From alsa-devel-owner@alsa.jcu.cz  Thu Jan  7 18:50:31 1999
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To: alsa-devel@alsa.jcu.cz
Cc: "Benjamin GOLINVAUX" <golinvaux@benjamin.net>
Subject: Re: Hi - need some help? 
In-reply-to: Your message of "Thu, 07 Jan 1999 15:35:45 +0100."
             <010401be3a4b$033de9e0$47010180@pcbg> 
Date: Thu, 07 Jan 1999 11:45:49 -0500
From: Paul Barton-Davis <pbd@op.net>
Reply-To: alsa-devel@alsa.jcu.cz
Sender: alsa-devel-owner@alsa.jcu.cz
Precedence: list

>So... I've chosen ALSA as the driver model for Linux (perhaps planning a
>Windows port later just to check it is awful and spread the word about the
>linux version). But we'd like to support high-end cards such as : Yamaha DSP
>Factory, 

Forget it. I've already spent several weeks in Nov/Dec trying to get
Yamaha to give me the specs to write a Linux driver. They were very
friendly, but said in the end that they don't have any written
documentation, the information is all in the heads of 2-3 japanese
engineers, etc. etc. I suggested they just gave me the windows driver
under an non-GPL-threatening NDA, and I'd work form that. No go on
that idea either.

>Creamware Pulsar/Scope

Forget this too. Creamware are working (they say) on their own Linux port.

High end audio devices have a small market anyway, and the market for
them under Linux is tiny. I'd be suprised if there are more than 100
people worldwide who would pay $1000 for a Pulsar to use under Linux.
Its very hard when most of these companies never bothered to write
anything down, and took into account that their engineers would either
write the Windows/Mac drivers themselves or would spend some time
during product development helping out a 3rd party. They don't have
the resources or the desire to provide the support that *is* needed to
answer questions not answered by (possibly non-existent)
documentation.  If we could honestly argue that there was a big market
to tap, it might be a little different, but to be honest, no
commercial studio is *ever* going to sanely use a preemptive
multitasking OS to run its audio setup. Its great for those of us who
want the best combination of all possible worlds, but there is a good
reason why companies like Mackie don't run Linux on their digital
mixing consoles, and its not (just) that they don't know about it.
And how many of us "hobbyists" are going to fork out the big bucks
(and keep coming back for more) for a genuine high end audio card ?

--p


