Page 7 of 16
Posted: Thu Oct 26, 2006 2:04 pm
by chrisp
The great Mach 5 fiasco rumbles on and on. My feeling is that MOTU will no longer exist this time next year and to be honest, on a corporate level, that is precisely what they deserve. I would advise people to be very careful about buying their products at this time - if you want any mid/long term support that is.
Posted: Thu Oct 26, 2006 2:43 pm
by Spikey Horse
chrisp wrote:......My feeling is that MOTU will no longer exist this time next year and to be honest, on a corporate level, that is precisely what they deserve.
Is there an actual reason why you think this might be so or is it simply, as you say, a 'feeling' ... and why would the end of MOTU be well deserved in your opinion? Is it just becasue you bought M5 v1 ages ago and there's no v2 yet? (if so, fair enough- I'm just asking)
chrisp wrote:
I would advise people to be very careful about buying their products at this time - if you want any mid/long term support that is.
Again, can you expand on that a little bit?
I feel your pain - and I have already bought NI K2 since buying M5 (with the promise of the great upgrade to v2). I hope MOTU don't disappear though- I'm am curious as to why you think they might, and so soon.

.... don't tell me apple are buying them
It's getting a bit chilly at night now - (throws some more old manuals on the sit in camp fire....)
Posted: Thu Oct 26, 2006 3:56 pm
by Frodo
Spikey Horse wrote:It's getting a bit chilly at night now - (throws some more old manuals on the sit in camp fire....)
I knew those things would come in handy sooner or later!!
It's amazing that MOTU has avoided the whole corporate take-over thingy. I mean, bravo for them for fending it off for so long. However, it has come up before with all the other powerhouses joining forces:
Apple/Emagic
M-Audio/Digidesign/Avid/Sibelius
Steinberg/Yamaha
and on a different note but same climate:
Adobe/Macromedia
We've seen the same thing take place within the communications market.
I stop short of the idea that MOTU is in its latter days, but it does beg the question how MOTU survives without joining forces-- a remarkable accomplishment these days. It also begs the question how can it survive without doing so.
One way is to not release software updates that are *knowingly* not ready for prime time. We've seen DP 5 go through three version since May for one reason or other. M5v2 just may simply not be able to deliver all that it promised.
But this is the only extended delay of this magnitude from MOTU I've seen. MOTU was among the earliest third-party deliverers of its UB drivers, and that was something I did not expect. DP4 took a good while, and DP3 inherited the new skin well in advance of DP4's release, but I don't remember that wait being quite as long as the one for M5v2-- I need to check my release calendars.
Every time you buy anything at all you run a risk of one sort or another. Just think-- we are enough months into the Intel-Mac revolution that some of them are being retired!! Imagine that: Intel-Macs are fossilizing!! Those who bought MacBookPros are already rubbing their chins about the quick CPU swap in such a short time.
And EWQL is dumping bundles of their orchestra collection for less than half price. Gold listed for $1k and can be had now in the $370 range. Something is afoot, but I'm not sure that it's the end of the road.
Posted: Thu Oct 26, 2006 6:31 pm
by mess
chrisp wrote:The great Mach 5 fiasco rumbles on and on. My feeling is that MOTU will no longer exist this time next year and to be honest, on a corporate level, that is precisely what they deserve. I would advise people to be very careful about buying their products at this time - if you want any mid/long term support that is.
Doesn't this belong
OVER HERE
Conspiracy theories abound!!!!
Bitter much?
Also, as was pointed out earlier in the thread, M5 is developed by USB in France, ever think that maybe, just
maybe, THEY hadn't produced yet?
Posted: Thu Oct 26, 2006 7:39 pm
by billf
chrisp wrote:The great Mach 5 fiasco rumbles on and on. My feeling is that MOTU will no longer exist this time next year and to be honest, on a corporate level, that is precisely what they deserve. I would advise people to be very careful about buying their products at this time - if you want any mid/long term support that is.
<sarcasm>
I agree. It's been four years since MOTU released any new products at all, and it is obvious that they are not long for this world. After all, people who have two posts total in Unicornation are without doubt to be considered knowledgeable and true sages about all things MOTU.
Time for me to buy Logic.
</sarcasm>
Posted: Fri Oct 27, 2006 6:58 am
by utility531
Hi! - I'm sorry but Machfive Sampler redefines the meaning of the word 'VapourWare'
It would not be so bad if Motu was working on only MachFive and having problems but they have introduced several other products in the meantime. Leading us to believe that M5 has either been shelved or put on the back burner.
And the worst part is that they have been largely silent which makes the users even more suspicious. Motu - Start communicating! You remind me of a 14-16 year old teen not communicating with his or her parents and then wonder why their parents are getting suspicious and angry.
Nuff said!
Posted: Fri Oct 27, 2006 12:50 pm
by Frodo
utility531 wrote:Hi! - I'm sorry but Machfive Sampler redefines the meaning of the word 'VapourWare'
It would not be so bad if Motu was working on only MachFive and having problems but they have introduced several other products in the meantime. Leading us to believe that M5 has either been shelved or put on the back burner.
....
Also factor into this that v1 is still being updated, however infrequently. I would have been even more worried if v1 never went UB, myself. But since it did go UB, I find myself more confused than worried about v2, partially because I've had to learn to live without it. The question is if v2 ever appears if users will be satisfied enough with their interim solutions to totally overlook it.
Posted: Fri Oct 27, 2006 3:29 pm
by blackcrayon
Also factor into this that v1 is still being updated, however infrequently. I would have been even more worried if v1 never went UB, myself. But since it did go UB, I find myself more confused than worried about v2, partially because I've had to learn to live without it. The question is if v2 ever appears if users will be satisfied enough with their interim solutions to totally overlook it.
Errr V1 went universal binary? Where?

Last update was in October 2005. Which means 1.0 hasn't been updated in a YEAR. The Windows version for even longer than that. Forgive me if i'm missing something.
Posted: Fri Oct 27, 2006 5:28 pm
by Frodo
blackcrayon wrote: Also factor into this that v1 is still being updated, however infrequently. I would have been even more worried if v1 never went UB, myself. But since it did go UB, I find myself more confused than worried about v2, partially because I've had to learn to live without it. The question is if v2 ever appears if users will be satisfied enough with their interim solutions to totally overlook it.
Errr V1 went universal binary? Where?

Last update was in October 2005. Which means 1.0 hasn't been updated in a YEAR. The Windows version for even longer than that. Forgive me if i'm missing something.
Ah, yer right. 1.2.3 is DP 5.1 compatible, but still PPC.
No, you've not missed anything, In fact, you've caught a couple of important points along the way, and therefore I beg *your* forgiveness humbly.
Posted: Sat Oct 28, 2006 8:58 am
by i am monster face
and God forbid if you use windows. That hasn't been updated in a long, long time. So long, that it doesn't support importing Symphonic or Ethno files.
Ian
Posted: Sat Oct 28, 2006 9:51 am
by fokof
I know why it takes so long for Mach52 to get out , Same developpers as "Vista".....
...there is no more beer , can someone bring some ? lots of empty bottle overhere.....
Posted: Sat Oct 28, 2006 10:12 am
by James Steele
chrisp wrote:The great Mach 5 fiasco rumbles on and on. My feeling is that MOTU will no longer exist this time next year and to be honest, on a corporate level, that is precisely what they deserve. I would advise people to be very careful about buying their products at this time - if you want any mid/long term support that is.
poppycock!
Posted: Sun Oct 29, 2006 5:57 am
by monkey man
fokof wrote:...there is no more beer , can someone bring some ? lots of empty bottle overhere.....
Er, sorry mate.

Perhaps Frodo can help; he's supplied everything else.

Posted: Sun Oct 29, 2006 11:26 pm
by ManOtunes
poppycock![/quote]
That's quite an eloquent rebuttal.

If you're taking the time to respond to the dire state of Machfive's user morale, you could at least address the concerns expressed here.
I, for one, have been forced to officially give up. I have a shiny new Mac Pro, UB software for Logic, and no more time to wait. It's a shame, because I really liked Machfive, but I have music to write, and MOTU doesn't have the courtesy to even explain what's going on. This is after YEARS of not releasing what was promised.
At this point, even if you did release the UB version now, I'd still want to switch to Kontakt, because I don't have any faith that Machfive will provide necessary updates, for instance, when the next major Mac OS is released. I need to trust a software company to stay on the ball.
I've been investigating Kontakt, looking at their forum, etc, and was quite impressed. When users complain about things, actual company representatives respond! They're actually engaged, listening and reacting to the users. As with most software companies, they appear to have their own problems meeting deadlines, but at least they pay attention and communicate. This gives me faith that, even if they're late with something, it actually is coming soon.
Soooo, good luck to those of you who continue to cling to this sinking ship.
Posted: Mon Oct 30, 2006 12:50 am
by James Steele
ManOtunes wrote:That's quite an eloquent rebuttal.

If you're taking the time to respond to the dire state of Machfive's user morale, you could at least address the concerns expressed here.
Thanks you like that? You don't need to tell me what I at least can do. If you think MOTU's going down because MachFive is late that's just silly. How 'bout I just go on paying for this board so you can go on posting whatever you want, without telling me what to do? Is that cool with you?
It's a sampler plug man. That's what it is. User morale? Buy another one then or something different. What version 2 feature is holding you up and keeping you from making music? If something is... then switch. Simple. I guess I'm not as concerned because I'm a Digital Performer user and I'm happy with it and realize MachFive isn't the only piece of software MOTU has... the company's fortunes don't rest on it.