a note from Mackie about the Mackie control

[remote]

I emailed Mackie and asked if we would be able to use the Mackie Control with PT. This is the responce I got. I hope Digi is reading...

"Currently Mackie Control is not supported by Pro Tools and to my
knowledge there are no plans to do so. We would be happy to discuss a
licensing agreement with Digidesign to make this happen. It is our goal to
make Mackie Control as universal supported as possible so we would love
to add Pro Tools support to the list. I suggest contacting Digidesign
to voice your opinion if you would like to see this support in the
future."

Marina Peñaherrera%ost AMackie Customer Service

[bombfactory]

The guy who now runs Digi was/is the mastermind of their "proprietary for the sake of proprietary" product strategy. Ain't gonna happen.

Digi will make another box with Focusrite where the panel graphics rub off because they forgot the topcoat long before you see them working with Mackie. Mackie is the "enemy."

Unfortunately, I don't understand why MotorMix gets the thumbs up but Mackie Control gets the thumbs down. I presume the answer is because MotorMix sucks and Mackie Control is really damn nice.

Regardless, this sort of stuff is completely arbitrary and ticks off customers (and developers) for no good reason.

At some point Digi needs to realize that they're not going to be able to control everything, and they're not going to be able to meet every need of every customer.

Being proprietary is great, so long as you can actually deliver the goods...

--Erik

[TedRackley]

"Regardless, this sort of stuff is completely arbitrary and ticks off customers (and developers) for no good reason. "

I agree. When I buy a distortion or wah-wah pedal, it works with ALL of my guitars. It's really silly that computer stuff doesn't because of marketing or other reasons. It seems to me that if you want to sell stuff, make it so that everyone can buy it.

On that note, Erik, I wouldn't mind VST PlugIns from your company so that I could use them with all of my other software.

[etherize]

I am interested in purchasing the mackie board but am waiting to see if support is added to logic and protools since i am going to be using both as well as digital performer. I think it would be great if Digi released a product similar to this and as expandable. But if it only worked with Protools than I would not buy it.
Alot of us work with a multitude of front ends at this point and probably more to come. We need universal support. This is what pisses me off most about Digidesign and is the reason why I am buying logic (since it seems to support more standards than anything although I hope this continues with the Apple take over)

As far as the Mackie board goes, I love the size factor. I can put it right on top of my keyboard and have access to my computer keyboards, my nordlead, faders, command, all at arms length. i have been waiting for something like this forever.

What has Digi gained by this proprietory stance? Apple used to be this way and now they are supporting openstandards (as well as trying to set them) and they are in a better financial place than years (relatively)

[bombfactory]

Originally posted by TedRackley:

> On that note, Erik, I wouldn't mind VST PlugIns from your company
> so that I could use them with all of my other software.

No no... you're missing the point. Digi needs to license RTAS to grow the market for RTAS plug-ins.

That's what "DAE" was supposed to be.

Unfortunately, Digi was too much of a pain to work with and DAE sucks too much.

So Steinberg, Logic and others wrote their own engines. (Steinberg actually wrote one twice, it's not that hard.)

There are some VERY funny articles in the early to mid-90s (Wired magazine and so forth) where the head of Digi talks about owning the market for pro audio using their "DAE technology."

Didn't seem to work out that well, since I have users in a Pro Tools forum begging me to make VST stuff...

Not to mention the hammer Apple's getting ready to bring down on this whole broken set of standards and dorky little companies...

--Erik

[etherize]

"Not to mention the hammer Apple's getting ready to bring down on this whole broken set of standards and dorky little companies..."

[img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

[Ask the Developer Guy]

Mackie can achieve the compatibility that Marina describes right now.

Pro Tools ships with extentions called "personalities" that function as connections between Pro Tools and several popular controllers from Penny & Giles, Peavey, JL Cooper, and Mackie. Several companies can, and in fact have, emulated these personalities in order to get their products to interface well with Pro Tools. These include products from Yamaha, CM Labs, Radikal Technologies, Soundcraft, Emagic and other devices from the companies above for which there is not a specific MIDI personality. These companies quickly and easily implemented these emulations (many have been publicly demonstrated and documented for years). This compatibility as implemented, frankly, with little or no engineering assistance from Digidesign!

Mackie needs to obtain the HUI MIDI implementation documentation (shouldn't be too much of a chore), then use a data and analysis capture application like MIDIscope to create a logical emulation.

Marina from Mackie, you can give me a call if you want to discuss, but please speak with a HUI expert (e.g., Brian McCulley) first.

Thanks,

Ed

[andre tchmil]

To the Digi people: Hey, and don't think we gonna be satisfied with a contoller only version of the 002. Too funny Toy looking for the(semi) pro enviroment.
To the Mackie people: don't tell us the Baby HUI is a good substitute for the real HUI.Too short faders etc.... .

[img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] yeah yeah pro guys; I hear you saying"why don't you buy a C24 or Procontrol.

Well I tell you this:A) a lot of people don't need xtra pre amps and also hate the design of the C24.
B) a lot of people think the procontrol is way too overpriced.

So Digi and Mackie. Behave a bit mature and do what you have to do (whatever this means ) [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Mark Wheaton]

I think there is a telling line in the comment from Mackie, that is that they want digidesign to pay a licensing fee to make their controller work with Pro Tools. there is the real root of the problem. Since Mackie made the HUI years ago, it seems that they could easily make whatever controller they make work with PT if they felt there was an economic incentive. they are making money on licensing fees and cross marketing deals as well as from the retail cost of the item. so it seems weird to blame digidesign for this situation

[Ask the Developer Guy]

Actually, there is no licensing issue here. Mackie is free to and is technically capable of doing this work today without so much as an e-mail to us. And "remote," Mackie is completely aware of this (and now Marina is, too).

Ed