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Subject:Now that Sony Pictures Digital has bought the software line...
Posted by: Iacobus
Date:5/4/2003 7:01:08 PM
I've noticed most of you are quiet here in the Sound Forge forum. I was wondering what any of you thought about the acquisition. Good? Bad? Don't care as long as you get your next version? ;o) (FWIW, and for those lazy enough not to read the news release, Sony is claiming to maintain the software base at SoFo, which I think is good thing.) Iacobus |
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Subject:RE: Now that Sony Pictures Digital has bought the software line...
Reply by: Soundshepherd
Date:5/5/2003 5:05:57 AM
I'm too scared to form an opinion. I've been using SF products for 10 hours a day since 1997. SF products are to me what the guitar is to Steve Vai, or what the car is to Colin McRae. Imagine what a session guitar player that has been using a Fender strat all his life would feel if there suddenly was a very real possibility of there not being a single playable unit left in 3 years. He would panic. I'm in panic. |
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Subject:RE: Now that Sony Pictures Digital has bought the software line...
Reply by: Iacobus
Date:5/5/2003 1:22:47 PM
Don't panic. There are no indications whatsoever that SoFo's software line is going anywhere soon. As I said, Sony intends to keep everyone that works in the software aspect of Sonic Foundry where they are right now. It would seem to me it's just that now they have Sony Pictures Digital's muscle behind them now, kind of like how Steinberg has Pinnacle behind them. Can anyone official from SoFo comment before Soundshepard's head explodes. ;o) Iacobus |
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Subject:RE: Now that Sony Pictures Digital has bought the software line...
Reply by: Buckskin
Date:5/5/2003 1:31:02 PM
I agree with Soundshepard, i'm a litle spooked as well. Considering almost everything I do ends up going through some SF product. Look at what happened to Logic. Sure, it's still around. But I sure would've hated to be a windows user in that takeover. :( |
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Subject:RE: Now that Sony Pictures Digital has bought the software line...
Reply by: Iacobus
Date:5/5/2003 2:02:15 PM
I highly doubt Sony Pictures Digital (SPD) would end up abandoning the platform it was originally designed for in the first place. SoFo and Sony have known to be in cahoots for a little while now. (The ScreenBlast line and SoFo's own apps showing up on Sony's computer systems are examples.) Someone (I forgot who) actually predicted Sony would be the one to take the software reins, and I had a feeling that he was right. Does that mean the pro line will disappear? I personally doubt it. (Then again, my glass is always half full.) I really think SPD wants to compete with the likes of Apple and Adobe for a cut of the media-creation pie. If there's any company out there capable of doing it, they're the ones I'd pick. They obviously know a good thing when they see it. They now have the talents of the software team from SoFo. And I've yet to see products as feature-rich yet user friendly as SoFo's apps. Iacobus |
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Subject:RE: Now that Sony Pictures Digital has bought the software line...
Reply by: Buckskin
Date:5/5/2003 4:05:31 PM
Indeed. And how about the sony hardware FX line. That is some seriously nice stuff. I just hope they don't go crazy. Sometimes when companies are bought and sold the losers are the end users. Guess we'll have to be patient and see. |
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Subject:RE: Now that Sony Pictures Digital has bought the software line...
Reply by: musicvid10
Date:5/5/2003 8:43:19 PM
Interesting that Fender Strat analogy. When CBS bought Fender 30+ years ago, everyone was whining that the Strats and the Twins would become cheap products for the masses. Well, both the pre- and post- CBS equipment has held its value, but a quick check of Ebay indicates there is still some prestige involved with the 60's Fender equipment. Draw your own conclusions, but I'll bet SoundForge and Vegas will still be around in three years (and quite a few more). |
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Subject:RE: Now that Sony Pictures Digital has bought the software line...
Reply by: Soundshepherd
Date:5/6/2003 5:42:46 AM
But it's different with software. If there are no more updates the product could become obsolete very quickly. Let's say that something led to a record breakthrough for DSD audio. Suddenly there are DSD soundcards and DSD burners etc everywere. A program that is not updated anymore quickly becomes obsolete. And there is no need for such crazy examples. Let's say that AAC catches on and becomes THE compressed audio format. All programs will have to be updated to support it. If Sony drops Sound Forge it will quickly become obsolete. Sure, one can probably use Vegas and SF for the basic stuff for years to come (and use "outboard" programs to import and export new formats), but sooner or later something profound like DSD shows up, and you are screwed. |
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Subject:RE: Now that Sony Pictures Digital has bought the software line...
Reply by: Soundshepherd
Date:5/6/2003 5:52:14 AM
The problem is that Sony would probably not sanction the development of a 4 channel Acoustic Mirror, as that will compete directly with their DRE-s777. |
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Subject:RE: Now that Sony Pictures Digital has bought the software line...
Reply by: musicvid10
Date:5/6/2003 10:40:53 AM
Actually, that was my point, although admittedly the analogy is not the best one. Unless Sony totally absorbs the prosumer line, SF and VV will continue to evolve with the technology, even if they dumb it down a bit. There will still be a few diehards who will continue to use the original software until its dying gasp. I tend to place myself in the latter group, and still use (on occasion) Premiere 4.2, tube amps, my '86 Subaru (ok go ahead and laugh), and vinyl recordings. My instinct is that SF software will not go the way of 8-tracks and Betamax. Interesting discussion. |
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Subject:RE: Now that Sony Pictures Digital has bought the software line...
Reply by: Rednroll
Date:5/6/2003 11:48:19 AM
Let me add my 2 cents and experience in this field. I certainly can't speak on behalf of Sony and what their plans are for the SF product line. I work for Harman International. For those of you non-familiar with Harman products they include: JBL consumer JBL/Pro Crown Lexicon DBX Digitech DOD Infinity Mark Levinson AKG Harman/Kardon Soundcraft Studer Amek Becker Proceed Revel Harman has purchased many of these companies because, they have been a leader in their market and offer a lot of background technologies to go along with them. Some problems that these types of companies run into is that their product falls into a "niche" market and when that market becomes saturated with competition the market becomes weak for that particular niche company. When a company like Sony/Harman purchase a company like Sonic Foundry, it allows the original company to continue developing in it's niche market, yet those technologies can also be shared throughout the purchasing companies product line and thus increase the market size for that particular product. For example. Harman owns Lexicon. Lexicon developed a technology known as "Logic 7". Logic 7 is a surround encoding/decoding technology similar to Dolby Pro Logic I/II. Logic 7 is not a licensable technology to other companies like Dolby Pro Logic is. But since this technology is now owned by one big company with several niche markets, it can now be incorporated into several products and expand the market size it's being sold to. If anyone owns a Harman/Kardon home entertainment system they will now see Logic 7 within that product, also in JBL home equipment and more recently the stuff I'm working on, JBL/Infinity/Mark Levinson, premium car audio systems. The end result is that now the market size has drastically increased and that niche market is able to continue developing other proprietary technologies. Another example of this is that within the last year Harman purchase another company called Temik. In Europe, Temik was a leading developer in voice recognition technology for automotive applications. Now that I've listed all of the Harman companies, this purchase should make total sense. What other technologies do you need to make a successful voice recognition system? Microphones? AKG, Amplifiers? Crown/JBL....Noise reduction? DBX/Lexicon...Head Units/Navigational systems? Becker...speakers? JBL/Infinity. Now I can't say for sure this is Sony's direction, but from my experience I would hope that it would be. The other reason to purchase a company would be to increase your market share by elliminating the competition. Seeing that Sony really isn't a audio/video software developer like Avid/Digidesign is, then my optimism is good. |
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Subject:RE: Now that Sony Pictures Digital has bought the software line...
Reply by: Iacobus
Date:5/6/2003 5:56:33 PM
Good point, Brian. Wish the troll that calls himself Maruuk would realize that. (I swear the man lives to make everyone in the ACID forum miserable. He barely ever has anything good to say.) Iacobus |
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Subject:RE: Now that Sony Pictures Digital has bought the software line...
Reply by: Rednroll
Date:5/6/2003 6:28:50 PM
Thanks. There's also the "JoeExpert, I think I know everything about anything organ player" in the Vegas Audio forum. http://www.sonicfoundry.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?MessageID=179258&Replies=18&Page=1 Iacobus, How do you do those hyper links within a message like that? |
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Subject:RE: Now that Sony Pictures Digital has bought the software line...
Reply by: SHTUNOT
Date:5/6/2003 6:29:34 PM
LMAO!!! Here I am staying out of all this and then I find... You even made it a hyperlink! Thats funny. Ed. |
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Subject:RE: Now that Sony Pictures Digital has bought the software line...
Reply by: Iacobus
Date:5/6/2003 9:58:12 PM
Isn't it kind of hysterical? All I can really do is shake my head... He not only manages to insult SoFo (again, amidst the myriad times he has) but also Sony as well. I'd honestly respond to his post, but then a flame war would ensue. Again. It all gets so tiring... Iacobus |
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Subject:RE: Now that Sony Pictures Digital has bought the software line...
Reply by: rraud
Date:5/7/2003 6:21:51 PM
Red, HTML code: fill in the blanks. a href="--URL GOES HERE--">--VISUAL NAME GOES HERE--</a So if one wanted to put a link to Sonic Foundry, it would look like this. a href="http://www.sonicfoundry.com">Sonic Foundry Website</a just put < before the "a href", and > after the "</a" Sonic Foundry Website |
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Subject:RE: Now that Sony Pictures Digital has bought the software line...
Reply by: Iacobus
Date:5/7/2003 9:25:26 PM
Whoops. Sorry, Brian. Didn't see your post right away. rraud is right on the money. You use standard HTML code to do things like hyperlinking. Iacobus |
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Subject:RE: Now that Sony Pictures Digital has bought the software line...
Reply by: Rednroll
Date:5/9/2003 8:33:49 PM
Did this work this time? So if one wanted to put a link to Sonic Foundry, it would look like this. a href="http://www.sonicfoundry.com">Sonic Foundry Website</a Thanks!!!! I think I'll use this alot...and store some hyperlinks on my PC...I get tired of having to dig for a tread and do a cut and paste, so I can explain for the 100th million time of why you can't remove vocals...and in what conditons it is possible.....ahhhh. This took me a few tries....I think I'm gonna have to put this post in my favorites links to do this again....Thanks again for the help. |
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Subject:RE: Now that Sony Pictures Digital has bought the software line...
Reply by: rraud
Date:5/10/2003 2:00:54 PM
YES! It works! HTML is a little confusing at first. Just remember where the spaces and the <> go and do not go. To highlight some key menu items, I sometimes make a "Bold" font To do this type: < b >your text here< /b > . Just REMOVE the spaces between the <> I had to do this for illistration purposes. Ex: your text here |
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Subject:RE: Now that Sony Pictures Digital has bought the software line...
Reply by: dcomo
Date:5/11/2003 9:17:40 PM
I am worried as well, but holding tight. Let's see how good (or how bad...) this gets. Worse comes to worse, let's hope that this forum stays active. |
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Subject:RE: Now that Sony Pictures Digital has bought the software line...
Reply by: sk
Date:5/11/2003 10:54:18 PM
Like a kid in a candy store. LOL. Or like that old expression goes: "Give a small child a (wave) hammer, and s/he soon discovers that the whole world needs hammering. heheheh. Actually, I give this tip two big thumbs up. I copy/pasted it into a little text file in notepad and keep it handy on my desktop. I've used it at different forums. It really looks cool and works great. Thanks to the original posters. sk |