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

[Renich Bon Ćirić]

Loki Davison wrote:
> 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
Well, that would be selfish. I have the other users in mind. What good 
would it be for others if I do as you say? We already bought the 
hardware and the OS isn't what it should be. Maybe they don't want to 
support it, maybe they can't. I don't care, I do care about making music 
and the users at the end. That is why I am trying.
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