Why is Motu the last to let us know?

[BigEcat]

I just got my new Sweetwater catalogue and noticed a somewhat detailed description of the new features of DP5 and the new Ethno Instrument VI. Not only did Sweetwater have photos of some of the new features, but also MOTU had taken out full-page ads on both softwares.
So, my question is••”Why doesn••™t Motu have, on their web site, any information about upcoming changes to their software? I••™m not an impatient person, I••™d rather wait awhile to get the software right before it••™s releasing, but shouldn••™t MOTU at least try to make us DP users feet like we••™re important enough to let us know what••™s happening in the future? Maybe I••™m old-fashioned but some times I feel like a second-class citizen in MOTU land.

[methezer]

But they DID let you know. MOTU were the ones that took out those ads. They were the ones that gave Sweetwater the OK to tell you about their new product. Yes, MOTU's website is hardly ever updated but do you really need to see the same info there that you just read in the print ad?

[BigEcat]

Your point is well taken. But my answer to your question is-yes. Sorry maybe I'm being selfish but a little advanced news before the ad placement would be nice.

[giles117]

Your point is well taken. But my answer to your question is-yes. Sorry maybe I'm being selfish but a little advanced news before the ad placement would be nice.

The Advanced News was The Namm Show

[emulatorloo]

a little advanced news before the ad placement would be nice.

Press releases on MOTU site re DP5 and Ethno here:

http://www.motu.com/other/press


-------------

[joschafer]

Just a little vent.

I have seen 2 major companies that are taking pre-orders for DP5 / DP5 cross-grade but I still haven't seen an offer from MOTU to let me, as an owner, pre-order an upgrade. Personally that bugs me. When do we, as users, get the same kind of respect that the big companies do.

Thanks -- Jeff

[Newsles]

Your point is well taken. But my answer to your question is-yes. Sorry maybe I'm being selfish but a little advanced news before the ad placement would be nice.

The Advanced News was The Namm Show

I think cat's issue here is as registered MOTU users who've shelled out a large sum of money on their (excellent) product, it would be nice for them to have a mailing list or something similar, to give their user base (and customers) some "personal" advance notice - make us feel important, special if you like - many companies do this sort of thing - I think it would be a nice touch, and from a commercial point-of-view, whet our appetites for things to come. After all, anyone who goes to NAMM will find out at the same time as non MOTU users, but tipping us the wink would, I think give a good impression.

Just a thought

[Shooshie]

You know, you've got a point, and I've thought it before, too. MOTU used to publish a newsletter that we got about four times a year, in which upcoming products were announced, along with reviews, tips, and other info. I really miss that. Of course, it was expensive, and maybe it's not practical for them now, but it doesn't cost much to do it online! Especially if it's just in the form of their website, with special emails sent out to registered users.

I don't know what happened, but MOTU just kind of closed up in the mid-1990s. They've been secretive ever since, and we've just had to deal with it. Now, I'm not saying that it's a deal breaker or anything like that. I just wish the company that we go out of our way to support would acknowledge us now and then with a desire to communicate what's coming, give us screen shots, feature lists, bug fixes, and maybe even take serious suggestions before it's too late to implement them.

I would appreciate that, and I think it would go a long way toward building loyalty, though you have to admit we're a pretty loyal bunch of users. It's not hard to be loyal when the end result is so good. But just a little information, please!

Shooshie

[Newsles]

I just wish the company that we go out of our way to support would acknowledge us now and then with a desire to communicate what's coming, give us screen shots, feature lists, bug fixes, and maybe even take serious suggestions before it's too late to implement them.

Shooshie

And on that last point - start updating Unisyn profiles, and perhaps providing them to order, as, even with my rather older gear list, I found a good deal of it wasnt supported, which of course deterred me from buying it.

Better still, modify the program to allow users to create their own before I go out and get SoundDiver!!

However, that's an aside, but along the same lines.

[BigEcat]

Thank for all for your replies, they've made me think about what I posted, and now I••™m even more adamant about how I feel. My post was based on my involvement with other companies. I believe a company should always take care of the core audience first. I'm a big believer of the integrity of MOTU, I love their products and have most of them, so don't think I'm attacking the big Mother Ship, I just think the communications officer is sometimes asleep.
I'm basing my opinion of a few things.
1. I'm always getting notices form other companies where I've bought software from: (i.e. Native Instruments, Soundsonline, East West, Adobe, etc.) The notices range form upcoming sales to software updates.
2. I get a quarterly newsletter from Taylor guitars, announcing new guitars and Taylor related issues.
3. I subscribe a lot magazines, and (in theory) a subscriber is suppose to get their issues 1 to 2 day before it hits the newsstands. Well as a MOTU subscriber I feel that I never got my issue in the mail.

So, for the people who can••™t attend NAMM, I suggest a simple newsletter; Shooshie said it used to exist, so why not bring it back. It doesn••™t have to be complex but just a little nod to us fateful users (woof, woof). In this day and age, a mass e-mail to all the registered users is not a hard thing to do.
Now I••™m done!
Thanks

[methezer]

Despite my argument in my first post I do agree with many of the views expressed in this thread. I just moved, so I have yet to recieve any of my normal magazines or catalogues, and have been obsessively checking the MOTU site hoping for a glimpse of the new burnt orange logo...

An email newsletter would be a nice touch...

[Resonant Alien]

I too find it pretty silly that we have to read through Sweetwater catalogs and troll magazines to get info about an upcoming release.

The idea of a newsletter is great, and personal contact would also be great, but I'm willing to start with baby steps - why don't they just update their freakin' website!!! They obvioulsy have PR people working to put together advertising spreads to go into the Sweetwater catalog - what would be so hard about putting up a link on the MOTU home page...'Coming Soon..DP5'. It's more of a "Duh" than anything - why have a website unless it is to communicate with your customers?

Oh well..

[billf]

But they DID let you know. MOTU were the ones that took out those ads. They were the ones that gave Sweetwater the OK to tell you about their new product. Yes, MOTU's website is hardly ever updated but do you really need to see the same info there that you just read in the print ad?

And

The Advanced News was The Namm Show

Neither of these examples do anything to serve or notify the current customer base. Direct contact with your existing customer base is a fundamental marketing concept that is not handled well at all by MOTU.

In the first example, it is Sweetwater marketing to Sweetwater customers. If one isn't a Sweetwater customer, then you're not going to receive their newsletter. So effectively, it is not an example of MOTU marketing to their install base.

In the second example, not everyone who uses MOTU products attends NAMM or reads this forum. Again, this is not an example of MOTU marketing to their install base; rather, it is an example of MOTU marketing at a trade show.

So the original point that E-cat made that MOTU doesn't seem to reach out directly to their existing customer base is valid. I get email update messages all the time from companies whose software I own (e.g. BIAS, Waves, Camel, PSP, Apple, etc.), but nothing from MOTU. It is an area in which they can use some improvement.

[enigmatunes]

MOTU appears to feature their products when the products are actually available.
The latest is the PCIe-424 card. Previously it was the UltraLite. With hardware it seems to me that the "buzz" starts with ads (via both magazine and dealer pulications), and then the addition to MOTU's site occurs when it is actually possible to obtain the product.
If I'm not mistaken they have, in the past, announced DP upgrades slightly ahead of time (a week maybe) and begun taking pre-orders then.
How much can we gain from knowing more about it ahead of time? And is what we might gain enough to negate the potential problems caused by fully "unveiling" the product before release (not the least of which would be we crazy MOTU fans crying out "we see it on your website, now when can we get it!?!?!" every day).
Just thinking aloud ... er, a-forum (?)

[BigEcat]

How much can we gain from knowing more about it ahead of time? And is what we might gain enough to negate the potential problems caused by fully "unveiling" the product before release

My point is that it's not so much as when this is announced, but how. I believe that as a MOTU user, we, as registered users should get some special treatment, and I don't think the way MOTU has been going about their notices qualifies as special to their users.
I mean really, a small e-mail newsletter letting us know what's happening every now and then would make me feel more in tuned to MOTU than the way it's been going now. In the end it has no effect on whether or not I'll buy/upgrade the announced software, and they really don't have to do anything special for me-I'm a user, but still . . .just a nod.