[linux-audio-dev] Re: Akai's MPC4000 Sampler/Workstation Open Source Project

[Renich Bon Ćirić]

Gene Heskett wrote:
> On Thursday 27 July 2006 15:02, Renich Bon Ćirić wrote:
>   
>> Jay Vaughan wrote:
>>     
>>>>  > > There are public-domain RTOSes available that are suitable for
>>>>  > > this task. To those, you can add drivers for USB and FAT32.
>>>>  > > Without an RTOS to give you hard real-time scheduling, you have
>>>>  > > no chance to achieve the rock-steady timing that the MPC
>>>>  > > currently has.
>>>>
>>>> that sucks. that really does. because my linux systems have the same
>>>> rock steady timing as the MPC. actually, their timing is even better
>>>> than the MPC. somebody must have made a mistake around here.
>>>>         
>>> i assure you, linux performs on par with "other public-domain RTOSes"
>>> in the real-time department, in the right hands .. like all good
>>> instruments ..
>>>       
>> Guys, one question that, I believe, has been answered before. Is the
>> service manual enough to start the OS from scratch?
>>     
>
> Finally, a question is raised that I can make a comment on, based on 55 
> years of chasing electrons around for a living.  Yeah, I'm getting to be a 
> chrotchety old coot in my retirement years. :)
>
>   
>> # Service Manual
>> http://www.woralelandia.com/openmpc/service_manual
>>     
>
> After spending about half an hour perusing that pdf, I can, as a C.E.T. who 
> has carved some code in a past life, say that the answer is a rather 
> resounding no.  There is nowhere near enough there, without chaseing each 
> and every chip maker down and somehow acquiring all the interface 
> requirements.  Properly specified, like we used to be able to get chip 
> info back in the 80's, I'd imagine that pdf would have to grow another 
> thousand pages.
>
>   
>> # Where it all started
>> http://www.mpc-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=54825
>>
>> Thanks for all the help and comments! I am very glad to have joined this
>> mailing list ;=)
>>     
>
> I can't help but echo the reticence already expressed here regarding the 
> proprietary nature of this device.  If Akai wants to make money on the 
> hardware by selling it to die-hard linux professional audio people, either 
> they do their own OS for it and charge whatever they think the whole 
> package is worth, or open the device up just as if it was a GPL piece of 
> software and be prepared to sell the hardware for a decent price after 
> assuming a sales level of x many units.  I certainly don't see 3 grand 
> worth of parts, pcb, drive and silk screening there, far less in fact.
>
> I suspect that there will be very little support offered by the average 
> liux coder if he knows the patches he writes will disappear into something 
> that is not going to be open-sourced.
>
> From my viewpoint, Akai's legal dept., who is obviously controlling what 
> Renich can say, will see to it that the product fails.  Its up to Akai to 
> make a liar out of me.  If they would join the open source camp by 
> supporting the coders with all the info, publicly available to any and 
> all, that they will need to write the drivers this device will need, 
> distribute this OS under the GPL with a server that lets *anyone* download 
> it for free, or on a mailable cd for a couple of bucks american, while 
> selling the hardware for $1000 to $1500, and watch the hardware sales 
> blossum like our wild flowers along the interstate.  Thats because the 
> unshackled coders will write stuff that stretches the limits of what the 
> hardware can do, just to see if they can.  Its rather like climbing Mt. 
> Everest, because its there. :)
>   

Well, I think we are getting a bit... carried away. I am not from akai, 
in fact, my purpose is to ask akai to help us help them because there OS 
sucks. It has too many bugs... that's the purpose of all this. If they 
refuse, then I am willing to start an OS myself. That's all.
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