Doepfer

But... :)

Step back from the RS-232 side and swap in USB. Now look at all the MP3 
players on the market that are happy talking to a multitude of host 
platforms in order to get their content.

Point being... There _is_ a way to make this work. :)

The bummer is that there's code involved on one or both sides to make it 
happen, and I figure that Doepfer's not really in a position to start down 
the path of having an in-house embedded guy writing code. but that's solved 
by farming it out, many companies do it now. (Moog for example)

The host side is a bit trickier, even if you say "only Windows and Mac!". 
At this side you have two angles... a) write specific host code that is 
pretty and guides the user through changing the parameters of the device, 
or b) beef up the module side to have the brains, so that the host side is 
nothing more than a terminal app, possibly something that comes stock with 
the platform (terminal, telnet, ssh, etc).

If you beef the module side, now you're kinda'-pretty-much trapped into 
having only one rev of code to ever be in the module. It'll be hard to 
convince someone to sftp a new image from the host...

Spending quality time on the host side puts you now into needing not just 
an embedded coder to write the core of the module, but a Mac and Windows UI 
guy to do that side - or do the "portable" thing and come up with something 
cross-platform bloated in Java.

The coding headaches basically walk you down the path to the question of 
"do I spend less time on software and let the advanced/hacker customers 
rejoice" (that was Brice's focus with the PSIM) or "do I spend a boatload 
of resources on the software and possibly attract a larger customer base".

I would think that Doepfer isn't in the business position to have a 
small-run boutique module in the line up, which would mean that they'd go 
large and that translates to a significant outlay of resources _and_ more 
importantly, possibly shifting the direction of the company a hair. (e.g., 
they'd now have a generic _field programmable_ ADC->DAC module... what else 
can you do with it?? answer: a LOT)


I've lived with this decision point for years as a full time job. I'm an 
embedded coder that works with devices that have to interface to the 
outside world. It's a tough call to jump into something like this.

But, it goes without saying that the music geek in me would jump all over 
this in a heartbeat. The "geek that has to convince marketing" in me 
understands the other side though too. :)


Deiter, thank you for your response!

Mark
--------
Florian Anwander (07:30 AM 2/29/2008) wrote:
 >Hi Doug,
 >
 >I think, the basic idea of Dieter is: "Do not make your product
 >dependant on other products." And this would happen, when relying on
 >computersoftware, which has to be compatible to new operating systems
 >Try to run a software which talks to an RS232 on any Apple powerbook
 >from the last four years and you know what I am talking about. I do not
 >want to buy an additional USB to RS-232 converter, I do not want to add
 >a driver for this. No I do not want have the hassle if this driver will
 >be incompatible with the next version of the OS... I wrote five lines
 >with only a few potential troubles and nowhere the name of Doepfer
 >appeared.
 >
 >I prefer the approach, where the A-100 system works as a standalone. Its
 >enough that we are depending on the powerplants and on the PA systems...
 >
 >Florian
 >
 >Doug wrote:
 >
 >> Hopefully I am not spoiling the soup here, but an RS-232 interface
 >> that accepts an ASCII configuration would eliminate the need for
 >> client software. Not that that makes this proposition any more
 >> attractive to anyone. ;)
 >>
 >> Doug
 >>
 >>
 >> --- In Doepfer_a100@yahoogroups.com, <hardware@...> wrote:
 >>
 >>
 >>>But to speak the truth: I don't like modules that have to be
 >>
 >> programmed with
 >>
 >>>an external computer. We had and have such devices available that
 >>
 >> require an
 >>
 >>>editor software (e.g. Drehbank, Pocket Series, A-192). Apart from
 >>
 >> that I in
 >>
 >>>person don't like this mode of operation in principle we always had
 >>
 >> problems
 >>
 >>>to support all different operating systems (Windows
 >>
 >> 9x/2000/XP/Vista/Linux
 >>
 >>>distributions) or computer platforms (PC/Mac) or hardware
 >>
 >> combinations (e.g.
 >>
 >>>separate Midi interfaces, Midi interfaces of sound cards, driver
 >>
 >> problems
 >>
 >>>...). There is only one man in the company (Christian) who would have to
 >>>program the microcontroller, the editor software and to look after the
 >>>support for all possible hard/software combinations.