There is much to think about in regard to this interesting suggestion that John poses us here. I think that there are many things to take into account before even thinking of moving a finger… it’s a big challenge CWA is facing up nowadays, and this thread is not by chance… I’m sure…
The fist thing I would like to state, is that these guys at Creamware, and quite a few of the plug-in makers for the platform like John Bowen himself, are a bunch of amazing creative people, extremely talented and capable, as it has been demonstrated through all these years. I have to particularly stress the “brilliant genius idea” that Frank Hund had, to conceive the SCOPE platform – (nobody should take if for granted). YOU PEOPLE CAN DO BIG THINGS!!! I’m more than certain. Said that, I think the most important is already there: “Creative People”.
Next, what comes to my mind is: should CWA go for a solution that includes the current users and their old boards, or should they go for a completely new market? If the solution, whatever it may be, does not include a “link” between the old and the new, thousands of costumers will be lost, as they will start watching all around before getting into another CWA proposals again. This is basic in human nature; people like trying new things if the have the opportunity. I would include here the “continuation” of the SCOPE software itself, i.e., if people can still use what they have learned with much struggle for years: complex platform connectivity between software and hardware, work-flow, use of plug-ins, the STS series, etc., etc., that would be a great point, otherwise, again, many current costumers would simply leave CWA, looking perhaps for simpler solutions.
Another point, these boxes should be much, much more powerful than current SCOPE boards to be attractive enough, against the CPU world, and they “must” be upgradeable at reasonable princes, for as long a time as possible.
A third point with this future external boards should be to be able to run VST and DirectX plugins, which would be a big plus and that could sell the boards to a wider range of costumers. There are no new recording studios in the world without VST plugins and the need for more power to use them.
Anyway, I think taking a decision to build a revolutionary board like proposed here, needs a deep insight into the music market and emergent technology by CWA team themselves, and us too, the musicians and users of all kind and budgets.
Despite what I have said about people liking the “new” at every moment, this is not my case, I of course, like new things, but in no way I would change my Pulsar for anything else, as I have all I need, and I already know how to work with it. I have joked a few times saying that there is just one thing better than a Pulsar, and this is two Pulsars!
