vst rack module?

saintjoe

saintjoe

SoundsAndGear.com
what yall think about something like this

http://www.museresearch.com/receptor_overview.php

i think it's nice, if you don't mind buying plugins for it, you can run it like a regular rack module, custom to you

they even got plugins that are freeware, like a soundfont player, you can have a soundfont player in a rack, it doesn't run on windows software but uses vst's ie windows dll format

you can hook it up to your computer or use it standalone or hook up a monitor mouse and keyboard to it, and it responds to midi program changes

can load instruments, and fx

a little steep in price, but it would never become outdated

i also think there are others who make something like this

jus a thought, i seen it before but never really looked at the specs

what you fellas think
 
possibly, but what about those who don't want to deal with the computer

and you can't rackmount a powerbook

with a power book you have more to go through to use your vst's

plus, can macs run vst's? ive never used a mac so i don't know

i think this is a good way to integrate software into hardware
still a little high priced though, but convinient none the less
 
saintjoe said:
possibly, but what about those who don't want to deal with the computer

and you can't rackmount a powerbook

with a power book you have more to go through to use your vst's

plus, can macs run vst's? ive never used a mac so i don't know

i think this is a good way to integrate software into hardware
still a little high priced though, but convinient none the less
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Macs can use AU (audio unit) as well as VST.

Honestly, for how much $$$ that thing costs, I would rather get a nice synth module or a laptop. Although I guess it would be nice if you do lots of gigs.
 
i stand corrected, yeah, for gigs it would be better, but for studio/home use, a laptop would be just as good, and you could get that vstack software or something that is a standalone vst module, with up to like 16

i thought it was neat, but would wait till it comes way down in price, something like that shouldn't cost as much as it does
 
saintjoe said:
a little steep in price, but it would never become outdated
Click to expand...
Untill they stop making plugins for it. Same as any other synth.
 
yeah but you can use any windows vst on it
if it has a dll file you can use it

you just don't use the windows installation, you have to install it on your computer then migrate it to the rack
 
In which case it will be junk in 1-2 years time.

How long does a computer last you?
 
all you need the computer for is to install the vst, then you move it to the rack?, a computer last way longer than 2 yrs, what kind of computer you got?

it may not be state of the art in 2yrs, but it's so easy to upgrade the computer, and by then most vst's will probably be native to the rack itself, as time goes on more companies will make vst's compatible with it

I jus can't see this becomming old or obselete

my only gripe would be what size hard drive they put in it, because you got vst's that are 30gb of data nowdays, most of the newer ones are 1-6gb
that can add up pretty quick if they put a little hard drive in it
 
There are a few of these machines poping up so its getting a little confusing.

Can I use VSTs I've already purchased with Receptor?

It depends. Receptor runs Windows-format DLLs, so if you have a Windows version of a VST, it may run on the box. Although the actual plug-ins are identical, their installation methods are different than with a Windows-based computer. Fortunately, most VST developers have expressed a willingness to offer a low cost or no cost “cross-grade” version to anyone who currently owns the same plugin in another format.
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What makes Receptor different or better than a computer? Couldn't I just put a motherboard in a box and have the same functionality?

This product was specifically developed to run audio plug-ins. So, just as Victor Frankenstein cobbled together a monster that vaguely resembled a human being, you could assemble a collection of third-party hardware, interfaces, cables, and software and build a device that resembled a Receptor, but why would you? You'd still be missing the dedicated front panel, the tweaked-to-perfection reliability, and the custom operating system created specifically for running VST plug-ins. The fact that there's a computer inside is just a small part of the equation. Receptor has taken a large number of components and integrated them into a coherent system, which was then optimized to run audio plug-in software. It is far more than a motherboard in a box.
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So this is one of the computers in a box, no DSP loading, no special plugins.

A two year old P4 2GHz (pretty high end for the time) would be getting slow for many of the latest high end VSTi's (especially trying to run them in real time). Thats why I put a 1-2 year lifespan on such a product.

Its no better than a second computer in a rackmount case. The other similar solutions that put plugins or VSTi clones into DSP offer a much more powerful solution but as soon as they stop making more plugins for them you are stuck with whats available.

The creamware cards (and alike) offer a better solution where you need to offload your host processor.
 
if you look around the website long enough you'll find that they are using a bunch of open source utilities. I started to think that they are essentially using linux and probably wrote their own optimized tool to run the vsts. I was essentially wrong. I see that they are using Wine (the windows emulator) along with X-windows and VNC (which is how you control it from a window on your windows/mac). I have every reason to believe now that all this thing is is a linux pc configured so that the vst host program runs at startup. as far as the panel buttons, sure they have those but its probably just setup to act like keyboard buttons.

as far as upgrades, since i seriously doubt this is anything more than a pc if you didnt know linux and therefore couldnt set this up yourself, you can probably upgrade the harddrive and memory without much difficulty. And possibly even the cpu (a small amount).
 
both true, thus why i think it is overpriced, i like the fact it had knobs and ran standalone,upon further investigation there are other things available that do this, this is bascially a cheap version of the neko stuff, and i wasn't really impressed with neko, yes it is basically a computer in a box

i feel you on the fact of speed, but couldn't you upgrade your pc

upgrading this thing probably would be a pain and mabey even an inside job, which would kill the chance of me ever getting one if i couldn't upgrade it myself

mabey it's a hint at things to come?
we'll see
 
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