IF-FW/DMmkII discontinued

[Good Noise]

Arjan P - I think you'll find those market share numbers different in the audio, film, and photography fields.

 

[AudioWave]

Interestingly though, worldwide market share of desktop operating systems is 91.2% for the 'decimated' Windows and 7.3% Apple (Net Applications, March 2015). I guess those people and companies must all be wrong, using that third rate software..

Thoe are general consumer & small business figures, they have no direct bearing to accurately reflect what OS media and music production use.

And just because Windows has greater market share, that don't make it better OS or more desired OS for use in audio or music production.

Windows does dominate the non USA market. A major part of why Windows can even compete at all for music and audio production is that Apple computers are not just more expensive for what you get compared to PC's here in the States, but they are even more expensive outside of the USA and the higher cost and lower standards of living for most outside of the USA means that they are having to do music production on the cheap which means a Windows PC, often which is an older used frankenstein system along with often using cracked software. Ask ANY one of them if they had the means and could have and use a Mac instead, and you'd find the vast majority would ecstatically jump at the chance to switch and use a Mac.

 

[captdan]

Also - as many Macsters will attest - Micro$oft runs superbly (better?) on Macs than on PCs. I have no direct experience, but those whom I trust pretty much agree on that.

But I empathize with the 3rd Worlders - though I'm not in their dire straits - I'm certainly penurious. Audio production is gear intensive and investments have to be done wisely - even if it means sometimes using certain (mostly reliable) economical alternative$.

CaptDan

 

[cmaffia]

no problems or complaints with Windows 7. Performance never ever an issue with audio programs. If Win10 brings back the stability and compatibility of Win7 then I will be a happy camper.

 

[Arjan P]

My point with the market share was a reaction to remarks like 'Windows is a failure', 'doesn't work', 'MS doesn't get it' and such. Windows is not only used by 91% individuals and small businesses worldwide, but also industrial and corporate use is widespread if not even more so.

Yes, Apple used to be a big player in audio, photo and video - until they dropped the ball years ago, focusing on mobile devices and leaving the professional desktop user in the cold. Only recently have they returned with relatively competitive hardware. And to the assumption that poor (non-US, haha!) homestudio Joe would love to work on a Mac i.s.o. Win PC I say: Yes, Apple have done their marketing right.

 

[Gravity Jim]

I don't care what anybody uses or why. But studied ignorance and "Calvin-pissing-on-a-Ford-logo" crap about one's disdain for another's rig is a PITA.

And as if market share meant quality! So, McDonald's must be the very best food. I see them everywhere.

OK, I'm done. Sorry for continuing. But I didn't start it.

 

[cmaffia]

I prefer White Castle

 

[Gravity Jim]

Five Guys for me.

 

[captdan]

Well - on those rare occasions, I like 'Sonic.' More than palatable, without being excessively disgusting.

CaptDan

 

[Gravity Jim]

Sonic does a killer limeade.

 

[RedBus]

re: replacement LCD screens.

Barring catastrophic unforeseen circumstances, TASCAM supports its products for 7 years past end of last manufacture with parts. That usually means keeping a stock of replacement boards and a few shells for any forklifk accidents. (had to deal with a shipping insurance claim once on an SX-1, the insurance company demanded that the "speared" unit was repaired, not replaced - had to scramble to find some of the chassis parts).
For the LCD, we'll continue to watch the manufacturer to see if they announce EOL on the part, and purchase extra stock if necessary.
Worst case, we would design a signal converter board so that a different part can be dropped in.
As a smart end-user, you may want to have your own spare on-hand because it may be cheaper, but certainly quicker.

 

[Gravity Jim]

Thanks, RedBus. I'm hip to the spare: I had one for a couple of years that I just dropped in the unit, so I'm currently spare free.

 

[cmaffia]

My ears perked when I heard "worst case scenario would be to design a signal converter board so that a different part can be dropped in. Do it now please color!

 

[JHTorch]

Is it possible that Tascam will be coming out with say a Thunderbolt USB 3 card to replace the IF-FW? Since moving to Mac, I have really come to appreciate Thunderbolt.

 

[cmaffia]

I'd bet my life savings the answer is "no" and it sounds like Thunderbolt is already dead as well from what I've read.

 

[Gravity Jim]

I'd also make a fairly large bet than when the DMs are gone we won't be seeing any medium-format digital mixer from Tascam. They may surprise me, but it wouldn't happen if I ran their marketing department.

The market killer would be something like a US-2400, only refined and expanded: a 4x2 (or 8x2) interface and 24 fader control surface that featured decent preamps, scribble strips, high-end conversion and pro-level summing, with excellent fader resolution from super-smooth 100mm faders, a serious metal chassis and case, and custom protocols for 10 major DAWs.

Bring that in for $1800 MSRP/$1299 street and I'll sell one for every home studio in North America. I'd buy one tomorrow.

 

[JHTorch]

I'd bet my life savings the answer is "no" and it sounds like Thunderbolt is already dead as well from what I've read.

You're probably right in the sense that there will be no more cards for the DM -- period. However, both Universal Audio and MOTU, as well as others, have introduced new Thunderbolt audio interfaces within the last 12 months. Lynx has a relatively new Thunderbolt option for its Aurora converters. However, I do agree that at least with "mainstream" computing, Thunderbolt is not much of a player.

It's a shame that Tascam is not committed to keeping the board relevant unlike Yamaha with the 02R96.

Bring that in for $1800 MSRP/$1299 street and I'll sell one for every home studio in North America. I'd buy one tomorrow.

I'd love to see something like that too, though I doubt that the $1800 could be met. However, even in the $5k-$10k range, there are few offerings. I always thought that Mackie would update and improve its Universal Controller, which is a de facto protocol for controlling DAWs. But for some reason they have not.

At this point, my dream board is the SSL Matrix 2 but it's $25k new. I saw one used for $15k a few months back though.

 

[captdan]

When companies choose not to update a particular product, it's either because the market is too saturated or - in their view - not substantial enough to warrant it in the first place. Has nothing to do with relevance or quality.

But dissatisfaction is the keystone of consumerism; if users are never 100% satisfied with a product, there's always the potential for another purchase. That's what keeps the wheels turning.

The Matrix is a great board. I'd say you should go for it if - or when - you can. Life's too short to spend time with gear that doesn't make you 100% happy.

CaptDan

 

[Gravity Jim]

Well, Mackie has their own problems. But I don't see why the price couldn't be met. The device I'm talking about wouldn't pass audio except through the interface, and a DM3200 that didn't buss audio would easily fit into the form.

As for commitment, Craig Anderson remarked to me at NAMM years back, in response to someone or another latest offering, "Ah yes, digital mixers... The Category That Never Was." Truth is, there's never been a huge demand for these things... big studios wanted more inputs, home studios went straight to mixing ITB. Just a handful of us music guys in the middle wanted them (and a lot of broadcast guys, which is always a small market). Yamaha barely touched the 02/R for 12 years or more.

And yeah, I'd love a Matrix too, but it's not 10 times better than a DM3200. It's just 10 times more SSL.

 

[AudioWave]

Development for the DM mixers has been dead for more than a few years. We still are playing with Beta drivers while Tascam takes their sweet 3+ year time to even release official supported drivers. I stick to my comments over a year ago, that we may never see officially released DM/IFFW drivers for the dead product the DM mixers are. We now limp along with the pity that Tascam allows for future usability for the time being, but that could be cut off any day going forward.

There will no be Thunderbolt or anything else new for the DM Mixers. Any further potential development they had planned (assuming that there was a plan for further development, BIG, BIG assumption) for the DM mixers has been long dead. Anything new from Tascam in the digital mixer realm will likely only be some small pro-sumer things that everybody else is doing.

Use them till they die or while they still have value and merit or sell them while they still have market value.

Touch-Screen Surfaces seems the be the clear future as an affordable digital mixer or control surface replacement. Touch still sucks and is not up to par with a real fader, but that will change and get better over the next few years. I hope and expect to see a hybrid of Touch and Fader thru glass type of surface for in all in one product that gives the best of both work flow worlds.

Before Touch tech even gets time to mature, I expect air gesture and voice command mixing control. Shout out commands, Wave your hand, flick your finger, nod and turn your head, Mixing=DONE!