Linux/Protools (was: Re: Preach it! [was: Re: [linux-audio-user] Re: Behringer

[Mark Knecht]

On Wed, 1 Dec 2004 13:16:16 +0100 (CET), Kjetil Svalastog Matheussen
<k.s.matheussen at notam02.no> wrote:
> 
> 
> Mark Knecht:
> >
> > BTW - I truly think that in the next 12-24 months Digi will release
> > PTLE for Linux. If they did they solve the hardware support problem
> > and have an advantage over anyone using other Linux tools with home
> > grown Alsa support. That would be pretty cool. If their normal release
> > policies applied then for $75 I'd have a 3rd OS to run on.
> >
> 
> What digidesign should do, is to make their own specialized distribution
> of linux to run protools with, and set up a list of recommended hardware.
> Then they would solve various hardware- and software-issues running
> protools on a PC, and they would automatically give back a lot
> to the linux-community thru work on the protools linux distribution and
> getting a bounchelibounch of new audio linux users.
> 
> But perhaps they won't do that, because more people will discover ardour
> and won't use protools...

I agree about rolling their own distro. That makes tons of sense for
the Pro Market, Digi knows what people are running and the Pro guys
dedicate a machine to Pro Tools anyway so they don't need hundreds of
other programs.

I disagree about Digi worrying about people discovering Ardour. That's
a completely a non-issue for Digi. They deal with bigger problems
today and win pretty much hands down.

Keep in mind people were saying the same thing about Digi 4 years ago
as they entered the Windows market. Today it's rumored that the
Windows market is larger than the Mac market for the home enthusiast &
small studio markets. Digi stuck with it. Now windows support isn't
going away.

I think coming to Linux (in some form) would be less trouble than what
they suffered going to Windows based on leveraging OS X.

Digi is a hardware company, not a software company. They sell the
hardware and give Pro Tools away for free. What DigiDesign would be
doing is opening another path for selling their hardware. They do not
release hardware specs in any form and their hardware is supported on
Windows and the Mac only by them. You cannot use their hardware with
Nuendo, Cubase, or anything else.

Independent of what the more vocal Open Source enthusiasts here say
today, it's my opinion that if you could by an RME Fireface with so-so
vendor support and run Ardour, or buy an 002 Rack for about the same
price but run Pro Tools, that many, many people would go the Pro tools
route. Good hardware. Good software. (Though not Open Source) Support
from a real company. Compatibility with people working on Macs and
Windows. Able to send sessions to studio's & mastering houses without
worry.

To Digi Ardour is no different than Nuendo or Cubase except that it's
not as well supported with hardware solutions. Digi would be a big
winner in the Linux market since they would be the only real full
solution - the right hardware with the right software.

If anyone was going to offer a full solution in Linux pro audio I
think it's Digi that could do it the best. The question is whether
there is a big enough reason to do so. I think there is. The reason is
Linux not Windows.

- Mark