[linux-audio-dev] Slashdot: linux-based music keyboard workstation released

[David Olofson]

On Tuesday 11 November 2003 19.55, Benno Senoner wrote:
[...]
> So I would not call this PC crippled, I'd call it more flexible
> than a traditional PC because
> it's input output devices are optimized for musical tasks.

Speaking of which; I'd be really rather interested in a UI like that, 
but as an extra interface for a normal computer based studio. Sort of 
like a DAW terminal with a display and a custom control panel that I 
can put right above my master keyboard, so I don't have to turn 
around to, or reach for the computer all the time.

BTW, I started hacking an SDL based full screen sequencer some time 
ago. Though I could make it smooth with tracker style keyboard 
control, I guess the missing part is really this little handy 
hardware terminal...


> > withold the
> >cripple (but double the money). You can just make one
> >of those.. wouldn't be as pretty and you'd have to
> >muck w/ RT-linux. Or, you could pick up a laptop..
> >it's all the rage these days, I hear ;)
>
> Of course a made yourself solution can be cheaper (only if your
> time is worth $0)

Meanwhile, some people invest lots of time *and* money in various 
projects, just because thep enjoy building things... ;-)


>  but the target of the keyboard is the professional musicians that
> want a turnkey solution or developers that want to create their own
> thirdparty apps modules
> without building the whole enviroment from scratch.
> The possibilities are endless, the Mediastation is much more than a
> keyboard.

It does seem like an interesting platform indeed, though I'm probably 
not in the target audience. If I want something special or custom, I 
want to design it and build it myself, for fun and total control - 
and that's just as well, as I can't really afford paying someone else 
to do the job.


> >I think good synth design, as far as hardware goes, is
> >knowing what features to leave out as much as
> >engineering them in. If it's too versatile, it is just
> >a frusturating, expensive computer.
>
> To quote Domenico, the main hardware engineer of the keyboard,
> according to him
> the Mediastation is the Ferrari or Lamborghini of keyboards :-)
> The company is small and can not produce high volume, low margin
> gear. It would
> be impossible to compete with the bigs.
> After all Ferraris are made in Italy just like the Mediastation,
> let's see what happens :-)

Speaking of cars; though I definitely wouldn't mind driving an F40 or 
F50 (insanely beautiful cars, IMHO,), I'm more the kind of guy who 
would build a Lotus Super 7 replica from scratch. 600 kg with 100-400 
hp ranges from brutal to insane performance, and I could actually 
afford building one - and I would have fun doing it as well. :-)

Maybe this is reflected in most of my choices in all fields?


//David Olofson - Programmer, Composer, Open Source Advocate

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