EXS 24 Logic Sampler Users Group

Larry wrote: 
>
> 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.  


If the PC has a CD burner you can avoid an ethernet transfer. I don't know how
likely that is to be the problem -- a file compare utility could confirm that
the file made it across OK. 
 
>
> > 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?


Sorry no -- but there is a lot of Mac expertise on this list and L-OT.

>
> > 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.


After I sent my last post I decided that the simplest cross platform solution
is for the distributors to stop using self-exectuing archives. Distributing
zips or rar files would mean that Mac users would not have to try to run PC
executables. The reason the distributors use these things is pretty obvious -- 
they are idiot proof and thus reduce the support burden. WinZip, WinRAR  etc --
not everyone has them or knows how to use them -- self-executing archives solve
that one.

Really big instruments that span multiple discs are often designed to be
installed from within Gigasampler/Studio which conducts the installation
process. This is fixable with a simple Mac utility which the distributor can
supply if they are willing and are easily contactable. 

>
> > 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?


My impression is that a lot of these people are pretty small fry -- I would
guess as few as a couple of hundred legit copies for some of these instruments.
Of course, if the instrument is decent, it keeps on selling for years. 

>
> 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?


The little guy is probably going to like the cross-platform idea best. Bigger
operations might be prepared to distribute two inventory items and print two
labels and print two runs of CDs etc. The thing to remember is that
Gigasampler/Studio is actually pretty big -- it has sold a lot of copies over
several years and is widely used. Support for gig format in Halion, EXS and
Kontact is all relatively new and a lot of the users of those are also on PC. 
So the law of inertia applies -- the supplying gig instruments in a form
convenient to Mac users will probably happen when the old print runs of CDs are
sold off etc.

Good luck with getting your instrument happening,

Regards,
Murray