be then?

I guess I'm happy the new Pros have been delayed by Intel. It will allow me some time to take all of this in.

Are we SURE it's not April 1?

[toodamnhip]

OK, 64 bit support, now what?
I mean, to me, 64 bit means nothing until every VI and plug in will run perfectly WITH DP, IN 64 bit.

Until then, I will not run 64 bit unless it is somehow automatic.

Id love someone here to explain how it might work to me.
I don;t even know if my 2 x 2.4 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon starts up in 32 or 64 bit.

I have read that certain key commands can force 32 or 64 bit, but have never messed with it..I’m so lost....lol

[Killahurts]

Just a few short years ago, DP on Windows would have been blaspheme. Now you guys are scratching your heads as to whether you'll switch.. would MOTU have done this if they thought the Mac OS had a future? Case in point, Mac OS Lion = the freakin' iPad/iPhone. Just sayin.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

...would MOTU have done this if they thought the Mac OS had a future? Case in point, Mac OS Lion = the freakin' iPad/iPhone. Just sayin.

We don't know squat about what motivated the course change. Lots to ass-u-me... Always dangerous.

[Killahurts]

We don't know squat about what motivated the course change. Lots to ass-u-me... Always dangerous.

Of course you're right. But still.. the times they are a' changin.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

And as for Lion. Not on my machines any time soon. Yes, it turns a Mac Pro into an iPhone that doesn't fit in your pocket.

[mike_o]

were there any details about DP8's new features or did they just announce windows compatibility?

[bayswater]

I do wonder though, what happens to a wave file or any number of Mac files when stored on a drive and pulled directly into a PC? Are they even recognized?

Wave files are ok. And I'd assume that the DP project files for V8 will be readable by either version, like just about any other cross platform application.

[Frodo]

Well, we know that if the Mac DAW market share is a fraction of the total Mac computer market share, being 10% at best-- then it follows that there is a *large* market out there in PC world to tap into. Considering how popular MOTU's hardware is cross-platform, I should think they'd have a good idea about why sending more of their software-- including DP-- cross-platform as well.

OK, 64 bit support, now what?
I mean, to me, 64 bit means nothing until every VI and plug in will run perfectly WITH DP, IN 64 bit.

Id love someone here to explain how it might work to me.
I don;t even know if my 2 x 2.4 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon starts up in 32 or 64 bit.

Run this in Terminal:

ioreg -l -p IODeviceTree | grep firmware-abi

Most of what pops up as a result won't make sense, but you'll see "32" or "64". That means you *can* or *cannot* boot the 64-bit kernel accordingly. To do so, hold down the "6" and "4" keys while booting up. It will or it won't.

As for explaining its benefits---

DP has been a 32-bit app for ages. That means, as with any 32-bit app, it choked when loaded with more than 3.5-4GB of data.

That DP is now 64-bit, it means that the 3.5-4GB data limit is gone under the 64-bit kernel. DP8 can now address 16-17 EXABYTES of RAM.

For all practical purposes, suffice it to say that DP8 will make use of all of the RAM your computer has or can hold.

1 exabyte = 1,073,741,824 gigabytes
17 exabytes = way more RAM than any of us have ever imagined, considering that few of us have any more than 16GB installed. Yes, the stats go well beyond what's possible today, but consider that 32-bit apps have always been 32-bit from day 1.

Remember the Atari ST? That was an "advanced" 16-bit machine when others were only 8-bit. The ST? That stood for Sixteen-bit external, Thirty-two bit internal. CPU was 8Mhz with 512k memory. Hardly enough to threaten the 3.5-4GB limit. It was the same then as it is now. No one would EVER need more than 4GB RAM. Right? That's what they said back then. LOL!

If you've ever seen the error message that DP has run out of memory, chances are you won't see that message again for a little while.