>> My question/answer: "How much are you willing to do to make it >> happen?" > > Well I'm not exactly sure anymore to be honest, I didn't think my > message would start such a rant! > > But after reading all the answered, two things seem to stand out: > 1. A lot of the FOSS music software are not for the general public. I > wouldn't agree myself (I mean, Ardour, Hydrogen or Yoshimi are as > straight forward as a music software can be)... And for that, nothing > much I/we can do but participate to the code (which I do when I can), > make donations (which I do every year), provide feedback, provide bug > reports, etc, etc, etc... > And obvisouly use the software and produce some tunes! Which I do too: > http://soundcloud.com/a-violent-whisper > (Although now I realise that nowhere I say that it's completely > recorded/produced with only FOSS softwares!) > > 2. More interrestingly, the "appeal to famous artists" didn't seem to > be well received... What seems to come out though is that although the > FOSS community seems to be good to produce software, we don't seem to > be good at advertising it :) > - Ardour has...49 followers on facebook... Nothing on the wall... > - Hydrogen...94...and one entry on the wall... > - Couldn't find a # tag for any of these on Twitter... > > I know I know, we are not advertisers, we are developers! > But what if a small group of us (and yeah, including me :)) would do that? > > How do we go about that? We have loads of website/tools to share code > and software (sourceforge, svn, git, etc..), but none to organise > ourself into a community to create some kind of organised campagn of > advertisement on social networks (or other tools)! > > What I have in mind is what was done by ThisOneIsOnUs... what they did > for their production is exacty what we do every day for FOSS > software... > > Any ideas? > Send me the links and I will add them to http://lau.linuxaudio.org and every other website I run that has any relevance. > >> -Mike Mazarick >> >> PS - sorry for the top posting, but I thought it better in this instance >> >> >>> -----Original Message----- >>> From: Aurélien Leblond [mailto:blablack@xxxxxxxxx] >>> Sent: Monday, August 01, 2011 11:07 AM >>> To: linux-audio-user@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx >>> Subject: 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? >> >> >> > _______________________________________________ > Linux-audio-user mailing list > Linux-audio-user@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > http://lists.linuxaudio.org/listinfo/linux-audio-user > _______________________________________________ Linux-audio-user mailing list Linux-audio-user@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx http://lists.linuxaudio.org/listinfo/linux-audio-user
