If you want Sound On Sound to continue "DP Notes"

[Kubi]

... send a note ASAP to Editor In Chief Paul White right here. Robin mentioned that Debbie Poyser as Columns Editor also has some say, so send her a similar note as well.

Finally, post at the relevant thread at the SOS forums. So far only a handful of responses, so not exactly the response that would make them think again.

Needless to say, respect and courtesy works better than the opposite, but most importantly, do it now.

That's all. Thanks! I'd hate to see it disappear for good.

[sdfalk]

Done

[frankymax]

...and done!

[Shooshie]

Here's what I sent:

Being the oldest DAW on the market, DP's been in popularity contests since the beginning. It rarely wins these contests, but professionals still salivate over DP, and it's still entrenched in the professional world. I think its userbase is growing. Why is that? Here are some of the contests:

Performer/Vision
DP/StudioVision
DP/ProTools
DP/Reason, Acid, Nuendo, Cubase, and others
DP/Logic

and soon to come:
DP/Studio 1
DP/Record

So, even though it seems the others attract loud and flame-oriented userbases, DP users are rarely swayed to give up the tool that has enabled so much of their professional lives. In fact, efforts by others to get me to dump DP have always revealed their inexperience to me. They don't really know or understand what I do, or they wouldn't say those things. Pity them.

DP's userbase is smaller than many of the popular DAWs, but its users always include many very important musicians, producers, and composers. For this reason, it will always be around. I like SOS, and I subscribe to the hardcopy, but I had hoped for more DP articles.

I think you've made a mistake. Popularity does not translate into "high-powered excellence." Masses of people make software popular, and almost always for the wrong reasons. Masses of people do not create hits or even know WHY one would prefer certain professional-grade software over the latest new pony that everyone wants to ride. SOS is a professional magazine. You should at least represent the software chosen by the people who score some of the greatest hits on TV and in the theaters. Did you ever think there may be a great reason why they choose it? Did you even know that DP has been present in some of the greatest touring concerts on the planet? Madonna? Beyonce? Michael Jackson? Pat Metheny? And it's not worth representing anymore? Did you not see DP in the making of Lord of the Rings? Mission Impossible? Titanic? (and many others) What about tv shows like Lost? You'll find DP running at Pixar, too. But it's not worthy of SOS? What kind of lunacy is that?

For the first time I see a crack in the legitimacy of SOS. Are you really just an advertisers' rag? Do you not propose to educate the masses out of their "Logic is so great" state of mind? Robin Bigwood's Performer Notes is probably 75% of the reason I subscribed to SOS. Incidentally, I've made a great living with DP since 1989. I've tried most of the other DAWs. If you know this business deeply, you know there are reasons why you will not be using those others. But if you base your content on a popularity contest, then you've done zero for educating your subscribers. I don't know whether to be amazed at your ineptitude, sad, or amused. I'm not even sure that SOS will be here in 10 years, but I'm pretty sure DP will be.

Shooshie
Dallas, Texas

[donreynolds]

Done

[James Steele]

Here's what I sent:

Being the oldest DAW on the market, DP's been in popularity contests since the beginning. It rarely wins these contests, but professionals still salivate over DP, and it's still entrenched in the professional world. I think its userbase is growing. Why is that? Here are some of the contests:

Performer/Vision
DP/StudioVision
DP/ProTools
DP/Reason, Acid, Nuendo, Cubase, and others
DP/Logic

and soon to come:
DP/Studio 1
DP/Record

So, even though it seems the others attract loud and flame-oriented userbases, DP users are rarely swayed to give up the tool that has enabled so much of their professional lives. In fact, efforts by others to get me to dump DP have always revealed their inexperience to me. They don't really know or understand what I do, or they wouldn't say those things. Pity them.

DP's userbase is smaller than many of the popular DAWs, but its users always include many very important musicians, producers, and composers. For this reason, it will always be around. I like SOS, and I subscribe to the hardcopy, but I had hoped for more DP articles.

I think you've made a mistake. Popularity does not translate into "high-powered excellence." Masses of people make software popular, and almost always for the wrong reasons. Masses of people do not create hits or even know WHY one would prefer certain professional-grade software over the latest new pony that everyone wants to ride. SOS is a professional magazine. You should at least represent the software chosen by the people who score some of the greatest hits on TV and in the theaters. Did you ever think there may be a great reason why they choose it? Did you even know that DP has been present in some of the greatest touring concerts on the planet? Madonna? Beyonce? Michael Jackson? Pat Metheny? And it's not worth representing anymore? Did you not see DP in the making of Lord of the Rings? Mission Impossible? Titanic? (and many others) What about tv shows like Lost? You'll find DP running at Pixar, too. But it's not worthy of SOS? What kind of lunacy is that?

For the first time I see a crack in the legitimacy of SOS. Are you really just an advertisers' rag? Do you not propose to educate the masses out of their "Logic is so great" state of mind? Robin Bigwood's Performer Notes is probably 75% of the reason I subscribed to SOS. Incidentally, I've made a great living with DP since 1989. I've tried most of the other DAWs. If you know this business deeply, you know there are reasons why you will not be using those others. But if you base your content on a popularity contest, then you've done zero for educating your subscribers. I don't know whether to be amazed at your ineptitude, sad, or amused. I'm not even sure that SOS will be here in 10 years, but I'm pretty sure DP will be.

Shooshie
Dallas, Texas

Wonderful letter Shooshie!! I couldn't have said it better. I may start a special petition site where users can not only post their request to S.O.S. to keep it, but a photo and list of credits along with the message... and pages and pages of pros of high caliber might carry some weight. I know many people on the MOTU-MAC list and elsewher who are very high-end users working with very high-end artists... our very own Kwiz comes to mind working with Beyonce. It might make rather impressive statement.

But it might be just numbers. But that's the music business in general. S.O.S. doesn't care who is buying the mags. The kid with the PT LE studio in his bedroom votes for Reason, Danny Elfman votes for DP. Nullified.

If this S.O.S. thing holds, we're going to have to get a lot more aggressive about this. And I agree MOTU does. Revive "reMarks"... advertise "endorsers" in the trade mags, and up the presence. And oh yes, if necessary call and make a stink when a plug-in developer lumps DP in with "other Mac DAWs" or even omits it. Also reward those who give DP respect with our business.

[James Steele]

By the way... just had an idea. Lots of us have given up on EM. Perhaps, EM being a magazine who's heart and base is in the U.S. instead of Europe, might see this as an opportunity to create a similar column for DP. Call it something different. And maybe a bunch of us could pledge to subscribe if they do. I know MOTU has owned the back cover of that mag forever, haven't they? Maybe EM would like to pick up the slack or maybe another magazine?

Just thinking out loud.

[waterstrum]

Done

[doodles]

done

[kassonica]

And Done.

[Frodo]

Done.

[James Steele]

Finally, post at the relevant thread at the SOS forums. So far only a handful of responses, so not exactly the response that would make them think again.

For some mysterious reason, I can only see the SOS forums when I am NOT logged into their site. The minute I am, nothing but white space shows in my browser everywhere the forum should be. I can't even access my forum settings. This is in Safari/Mac and as well as both Explorer and FireFox on Windows XP. Hmmm... that's odd...

[Frodo]

By the way... just had an idea. Lots of us have given up on EM. Perhaps, EM being a magazine who's heart and base is in the U.S. instead of Europe, might see this as an opportunity to create a similar column for DP. Call it something different. And maybe a bunch of us could pledge to subscribe if they do. I know MOTU has owned the back cover of that mag forever, haven't they? Maybe EM would like to pick up the slack or maybe another magazine?

Just thinking out loud.

It's a good thought, James. Maybe we should also descend on EM with e-mails.

The one thing that puzzles me, though, is that maybe DP users are getting their work done more than they are posting online. That the SOS forum is so under posted where DP is concerned may indeed be indicative of the European theater. Granted, Logic was once Emagic (Germany). Cubase is Steinberg, which is right out of Hamburg. What's the old business adage? "Location, location, location".

I'm hardly a youngster, but I just haven't gotten into the fullness of subscribing to PDFs online. I buy the magazine itself because I feel that it has been that important. I also save magazines like a pack rat. I don't know if SOS understands this, but neither do I know how small a percentage of SOS supporters I might part of.

On some level, it is important to hear from MOTU about this. We can write letters to editors until we're blue in the face and our fingers are bleeding. One thing I'd like to hear is a rallying cry of sorts from MOTU. We support them with our wallets through thick and thin. I'd like to hear something in return for my efforts. I've written to the editor in chief of SOS, but I'd like to know how important my fight is to MOTU even where my fight is important to me. If MOTU is tacitly okay with SOS's decision, then there's not a whole lot things left within my power to do. It simply becomes a matter of conscience and little else like so much static.

If the SOS forum is under posted by DP-users, then I'd dare say that THIS thread should be longer than some other OT threads which have gone up over the past year. There are over 30,000 members here, but we know that only a core group posts regularly. Those who don't check in daily or weekly probably do not know about what's going on at SOS.

To that extent, I would suggest that an e-mail go out to all Motunation users explaining what's going on. That may not generate 30k letters to the editor of SOS, but it might help inform those who really care about DP.

[James Steele]

Done.

Good idea about that mailing!

[Frodo]

Done.

Good idea about that mailing!