Avid (digidesign) just bought M-Audio

Check out the news releases at M-Audios home page:
http://www.m-audio.com/index.php?do=media.news

Interesting, eh?

Now hopefully the stubborness in not offering a low latency driver for the mbox will be exposed to light and implode.

The pro hardware in DigiDesign MegaCorp ProDivision has worse drivers and compatibility than the DigiDesign MegaCorp HobbyistDivision (m-audio) hardware? They really can´t play it that way.... I hope.

Maybe even a subtle opening of the closed Digi world? Would sure be nice to run ProTools on other hardware.

Anyway, it will put some pressure on Digi, I think, to make their ProTools products a whole lot better and flexible to not look silly in the light of the new m-audio hobbyist division acquire.

my English is influenced by my hangover...

...from www.m-audio.com Q&A:

How will Digidesign’s products, such as Pro Tools, integrate with M-Audio systems?
Many of M-Audio’s products – such as keyboards, MIDI interfaces, microphones, and speakers – are already in use in conjunction with Pro Tools systems...

How great is that???

It is pretty spectacular....
Keep teh funny coming, m-audigi!

Read the Q&A

"...there are no plans to integrate Digidesign and M-Audio products as part of this acquisition announcement."

"...there are no plans to develop Pro Tools for M-Audio hardware as part of this acquisition announcement."

(In my opinion, Digidesign restricts ProTools to their own hardware so they can fully control the way ProTools works with the hardware and guarantee the way it will work. ... [The same way Mac OS is fully integrated to Apple hardware.] They are made to work together.
That is why PT works so well.

Have you ever noticed the endless threads about compatibility issues from users of M-Audio and other Interfaces? I'm not saying that those products are in any way inferior, (I own M-Audio gear myself) it is simply more difficult to ensure compatibility across the board with multiple hardware drivers and applications to consider.

I do think that this aquisition will be good for everyone, both Digi and M-Audio users alike.

Yeah, i do hope so. In the short term it will probably be very good. What i am a bit worried about is potential pressure from AVID or investors to streamline the product range and make it more distinctive. That could possibly push ProTools away from the consumer market in favour of that being m-audio´s market segment. ProTools would then become totally megabuck pro solution. I don´t now, really, but I don´t think they can keep m-audio and protools exactly as they are today, because then the acquire won´t make any sense. After all ProTools has to make some moves, to not get left behind in the consumer market. And I love ProTools

I just hope that the digi consumer solutions will become better, cheaper, a bit more flexible, and more in tune with bedroom producers (as m-audio gear is)

so... I'm trying to follow along here. (Still trying madly to decide on what hardware to buy for my new Powerbook). M-Audio has interface issues but is a good hardware product (I have bought the Mobile Pre USB but not opened it while I do more research and can still return it). MBox and pro tools are great and I should strongly consider it, EXCEPT that I should really consider getting firewire and foregoing both of these? BUT don't get M-Audio F410 because it's making some people crazy? Finally, I should not really consider a mixer because the sound is not as good? Ok, so I still don't know what to buy?

Scout

The question really comes down to "How will you be using the interface?"

Are you just making music at home by yourself?
-maybe a 2in/2out card is fine and you can just plug things in as you need them

Are you recording a full band live?
-Do you need lots of ins and out over firewire?
-Can you use a mixer and mix down to stereo?

Does it need to be small and portable or is it going to sit in a rack in your studio?
-No matter what the girls say. Size matters.

Do you need more than 2 in / 2 out audio?
-If you need more, then forget usb and go firewire

Scout,

I'll have to second what swilder said. It's all about: "How will you be using the interface?"

I have a M-box and have enjoyed learning ProTools LE. It's easy to use for what I'm doing...laying down guitar and vocal trax to songs I've written. Don't get me wrong the interface can do way more, but for my needs it works perfect.

However, I'm not doing any synth or MIDI work with the M. From what I understand from reading the forums digi doesn't do a good job of incorporating MIDI.

My only complaint about the Mbox is the preamps are weak. So I'm looking at the Focusrite TT Pro to supplement the lack of amp power. Along with a good condenser mic and preamp the Mbox is a good tool.

VM

Getting back to the original topic of Digi buying m-audio.

Keep in mind that pro tools is a razor and razorblades model of business. Notice how most of digi's marketing centers around the pro tools software. But the only way to get the software is to buy the hardware. It has nothing to do with quality control. It has to do with profit margins and how to squeeze the most out of consumers.

Lets face it PT LE is just pro tools lite. So it's not like digi is shelling out tons of cash to develop it. So they've got their flagship tdm product. So make a line of interfaces that costs almost twice as much as comparible boxes from the competition, throw a stripped down version of pro tools in there. And a la peanut butter sandwich!!! Major money coming in from those of us who just want the pro tools name attached to our studios.

As far as the acquisition of M-audio. It's not unheard of for a company to get bought up in order to dismantle it. Although I doubt that's the case here. Perhaps we'll see a higher degree of interoperability between PT LE and the midisport midi interfaces. My guess is that digi wanted the Reason software.

Just my 2 cents

Scott