Well as many of you know on here I was unfortunate to buy the Mediastation last September. I have today decided to have a peep at what the one and only Domenico is up to these days and to see if the Mediastation has been improved, which was what it desperately needed. I can safely say that owning one for over a month I can state if an improvement has been made or not, plus I'm off work ill so it gives me something to do lol.


Take a look at http://www.lionstracs.com/site/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=37&catid=37&Ite mid=59
These show some of the latest demos. If the link doesn't work go to the main page and follow the links on there.

The arranger 1 demo still shows the same bloke freaking out with various sounds, it made me laugh when he said piano and took well over 10 seconds to change from an organ sound to the piano, not ideal for live use here, a sound change should be immediately.

Funky 31 nice sort of James Brown style, house3 style quite good with vocoder effects if you like this sort of thing, latinfan very basic, longtrain is poor, drumkit demos nothing special here, vocalshots ideal for the kids to play with, mixstyles demo to me they all sound really tinny and the majority of the demos seem bathed in far too much reverb (reminds me of the G70 version 1 stuff), demostyles (all 8 mins worth) very poor styles on show here, tristezza nice sounding flute and style is quite good, Bluesgm style not very bluesy at all and finally someones rendition of besame mucho well my opinion here is certainly not going to be typed lol - sounds like a poor midi file played back with incorrect chords.

So it looks like Dom has made some minor advancements in the styles area but I still think that the Mediastation is definitely not to be used as an arranger keyboard, it's more for recording with and the DJ market.
It's a shame that someone can't get the styles and samples loaded on the hard drive to work together as I think software based instruments are definitely the way to go for the future (Wersi seem to know what they are doing in this department).
Well done to Dom and Lionstracs for being creative and taking a different approach, but I still think they have a long way to go before they can pull it all off and by the time that happens I can see the big named companies will have overtaken them.

Please remember that this is only MY opinion and everyone has the right to voice one on this forum. I am not having a go at Dom or Lionstracs and would gladly like to see any owner of the Mediastation replying on here as they never seem to do. Do any owners actually exists that visit Synthzone?

[This message has been edited by Craig_UK (edited 02-23-2006).]

Hi Craig,
don't really know anything about the instrument, but the demo's not terribly impressive.
He seems to be doing a lot of button pushing, butnothing much seems to be happening. Seems a bit repetative. It's probably just me.

best wishes
rikki

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Craig_UK:
[B]

I am still following the mediastation.

I think the product is still not ready for release (I am expecting a release in late summer 2006)

The Linuxsampler used as sampler part in this instrument is officially release for all Linux versions in last Januari.
The development of this software sampler that reads Giga and Akai samples is an integral part of the lintracs development.

The switching from Organ to piano is From a vst plugin named Natibr instruments B4 (best hard/soft implementation of B3 emmulation to the Unixsampler Bosendorf. this apparently still Takes some buttonmashing. Thius definately needs still to improve.

But worst part of these videos is the demonstrator, he is a bully that misses all charisma, and barely speaks any english. If Peter Baardmans or mister Vocken would do the demonstrating they'd sell thousends immediately.

Okay many flaws are still on the bumpy road for lionstracs. though i still beleive Linux is the way to go and if they can overcome their problems, this could be a winner (next year or so) If their hardware parts are also topknotch offcourse.

I am hoping that things will look good in two weeks at the Musikmesse. I am also expecting something like this from General music.

And about the aranger. With the right software implementation (and they are working on that) the system can be programmed to work like any other keyboard that has great styles. And these styles can be used in the Lionstracs as native styles.

For live setup, i think the machine can be programmed in front for evey performance.
But Jazz and other improvisations will not suit this instrument.

Still my hopes are high. And i wonder why they send you a system knowing that it was not yet ready for release and still had many flaws.

Hello, I have one Mediastation from Lionstracs and I+m a user. My very personal opinion, I like to use it and I�m Happy. I think that are news soon. Thanks to all forum people.

Perhaps Filipe would like to tell us more about his experience with Lionstracs? If I were a 'happy' user I'd be elaborating a bit more on the virtues of this keyboard.

With all respect to the 'demonstrator' but that can hardly be called a demonstration. So far we've heard organ, piano, midi files, and... oh, that's it. It's a shame when the two demonstrators have to find their way around and aren't able to give a polished performance.

Has there ever been a Lionstracs review in any of the leading keyboard mags? So far I haven't been able to track one down and that has me wondering.

Linux or Windows, who cares? Wersi is doing great with Windows. All the hype about Windows crashing is a bit farfetched IMHO. I, for one, still have to experience my first crash.

Taike


------------------
Khoi huk ngam sud tee huk kon diow.

Offcourse there have never been reviews in any keyboardmagazins.

The ssystem has not been released yet. So i highly doubt mister Philip having a mediastation at home, and i think what mister Gregg had was a demo model which was used by developers.

Bringing this software thing is a really hard thing. Espescially to make it bugfree. I think its more a prestige project to show the world what Linux is capable, then a true production orientated company.

I've been trying all night to find informationa bout this system, and except some old webpostings from end 2003, there is not much except the website of lionstracs itself.

But since i know that VST's can sound like awesome synths. A keyboard that uses these in cooperation with a top knotch DSP board has to sound awesome.

Now don't get me wrong i am a Linux enthousiast and agree that Linux is an awesome sytem fer projects like these. but using Linux with vst's that where designed for a windows PC, brings another hurdle to the challenge.

I will go and see these guys on the Musikmesse and report back to you all.

Hello again Forum people.
I�m using my Mediastation more in the "Arranger" Section, I try to expain you there more:
I use some audio styles and some "Normal Midi styles".
From some midi styles, I change/edit some sound�s ( tracks ) with my personal sound�s. (GigaFiles), like some bass�s and acompainments sounds, always with GIGA or by the new GM/GS mediastation sounds.
I playing with the right hand new GIGA sound�s with LinuxSampler.
The Linuxsampler installed on the Mediastation is one special version with integrated Effects.
About the new Linux OS, it�s stable and now the new OS is developed by one this company http://64studio.com/ it�s a dedicated OS system I think, But at same time "Compatible" because i�m using a external USB mouse and a USB PEN too.
Anyway, i suggest to people to visit Lionstracs to the Musikmesse and see all the news there.

Bachus I had the Mediastation last September and Filipe had one even before I did, so there is no doubt that he actually owns one of these. If mine was a demo model then I am not ammused since it cost me �2600 which is far more than the G70 or Tyros 2 costs.

Hi Filipe as well, long time no see.
I hope Dom isn't paying you to keep the Mediastation lol I thought you would have seen sense by now and given it him back.

I look forward to seeing a review of the Musikmesse and Mediastation. I'm surprised it's even going to be on show there.

Hi Craig, like you know I have one Mediastation. Mine is working fine.
I�m a private user and no body pay�s-me to work with my MS. I just play them because I like, it�s not to make any "favor" to any person.
I respect all Lionstracs ideias and tecnologies, and i Like them because is a diferent mode and filosofy to Work. Allways in the market there are solutions to all "Mind�s".
I can remember that I don�t have only Lionstracs Mediastation Keyboard, I have more keyboard�s from another companies too.
If in the world theres was only one Keyboard�s companie manufacturer this, Forum don�t makes sense, and you don�t need to choose a keyboard companie because it�s only one Brand, you don�t have choice. But there are many conpanies in the world, sow i can�t forbiden anybody to choose any companie. I don�t say to the poeple to don�t by the conpanie XY or Z just because I don�t like. But if I dont try e never can take one ideia about the Machine "XYZ".
Saw, independent off the personal preferences, let the people choose free. Anyway I think that the Lionstracs come with news in the Musikmesse and then all people can see news. Thanks to all people forum again.

I don't understand this.

Mediastation is still in development

Why can't Lionstracs be honest and just tell people that Mediastation is a development project and not a ready product

You can't make people pay for something that isn't finished yet. In software we would talk about things like Mediastaion will be entering beta phase soon. The products you two have or have had must clearly be alpha versions. very early in development.

As the planned operation system (System 64, debian based Linux) is still in development, current verion 0.6 was late, 0.7 is 3 months overdue allready and 1.0 should be done in 2 weeks, thats clearly not going to happen before late summer. And then Lionstracs has to get the final version of it working with their harware, and finetune it.

LinuxSampler Giga was released in Februari 2006, and should allready be implemented in final version in the mediastation. its an okay smapler, but not one with nearly the same possibillities that Kontakt or gigastudio have.

Next to that the final version of the instrument should have a touchscreen as one of the videos shows.

With wine and stuff like that more and more VST's are running under Linux, most Native instruments run, and some steinberg (not The grand) also on this part progression is being made by the linux community.

What worries me most is the quallity of their DSP boards, as they will be producing the audio that leaves the system they are so very important. Since i haven't heard the system live, i can't have an opinion on those. but this worries me most.

What i am missing most on the hardware part is knobs ...atleast 8 knobs that give me the opportunity to play with sounds and filtersettings live should be on the system and easy accessible.

In the end, i still beleive this project will give one of the most flexible instruments build to dat. with a release maybe on small scale after the summer, and a stable system in 2 years.

I as a Linux enthousiast and Solaris system admin will be following this very close. To bad the open source development teams are not so open source with their information.

I currently am looking intoo a Wersi ABACUS/OAS system, which runs under windows....perfect sound, but only 4 VST's can be choosen, and it takes to long on the instrument to change them in a life performance. So basically, when used to perform live on the system you choose 4 Vst instruments and use them in all your performances and stick with them all night. And thats just not flexible enough for me as a performer. I want more....I want Lionstracs to bring me the all in one solutionor maybe even General music surprise us at Musikmesse (they allways had these great ideas)
Next to that i think Korg made a big mistake by building their OASIS not in a way that it could load VST's too.

So for now we have 2 people that have played/heard the thing. So one thing i need to know from you guys Graig and Philipe. How is the quallitty of the DSP board. (Not the quallitty of the samples....but the quallity of 3rd party instruments that are used on the systems....the audio quallity)


Greetings