By ReuBen KinKade
Thu Apr 02, 2009 12:39 am
I think that the Open Source Code is a good idea, even though it has been visited once before. If I may offer a suggestion in this regard: Akai is a division of a larger company that is bent on making money as most companies are. Unless there are legal issues that would prevent the company from outsourcing the code, they have to think about the possible marketing repercussions that could result from revisiting this issue. Be that as it may, they have made the decision to move on and push the 'restart' button on their whole target market. The only thing that probably would get Akai's attention is if there could be a guaranteed commitment from the MPC 4000 community to support such a move financially, or something better, barring any legal issues that we may not be aware of. If someone on this forum started a company exclusively designed to service the 4000's design and needs with a view to grooming the MPC 4000 lovers toward an appetite for a next generation machine, in effect creating a template for the REAL next generation of 4000's that could be reasonably priced and competitive in terms of technology, I'm sure Akai would take notice, and then a partnership could ensue in which the newly formed company could bear some of the risks, and benefits of sponsoring the move, of course. Therein lies where the problem is. If someone did all of that, who would want to partner with Akai ! They could go off and start their own thing ! To illustrate: Open Labs and Native Instruments has went 'Hard-Body' at snatching that market share in the recent development of their new products: DBeat and Maschine, respectively. There can be no doubt that they felt or feel in many ways like we do regarding companies like Akai that occasionally don't finish what they start, building up the public's anticipation for something hot or just half-way doing it (As a side note, it might be a good idea to check in with those companies, giving them suggestions of things that we like about the 4000. Being that they are newer and more innovative companies, they may be more flexible in implementing most of the great aspects of the 4000 in their present [or some future machine] that would be able to read all of Akai's audio & midi formats, because it's obvious that these companies are HUNGRY----Just an Idea 
). If someone had approached Akai with similar Ideas that were cost effective and had a definite market draw, I'm sure Akai would jump on it in a minute. In other words, it would have to be fully in their best interest to spend time on the code, barring of course any legal issues that might be lingering - Reub. (PS- Could anyone tell me how to make indentations in the paragraphs on this thing? LOL !!!)[size=150]
). If someone had approached Akai with similar Ideas that were cost effective and had a definite market draw, I'm sure Akai would jump on it in a minute. In other words, it would have to be fully in their best interest to spend time on the code, barring of course any legal issues that might be lingering - Reub. (PS- Could anyone tell me how to make indentations in the paragraphs on this thing? LOL !!!)[size=150]
