Amarra "Mini" -- $395

[Hopstretch]

Interesting.

Focused on pure playback, it seems. You apparently give up A/D, equalization and 24/192 support (caps at 24/96) for your $1100 savings -- though that's all second hand scuttlebutt.

[blessingx]

Very, very interesting.

Still opposed to iLok use (especially for laptops), though.

[Dreadhead]

Still opposed to iLok use (especially for laptops), though.

A fucking dongle? Are you shitting me? What the fuck is wrong with flexLM or some equivalent.

Dongles are crap.

[Hopstretch]

Dongles are crap.

Although the word itself is amusing, if you're from the British sphere of influence.

[Quadrangulum]

Damn, I should have waited a while.

And FYI, I think it still might be possible to get Amarra complete at $995.

[morphsci]

Dongles=Fail. I vowed never to use any software that employs them after several near death encounters in the early 90's.

[Augsburger]

Damn, I should have waited a while.

And FYI, I think it still might be possible to get Amarra complete at $995.

If so, how? I have looked all over the net and the price is the same everywhere.

[Quadrangulum]

If so, how? I have looked all over the net and the price is the same everywhere.

Here's the link.

Amarra Computer Music Player

I also just received an email from Sonic Studio about Amarra 1.01 which was just released and the forthcoming Amarra 1.1. I just installed 1.01 but I'm not sure what has changed; there weren't any release notes.

1.1 sounds pretty interesting though.

Amarra 1.1 - Next Release

We are now busy starting work on Amarra 1.1 targeted for release this fall.

The main features Amarra 1.1 include:

• Support for Apple Lossless

• Support for FLAC

• Amarra Vinyl Recording and Format Converter



What is Amarra Vinyl? Amarra Vinyl is a standalone application with the following capabilities :

• Records Vinyl and other analog sources up to 192 kHz.

• Import CDs

• Burn CDs

• Export Tracks into iTunes

• High Quality Sample Rate Conversion

For all current users of Amarra interested in Vinyl recording we can provide a copy of soundBlade and noise restoration tools until Amarra Vinyl is released. Please write use at Sonic Studio for more information.

[Quadrangulum]

Not sure how I didn't notice earlier but 1.01 updated the UI.

[Sherwood]

Somehow Amarra has gone completely over my head. Could one of you fine gentlemen give me the quick non-sales-pitch rundown of why I would want this?

[Dreadhead]

Somehow Amarra has gone completely over my head. Could one of you fine gentlemen give me the quick non-sales-pitch rundown of why I would want this?

It makes your digital recording sound "better" by applying proprietary DSP to the digital signal. It can be summed up with the quote along the lines "the correct math is not the best sounding math" (can't find the original on their website anymore). At that point I lost all interest.

[n_maher]

$400 for software manipulation is about all I can see that it does.

[EdipisReks]

It can be summed up with the quote along the lines "the correct math is not the best sounding math" (can't find the original on their website anymore). At that point I lost all interest.

that makes sense if you relate it to the human ear/brain combo not being a perfect and linear measurement device.

[morphsci]

that makes sense if you relate it to the human ear/brain combo not being a perfect and linear measurement device.

And the fact that our model of how human's actually hear is just slightly better than that under which witch doctors operate.

[Hopstretch]

Without getting into the whys and hows of Amarra -- when playing with Al's rig at CanJam I did like how easily you could toggle it on and off to get a feel for whether you actually enjoy whatever it is doing to the music.

I wonder if they'll trial the mini version the same way they do with the full suite? And I wonder if FLAC and ALAC support is baked in now that big brother has it? If not, I woudn't think they're going to make many inroads even at the lower price point.

[grawk]

It's only cultural bias that has us thinking we know more than witch doctors

[EdipisReks]

And the fact that our model of how human's actually hear is just slightly better than that under which witch doctors operate.

it might be better than witch doctor's theoretical model, but the cargo cultists probably have a leg up.

[EdipisReks]

It's only cultural bias that has us thinking we know more than witch doctors

cultural bias or no, i'm going to go to a medical doctor for a sucking chest wound, not a witch doctor.

[grawk]

Ah, but we're talking about the workings of the ear, not sucking chest wounds.

[Sherwood]

Alright, excellent. It's essentially a proprietary DSP plugin. Also, hey speaking of witch doctors, this guy treated my coworker's dog from 120 miles away yesterday over the phone.