RE: Music just for musicians?

[pycraft@elec.gla.ac.uk (Dr M. P. Hughes)]

In response to the latest to-ing and fro-ing between (principally) myself
and Jon, Greg wrote the following:

>Well I tried to make a simple blanket statement about a very complex 
>situation and it seems that I opened a big can of worms. 

More like Pandora's box... oops, wrong FX manufacturer!

>Has Lexicon made 
>mistakes?  Yes, of course.  We did try to create interest in the JAMMAN 
>and 
>Vortex.  These products did not sell at 1/3 of the rate as the ALEX or 
>REFLEX.  Yes there were forecasting problems.  Does Lexicon owe it to the 
>community to keep products in the product line?  I don't think so.

Only when it's US!!!  :)

>I was warned when I arrived at this list that John Durant was almost 
>railroaded off of this list.  Well his interest in the art of looping has 
>kept him here.  

That one actually came from me... at the time there was the big "why does
the JM act like it's stereo" thing; Jon was taking flak and as I recall I
posted trying to tell everyone that just 'cos Jon is a Lex employee,
doesn't mean you attack him for Lex actions.  Same here.  The post about
watching your back was in good humour, I assure you.

>I am not running away as I am used to taking the punishment 
>for the actions of others(it has been my job for a long time.)  But lets 
>not 
>waste time with this issue.  It would be more constructive(and 
>interesting) 
>to discuss what everybody would like to see in the next generation of 
>dedicated(or not) looping technology.  Maybe if we are all good on the 
>karmic scale Lexicon or Oberheim(or Roland or Alesis) might answer our 
>prayers.

Greg, I think that you may have been taking the debate personally here, and
if that's the case then I deeply and humbly apologise.  I own a JamMan, and
am trying to persuade my wife that we can afford a Vortex (though I've
never heard one - I'm acting to words from this list).  Like everyone else
here I'm sadenned by Lex's dropping of these products (though grateful for
the attendent drop in price!), but no-one is blaming you, or punishing you,
 I thought we were having a good-natured debate on why the sales values you
mention happened, especially in the light of how cool we know these boxes
are.  

>Yes there were forecasting problems.  Does Lexicon owe it to the 
>community to keep products in the product line?  I don't think so.
>Is Lexicon run by musicians?  I wish.  Is a discussion of corporate 
>politics 
>really very relevant to this list?  I don't believe so but I suppose it 
>is 
>debatable.

Only when they influence us.

>I do not get it.  Which would be worse?  The fact that we stopped 
>shipping 
>these products or if they were never made?

Many people around here would lose limbs rarther than Vortices.  I thought
we were debating why the rest of Humanity was stupid enough not to realise
that.

Sorry again,
Michael

Dr Michael Pycraft Hughes      Bioelectronic Research Centre, Rankine Bldg,
Tel: (+44) 141 330 5979        University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, U.K.
    "Wha's like us?  Damn few, and they're a' deid!" - Scottish proverb