Merging Pyramix opinions

[kesserich]

Any users out there care to comment on the capabilites of this DAW? How are the editing features? the stability? Obviously, its limited plugin architecture is a concern. Are the basic EQ's at all usuable?

-kesserich

[Jax]

I seriously considered the Pyrmaix DAW a long time ago, but the lack of any US support group stopped me cold. Almost no one seems to be using them, so there is almost no way to get support should you need it. Try doing a search for Pyramix on any audio webboard and you'll see what I mean.

OTOH, what they can do makes them look very cool.

[MCal]

This DAW was recently brought to my attention in my proffesional capacity. Seems Abbey Road use 4 of them for Classical and AV use, so I've given it a serious look.
Unfortunately, there's quite a few of these Audio only DAWS out there, and they just seem to be cutting into each others market share. There Audio only nature limits there attractiveness to Music production studios obviously. Not everyone wants to sync a sequencer to an Audio recorder anymore.

On a personnal tip. I'm not a Windows fan. Even a well setup Wintel seems 'klunky' in operation compared to a Mac (8,9 or X) to me. And my clients all echo this to me without me prompting them....

I hear the Pyramix guys are having a meeting with my London Rep nextweek, so I'll try to keep an open mind.... But it'll be a hard sell next to a Digi Rig I think....

Just my opinion folks...

Al.yuktyy

[kesserich]

Originally posted by MCal
This DAW was recently brought to my attention in my proffesional capacity. Seems Abbey Road use 4 of them for Classical and AV use, so I've given it a serious look.

Interesting. I did some data mining and came across an old post on one of the nuendo forums where the author raved about quality of Pyramix's basic EQ/filter section. The NT thing is offputting especially with OS X support coming to PT, but at least the hardware is infinitely cheaper. :)

The thing is...if Merging could hustle up a filter convolution comparable to Filterbank, I could easily justify migrating from PT. Use the extra cash for supplemental System 6000 or Eventide Orville in lieu of all those crappy TDM plugs.

-kesserich

[Roland]

I'm a new member to this forum, but I own a Pyramix, so feel qualified to give you an opinion. This kit rocks like you wouldn't believe! Pro-tools, Sadie, Sonic are all way behind!

Its not designed to compete with Logic, Nuendo, Cubase. Its a recording and editing and post pro tool.

Some of the obvious features are the ability to work with just about and sound file format, all on the same track! Cross faded if you like! Sound quality that is as good as it gets, editing that is so graceful and controllable, sync options you can only dream about. No waiting for overviews to be written, bullet proof recording like you would expect from say Radar, and the plug-in side isn't a problem as it not only supports its own VS3, but also DX shortly to be suplemented by VST. Ok no virtual instruments, but thats not what this is designed for. If you want to write tracks stick with Logic or Cubase.

The core of the system is really only about 2 years old and its improving and adding facilities faster than any product that I have ever seen, and what other firm can you call up and talk to about bug's and get them writing things specifically for you.

As to the Mac PC thing, I have both and with the latest generation of OS I feel that the Mac is really starting to loose its direction, coupled with the fact the latest PC's are nearly twice as powerful as the top of the line macs. What we in the industry have to be aware of is how fast this takeover has happened, say the last 2 years, I would suspect that PC's will be 4-6 times as powerful in the next 5 years if it continues this way. To blindly ignore these facts will do us no good in our industry. For me, Mac are now suffering from the same problems that we all used to accuse the PC of 5 years ago.

Feel free to shoot me down!

Regards


Roland

Cool report thanks!

Do you think music recording folks would be able to make use of it?

[Roland]

It's not intended for the musician market, it really is a professional tool. Because of its power it is neccessarily complex, and there are a lot of menu's and options, so no for the musician stick with Logic and Cubase, these tools are great, and although for live recording they are a little cumbersome the benefits of their midi implementation outweigh their drawbacks. Practically all great engineers I know tend to have problems with the protools thing, mostly in the past sonic issues, and awkward software, in this respect I feel that Pyramix has a real edge. I use my system for recording, mastering, editing, post production, PQ editing, and Audio posting. These are all areas that traditionally have been either Sonic, Sadie and with some of the applications Pro-Tools only. Pyramix can be configured quickly and easily to do all of these. Sonically the sound is flawless. I'm not going to tell you that there aren't improvements that can be made to the system, there are and these are being addressed. All I will tell you is that I have spent more money on some of the boxes in my studio, that pyramix overnight replaced. The developements that are just about to be made available this comming month in ver 4.1 will be worth the money alone. This is very very serious kit.

regards


Roland

[troggg]

Well, there is a forum for Pyramix at:

http://www.merging.com/forum/

I didn't say it was a happening forum, but a forum it is.

I researched the program and the company extensively before I decided it was overkill for my present needs.

Things to consider:

1) The people at Merging at arguably the nicest you will find standing behind any DAW. They're very accessible, even from Switzerland. Claude Cellier (spelling close), the president, will personally answer a lot of emails. After talking to them several times, I got a call from their American distributor asking if I was going to "join their family," and I liked the sound of that a lot. I don't think Charlie Steinberg will be calling me to ask if I want to join the Nuendo family anytime soon.

2) I really like their philosophy a lot, which is - we will sell you some proprietary stuff which is the core of our system, but we understand your curiosity about the rest of the digital and analog words, so we will try to make it easy for you to interface with them. Contrast this with Soundscape, which I recently left, which is still trying to jam proprietary stuff down peoples' throats.

3) They tell you that you still need to run a SCSI system for high track counts, but I personally know several users who are doing just fine with IDE HDs like the Western Digital JB series.

4) The only thing they don't tell you that they should is that power users usually need more than one Mykerinos card. My friend runs three, at $1800 US each.

5) They just released a "Virtual Transport" feature which locks sequencers or any time-based digital entity to Pyramix. All DX plugs work with Pyramix, and they're working on VST and may already have it.

6) Since I am enamored with VST instruments and MIDI instruments, I decided to go the Steinberg route. I was quite shocked that a $300 US crossgrade from Logic to Cubase SX is handling all my needs including audio recording, cause I was prepared to belly up to the bar for a system like Pyramix. I also consider the Merging converters to be way overpriced and they run really hot. However, if I had any call for high end tasks like DSD editing, or DVD-A recording, or what-have-you for the audiophile set, I would happily give Merging/Pyramix my money and know the system would work for me and I'd get great service.