Re: [linux-audio-user] Opening up the discussion

Hi Jono, Surely to compare the Cubase to Linux is like comparing a drinks cup holder, to a car. Although, it is an easy comparison to make, because there is no clear comparable brand to put Cubase up against. People like brands, and credibility creates expectation. The second Myth TV is advertised on telly, most of my friends'll ditch Sky Plus. The econonmy works on bundles; what you dont want pays for what you do. It is easier to sell a brand than a concept. And so it is with audio software. I could sing the praises of any number of Linux audio distributions at my local music shop, but the majority of the people will care little for tech specs or architechtural concepts. They want to keep things simple, and so they are interested in brand recognition. There is not much mention of Linux audio in the music tech press at the moment is there? It is easy to get started with Linux and recording, and crucially it is getting easier every day. The pace of development in this community amazes me. The speed at which the development of proof concept applications become feedback orientated is just breath taking. So much so that the audio distribution 'brands' AGNULA, CRMMA, etc.... struggle to keep up. A position that whoever now owns Cubase, would surely welcome. The measure of success is not the position you stand in, but the direction you face. The distinction between pro and amateur probably comes down to a dedication of learning how to use the tools. Therefore I would expect any pro to be involved with the specifics of a system. As someone who considers themselves an amateur yet one day hopes to be a pro, I consider an open ended system worth more interest than a closed branded system. It's kinda like a mechanical apprenticeship. This is a really good question, and one I have been thinking about a lot lately. As I am not a ninja programmer I think the biggest barriers are not programming related. For all I know though it could be the case that one chip set type or protocol is the real barrier. As a user I feel the biggest barrier is the distribution of information. I am sure as the community grows we will see more and more useful information available to a wider audience, in an ever increasing variety of ways. This is all just guesswork, but I expect sooner or later googling for a solution to a problem will return blog entries, and then perhaps 'for user by user' type pages, and then who knows, maybe a wiki, and very probably a thousand other new and groovy things. Cheers, John