[linux-audio-user] New To List

[Paul Winkler]

On Wed, Aug 20, 2003 at 08:46:31AM -0700, Mark Knecht wrote:
> Please don't take me wrong. If you knew how many requests we Pro Tools users
> have made of the paid DigiDesign programming staff, and how few had been
> filled, you would understand that my comments are maybe not quite as
> negative as you might have taken them. ;-)

Amen. Related anecdote: 
I used to own a Yamaha SU700 looping sampler, a very powerful
but difficult and ultimately frustrating box. I met a Yamaha rep at
the AES show a year or two ago, and he was demoing the RS7000
which replaced the SU700.  I mentioned that one of my big complaints
with the SU700 is that you have to stop all output while sampling
so it's impossible do any on-the-fly sampling or work in realtime
with live musicians. He cut me off and said "No audience wants to
watch you sample" and had no interest in what I wanted to do with
their samplers.

This was the last straw for me. There was an active SU700 user's group
online and we had a whole list of feature requests for Yamaha.
Several members were in repeated contact with people at Yamaha.
We got nowhere with them. They just didn't care. Their attitude was
that after all the R&D money they'd spent, they knew what we needed
and we had to like it or lump it.

After this experience I resolved that I would never again buy any
"closed" device. I don't care about the money anymore; give me
free as in freedom!

I've been really impressed overall with how much linux audio developers
care about their end users and are willing to work with them.

-- 

Paul Winkler
http://www.slinkp.com
Look! Up in the sky! It's SUPERIOR RIGHTEOUS PROFESSOR!
(random hero from isometric.spaceninja.com)