> admin@music.columbia.edu] On Behalf Of R Parker
> Sent: Saturday, June 21, 2003 3:43 PM
> To: linux-audio-user@music.columbia.edu; linux-audio-
>
dev@music.columbia.edu
> Subject: [linux-audio-dev] Re: [linux-audio-user] New powermacs?
>
> Hi Ivica,
>
> I'll rant on this for awhile.
>
> I guess it all depends on what you require. There's
> little doubt in my mind that the alternatives to linux
> based audio production will have to take very serious
> measures to compete with a looming problem. That being
> pro audio tools that are free from monetary costs and
> also developed in an open community that hinges its
> entire interest on intellectual freedom and are
> technically equal to or superior to their products.
>
> I don't see the 970 64-bit CPUs and built in optical
> audio i/o as being much competition. Hardware
> performance capabilties improve with the dawning of
> each new day.
>
> About a year ago I began to feel a good deal of
> anxiety about my decision to pursue a linux based
> professional audio solution. I make my living as an
> engineer/producer and need a working solution not just
> a philosophical day dream. I asked a couple guys what
> they thought about my concerns. They convinced to hang
> in.
>
> Mac has a new OS and it's a good one. They've got a
> DAW that runs natively and it's a good one. But that's
> still not enough draw for me because they're closed
> source cultures. I believe that if developements
> continue as they have during the last couple years the
> LAD community will win a big battle.
>
> I think many musicians feel no need or appreciation
> for the intellectual freedom that the linux
> communities thrive on. They simply want to swing the
> hammer and hit the nail. On one hand I can sympathize
> with that circumstance. But on the other hand it's
> depressing. I believe these people can't call
> themselves poets. How can anyone consider themselves
> an artist while choosing to support intellectual
> slavery? It's rediculous. They're not artists, they're
> misled apprentices at best and perhaps no more than
> monkey see monkey do automotons.
>
> A studio owner friend came by the other day. I gave
> him the LAD, jackd, ardour, jamin pitch. He proceeded
> to sing the praises of everything else. I accused him
> of living on self pride, magazine advertisements and
> of being afraid to admit that his protools investment
> was a mistake, etc, etc. He walked away angry. I
> thought good, get out of here. He came back 30 minutes
> later and said, "Ron, Ardour looks great but not
> everyone can be you." What he meant by that is Linux
> looms as a large learning curve and that unlike me, he
> doesn't have time to figure it out.
>
> It's very interesting that he became honest and
> admitted his investments and best effort are a
> mistake. Perhaps more importantly he came to terms
> with the fact that he's about to commit another large
> error by investing further yet into that proprietary
> world. Small studios like mine and his can't afford
> not to adopt the Linux solutions. After the financial
> benefits are realized we can learn to appreciate the
> intelectual opportunities.
>
> One problem I became aware during the exchange with my
> friend is that Linux is percieved as a technically
> difficult solution. That's an interesting perception
> and the LAD/LAU communities can deal with it. The
> larger Linux community has made a great deal of
> progress with this. How hard is it to install Red Hat?
> Maybe it's more difficult to configure linux. But it's
> alot less painful to purchase and configure x86
> hardware, rme cards, and a ,000.00 digital mixer
> than it is to invest in a ,000.00 Protools setup.
>
> OK, I'll shutup.
>
> ron
>
> --- Ivica Bukvic wrote:
> > Hi all,
> >
> > Just heard the news (rumors) of new Macs that are
> > going to hit the
> > streets on Monday. Seems like Apple is finally going
> > to catch-up with
> > the PC world: there's talk of using IBM's PowerPC
> > 970 64-bit CPU's.
> > Makes me wonder what repercussions this will have on
> > the whole LAD/LAU
> > community, considering that they supposedly will
> > have built-in optical
> > audio I/O and with the recent announcement of
> > Trolltech to make OS X Qt
> > GPL-ed, leaves less and less advantages in Linux's
> > favor (apart from the
> > obvious untouchable open architecture and perhaps
> > faster growing
> > user-base -- according to recent news, can't
> > remember where I exactly I
> > read it tho, sale of factory-built Linux boxes
> > should surpass Apple's
> > this year, and that does not even include people
> > with home-built
> > machines and dual-booters).
> >
> > Please don't get me wrong. I am still in favor of
> > Linux, obviously due
> > to its open architecture. But at the same time I am
> > becoming a bit weary
> > of having to "hack" my advanced audio settings
> > rather than use
> > user-friendly tools. That, coupled with still anemic
> > direct vendor hw
> > driver support has really made me pay closer
> > attention on Macs (as scary
> > as that sounds). Yet, I feel such a sense of
> > accomplishment when my
> > Linux purrs just right with my desktop being
> > uniquely configured and
> > tailored to my needs. After all, I am a geek. :-)
> > And the inner struggle
> > goes on...
> >
> > Anyone care to comment or (please) dissuade me from
> > potentially making a
> > costly mistake? ;-)
> >
> > Ivica Ico Bukvic, composer & multimedia sculptor
> >
http://meowing.ccm.uc.edu/~ico
> >
>
>
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