Mark of the Unicorn?

[emulatorloo]

It has been my experience (and one that I think is generally accepted knowledge) that MOTU doesn't care much what their users think of them

Well, that is not my "accepted knowledge." I have been a motu customer since the late 80's/early 90's. Very few companies that I can think of have been as helpful to me as MOTU.

-- MOTU customer service has always been great to me -- helping with registration, ownership transfers, replacing missing disks, and on and on. So much so that I wrote them an email recently about how great they were and how happy I was to be a MOTU customer. And got back a very modest "Thank You."

-- MOTU tech support, the very few times I have needed it, was great. Knowledgeable, helpful, friendly (P.S. I always call first thing in the morning if I need tech supt -- never after the Californians wake up.)

-- MOTU pre-sales has been great too when I had some questions about Mach5, Symphonic Instrument, MX4. I am pretty sure I spoke to Magic Dave and he was EXTREMELY patient and helpful.

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[Jidis]

In any case, I think Customer Service, rather than Tech Support, are a more appropriate target for this kind of correspondence.

Well, a while back, I sent a long snail-mailed letter directed to either that department or maybe "Customer Relations", after having owned and observed a new 424/2408 system for a while and having noticed many of the common complaints and patterns online. There was no reply whatsoever to that, yet a while later, after coming in here and mentioning it publicly, there was apparently a call or two from MOTU on the caller ID. Same thing has happened to others who went unacknowledged in private, so I guess things haven't changed.

And NO, despite what many Mac users here probably thought of me back when, it was anything but rude. IIRC, it was more helpful and suggestive.

Take Care,

George

[James Steele]

True. It has been my experience (and one that I think is generally accepted knowledge) that MOTU doesn't care much what their users think of them - or their products and over the years, their attitude in general has ranged anywhere from sorrowly passable to "full suck".

Case in point, someone else has to actually host their user forum (LOL)

My experience has been different than yours. Not that it matters of course.

As for hosting the user forum, I think it's better this way actually and I don't mind. I don't look at it as a "has to" sort of thing. I enjoy it. Frankly, I think it speaks well of their company that MOTU's users were so passionate about their products that they started one of the oldest mail lists and oldest user forums in existence. Other companies *had to* start there own.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Thought folk might be interested.
...It was no promo push or anything, just for them to see how their stuff was being used ...

If there is ANY chance that MOTU (or any other company) wants to put a demo on their site or be connected in any way to any kind of release for any commercial purposes, and it sounds anything like what you sent them - and they acknowledged receipt of your file, CD, etc. - they can be libel for infringement.

That is the reason many well intended demo CDs never make it past the trash can at record companies, agents, distributors, etc. It falls into the category of "unsolicited material." Listening weakens their defense that they weren't "influenced" by your work.

It was interesting to me that once I started getting work produced commercially and getting stuff on TV and in film, all of a sudden I started getting CDs from 'well intended' people (some I never heard of). These went into the trash and I refuse to listen to anything given to me in that manner - for the same reasons. Self-protection.

So don't be too put off by MOTU not responding. It is most likely their lawyers who have decided it is better to ignore such requests than to have to settle an infringement action in Federal court.

[dougieb]

Weird. I've been a Motu user since the late 80's and have only once had a poor experience with anyone there.
With that one exception every call has been pleasant and helpful.

What am I doing wrong?

You lead a charmed life I think.

[dougieb]

It has been my experience (and one that I think is generally accepted knowledge) that MOTU doesn't care much what their users think of them

Well, that is not my "accepted knowledge." I have been a motu customer since the late 80's/early 90's. Very few companies that I can think of have been as helpful to me as MOTU.

-- MOTU customer service has always been great to me -- helping with registration, ownership transfers, replacing missing disks, and on and on. So much so that I wrote them an email recently about how great they were and how happy I was to be a MOTU customer. And got back a very modest "Thank You."

-- MOTU tech support, the very few times I have needed it, was great. Knowledgeable, helpful, friendly (P.S. I always call first thing in the morning if I need tech supt -- never after the Californians wake up.)

-- MOTU pre-sales has been great too when I had some questions about Mach5, Symphonic Instrument, MX4. I am pretty sure I spoke to Magic Dave and he was EXTREMELY patient and helpful.

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LOL... yes, after California is awake, you can write off tech support. Also, note that I made the notable exception of Dave.

[GWJ]

I wouldn't send it to MOTU. I learned long, long ago that they don't really pay much attention to that sort of thing unless you know one of them personally. Whoever said it's because it's a larger company with more liabilities at stake was probably right.

It seems I am now learning the same. Not to labour the point, but I have contacted them in the past with a suggestion on how to (IMHO) improve a function of MX4 - no reply. You know, even if it was a crappy suggestion, at the very least, they could have acknowledged an effort made by a member of their customer base. This said, they have always responded to my need for tech based help, via email, and generally done so quickly and with reasonable advice - so I ain't complaining there.

If there is ANY chance that MOTU (or any other company) wants to put a demo on their site or be connected in any way to any kind of release for any commercial purposes, and it sounds anything like what you sent them - and they acknowledged receipt of your file, CD, etc. - they can be libel for infringement.

There was no file or physical product sent to MOTU, just a link to a hosting site - where, if a brave employee of MOTU might chance to go and look at a rather lame video, they could hear a tune.

That is the reason many well intended demo CDs never make it past the trash can at record companies, agents, distributors, etc. It falls into the category of "unsolicited material." Listening weakens their defense that they weren't "influenced" by your work.

It was interesting to me that once I started getting work produced commercially and getting stuff on TV and in film, all of a sudden I started getting CDs from 'well intended' people (some I never heard of). These went into the trash and I refuse to listen to anything given to me in that manner - for the same reasons. Self-protection.

I hear you. I've experienced this also, but I'll always listen if anyone gives me their music.

So don't be too put off by MOTU not responding. It is most likely their lawyers who have decided it is better to ignore such requests than to have to settle an infringement action in Federal court.

Thanks, I'm not. Trust me, no one is going to ' re-imagine ' that tune - it has a difficult lyric to front.