Open Source Hardware and Software - The future for Fractal Audio Systems?

[TheRedDevil]

I hope it's way too early to think about it, but I can't imagine Fractal Audio Systems without a Cliff. Without a "stubborn dog" as him , things would never have gotten this far ("We will make it!").

I would like the FAS devices to become a HW platform and in the future no one will think about developing electric guitar amplifiers based on hardware anymore (like e.g. Rasberry Pi).

Similar to Linux/Ubuntu, I could well imagine that the hardware design and software could become open source and FAS would take over the main maintenance as a kind of Linus Torvalds or Ubuntu. Nevertheless, extensions can be made available by the community. A development tool or SDK could be sold by FAS.

What do you think of the idea and do you think Cliff would do it?

 

[henryrobinett]

Never

 

[GlennO]

 

[TheRedDevil]

Never

Money or not, but isn't that perhaps the end of all the knowledge about how to correctly map amp hardware in software? If I were the inventor of these algorithms, I would be sad if they were simply bought up by Line6, for example, and deleted or forgotten.

 

[M0JXD]

I'm a big of a champion of FLOSS software and hardware, but this won't happen.
This is a competitive marketplace and even if/when Cliff retires, he isn't the only person working at Fractal, so there's no real concerns there. I have no doubt Fractal Audio's future is in good hands!

The other thing is that Hardware gets old, the main reason that guitar modellers use custom hardware is longevity. Cliff has said that modern Intel's would probably run the algorithms with ease, but the consequence of intel's short marketplace lifetime would means that hardware would have to be updated every year. On the converse, DSPs have much longer lifetimes (and a bunch of neat features to accelerate DSP algorithms). Adding to that, the Axe 1 & 2 are both at memory capacity, making them open platforms would pointless because to add new stuff you have to remove what's there!

There is an open platform for DSP algorithms - plugins. This is basically what the MOD Devices do - they run Linux (with real-time patches) underneath and a custom UI, but all the effects are plugins. Thanks to the likes Linux running most everywhere, an open hardware platform doesn't really matter provided you don't need massive amounts of processing power. It's an exciting area at the moment thanks to the new CLAP plugin API - a truly open plugin system.

I'll admit I'd love to know more about Fractal's algorithms - it's funny reading Cliff's talking about the the secret of DC coupled cathode follower and how only a select few (at the time Fractal Audio and Diezel, although probably more by now) seem to have fully understood it. People of course pointed to the resources likes Valvewizard's site, which he said aren't correct. Sadly there are no updates in terms of publically available knowledge from what I've seen! He said he discovered it while carefully analysing the SLO-100 and JCM800. If I had the time, gear and education I'd try and work it out but alas, it may forever be a mystery for me.

I do hope Fractal have some sort of long-term support plan in place for older products - the way Avid treated the 11R (it can't even be used on Apple Silicon, and everyone is locked out from doing firmware updates. Linux? No hope!) is the exact reason I switched to Fractal over their competitors, they have a great history of treating customers right (and sounding amazing! ) Given that the Linux desktop usage is approaching 5% I hope that will be a consideration for the future too.

 

[Dave Merrill]

I'm a big of a champion of FLOSS software and hardware, but this won't happen.
This is a competitive marketplace and even if/when Cliff retires, he isn't the only person working at Fractal, so there's no real concerns there. I have no doubt Fractal Audio's future is in good hands!

The other thing is that Hardware gets old, the main reason that guitar modellers use custom hardware is longevity. Cliff has said that modern Intel's would probably run the algorithms with ease, but the consequence of intel's short marketplace lifetime would means that hardware would have to be updated every year. On the converse, DSPs have much longer lifetimes (and a bunch of neat features to accelerate DSP algorithms). Adding to that, the Axe 1 & 2 are both at memory capacity, making them open platforms would pointless because to add new stuff you have to remove what's there!

There is an open platform for DSP algorithms - plugins. This is basically what the MOD Devices do - they run Linux (with real-time patches) underneath and a custom UI, but all the effects are plugins. Thanks to the likes Linux running most everywhere, an open hardware platform doesn't really matter provided you don't need massive amounts of processing power. It's an exciting area at the moment thanks to the new CLAP plugin API - a truly open plugin system.

I'll admit I'd love to know more about Fractal's algorithms - it's funny reading Cliff's talking about the the secret of DC coupled cathode follower and how only a select few (at the time Fractal Audio and Diezel, although probably more by now) seem to have fully understood it. People of course pointed to the resources likes Valvewizard's site, which he said aren't correct. Sadly there are no updates in terms of publically available knowledge from what I've seen! He said he discovered it while carefully analysing the SLO-100 and JCM800. If I had the time, gear and education I'd try and work it out but alas, it may forever be a mystery for me.

I do hope Fractal have some sort of long-term support plan in place for older products - the way Avid treated the 11R (it can't even be used on Apple Silicon, and everyone is locked out from doing firmware updates. Linux? No hope!) is the exact reason I switched to Fractal over their competitors, they have a great history of treating customers right (and sounding amazing! ) Given that the Linux desktop usage is approaching 5% I hope that will be a consideration for the future too.

@GlennO Any thoughts on the MOD platform, or CLAP?

 

[GlennO]

@GlennO Any thoughts on the MOD platform, or CLAP?

I've used a Mod Dwarf...the current version is a bit underpowered, but it really has some great ideas. I worked closely with Muse, which was also a Linux-based plugin hardware platform. We got things working on it and it was popular in some circles, but it ultimately suffered the fate common to these devices: generality is nice, but it's hard to compete against dedicated modules for specific use cases. Regardless, I have high hopes for Mod.

As for CLAP, yes, it addresses a fundamental administrative problem with plugin development on Linux. However:

 

[NeoSound]

I hope it's way too early to think about it, but I can't imagine Fractal Audio Systems without a Cliff. Without a "stubborn dog" as him , things would never have gotten this far ("We will make it!").

I would like the FAS devices to become a HW platform and in the future no one will think about developing electric guitar amplifiers based on hardware anymore (like e.g. Rasberry Pi).

Similar to Linux/Ubuntu, I could well imagine that the hardware design and software could become open source and FAS would take over the main maintenance as a kind of Linus Torvalds or Ubuntu. Nevertheless, extensions can be made available by the community. A development tool or SDK could be sold by FAS.

What do you think of the idea and do you think Cliff would do it?

Ford continued on as many other successful companies have... Things would definitely not be the same without Cliff's special touch, attention to detail and passion... but you do know he has a son!!!???

 

[Peavey Herman]

Ford continued on as many other successful companies have... Things would definitely not be the same without Cliff's special touch, attention to detail and passion... but you do know he has a son!!!???

I (and just about everyone I know) did not follow in either of my parents' footsteps.

What if Cliff's son wants to blaze his own trails?

 

[NeoSound]

I (and just about everyone I know) did not follow in either of my parents' footsteps.

What if Cliff's son wants to blaze his own trails?

Everyone chooses their own path based on the opportunities available to them, but many do carry on a family legacy. My post was meant to show there are more ways to think about things other than the ops view, not to plan someone's future. Usually when you try to MAKE a person do something is when they rebel and do just the opposite (even when it was the best option).

 

[Peavey Herman]

Naw, really?