Would you like to see images of OpenStudioLive?see3D images

Rob Sherratt · Post by **Rob Sherratt** » Tue Jan 10, 2012 8:03 pm

Sounds and Samples

It's getting a bit confusing on this thread because one of the highest performing samplers in the world is named "Linux Sampler" (yes I also thought is was for Linux). And we are using the "Linux Sampler for Windows 7, 64-bit" version, heavily configured for use in Windows 7 with our own sound library, which has taken James (Sharp) over a year to develop. We pay a commercial license fee to the developers of course, so customers can be assured of ongoing support for our configuration.

But users need not worry about any of that!! Just touch the icon for a Combination patch or a Style File, and everything just plays beautifully using our sound library behind it. Also if you use an external MIDI controller to send Bank/ Program changes and other CC based effects changes, they all work exactly as you would expect from an instrument that is both GM, GM2 and SD2 compatible, with XG compatible sounds probably coming later.

AFG Music · Post by **AFG Music** » Tue Jan 10, 2012 9:05 pm

more and more projects were ever developed for linux, are now also ported to Mac and Windows too, thanks to opensource software developers.

those developers need support. opensource does not always mean free software{for example commercial license fee or some times donations for commercial use}.

very good from Open Studio Live team that they pay commercial license for Linuxsampler and other open source licenses or donations needed (for Example Jack2).

they are paying also for other not opensource software too.

through this collaboration opensource devolperss get support to continue their work, and end users a good usable product.
and if customers are satisfied, open studio live sells more and more.

BasariStudios · Post by **BasariStudios** » Sun Jan 22, 2012 8:14 pm

Just bringing the Topic up and wondering about any news...?
Rob i will send you an email response on your comment on FB, later.

Rob Sherratt · Post by **Rob Sherratt** » Sun Jan 22, 2012 8:33 pm

Very busy here getting the units into production. There will be some 3D images posted soon produced by Sharp. The cabinet is now 100% aluminum which makes it very light. The software build is working very nicely. My son Paul has started on the Arduino based development for the front panel control software. I think we are on schedule for press launch in April.

BasariStudios · Post by **BasariStudios** » Sun Jan 22, 2012 9:32 pm

Thats good news...next few days i will write you a longer email...been busy,
recently started working at WallStreet and also at the same time my GF
moved in with me (not a good idea) and might even get married...

AFG Music · Post by **AFG Music** » Sun Jan 22, 2012 11:18 pm

The end product will surely be a hit,

nice to hear that James is working on 3D images.

vEddY · Post by **vEddY** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 6:59 pm

Rob Sherratt wrote:Very busy here getting the units into production. There will be some 3D images posted soon produced by Sharp. The cabinet is now 100% aluminum which makes it very light. The software build is working very nicely. My son Paul has started on the Arduino based development for the front panel control software. I think we are on schedule for press launch in April.

Hey Rob,

What would you say the advantages of your approach to PC-based VST player/arranger/studio/performance tool are when compared to OpenLabs's NeKo QX6? http://openlabs.com/nekoqx6.html
Or, even better, against Studioblade? http://www.musiccomputing.com/studioblade

Bachus · Post by **Bachus** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 7:44 pm

vEddY wrote:
Rob Sherratt wrote:Very busy here getting the units into production. There will be some 3D images posted soon produced by Sharp. The cabinet is now 100% aluminum which makes it very light. The software build is working very nicely. My son Paul has started on the Arduino based development for the front panel control software. I think we are on schedule for press launch in April.
Hey Rob,

What would you say the advantages of your approach to PC-based VST player/arranger/studio/performance tool are when compared to OpenLabs's NeKo QX6? http://openlabs.com/nekoqx6.html
Or, even better, against Studioblade? http://www.musiccomputing.com/studioblade

Well, atleast this instrument isn't as ugly as the Studioblade.

And the openlabs instruments have been stale in development ever since they went bankrupt 3 years ago and victor wong left the company... On top of that they are way to expensive.

Bachus · Post by **Bachus** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 7:50 pm

Rob, it says you're going to add OMB..

I toyed around with it yesterday (free demo) and thats exactly how it felt to me, like yesterday back in the good old DOS and windows 3.11 days.

Now the performance with your supersoundset might actually be just as good as all the other softarrangers and free Sequencers, but it certainly needs a new userinterface.

Rob Sherratt · Post by **Rob Sherratt** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 8:09 pm

Bachus wrote:Rob, it says you're going to add OMB..

I toyed around with it yesterday (free demo) and thats exactly how it felt to me, like yesterday back in the good old DOS and windows 3.11 days.

Now the performance with your supersoundset might actually be just as good as all the other softarrangers and free Sequencers, but it certainly needs a new userinterface.

Hi Bachus,

Where we are positioning Open Studio Live is as an all-in one solution for live players and composers to load all your own favorite software and plug-ins and then take advantage of our underlying world class audio and high performance processor and disk system. We out-perform laptops significantly, yet the solution is still portable and can be rack mounted and used remotely in your Gig via a MIDI controller and the touch screen.

We are not primarily selling Open Studio Live as an Arranger. OMB is included and integrated and fully working with the new sound library for those who want an arranger that sounds really great. But this is an afterthought and not a primary feature. When we have sold a few hundred Open Studio Live systems we may be in a position to sponsor the development of a new bells-and-whistles user interface for OMB. But not now - when there is so much else to pay for to get into production.

Best regards,
Rob

Rob Sherratt · Post by **Rob Sherratt** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 8:34 pm

vEddY wrote:What would you say the advantages of your approach to PC-based VST player/arranger/studio/performance tool are when compared to OpenLabs's NeKo QX6? http://openlabs.com/nekoqx6.html
Or, even better, against Studioblade? http://www.musiccomputing.com/studioblade

Hi vEddy,

I think you are asking me to draw comparisons with other products. It's not the way I go about things. Let me speak not as a competitor but as a musician member of this forum?

I have five keyboards already ranging from a very heavy Roland digital piano through Korg Pa2x, Korg M3-88, an Akai MPK61 and a Lionstracs Groove X-7. I am not short of keyboards. I have a powerful music PC that contains a top graphics card and quad core Intel processor and several very noisy cooling fans. It's pretty heavy as well. I have a good Lenovo laptop whose hard disk is very slow, and whose memory can not be expanded beyond 8GB. It's not really up to running Cubase 5 with the number of tracks I need to record and bounce down quickly. And it has no high quality audio ins and outs and would need an external unit to handle the audio expansion.

I have sciatica and I can lift very little. I also travel via airplane between the UK and Greece frequently and want to bring stuff with me that is allowable on the flight and which I can manage through the check-in.

What I need is a lightweight yet powerful music solution for playing at venues when I am asked to be the musician and/or choirmaster. I want to take my favorite DAW software with me (it happens to be Cubase 5) and all my plug-ins and James' superb sound library. I need to record the choir and guitarists, and ideally play back each recording there and then for review with all the musicians and choir members.

That is why I designed Open Studio Live. It's what I want, its what some of my close friends want, and we cannot get it elsewhere. If other people want it as well then that will be great because I am sure you will also love it. It's like when I funded the production of the Korg Arranger Secrets videos. I wanted them and my friends wanted them, so I just did it. My motivation is not to "beat" the competition nor to become wealthy, my motivation is that I enjoy making things happen that please people.

Best regards,
Rob

Bachus · Post by **Bachus** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 9:04 pm

Rob Sherratt wrote:
Bachus wrote:Rob, it says you're going to add OMB..

I toyed around with it yesterday (free demo) and thats exactly how it felt to me, like yesterday back in the good old DOS and windows 3.11 days.

Now the performance with your supersoundset might actually be just as good as all the other softarrangers and free Sequencers, but it certainly needs a new userinterface.
Hi Bachus,

Where we are positioning Open Studio Live is as an all-in one solution for live players and composers to load all your own favorite software and plug-ins and then take advantage of our underlying world class audio and high performance processor and disk system. We out-perform laptops significantly, yet the solution is still portable and can be rack mounted and used remotely in your Gig via a MIDI controller and the touch screen.

We are not primarily selling Open Studio Live as an Arranger. OMB is included and integrated and fully working with the new sound library for those who want an arranger that sounds really great. But this is an afterthought and not a primary feature. When we have sold a few hundred Open Studio Live systems we may be in a position to sponsor the development of a new bells-and-whistles user interface for OMB. But not now - when there is so much else to pay for to get into production.

Best regards,
Rob

Thanks Rob... almost got me on the wrong leg there.

But since the soundset will work great with Yamaha styles and SD styles (i beleive that is what it was orriginally designed for(please correct me if i amn wrong)) the system will be great to function with Ableton live, Cubase and live-styler which i should be able to run all at the same time with the Jack audio for windows. espescially in combination with an Akai MPK88 if used stand alone.

I still think this will be the perfect addon to any KRONOS on top of that.

Great hardware in combination with flexibillity and an awesome soundset for multiple uses straght out of the box.

vEddY · Post by **vEddY** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 9:20 pm

Rob Sherratt wrote:
That is why I designed Open Studio Live. It's what I want, its what some of my close friends want, and we cannot get it elsewhere. If other people want it as well then that will be great because I am sure you will also love it. It's like when I funded the production of the Korg Arranger Secrets videos. I wanted them and my friends wanted them, so I just did it. My motivation is not to "beat" the competition nor to become wealthy, my motivation is that I enjoy making things happen that please people.

Best regards,
Rob

Hey Rob,

It's not a bad thing talking about your competitors, if you're doing in an objective way. To point out their flaws against your strengths and vice versa (but not only the first one, of course) is a valid way to start a discussion and make your own product better.

For example, I would have no troubles pointing out that StudioLive/OpenLabs comes from the same bunch of people (more or less) and that they have less then desireable track record of honest user support, not to mention long-term sustainability. In a "slang" - which all of us are "allowed to say" whereas you shouldn't, they suck as a company.

Secondly, I see various advantages in OSL - for example more input/output configurations etc, more open-mindedness to future developments... those things are important. I wanted to start a productive discussion, not to spoil your party. But you also need to know what your competitors are doing.

In a way, you actually gave me the best answer possible - thanks for that. You should use most or almost everything what you've just written here in your PR material.

Rob Sherratt · Post by **Rob Sherratt** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 11:13 pm

Hi vEddY,

Of course I'm aware of nearly all products for musicians on the market. All have their merits and demerits but I will not be the one to spell them out. I don't want to invite a flame war with other manufacturers who are all doing their best to bring innovative products to the market.

My prime motivation is to help other musicians, even if providing that help does not act in my direct commercial interest. Friends who work with me on Open Studio Live - such as Sharp and Miden and my son Paul - are like that as well, and I would never dissuade them from assisting a competitor. Sharp recently produced a lovely 3-D model for a new product for DJ's that Lionstracs are developing. And I'm proud that Sharp does such excellent work.

Also I welcome you and other musicians and the press drawing comparisons, strengths and weaknesses on all products including those that I've designed.

By the way, I sponsored a few good ideas on KickStarter. One of those is a product for musicians called QuNeo. It's a really nice controller with some brand new ideas giving each multicolored touch pad 3-axes of control for MIDI. I bought two of them and I may become a reseller. So you can expect that the team will be giving some priority in configuring Open Studio Live so it works very well with QuNeo, as well as with the Akai MPD and MPK controller products.

I would have liked to launch Open Studio Live on Kickstarter, but the cost of manufacture is too high for me to provide a sponsorship/reward opportunity in the range of a few hundred dollars. So instead I am selling shares in my company to venture investors, and I have a week of meetings lined up in London in two weeks' time, with the aim of raising the 100,000 GBP cash needed to get into volume production and bring the cost of manufacture down to affordable levels. I hope you will wish me good luck with that during February.

Also if other musicians might be interested in assisting my company then let me know in a private email in the next week or two, and we will have some discussion together after exchanging an NDA.

The cabinet design is looking really nice. Like I said before it is an all-aluminium design, powder coated and screen printed. I received a first 3-D engineering model of the cabinet from the manufacturer today, and I also paid 3.000 Euros for the first two prototype cabinets and for the CNC gerber files to be produced ready for volume manufacture. I don't think I will sell many Open Studio Live products if each bare cabinet was to cost 1,500 Euros! Of course the volume production cost will be much lower.

Sharp is also producing a 3-D model of Open Studio Live, to illustrate the final product complete with all knobs and components. I think we're about a week away from being ready to publish it here and on my web site. And I think we're about 8 weeks away from having the first two prototype units ready to photograph and demonstrate with videos.

I hope you can see that we have a pretty open approach about what we're doing. Maybe that is one of the most important factors that sets Open Studio Live apart from the competition? All team members want to keep that relationship going with customers and prospective customers, because we want to incorporate your ideas and suggestions into the product (e.g. like the excellent suggestion to incorporate an internal USB mounting point so that users can "lock their dongles" inside the cabinet when performing live). We were able to incorporate that feature just before finalizing the cabinet design for manufacture.

rikkisbears · Post by **rikkisbears** » Tue Jan 31, 2012 9:10 am

Hi Bachus,
VArranger would I imagine run well on it also.Especially since it has the Ketron Sounds onboard.