The SAC (Software Audio Console) has arrived!
The first Pre-Release version 0.1 is now ready for download. This is an exciting time for me as this represents the first realization of a vision that started back in 1990.
To all those that jumped into the Pre-Release special offer, I say Thank You for supporting that vision.
You may now download from the SAWStudio Registered Download Area using your Registered User Information. The new
www.SoftwareAudioConsole.com site will be ready very soon and you will be able to download direct from there shortly.
Please read the quick release notes information, but then PLEASE do yourself and me a favor and read through the first helpfile draft... at least the console layout and overview sections, so that you will get a good idea how things are laid out.
Even if you are very comfortable in the SAWStudio interface, things are different in SAC, although you will recognize its roots in the virtual console design technology taken from SAWStudio.
I have also placed the first draft of the User Manual up on the SAWStudio site in the Downloads Manuals section as a pdf.
Many things are not active yet in this first version, but many of the most important engine and mix design elements are. The missing elements will be filled in over the next few months as the product evolves within the Pre-Release cycle and reaches the Final Release version sometime in June.
The engine is looking reasonably stable and represents a complete new design from the core. This engine is an INPUT driven engine, rather than an OUTPUT driven one as in SAWStudio. The engine loops instantly as soon as each set of input buffers are received from the driver, different than SAWStudio. This gives more processing time available to assemble the mix data for all 25 consoles, the FOH and 24 Monitor consoles.
But.... please experiment responsibly... this is not a finished product and I do not recommend depending on it the day after you download it... be careful... you must assume all liability for any crashes and burns... explore... have fun... but test things pretty thouroughly before taking this on a live tour!
The beginnings of the Scenes are included in this version, but the full use of the Scenes in the Sequence View still has some work to be done before it's ready.
The basic TCP/IP hooks are in for remote connection and basic console control, but this has much work left and the different User Tiers code is not active in this version.
All in all... get used to the idea of mixing with a FOH console and 24 Monitor consoles at your fingertips... it is going to be very hard to ever go back to the way we do it now after a short time doing it the SAC way.
Keep an eye on the downloads every week cause they will come pretty fast as this thing evolves.
Have fun... and thanks again for the support to make this happen!
Bob Lentini
Developer of SAC