> From: Aurélien Leblond [mailto:blablack@gmail.com]
> Sent: Monday, August 01, 2011 11:07 AM
> To:
linux-audio-user@lists.linuxaudio.org
> Subject: [LAU] An appeal to famous artists?
>
> I'm writing this post because of a few experiences I had over the
> years into world of amateur music production (but I'm sure it does
> applies to every artistic domains).
>
> I'm an amateur musician and a Linux enthusiast, and even though I work
> as a developer, my professional activity doesn't directly have
> anything to do with both these
> domains (although in the case of Linux this is quite a shame, but
> that's another subject). But one thing I am surrounded with at work is
> fellow musicians.
>
> I have setup a pretty nice home studio in my flat: electronic drumkit,
> alright USB sound-card, good quality speakers, electric guitar, pretty
> big guitar fx board, USB
> keyboard with a lot of knobs, few synthesizers and......a laptop
> running Ubuntu, Ardour, Hydrogen, AlsaModularSynth, Yoshimi, LV2, etc,
> etc and etc...
>
> A few of these colleagues came to my place to play music, and all of
> them were impressed by the level of investment, and invariably the
> first question that comes
> up is the price of all the hardware and software... So when I
> explained that I gathered the hardware over the last few years and
> that the software is free, I always get
> that little wink and smile:
> - haaaa 'free'? Bittorent yeah?
> - no no no...not THAT free... I'm using Linux, and I'm trying to make
> a point of using only free software in my music production... Actually
> it's not free as you think it is,
> I do try to make some donations every year, blablabla...
> And invariably, I get the look (you all know which one I'm talking
> about)...
>
> As the sessions go on and my colleagues see the different software in
> actions, they always start to make the comparison with what they use
> in other OS: Wouah I
> can't do that with my drum machine! And this software Ardour is pretty
> cool, and I really like the sound of this synthesizer! What is it?
> AlsaModularMix you say?
> Well it looks weird but I like it!...
>
> Then as the conversation goes on on gears and software, it generally
> goes like this oh, I bought this synth because Trent Reznor from Nine
> Inch Nails is using it
> and I wanted to get that sound..., this guitar fx? Bought it because
> the guys in Slayer are using it and I love (yes all my mates and
> myself are metal heads!).
>
> So I started to think... And I thought a little bit more... All the
> people I know in the music world, we always use references to known
> artist: Trent Reznor uses this,
> The Edge uses that, Brian Eno has this synth, etc. There is even a
> website that list the gears used by famous guitar players.
>
> I have a couple of friends back in my home country who are trying to
> build up a recording studio... They work 100 hours a week recording
> and promoting local bands,
> they eat pasta because the money is tight.......but they spent I don't
> know how much into brand new Macs and software licenses...
>
> I can hear you from here already WHY DID YOU NOT TELL THEM ABOUT
> LINUX???
>
> Well......I did:
> - Yeah RIGHT! Every known musicians use Macs! They are designed for
> artists!
> Really? Who decided that? Aaaaaaahhhhh yeah I forgot, Apple is very
> good at advertisement... See that little illuminated apple at the back
> of every of their laptops?
> That sticks out well when Trent Reznor posts pictures of his studio,
> or when you see pictures of ?uestLove on stage...
>
> - Linux and stuff... It's for free... It must sucks... I mean you
> need loads of research and money to create the software to play
> music...
> Really?
>
> - It's not stable enough...
> Ok, I give you that... But we have come a long way... And I bet that a
> good Ubuntu setup without alpha or beta versions of any software would
> be stable...
> And obviously the user base on proprietary software is bigger, so more
> testers, more feedbacks... But hey, look at my laptop, pretty stable
> no?
>
> - It's too complicated... with these command lines and all...
> Hmmm yes and no there... Yes setting up a Linux machine with a low
> latency kernel is quite complicated... But remind me how much did you
> spent to setup your
> Mac? And yeah you are right, we used command lines in Linux... But YOU
> don't have to! When was the last time you saw a Linux machine? Ah
> yeah, when I
> show you my Mandrake machine 10 years ago... Well we came a long way
> since that time, you should check it again! I mean playing, recording
> and producing
> music on a computer IS a complicated business, whatever OS you use.
>
> - And when it doesn't work, who do I ask?
> Hmmmm, when Cubase doesn't work, what do you do? Oh yeah, you google
> your issue and you browse around forums to find a solutions...
> Actually when you have an issue with your mac in general, is it Apple
> or a dude on some forums who gives you the solution?
>
> So I thought a little bit more... In the world of artists (I thinking
> here especially about music, but it is probably right in other
> artistic domains), brands are created
> because artists use them, no?
>
> And SERIOUSLY, in the world of music, the Open Source world certainly
> have brilliant tools! And the Open Source certainly has to speak to a
> lot of artist if they
> knew about it? The sense of freedom, the sense of sharing? Isn't it
> what Bob Marley or Rage Against the Machine were singing about?
>
> Trent Reznor (yes, I am a big fan) has been releasing music under
> Creative Common licenses... He let the people decide how much they
> wanted to pay for
> some of his albums (remind you of something? Donations?). He let fans
> record all the concerts of his last tour, let them mix it, cut it,
> produce it, package it and
> sale it (check out ThisOneIsOnUs). He even provided the tracks of some
> songs for the fan to have fun and mix them differently... Surely a guy
> like that would
> understand the value of Free Software. And where there is one, there
> might be others...
>
> (Sorry for the long introduction but) What I am getting at is this:
> Should we make an appeal to artists to produce something using only
> Open Source software?
> What do you guys think? Isn't it the best time to promulgate such a
> message, with the social media and all? And if yes, what would be the
> best way?
>
> Or am I completely wrong? And there is something in the big picture I
> didn't see?