Re: [LAU] Open Source Audio Interface (was Successor/replacement for RME HDSP+Multiface?)

On Sun, Aug 31, 2014 at 4:56 PM, Len Ovens <len(a)ovenwerks.net> wrote: I love a good design project, and a modular audio interface would be an amazing one. My vision of a real Open Hardware Audio Interface would take a formiddable team of engineers, each with specific specialties to tackle the problem. High-freq circuits, HDL programming, kernel modules, mixed-signal, audio pre-amps, and power supply design... you'd really need someone who's willing to study each one of them. I met with a good group of people at LAC 2012 who are working on AVB support under linux. At the time, this was the group of people that I was primarily considering "the audience" for organizing such a project. After meeting everybody, I realized we were heading in different directions. I (personally) don't want to work on software or sound card protocols--I can barely follow along with AVB. So--I did not follow up on it. I moved on to other projects. I'd love to work on a HW project, but not without considerable support and teamwork to see it through to the end. There is still some value in an Open Hardware design that goes beyond the consumer cost/benefit relationship of the device itself. Whatever you come up with, in terms of design documents, working hardware, software, etc are all stepping stones for new/existing companies to use. You add competition to the marketplace with Open Hardware, lower the barrier to entry, and open up different design goals. There's a lot of potential for economic effects that will end up making audio interfaces better for consumers in the long run.