EXS 24 Logic Sampler Users Group

--- In exs-users@yahoogroups.com, Murray McDowall <murraymc@m...> 
wrote:
> At 02:41 PM 12/22/02 -0500, you wrote: 
> 
> >
> > Here's what I've done:
> > 1. Offsite uncompress the .exe file onto a PC. It ends up as one large .gig
> > file.
> > 2. Move .gig file to Mac offsite. Again one large .gig file (~900 MB).
> > 3. Use Stuffit to compress .gig file into a .sit file which fits onto a CD.
> > Burn the CD.
> > 4. Take the CD to my site and uncompress. It does uncompress but I get
> > "error 17538".
> 
> 
> I suspect that this is a CRC (error checking) problem -- that the big sit
> archive is corrupt. The gig archive could also be corrupt but I don't think
> Stuffit would spot that. That's why the first 12 files were decoded but you
> lost everything after the error. If you moved the big .gig file via a network
> that could also have introduced an error in the gig file. You could try a
> repeat or just burn a CD using the PC you started on without a transfer to Mac
> -- if that is an option.

Indeed, Ethernet was used to get from PC to Mac.  Is there another way?  
The uncompressed file is 900MB, which won't fit onto a CD.  

> 
> You could simply try to compress the gig file again -- see if your archiving
> program can get it right a second time or use a different compression format.
> Another possiblity is to use a utilitly which will split a big file across two
> or more CDs  -- these exist for PC and must surely be available for the mac

Are you aware of a utility which will split on PC and rejoin on Mac?

> 
> >
> > Has anyone gone through this before? Any tips, suggestions, etc.? Any ideas
> > on what it will take for the Giga format samples producers to recognize Mac
> > as important or for eMagic itself to supply tested procedures for importing
> > a supported format (Giga) which exists mainly on PC disks into the Logic
> > application, which is, going forward, being supported on Mac only?
> 
> 
> Despite having read several hundred "Get a Mac" replies to PC users help
> requests and several thousand "I got a Mac cos it's better" sigs on the LUG
> over the last 7 years I find that am still able to resist giving the obvious
> answers here ;-).
> 
> On its native platform, the large self-extracting archive containing everything
> for an instrument is very convenient but it visits a lot of trouble on Mac
> people. Because the compressed gig files are often very large it is not simply
> a matter of putting an alternative version on the same disc. Not compressing
> means more CD's in the box and more expense for the end user. 
More CDs in the box -- fair comments.
More expense for end user?  Isn't this marginal given that a CD costs 
~$1 but the samples can cost >$100?  Of course I wouldn't recommend 
this if the samples were already dirt cheap, but that's not the case 
for giga format samples.

> 
> Making Mac specific discs would also increase costs and handling expenses on
> small print runs. Perhaps the neatest solution is for the Mac to run a small PC
> emulation environment built for the express purpose of running conversion of
> native PC exectuable archive files. Maybe Alladin could build this into their
> archive manager.

Small print runs?  Does anyone have an idea of what volume there exists 
for giga format samples?

Mac specific discs -- isn't this merely a matter of using Stuffit 
compression on the .gig file which already exists?  Especially for the 
more expensive samples, wouldn't this be a marginal cost for 
potentially significantly larger revenue?

I like the idea of Mac running a utility to extract files from a PC; 
are there any eMagic/Apple decision makers in this audience?

> 
> If the instrument builders see that they have a significant potential customer
> base of Mac users they might be more accommodating in future.

And this is the crux of the matter.  And this is surprising to me, 
given that so many times one hears that sound/recording engineers use 
Macs -- and even that Apple thought it important to acquire eMagic.
 
> 
> Regards,
> Murray
Thanks for taking the trouble to reply.  Cheers, Larry