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

Loki Davison loki.davison at gmail.com
Fri Jul 28 01:27:56 UTC 2006


On 7/28/06, Renich Bon Ćirić <renich at woralelandia.com> wrote:
>
>
> 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.
>
>

you mean you are willing to try and find some one to write you a new
OS for free? How much of the coding will you do? How about you just
buy a little rack mount pc and an mpd16? then you have the pads from
the mpc and a whole lot more processing power. You could put a nice
interface in the same little rack box and then you'll have less random
stuff to carry to a gig and might actually build a better intergrated
solution that everyone can use. You might get a lot more support from
everyone then. Ebay might be a good place for your mpc.

Loki


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