Subject: Re: [linux-audio-dev] EVO status...was: (open-source like hardware)
From: Allan Klinbail (allank_AT_labyrinth.net.au)
Date: Sun Jan 20 2002 - 09:43:00 EET
Just a quick history lesson that maybe relevant.
Fairlight (an australian company) folded because the company failed to
patent the technology (hard disk recording), which pro-tools was later
to adopt and bring about the demise of this company.
Use of this by multiple vendors meant that the technology can be used
by anyone.
(got friends who worked there in the 80's)
cheers
Allan
On Sun, 2002-01-20 at 10:54, j wrote:
> I think that you might find some applicable "prior art" in the VME patents,
> related to voice mail applications, probably filed arround 1976-80 or so.
> Voice mail is audio by defintion, and the VME patents dealt with the use of
> hard drives for storing audio as messages, etc. Also, a lot of other
> telephonic feature sets have digital and a/d-d/a to-from disc., especially
> as included in digital pbx's and keysets of the late 70's and early 80's. I
> suspect that some of these patents have expired, yielding the basic claims
> into public domain, by now.
> Joe
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Tony Lambley <tonyl_AT_vextech.net>
> To: <linux-audio-dev_AT_music.columbia.edu>
> Sent: Friday, January 18, 2002 9:03 AM
> Subject: Re: [linux-audio-dev] EVO status...was: (open-source like hardware)
>
>
> > Back in the 80's people were using the Synclavier for audio on video
> > productions. I know they were serious beasts, but I doubt they would have
> > kept all that data in RAM. The latter Fairlights were probably similar.
> > Anyone have any first hand experience of them? Maybe they're the prior-art
> > people are looking for? May be the Mellotron was implementing read-ahead
> > too!
> >
> > ---
> >
> >
> > > >Halion does use the smae technology BUT steinberg have shown that they
> > have
> > > >been using an equivalent algorithm before the patent have actually been
> > > >granted to Nemesys. "Where?" will you ask? Well, in cubase of course!
> > Every
> > > >audio sequencer I know of have to do read ahead of audio data if they
> > want
> > > >to be useable!
> > >
> > > We have a document about keeping beginnings of the audio segments
> > > in memory for instant play in such multitrack application.
> > > So, if that was all what was needed, we are in safe.
> > >
> > > But sure I would like to get more information about how Steinberg
> > > avoided patent royalties --- just in case the situation is not that
> > > simple!
> > >
> > > We should search for old manuals of jingle players. Two years ago
> > > I checked plenty of Amiga software if there was anything, but no.
> > > A friend wrote and installed one such jingle player using the trick
> > > to an ice-hockey hall at 1993 (or so). Such jingle players are
> > > not sampling synths, but they could provide docs on the trick
> > > and on if a loops were used (one shot sampling synth is not good).
> > >
> > > Also, two years ago we found out that a person worked on such
> > > disk sampler. I remember we ended up to the situation that they
> > > never published details of this unique installation.
> > >
> > > In any case, preload in multitrack editor is totally different
> > > from a disk sampler. Perhaps Steinberg had something else too.
> > >
> > >
> > > Best regards,
> > >
> > > Juhana
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
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