I tested "Esperance" (OtsAV 1.90) today on a Core i7 6GB memory and ATI Grpahics with dedicated 1 GB video memory. I also tested it on a Core 2 Duo as well. Both with a Denon HC4500 outboard controller and the updated map. I also tested it on a Pentium 4 running Windows XP and ATI Graphics card. All of the machines are laptops.
The video overlay remains non functional, in both Windows 7 and Vista, on both the Core i7 and Core 2 Duo. Ots also acknowledged in it's release notes that it will not currently work in Windows 8. The video overlay does work on the Pentium 4 running Windows XP, and you can get it to work (though not dependably) in Vista if you roll back your drivers to the XP version. So, no video with this program unless you're willing to run with an unsupported operating system or it's outdated drivers. I like the way my current video drivers work in Windows 7 and I'm not about to F-- with them for Esperance so nothing to report about changing drivers in Windows 7.
If you're not mobile then perhaps with a desktop tower and a stack of video cards you can swap in/out until you hit the magic combination.. you might get you results. This I find unreasonable given that every other video and DJ program I use is able to output on a variety of hardware with no such issue. The computers of choice toady are always laptops anyway - so it's high time Ots got with the times and figured out how to render reliable video on today's hardware. The problem can't be everyone else.
The look of the program has changed, Existing features have been made a little easier to use, although the new look has reduced the buttons/icons to the point that they are difficult to read and present a tiny target if you are using a mouse. If what you want isn't mapped to a controller that will slow you down a bit. More of the screen has been given up to graphic decoration and a pair of turntables like you find in the Ots Turntables release. The tables s are a waste since anyone who really wants to scratch or zorph would be using a controller. I'd rather have a better visual on the controls and indications than cute little platters that spin and flashing lights. It also makes the program look more like a toy - not sure that's what I want onlookers to see.
Save but a loop there are no new DJ features in Esperance, just a remodel of what was there, some of it's functionality, and how it looks. It remains a program dedicated primarily to automated/unattended playback. Relative to mixing and DJ features the program still doesn't have what DJs need and know as "instant start." While the loop will snap to the beat there is apparently no buffer to provide instant start when dropping in live on beat. I also have to revisit the cueing which didn't seem to be tight enough, I'll have to look into whether or not it is truly frame accurate.
The new loop does provide seamless repeat with two in points but, in points are not stored as hot cues and loops are not retained so, you can not use nested loops, or return to a loop or cue once you have exited. Using the loops to edit on the fly is not possible. Likewise, there are no other hot cues or sample banks from which to cut and drop.
Scratching works fine, but without other live DJ features Traktor will still rule. Even VDJ (equally priced) is better for this application. "Zorphing" which is essentially extreme time stretching with key lock is good for manipulating the visuals - that is, if you can get the video overlay to function.
Esperance is just an easier/better functioning version of OtsAV 1.85 with very little to get excited about from a DJ point of view. What I mean by that is: the features and capabilities of the program do not justify the proprietary Ots library format. Ots music files are not portable between other programs, so you can't travel without taking this whole software and hardware configuration with you, and the features are just not worth the hassle created by the Ots media format.
Despite the currently non-functioning hint - this is not a program you would run karaoke on, and I have not seen the video overlay work on any machine who's video driver was not rolled back to Win XP. That leaves just the audio - and those features are aimed at minimal hands on automation not an actual DJ.
The addition of Video (if it would work reliably) was a bigger deal than what's in the Esperance release. It's apparently a very long road to version 2.0 Thank goodness there's Traktor, Serato, and VDJ.
The video overlay remains non functional, in both Windows 7 and Vista, on both the Core i7 and Core 2 Duo. Ots also acknowledged in it's release notes that it will not currently work in Windows 8. The video overlay does work on the Pentium 4 running Windows XP, and you can get it to work (though not dependably) in Vista if you roll back your drivers to the XP version. So, no video with this program unless you're willing to run with an unsupported operating system or it's outdated drivers. I like the way my current video drivers work in Windows 7 and I'm not about to F-- with them for Esperance so nothing to report about changing drivers in Windows 7.
If you're not mobile then perhaps with a desktop tower and a stack of video cards you can swap in/out until you hit the magic combination.. you might get you results. This I find unreasonable given that every other video and DJ program I use is able to output on a variety of hardware with no such issue. The computers of choice toady are always laptops anyway - so it's high time Ots got with the times and figured out how to render reliable video on today's hardware. The problem can't be everyone else.
The look of the program has changed, Existing features have been made a little easier to use, although the new look has reduced the buttons/icons to the point that they are difficult to read and present a tiny target if you are using a mouse. If what you want isn't mapped to a controller that will slow you down a bit. More of the screen has been given up to graphic decoration and a pair of turntables like you find in the Ots Turntables release. The tables s are a waste since anyone who really wants to scratch or zorph would be using a controller. I'd rather have a better visual on the controls and indications than cute little platters that spin and flashing lights. It also makes the program look more like a toy - not sure that's what I want onlookers to see.
Save but a loop there are no new DJ features in Esperance, just a remodel of what was there, some of it's functionality, and how it looks. It remains a program dedicated primarily to automated/unattended playback. Relative to mixing and DJ features the program still doesn't have what DJs need and know as "instant start." While the loop will snap to the beat there is apparently no buffer to provide instant start when dropping in live on beat. I also have to revisit the cueing which didn't seem to be tight enough, I'll have to look into whether or not it is truly frame accurate.
The new loop does provide seamless repeat with two in points but, in points are not stored as hot cues and loops are not retained so, you can not use nested loops, or return to a loop or cue once you have exited. Using the loops to edit on the fly is not possible. Likewise, there are no other hot cues or sample banks from which to cut and drop.
Scratching works fine, but without other live DJ features Traktor will still rule. Even VDJ (equally priced) is better for this application. "Zorphing" which is essentially extreme time stretching with key lock is good for manipulating the visuals - that is, if you can get the video overlay to function.
Esperance is just an easier/better functioning version of OtsAV 1.85 with very little to get excited about from a DJ point of view. What I mean by that is: the features and capabilities of the program do not justify the proprietary Ots library format. Ots music files are not portable between other programs, so you can't travel without taking this whole software and hardware configuration with you, and the features are just not worth the hassle created by the Ots media format.
Despite the currently non-functioning hint - this is not a program you would run karaoke on, and I have not seen the video overlay work on any machine who's video driver was not rolled back to Win XP. That leaves just the audio - and those features are aimed at minimal hands on automation not an actual DJ.
The addition of Video (if it would work reliably) was a bigger deal than what's in the Esperance release. It's apparently a very long road to version 2.0 Thank goodness there's Traktor, Serato, and VDJ.
