Introduction
 Our philosophy and principles
As a pioneer of PC-fronted recording, editing and mixing solutions, Sydec Audio Engineering is well aware of the way in which computers and digital technonoly have revolutionised the audio industry.
Indeed, Sydec was among the very first companies to embrace these developments and offer practical, professional-level solutions to harness the unprecedented and ever-expanding power and creative freedom offered by these new technologies.
However, there is another, more problematic side to this story: as audio technology integrates ever more closely with information technology, hardware and software products tend to be released before they are ready to work and to become obsolete before their bugs have been fixed.
In this context, running a perfectly stable, 100% functional system can prove to be difficult… especially when updating a component can create incompatibilities with other components. For instance, we all know how a new computer operating system can render some pieces of hardware unusable until new drivers appear… if they ever do.
Sydec Audio Engineering has always sought to bring to its users the benefits of change, without the usual drawbacks and at minimal cost. And with the Soundscape range, Sydec has a history of doing just this by:
- Designing groundbreaking audio hardware that guarantees stable operation regardless of most variables of the PC environment.
- Designing this audio hardware with an open architecture that allows for future development (rather than short-term replacement) and for reasonably priced future upgrades, thus extending the life cycle of the hardware.
- Developing proprietary audio software that runs flawlessly and unfailingly on the Soundscape hardware with minimal demands on or influence from the host PC system.
- Updating the software to extend the capabilities of the hardware for as long as possible, while always keeping reliability as the primary concern (Soundscape users are NOT used as unsuspecting betatesters in order for the company to cut development costs and make profits from sales of unfinished software).
- Designing the entire Soundscape product range with a high degree of interoperability, thus allowing "lateral" upgrade paths. This means that the various bits of Soundscape hardware can be connected in all sorts of ways to build up all kinds of powerful audio systems. For instance, if you purchase an iBox 64-MADI-TA as a standalone format converter, you could later add a Mixpander/5 ot Mixpander/9 to form a Mixpander Power Pak. Or you could add a Soundscape 32 that would use the iBox as a front end via the TDIF connections. You could also add a Soundscape 32 to an existing Mixpander Power Pak to get a full-blown Soundscape DAW system (in this case the Mixpander is used as a co-processor for the Soundscape 32). The Soundscape software (Editor and Mixer) also supports multiple units so that any system can be easily expanded (for instance, add more tracks to your Soundscape DAW system with multiple Soundscape 32 units, or add more I/O and processing power to your PC-based native workstation with multiple Mixtreme 192, Madixtreme or Mixpander Power Pak units… the possibilities are endless).
- And finally, by offering some of the industry's most generous upgrade deals when a particular piece of Soundscape hardware eventually reaches the end of its life cycle and cannot be developed further.
Our track record
The principles outlined above are in such stark contrast to the standard commercial models of the audio industry that they may seem too nice to be true. But if in doubt, please check out our track record…
Back in 1993 the SSHDR1, the first Soundscape product ever, was launched as a 16-bit, four- track recorder with the associated Soundscape Editor software. Soundscape products quickly achieved fame for their sound quality and reliability, and also for their upgradeability.
Only a few months after its introduction, the SSHDR1's track count was doubled by a free software upgrade. Then, when the new Motorola DSP 56301 became available, the SSAC-1 acceleration board was introduced. When fitted into the SSHDR1, it added another 4 tracks to the system, together with a fully customisable low-latency mixer with DSP-powered audio effects. At that stage the track count was three times as much as on the original machine and could be increased to a maximum of 48, all from a single instance of the Editor software, by running up to four units together.
Software development for the SSHDR1 was stopped in 2002, simply because many of its components had become difficult or impossible to purchase. However, technical support is still provided for SSHDR-1 users.
Meanwhile the “Soundscape 32” platform had been introduced as a 24-bit, 32-track recording, editing and mixing system under software version 2.0. This system is fully data compatible with the SSHDR-1 and shares the same user interface, thus offering a seamless upgrade path to existing users. Since then a lot of functionality has been added to the system through numerous software upgrades. All systems of the Soundscape 32 platform (R.Ed16, R.Ed24, R.Ed32, Soundscape 16 and Soundscape 32) are able to run the most recent software revisions. Sydec will continue to supply new revisions of the software for the foreseeable future.
For users of the SSHDR1-Plus or any system based on the Soundscape 32 platform, the Mixpander was introduced as a hardware option to expand the mixing and effects capabilities of the system. Users of the R.Ed32, R.Ed16, Soundscape 32 and Soundscape 16 were also given the possibility of adding a Synchronisation Board to their system, enabling powerful synchronisation possibilities such as 9-pin, LTC, VITC & BITC.
Version 4.0 of the Soundscape Editor software was introduced in March 2004 for all systems of the Soundscape 32 platform. When combined with a Mixpander, this version allows VST effects and instruments to be inserted in the Soundscape Mixer, whereby the audio data is automatically routed between the Mixpander and the PC (the code of the VST/VSTi plug-ins runs on the PC). Version 4.0 was a chargeable upgrade for existing users at a price of €99 (ex. VAT). Further Version 4.x releases were provided free to V4.0 users, setting the pattern for the future:
Approximately once per year a chargeable software version will be introduced, ensuring the continued development and maintenance of the Soundscape software. Subsequent "point" releases will be provided free of charge.
Version 5.0 of the Soundscape Editor was presented at the Frankfurt Musikmesse in April 2005, and released later that year. In combination with a Mixpander, Version 5.0 allows virtual "Soundscape Native Units" to be used alongside Soundscape hardware units. Native Soundscape Units use Soundscape formatted disks mounted in the host PC, and audio is routed to and from these disks at high speed via the Mixpander. The track count is increased exponentially, and just like with Soundscape hardware units, there is no latency, even when recording!
For Mixtreme 192 users, Version 4.0 of the Soundscape Mixer software was released in May 2004 as a payable option at a price of €39 (ex. VAT). It includes similar functionality as the mixer code which is part of the Soundscape Editor version 4.0, with the same VST/VSTi compatibility (the code of the VST/VSTi plug-ins runs on the PC) added to the DSP-powered mixer and plug-ins.
The Soundscape Mixer software has been designed to run the Mixpander Power Pak hardware as well as the entry-level Mixtreme 192. In typical Sydec fashion, early adopters of the Soundscape Mixtreme soundcard have not been left out: the classic Mixtreme, launched in 1999, is still fully supported by the software. In fact, any combination of Mixtremes, Mixtreme 192s and Mixpander Power Paks can be run from a single instance of the Soundscape Mixer software!
And as for SSHDR1 users who have not yet moved on to the Soundscape 32 platform, an upgrade path is still open to them. In fact, the upgrade deals are so sweet that we are aware of some newcomers to Soundscape buying second-hand SSHDR1 units only to take advantage of our upgrade program! While this is perfectly legitimate, if you are considering this, please check with Sydec that the second-hand unit you are considering has not already been used for an upgrade: ask the seller to provide you with the DSP serial number displayed for the unit in the Soundscape Editor under menu: Help|About Soundscape Editor. In fact, while units that have served for an upgrade can be kept by their owner for backup purposes, they should not be sold on the second-hand market.
Current upgrade offers
The best way to be informed of current upgrade offers is to check the product catalog of the Sydec Online Shop. Any special offers are announced there, as are the various upgrade deals for SSHDR1/SSHDR1-Plus users. (Essentially, SSHDR1/SSHDR1-Plus users can get a generous discount on new hardware. Any optional plug-in passwords for the old unit are transferred to the new unit. The SSHDR1/SSHDR1-Plus can be kept by the user for backup purposes. However it should not be used for production, nor should it be resold and, should it eventually fail, it will not be repaired by Sydec).
Furthermore, we at Sydec are happy to help you choose an upgrade path or define a configuration to suit your requirements. There is a lot of information on our website, but given the depth of the product range and the numerous possibilities, we fully understand that you may wish to ask some specific questions. In this case please contact your local RSC or email us at info@sydec.be.
A few of the upgrade possibilities are described in the table below:
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