Open letter to LE/M-Powered product management

[llang629]

I urge you to simplify the Digidesign personal studio product line.

I'm a long-time Cakewalk user, considering switching to Pro Tools. For a "new arrival," the product positioning of your LE and M-Powered lines is opaque and confusing. You have to search external forums to understand that, really, there's not much difference at all, and it has more to do with the history of your acquisitions. Not really sensible from a customer point of view. Perhaps at first, this bifurcated approach was a fast way to market, but I'd expect the two product lines would merge in the following release.

Pro Tools also requires hardware for copy protection against piracy. I'm sure you've heard plenty about the inconvenience of that requirement. But assuming it's necessary to protect your business, surely you could streamline the approach. I often use DAW software on planes, where plugging in external boxes just to start the software makes little sense. When I saw M-Powered requires an iLok key, at first I thought that would suffice for using the software in editing mode. But it seems you still require an external box. Why? The iLok proves I paid for the software. Of course, LE supports the Mbox 2 Micro dongle, but charging $280 for a device mainly for your copy-protection benefit seems excessive.

By the way, naming the peripherals for LE as Mbox, which are not the ones compatible with M-Powered is mighty confusing for a new comer. Mbox doesn't work with M-Powered? Strange.

In summary, if I were the product manager for your personal studio line, I would combine LE and M-Powered into a single personal studio product, and require only the iLok to authorize the software (assuming an ongoing requirement for physical copy protection). The product line would support both sets of peripherals.

From your web site, I see some product manager positions are open. Perhaps I should apply.

[JMS40]

Originally Posted by llang629

By the way, naming the peripherals for LE as Mbox, which are not the ones compatible with M-Powered is mighty confusing for a new comer. Mbox doesn't work with M-Powered? Strange.

The original Digi Mbox was released before the M-Audio acquisition.
Further, distinguishing the two product lines really isn't that difficult... is it?
002, 003, and the Mbox family are Digi products and require PTLE.
All compatible hardware manufactured by M-Audio requires PT M-Powered.
Pretty simple.

As for a version of Pro Tools that operates iLok only... don't hold your breath.
The Digi micro device/dongle was a direct concession to years of customer complaints for a truly portable solution.
Considering you receive a full up to date version of PTLE with the purchase... seems like a very reasonable deal. A quick glance at the cost of attaining competitive software... (Sonar, Cubase/Nuendo, etc.) bears that out.
Even the M-Audio Transit, coupled with the cost of M-Powered PT, comes in at a higher price point...

[MDog]

The product lines are confusing. I lend advice from time to time to people who are looking at buying a Pro Tools setup, and it's always tricky to explain the differences. Especially the Mbox and M-Powered thing. They should, and expect they will, clean up that whole marketing mess.

[shea]

Originally Posted by llang629

I urge you to simplify the Digidesign personal studio product line.

I'm a long-time Cakewalk user, considering switching to Pro Tools. For a "new arrival," the product positioning of your LE and M-Powered lines is opaque and confusing. You have to search external forums to understand that, really, there's not much difference at all, and it has more to do with the history of your acquisitions. Not really sensible from a customer point of view. Perhaps at first, this bifurcated approach was a fast way to market, but I'd expect the two product lines would merge in the following release.

Pro Tools also requires hardware for copy protection against piracy. I'm sure you've heard plenty about the inconvenience of that requirement. But assuming it's necessary to protect your business, surely you could streamline the approach. I often use DAW software on planes, where plugging in external boxes just to start the software makes little sense. When I saw M-Powered requires an iLok key, at first I thought that would suffice for using the software in editing mode. But it seems you still require an external box. Why? The iLok proves I paid for the software. Of course, LE supports the Mbox 2 Micro dongle, but charging $280 for a device mainly for your copy-protection benefit seems excessive.

By the way, naming the peripherals for LE as Mbox, which are not the ones compatible with M-Powered is mighty confusing for a new comer. Mbox doesn't work with M-Powered? Strange.

In summary, if I were the product manager for your personal studio line, I would combine LE and M-Powered into a single personal studio product, and require only the iLok to authorize the software (assuming an ongoing requirement for physical copy protection). The product line would support both sets of peripherals.

From your web site, I see some product manager positions are open. Perhaps I should apply.

I dont understand where the big confusion is
Mpowered is maudio hardware le is digidesign hardware and as for iloc you need that for plugins anyway .So what part of that do you not understand?
As for editing on a plane just plug in your micro and away you go,its that small you could carry it in your mouth.

To me everything there, is very simple and furthermore youll be proud of using the industry standard


seamus

[forgotten g]

This is an extremely concise and well written letter. It is important for Avid to address these issues if we are to continue to have a Pro tools to use. I have often asked these same questions my self and had other people ask me them. I am expecting LE and M to merge very soon, so that, I'm hoping will not be an issue. PT8 is looking like a solid exciting jump into the present day. I can't wait for it to be available. We all have to remember that saying we are the greatest and most professional and not addressing ways we can improve is not only arrogant and foolish, It causes us to be blind to our competition creeping up on us and serving our customers/ clients better than us. The world is full of examples of the "Greatest" becoming nothing. Lets keep Protools great.

[JMS40]

I'll concede that there are too many choices available to make an impulse decision. But the choice of a DAW package should involve research.
You don't even have to leave your chair with the amount of information available at the Digi site, the M-Audio site or the click of a Google.

As someone who's been here since the 001 was the only interface, I see the current product line as a distinct step forward.
Choices/options are good.

As for the anti piracy discussion... well, as I said, the micro was released as Digi's response to the portability complaint.
They listened and responded to that issue. You may not like the compromise but I don't see them revisiting that any time soon.

[shea]

Originally Posted by JMS40

I'll concede that there are too many choices available to make an impulse decision. But the choice of a DAW package should involve research.
You don't even have to leave your chair with the amount of information available at the Digi site, the M-Audio site or the click of a Google.

As someone who's been here since the 001 was the only interface, I see the current product line as a distinct step forward.
Choices/options are good.

As for the anti piracy discussion... well, as I said, the micro was released as Digi's response to the portability complaint.
They listened and responded to that issue. You may not like the compromise but I don't see them revisiting that any time soon.

Thats it put in a nutshell,over and out

[The Weed]

Amen here too.

Cheers,

[GTBannah]

Originally Posted by JMS40

The original Digi Mbox was released before the M-Audio acquisition.
Further, distinguishing the two product lines really isn't that difficult... is it?
002, 003, and the Mbox family are Digi products and require PTLE.
All compatible hardware manufactured by M-Audio requires PT M-Powered.
Pretty simple.

....

The absence of the hyphen in "Mbox" is only obvious after a few readings, especially after hearing "Emm Box", "Emm Powered" and "Emm Audio" in the same conversation.

[JMS40]

Point taken... however, since the original Digi Mbox was released before M-Audio... what should Digi have done?
Rename the entire company or drop the Mbox line mid stream?