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Hi,
using a Tau and a Pico with both Windows 7 and Mac OS I'd say the OS shouldn't be the decisive factor anymore (I don't use the headset support and there is no mic-support for Tau though, so I can't speak about those features).

Have a look at the Alpha quickstart tutorial and see whether you like the current standard setup. If yes then the system you want is already available. Otherwise perhaps it's worth to wait for the Workbench.

Do you additionally plan to buy a Pico? If yes perhaps that's a good start to experiment with the "ecosystem" as the software is essentially the same. (Pico could become even more interesting as a "serious" instrument for monophonic lines as soon as EigenD 2 with the "fingerer" agent is released - which should be available at no extra cost with access to new versions for a year if you buy a Pico now as far as I understood. Currently the Pico is nice but limited to pieces where the small tonal range is no problem.)

Greetings,
NothanUmber

P.S.: The Tau is also very nice, especially if used with alternative layouts (e.g. 5 octaves with a horizontal layout - completely sufficient for many synth patches)

Thanks. Shall i need to buy a separate audio interface for my pc or can I start with the Asio4all?

Asio4all works with my onboard card and offers much better latency values than DirectSound (because it works with the kernel streaming drivers which are not natively supported by EigenD yet). But although not strictly necessary a dedicated audio card might be a good idea for even better latency, routing capabilities and better sound quality - especially if you already invest into an Alpha/Tau that might make sense.
E.g. the RME Babyface is nice as it can also be used with a Notebook.

Just to add to this I should probably say that we only have a few Alpha's left from the current build - there's been a bit of a run on them in the last two months that caught us unawares. In fact I'm not sure we have any standard ones left - we have some specials listed though - please email us if you would like Neil to contact you to discuss options.

We are just starting the process of making a new batch of Alpha's but as you can see from the current shipping date (well into next year) this is a lengthy process. There are sometimes secondhand Alpha's available; Tenebrous has one for sale at the moment, though I think that might be sold and we may have a couple of ex demo, refurbished Alpha's available shortly.

Also I'd like to add to NothanUmber's comment, the Tau is a very nice instrument, does nearly everything the Alpha does, is less than half the price and we have them in stock for immediate delivery. You might want to take a look at one - particularly now they have a 'cello spike available (in our accessories section) - they are as flexible as the Alpha and look pretty good when played on stage.

John

John,

Congrats on selling out of your alphas. Glad to see the instrument is catching on!

Pat