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[Josh Millward]

I borrowed a cup from your charming wife.  I hope there was enough for you. 

But basically I see it like this:  If David G can sit at home in his pajamas and write console control apps for Android, why can't anyone else?  Does David hold the Majik Key to something?  Is there a unicorn dictating code to him in his dreams?

IOW, if this guy can do it I have serious doubts about the responses we've gotten from console manufacturers.  Their lack of candor speaks more loudly than their few words so I call bullshit.

That AVID can't manage to come up with a control app for their VENUE mixers is absolutely, totally 200% inexcusable, too (and we're an Avid shop).  I guess until Scovi embraces tablet mixing there will be no Avid app for *any* platform.

Yes.

I am right there with you, Tim.

There is nothing magic about it, it is just software. Now some software is easier to control externally than other software is. Regardless, considering the direction of our industry in general, these guys should be expanding the functionality of the software, not making excuses why they "can't" do it.

[Dave Pluke]

But basically I see it like this:  If David G can sit at home in his pajamas and write console control apps for Android, why can't anyone else?  Does David hold the Majik Key to something?  Is there a unicorn dictating code to him in his dreams?

I don't know the man, his pajamas or his software...but, would guess he's using lowest common denominator code to provide maximum compatibility.  Not to say that's a bad thing - just the exception rather than the rule.

Developers love toys so, as soon as new software is released, they want to utilize it.  Providing if/then statements for multiple versions creates code bloat and potential tech support issues.  I don't like that my Android phone won't run the latest Delta app, but I understand the reasoning.

Dave

[Tim McCulloch]

I don't know the man, his pajamas or his software...but, would guess he's using lowest common denominator code to provide maximum compatibility.  Not to say that's a bad thing - just the exception rather than the rule.

Developers love toys so, as soon as new software is released, they want to utilize it.  Providing if/then statements for multiple versions creates code bloat and potential tech support issues.  I don't like that my Android phone won't run the latest Delta app, but I understand the reasoning.

Dave

Yeah, but this isn't a spyware app with lots of whiz-bang; it's a user interface to defined functions of a network computer (mixer).

Look at the size of Mixing Station and then compare to most apps - it's relatively small.  Could it be smaller/lighter/faster/cheaper/win the war for the Allies?  Possibly.

But again, I offer this point:  if a reasonably talented guy can develop this in his spare time, for donations, why can't console manufacturers do it (or hire it done)?

[Brian Jojade]

But basically I see it like this:  If David G can sit at home in his pajamas and write console control apps for Android, why can't anyone else?  Does David hold the Majik Key to something?  Is there a unicorn dictating code to him in his dreams?

IOW, if this guy can do it I have serious doubts about the responses we've gotten from console manufacturers.  Their lack of candor speaks more loudly than their few words so I call bullshit.

Think about it this way.  If David writes an app, and that app has a bug in it that causes a mixer to go bork mid show, the manufacturer can say it was a problem with the third party app.  If it was their app and their console, now they take the brunt of the failure.

Yes, writing apps can be done, but making sure that app won't cause a meltdown of the system in some unforeseen scenario requires far more resources to accomplish.  There have to be many more checks assurances in place before a manufacturer can put their name on a product in the wild. The risk to their reputation has a much higher value than someone that is developing on their own.

[Tim McCulloch]

Think about it this way.  If David writes an app, and that app has a bug in it that causes a mixer to go bork mid show, the manufacturer can say it was a problem with the third party app.  If it was their app and their console, now they take the brunt of the failure.

Yes, writing apps can be done, but making sure that app won't cause a meltdown of the system in some unforeseen scenario requires far more resources to accomplish.  There have to be many more checks assurances in place before a manufacturer can put their name on a product in the wild. The risk to their reputation has a much higher value than someone that is developing on their own.

Sure.  So again, how long does this take?  Three months? Nine months? 3 years?  Never?

[Russell Ault]

Yes, writing apps can be done, but making sure that app won't cause a meltdown of the system in some unforeseen scenario requires far more resources to accomplish.  There have to be many more checks assurances in place before a manufacturer can put their name on a product in the wild. The risk to their reputation has a much higher value than someone that is developing on their own.

In some ways, I feel like making sure the app won't cause a meltdown is more a case of making sure that the console's networking interface is well implemented and isolated enough from the DSP so that any network issues won't cause a meltdown. Given how many gigs are relying on wireless networking these days, I've often wondered how well insert-name-of-console-here would stand up to, say, a simple denial of service attack (I have a few guesses, and most of them are "poorly")? In theory, if it can survive that, surely it should be able to survive anything a buggy app can throw at it (and it if can't survive that, is it only a matter of time before the show, possibly even with a Band You've Heard Of, comes grinding to a halt because of network intrusion?).

-Russ

[Nitin Sidhu]

I'd ask manufacturers why more don't create OS-agnostic means of controlling their devices (like Soundcraft's Si series, which any HTML5 browser can control)?
Dave

+1. this i have found to be a fantastic approach. I believe harman bought the company that first did it and they are now the soundcraft Ui series.

[Nitin Sidhu]

That AVID can't manage to come up with a control app for their VENUE mixers is absolutely, totally 200% inexcusable..

I was actually stunned when Digico made an app! The general impression i got was the likes of Avid and Digico considered app mixing a tool for amateurs only.. hehe..

[Ned Ward]

Guys - I work at a company that makes app enabled robots, and I can attest that coding for products the need to communicate with hardware is a different bag than just apps, even when using Unity to have a common code base.

Android's "do whatever you want" attitude means that HTC, Acer, Asus, etc. can slap whatever processors, BT chip, etc into a tablet and call it android compatible. What we've found is that there's a significant amount of work needed for each tablet manufacturer to make it work (we use BTLE vs. WiFi) reliably with a lot of RT data being passed back and forth. Samsung Galaxy's work well, as do Kindle Fire Tablets. HTC? Asus? Not so much. All that time trying to figure out if you can patch the app to work with a cheap Android tablet is time not spent on adding key features to the iOS or Android version - or fixing key issues.

[Brian Jojade]

Sure.  So again, how long does this take?  Three months? Nine months? 3 years?  Never?

It comes down to business sense to dedicate the resources to such a project. How many more consoles would they sell by having an android app vs just an iPad app? My guess is that number isn't going to be huge. Most people that want remote control will just get a tablet that works with the console of their choice. Very few would make their buying decision of the console based on the platform of tablet that is needed for remote control.

Android tablets, being as random as they are, with many different hardware sets and software versions require vastly more resources for proper development, yet, represent a sliver of the market.  It doesn't make financial sense to dedicate resources there.

[ProSoundWeb Community]