Consortium August 2009

consortium@lists.linuxaudio.org

7 participants
2 discussions

strange n00b post or: how I learned to embrace open source and stop making money

by Bryant Hansen

Greeting All, This is my first posting, and I haven't been following the group very long. I actually discovered it during some research I was doing in order to promote Linux adoption to a major producer of professional audio equipment. This post is about how I might do this most effectively. It could get a bit long, and I'm not 100% certain that Linuxaudio.org is the right place for it; it might be more business than a .org site can stomach. If this doesn't sound interesting, read no further, and try to show some mercy in your flames. So, I've recently been in contact with the founder & chairman of a major audio equipment company. This company makes high-end keyboard/synthesizer/mix/record/playback equipment that's used in studios and concerts by many big names in the industry. Their devices currently run Windows, and I have an opportunity to pitch the adoption of Linux to them. I got a nice introduction from a key member of the AES, and then I wrote a 3-page report on the opportunities, challenges, and strategies of Linux adoption. This was well-received and now I've been invited for a phone conference next week. My report was an attempt to create an informative and as-unbiased-as-possible analysis of: - the advantages & disadvantages of Linux adoption - a strategy for the most effective way to get there - a list of resources and references, of which linuxaudio.org is key I might be willing to make the report available if anyone is interested, but I have to remove any references to the company I'm working with. I don't want to undermine their confidence, especially when I'm trying calm their nerves about stepping out of the world of proprietary software into that of free/open/libra, and realize their competitive advantages in other ways. Goals My key priority is to promote Linux for audio equipment and to sew the seeds of a strong, professional relationship with some key players in the audio electronics industry. However, I'm also an independent contractor, and if I can generate some paying work out of this, I will. I expect that they'll need a few paid part-timers to grease the wheels; do an initial port, setup & seed the forums, wikis, bug trackers, etc., and deal with any other important issues that volunteers don't step up to. We're slowly getting to the point of my post. I have some open questions for the group: - is there really a business case Linux adoption? ...or should this be viewed as a domain for hobbyists? - are there any ways or indicators of determining the size of the market they might reach if they adopt Linux? - any tips or suggestions about working with the community? Feel free to respond either on- or off-list. linuxaudio(at)bryanthansen.net Bryant Hansen Embedded Systems Engineer Bryant is an engineer with nearly a decade of experience working in the audio industry (at BridgeCo and Digital Harmony/Pavo). His most recent professional experience is with embedded audio devices running Linux. He holds a certification from the Linux Professional Institute and has memberships with the IEEE and the Free Software Foundation.

15 years, 3 months

Report: advantages, disadvantages, and strategies for Linux adoption in audio electronics

by Bryant Hansen

Greetings All, Once again, thanks for the highly-informative and friendly feedback I've received here. I figured that it was a good time to present the report that I wrote. The target audience is a company executive who might not have significant knowledge of Linux and open-source development. The data and the suggestions are fairly obvious. ...though the virtualization/emulation topics may be controversial (could invite TiVo-type troubles, or just violate the spirit of GPL). This is for another post... http://bryanthansen.net/linux-audio-proposal-edit.pdf The report is in the original form that I sent it, with the exception of replacing the company name with XYZ, Inc. I haven't updated it with information that I've received from the group. Any version 2 will be a significant step forward. Some of the key feedback that I've received from the group, which belongs in there, includes: * awareness of 64 studio, who seem to focus on exactly the type of work I'm trying to organize http://www.64studio.com/ * the existing use of Linux (and perhaps Ardour) in various products: - Korg Oasys Keyboard http://www.korg.com/Product.aspx?pd=214 - Harrison Consoles' Xdubber http://www.harrisonconsoles.com/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=vi… - Museresearch Receptor http://www.museresearch.com/receptor.php?r=why - Liontracks Mediastation X-76 http://www.gearjunkies.com/product_info.php?products_id=12502 - Hartmann Neuron Synthesizer http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hartmann_Neuron - Indamixx http://indamixx.com/ - Midas XL8 http://www.midasconsoles.com/xl8.php * a professional institute that trains all kinds of future studio/broadcast/live-sound engineers in the use of Ardour http://www.sae.edu/en-gb/content/80/Ardour_-_SAE_Edition * The Free Firewire Audio Drivers org (FFADO.org) http://ffado.org/ * the possibility that Linux support might not have much marketing impact with professional devices (as opposed to consumer devices that are more accessible to a wider range of developers) Cheers, Bryant

15 years, 3 months

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Consortium August 2009