Studio Vision Pro 4.0
Digital audio and MIDI sequencing software from Opcode Systems
By Jeffrye Glenn Tveraas
jeffrye@harmony-central.com
Let's cut to the chase -- Opcode's Studio Vision Pro 4.0 (SVPro) is a wicked good digital audio and MIDI recording, editing and playback program for the Power Macintosh platform. I'm very impressed with the abundance of musical tools and commands and the clean professional interface. SVPro 4.0 coupled with a powerful Mac becomes the centerpiece for a virtually uncompromising music production studio. And it ain't so bad with venerable CPU's bringing out the best in any of them, including 68040-based AV machines albeit with severely reduced digital audio capacity. Let's start with the system requirements.
Opcode recommends for optimum digital audio a PowerPC Macintosh with 16 bit audio input and output and Level 2 cache (604 processor or higher recommended), a separate SCSI hard drive dedicated to recording data (this really helps), 12 MB RAM minimum application space (16MB or more preferred). Sound Manager 3.2.1 (from Apple) or higher. MacOS 7.5.3 or higher (MacOS 8.0 and 8.1 are OK), 640x480 (or larger) monitor with 256 colors or grays and a CD-ROM drive. Defragmentation software to optimize the drive's performance regularly such as Norton's Speed Disk is a really good idea. A Digidesign audio card is also recommended but not required.
A floppy drive is still needed for the key disk authorization which is a royal pain in the you-know what. Music software is the last bastion of such arcane protection measures and I think it's high time a less invasive technique was used. I imagine that a new scheme will be designed to deal with the new iMacs and others that will come without floppy drives. At least it's not a dongle.
SVPro 4.0 is fully compatible with Apple's built-in Sound Manager system which requires no additional hardware. And IMHO it sounds just fine using this system, although you're limited to just stereo I/O. The add-on cards usually offer a better signal to noise spec and perhaps better D/A & A/D converters and digital I/O, but if you're careful with your gain chain you can get very good results without them.
It's also compatible with Digidesign ProTools 24 (DAE, NuBus and PCI) in 16 and 24 bit modes, ProTools III and all compatible TDM plug-ins, ProTools Project, Session 8, Sound Tools II, ProTools 442, AudioMedia II/III and Yamaha CBX-D3, CBX-D5 (with updated ROMs from Yamaha). Support for CBX is not in the initial release of SVPro 4.0 but will be added back in with the 4.01 update [which can be downloaded for free from Opcode's web site.] I hope this program will tie-in with the new lines of digital PCI interfaces from Event Electronics, Yamaha, Korg and others. [Editor's note: a free 4.1 update is expected to be released shortly, which will offer VST PlugIn compatibility, a new EQ, and support for ASIO compatible hardware] Installing a Level II cache into your Macintosh (if it does not have one already) will increase the performance and synchronization of audio voices.
My system consists of a new G3/266 desktop PowerMac sporting the usual 4-gig IDE hard drive, 24x CD-ROM, ATA Zip drive and 96 MB of RAM running on System 8.1. In addition I installed a second internal SCSI HD, a Quantum Fireball 2.1 gig cannibalized from my last Mac, a six-year-old C660AV. Understanding that the SCSI buss in the G3 is the older type SCSI 1 buss with a maximum throughput of 5 MB/sec. I expected less than ideal audio performance but I was in for a real surprise. More on that later.
My MIDI system is driven by a MOTU MIDI Express multi-port interface and tone modules from Korg, Alesis and Roland. The sound output from my Mac as well as everything else goes into a Mackie 1202VLZ mixer and enters the physical world through a pair of Event 20/20 monitors. I offer this information so you have a baseline to see where I'm coming from.
Installation of SVPro 4.0 was easy, partially because I did something few other computer users do before installing new software -- I read the manuals and the read me's before I clicked install. Take this advice to heart my friends; it will make your life easier. All Opcode applications install and use the Open Music System, or OMS, to guide and route data through your computer and peripherals acting as a MIDI driver and timing master and as Opcode states, "act as a central location for defining and storing a detailed description of your MIDI studio."
OMS has been adopted by many other software manufacturers and Apple itself as the defacto standard for MIDI system applications. It's fairly easy to configure and once you do it, it's done until the time you add or lose something in your MIDI setup. It's only real competition is MOTU's FreeMidi which is essentially the same thing as OMS, and works just as well but is restricted to MOTU software such as Digital Performer, another fine MIDI recording package. In fact, Opcode and MOTU (and others) keep leapfrogging each other with feature sets and this competition benefits all of us.
I created an extension set specifically for using SVPro 4.0 that includes only the extensions necessary (OMS, Sound Manager, QuickTime, CD driver, Zip drive etc.). I have found that I always get better performance from MIDI and Audio applications when I run my System as lean as possible. Disable that fax software and ATM and other fun things that compete for processor cycles so SVPro gets the maximum horsepower. This goes for any other application of this type as well. I also routinely add 50%-100% more to the RAM partition (located in the "Get Info" box) suggested to give the program all the headroom it could want to increase and stabilize performance. Adding more RAM is the most cost-effective boost you can get for your computer these days.
Until a few weeks ago, I did all my music production on a C660AV Mac, an old workhorse that usually gave me six mono 16 bit 44.1k audio voices along with all the MIDI tracks I could use in earlier versions of Studio Vision and other MIDI and audio apps. After years of PortaStudio demos, this was a dream come true for me. I actually produced my last CD album on this computer, but I was knee deep in Power PC envy for the last few years. I was finally able to scrape together the $$$ for a new Mac. I knew things would get better trackwise, but I was unprepared for just how much better. Remember your mileage may vary depending on your particular setup.
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Using an audio CD player directly into the Mac and without any MIDI tracks recorded and the SVPro HD buffer set to maximum I was able to record and playback 40 (!!!) tracks of 44.1k 16-bit digital audio before the output overloaded severely and I stopped. Now understand, this was 40 tracks of interleaved stereo audio, not just mono tracks. The HD didn't hiccup once, I never saw the warning I got so used to with my last Mac saying that the HD wasn't up to any more tracks or anything like that. I was flabbergasted! I set up a loop and proceeded to mute and solo different tracks during playback. If I tried hard enough I was able to get the music to stutter a bit and with all those tracks to buffer it took a second or two to start playing after hitting the play button, but mostly like that infernal percussive bunny, it kept going and going. The screen redraw was sometimes slow or incomplete after I hit 27 tracks but hey - that's a small price to pay for all this power. SVPro and this G3 were made for each other.
You can edit, cut and paste bits and pieces of your audio and MIDI tracks all day, placing them anywhere you like in your song. This is a boon for remixers and dance-oriented producers and anyone looking to micro-manage their musical tracks. And those of you with tape-based studios can finally do cuts, crossfades and edits easily by transferring your tracks to your Mac, pushing the right buttons and going back to your tape recorders doing it all in the digital domain if you have the proper digital I/O card installed.
SVPro 4.0 has a DSP menu that is compatible with all types of audio files, mono or stereo. The DSP commands are constructive, not destructive. That is they create new audio files with the changes you asked for without destroying the original ones. This is a good thing, even if it does fill up your HD faster. There's a new crossfades command that allows you to seamlessly paste together audio tracks right within the app, something I used to have to go into a separate program for. This is also a good thing.
Along with the usual DSP functions (normalize, invert, convert SR etc.) there is a useful EQ command with high, low and bandpass filters available as well as slope and Q factor (resonance) selections. Very tasty. The pitch shift function can retain the formants of the signal so that voices and instruments retain more of their original character after being shifted. This too is a good thing. You can even change the perception of the singer's gender using the formant changer function. Although this won't change Tom Waits into Barbara Streisand it does allow you to musically vary the timbre of different tracks, very useful if you're a one-person band like me.
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As an aside, applications like this are so powerful that the perception of the need for other players to provide their own vibe to your tracks tends to diminish quickly. This stuff is so empowering that you may fail to see the Sun for days on end and you may not be so willing to endure your bass players penchant for hitting on your significant other and evolve into the original solitary man or woman producing your masterpiece. This may not be a good thing. All this sophistication still can't compete with real human musical interaction. It is damn seductive though. But I digress -- back to the review already in progress.
Did you ever wish you could just sing a part into your computer and turn it into a MIDI sequence track? Now you can. You can even use your voice to apply changes in volume, brightness and pitch to a MIDI track. Very cool. And the reverse is also true. SVPro 4 will convert MIDI to audio to let you edit audio tracks in the MIDI domain, even create harmonies. Also very cool, although the temptation to "fix it in the mix" will now be greater than ever. The creative potential of these two commands alone are huge.
I had trouble getting solid results with the Audio-to-MIDI DSP feature. At times, it interpreted singing as multiple events which it wouldn't process. Legato singing worked better, but some more work is probably needed to get this to perform well - work on my part to become more familiar with how it works, as well as Opcode's.
At this time there is no real standard for Macintosh plug-in architecture, a situation I hope is resolved soon. SVPro 4 uses Premiere plug-ins originally designed for Adobe Premiere, a video editing package. [The 4.1 update will include compatibility with VST PlugIns as well.] This is a popular format and there are many plug-ins available that will allow you to modify, compress, modulate, vocode and otherwise transmogrify your audio tracks. Opcode includes a couple of demo plug-ins with SVPro 4 to get you started, Vocode and Vinyl. One simulates the vocoders of old and the other imbues your tracks with the sounds of old records, sounds like scratches, whooshes and warp modulations. Everything old is new again, eh? These things will be more collectible and addictive than Beanie Babies, and they do add a lot of power and options to your studio. Oh yeah, install more RAM. You're going to need it.
The MIDI engine in this beast is the product of many years of refinements and it shows. Along with the time honored tracks window and event list window is a new Pulse window specifically for creating and editing drum and percussion tracks. You can "paint" in your percussion parts and volumes as you loop the sequence, a very creative way to vary and enhance your drum tracks, especially for the "groove-challenged" among us. I started my musical career as a drummer and I find this feature a blast to use.
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I really love the arpeggiator in SVPro 4. This is a feature I've missed since I sold my old PolySix (hey! the rent was past due). There's even a latch mode that holds my last chord until I play another one. SVPro lets you record everything you create with this built-in arpeggiator -- very hip. The new Select and Modify edit window allows you to accurately specify any and all of the different types of MIDI events you wish to select for modification with multiple parameter pull-down menus for events such as notes, audio events, controller events, faders and mixing console events. There are over 10 different attributes to pick from with Boolean logic search conditions. Just wanna find the grace notes between Eb3 and Ab5 that have a velocity of 88 or higher and are less than 12 ticks long and make them 18 ticks long with a velocity 10% higher? Go ahead, it's much easier and faster now with this window.
Transposition now includes harmonizations of the chromatic, diatonic, interval and other types allowing you to map out and create "intelligent" harmony lines for any tracks and the drum map allows you to easily convert from custom instrument sets to GM instrument sets or whatever your percussive heart desires. Swapping drum pattern ideas with your buddies will be easier to deal with now. I really could have used this several years ago when I performed in a MIDI-based duo in San Diego. Getting tracks from other friend's studios took hours of reprogramming for my setup, mostly drum kit reassigning. You guys got it easy now.
SVPro 4 will sync to external MIDI devices and tape decks using MIDI Beat Clock and MIDI Time Code (SMPTE). It supports five different SMPTE rates; 24, 25, 29.97 drop, 29.97 non-drop and 30 non-drop frame rates. It also supports MIDI Machine Control (MMC). For all of you who are inclined towards video you can import QuickTime movies and edit or add to their soundtracks and put them together again.
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If you're still with me you must be realizing that this application is quite the powerful suite. As with any software this compelling there is a learning curve involved but if you have any experience on other MIDI sequencers or earlier versions of Vision, you ought to adapt quickly to SVPro. Opcode helps by popping up little helpers whenever you leave your cursor over a button to remind you of that button's function. The built-in help is comprehensive without being tedious. There are four manuals included - one for MIDI functions, one for Audio functions, one for the OMS functions and one for the Galaxy Patch librarian included with SVPro 4. Galaxy is a good way to keep track of your patch libraries for your multitude of modules and to save and load custom setups in a matter of seconds. All four manuals add up to over 1000 pages of information, a lot to digest anytime soon. But there are lots of pictures (for all you guitarists) and the type is large and well spaced (for any of you who are chronologically-challenged like me).
Opcode provides detailed instructions on how to keep all your audio tracks in perfect sync with all your MIDI tracks so you can really customize this application to your particular setup and needs. If the tracks are down but the feel just isn't right there are nudge and groove controls to massage your tracks ever so gently (or not) until you get them to sound and sync the way you want them to.
I've been running this program for a couple of weeks now and I have only had one crash, which is terrific especially when I remember how that wasn't the case not too long ago. System 8.1 has been very stable and I may finally allow myself to actually expect this kind of performance from now on. Those of you with computers, which must be all of you since you'll need one to see this review, can realize what a comfort it is to be able to actually rely on your studio's centerpiece.
Gripes? Not many I'm afraid. I wish the audio waveform displays would zoom in larger than they do. On a 15 inch monitor at 832x624 dpi resolution they don't appear very big, not like I'm used to in dedicated audio editing programs anyway. I wish the copy protection would go the way of the hula-hoop and the Nehru jacket. I wish it came with more plug-ins like reverb and compression. I wish it came with a larger selection of groove templates to choose from. I wish it came with Uma Thurman's telephone number -- but I digress.
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Opcode's Studio Vision Pro 4.0 has a MSRP of $995, but I'm sure you can find it for less at your favorite musical or computer software emporium. It isn't cheap, but it's very good at what it does. If you need a professional integrated MIDI/Recording package be sure to seriously consider this one. Be sure to consult the Harmony Central buyers guide and quote application before you buy, it has helped me get "the deal" several times already. Opcode has a fine web page (www.opcode.com) with specs and information about all its products, I suggest you give them a visit to fill in any specifics I may have missed. Their email tech support has always been responsive to my questions -- I really like that in a company.
If you like, you can email questions to me at jeffrye@harmony-central.com.
Jeffrye Glenn Tveraas (jeffrye@harmony-central.com) as been a journeyman musician and composer since 1970 performing solo and in riginal and cover bands from Maine to San Diego. He worked as a sound designer nd composer for Sega Interactive with over 15 video game soundtracks to his credit. e now lives in Austin, Texas, home to the armadillo and hundreds of SRV wannabee's.
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