KXStudio needs a P.R. person

Unofficial support for the KXStudio Linux distribution and applications.
More info at http://kxstudio.linuxaudio.org/

Moderators: MattKingUSA, khz

rusk
Established Member
Posts: 42
Joined: Mon May 16, 2011 7:13 am

Re: KXStudio needs a P.R. person

Post by rusk »

I did that as a hobby. Promoted your distro at largest russian musicians forum. But with no luck yet. People go back to windows after first problem. I didn't tested all things myself and still can't help them with their questions like "how do I just plug in my guitar and play music?". So for better promotion you need to think about couple things: usability (ability to start music making in just couple clicks even for new users) and documentation... As ardour devs said documentation should be centralized, versioned and translations-friendly... Main thing that will get you new users is usability. Just download iso (or install one meta-package over standard ubuntu), launch the studio controll app and play/record your music. This way any new user will promote your distro to his friends.
User avatar
GraysonPeddie
Established Member
Posts: 657
Joined: Sun Feb 12, 2012 11:12 pm
Location: Altha, FL
Been thanked: 6 times
Contact:

Re: KXStudio needs a P.R. person

Post by GraysonPeddie »

How about this:

With a standard Ubuntu desktop, just double-click in an icon, enter the password for installing KXStudio, wait about one hour, add a logged in user to an audio group, ask for a reboot, and presto! You now have KXStudio. But what could be better is provide a UAC prompt just like in Windows so that a user does not have to be asked for the password, but then that's not going to work, right?

I mean, you'd never have to EVER touch the terminal at all.

Otherwise, it's better to provide an ISO with everything polished and preconfigured for music creation, video editing, or whatever the user wants to do.

How about distributing KXStudio DVDs in magazines?

You want Windows users to have one of the most seamless experience as possible for them to get into music creation in Linux. It's all about dumbing it down to the level that Windows users can understand. Sure, the Windows command prompt is there, but Windows does so well that people do not even bother to use it for their everyday lives. Sure, it is possible to not bother with Konsole or gnome-terminal if they are not into music, whether it be Internet surfing, word processing, play games, etc.

Once that is done, the marketing and PR can come next.
--Grayson Peddie

Music Interest: New Age w/ a mix of modern smooth jazz, light techno/trance & downtempo -- something Epcot Future World/Tomorrowland-flavored.
User avatar
GraysonPeddie
Established Member
Posts: 657
Joined: Sun Feb 12, 2012 11:12 pm
Location: Altha, FL
Been thanked: 6 times
Contact:

Re: KXStudio needs a P.R. person

Post by GraysonPeddie »

Yeah, that will work for Windows and Mac users with an installation wizard just like Ubiquity.

For the one-click option, it's for those who already have an Ubuntu desktop installed in their system by downloading a very simple .deb package and let the system do the rest.
--Grayson Peddie

Music Interest: New Age w/ a mix of modern smooth jazz, light techno/trance & downtempo -- something Epcot Future World/Tomorrowland-flavored.
i2productions
Established Member
Posts: 544
Joined: Sun May 22, 2011 6:14 pm
Location: New Hampshire, US
Been thanked: 1 time

Re: KXStudio needs a P.R. person

Post by i2productions »

GraysonPeddie wrote:How about this:

With a standard Ubuntu desktop, just double-click in an icon, enter the password for installing KXStudio, wait about one hour, add a logged in user to an audio group, ask for a reboot, and presto! You now have KXStudio. But what could be better is provide a UAC prompt just like in Windows so that a user does not have to be asked for the password, but then that's not going to work, right?

I mean, you'd never have to EVER touch the terminal at all.

Otherwise, it's better to provide an ISO with everything polished and preconfigured for music creation, video editing, or whatever the user wants to do.

How about distributing KXStudio DVDs in magazines?

You want Windows users to have one of the most seamless experience as possible for them to get into music creation in Linux. It's all about dumbing it down to the level that Windows users can understand. Sure, the Windows command prompt is there, but Windows does so well that people do not even bother to use it for their everyday lives. Sure, it is possible to not bother with Konsole or gnome-terminal if they are not into music, whether it be Internet surfing, word processing, play games, etc.

Once that is done, the marketing and PR can come next.
I've had a serious reversal in thinking about wanting to convert people from Windows to linux. For years I just couldn't understand why Ardour didn't want to work on a windows version(though now they supposedly will port a3). So you could make the install a tiny bit easier(though the choise of an iso or a half dozen terminal commands already seems MUCH easier than any windows install could be. I mean seriously, if you install hundreds of audio apps and plugins in windows you have to download/puchase and install each one seperately!) But if you make it so easy that they never use the terminal, what happens when they post with a problem and you ask them to type something into the terminal and you've lost them forever. People are only going to convert if they see a need or have a linux friend that constantly walks them through, and holds there hand. Gaining a thousand whiney windows users that likely won't contribute to the project with ideas or money is only going to slow down falkTX's efforts to polish wonderful tools and package them in an easy to use and mostly universal way! There's people that already don't like OS X Lion, and I think you're going to see even more Windows users looking for a new platform that doesn't have the Apple pricetag, once Windows 8 is released! People's way of thinking will have to change before projects like this can take on large numbers of converts.

Just my two cents on the matter. I'm an audio engineer first and a computer user second. I made the switch to linux 6 years ago because even then I could see that audio work on linux was becoming far more inovative than windows or mac could ever be, and I devoted the time to learn at least enough to use linux for all of my day to day computing. I don't think the majority of people(no offense to anyone, but musicians in particular) are going to make the switch so easily, even when it has been made rediculously easy already!
Thad E Ginathom
Established Member
Posts: 369
Joined: Fri Sep 23, 2011 1:03 pm

Re: KXStudio needs a P.R. person

Post by Thad E Ginathom »

I can see some specialized GUI for this, just like the KXStudio-Welcome tool but with Ubuntu->KXStudio upgrade options (auto-add PPAs, user to audio group, install KDE/XFCE desktop and KXStudio packages, install audio|plugins|graphics|video, etc). Such options would be presented in the GUI for the user to choose.
What do you think?
I think it is a great idea, but requires a lot more thought. Some of us, for instance, do not want KDE, or want only the minimum KDE content. On the command line, I've found that --no-install-recommends is the answer, and much more reliably so than from within Synaptic. The question is how far do you go with such options, and the answer is, probably not far at this time because you want to be coding applications, not installation routines. But, for the future...

Nor am I terribly convinced that it is your role to be a Linux v. Windows evangelist. It's your job to offer KXStudio, not to persuade people not to use Windows.

As far as I'm concerned, KXStudio made some stuff easy that I had been struggling with for months, but I was already convinced about the Linux/Windows issue, or I would never have bothered with that struggle at all. For me, a non-pro, non-studio user (but occasional dabbler with the tools), you made Jack usable, and Firewire (even though you always claim not to know anything about it!) workable.

It's true that one has to enter the Jack configuration screen and choose the firewire option, but having done that, (oh, wait, add user to audio group?) fire up a player and play. Whilst life may not be quite so simple for studio recording, I still think this is a damned good starting point, and I'm doing my PR bit by telling everyone that might be interested in listening to try KXStudio.

But, not being knowledgeable in the music/studio trade, that is as useful as I can be. Not much ... but I'll still go on doing it.

(Especially as I can now tell people that, from first tests, KXStudio seems to work with 12.04 and MATE, so no need for the worries about Unity, Gnome3, or whatever)

EDIT: went on from here to see this post
mad.ax wrote:Hello!
This is my first post on this board. Although I've been using Linux since 1998, I'm still a newbie when it comes to making music with my favourite (and only) OS. The reason is quite simple: until now, I've never been able to find a distro that would work well music with my setup and requirements. That all changed last night when I tried KXS 12.04 DVD. Almost everything worked out of the box! Watching videos in youtube without having to install proprietary codecs is already impressive in itself, but starting Guitarix in one click and being able to play along said video is something new!
Big thumb-up to FalkTX for providing such an efficient distro! ...
:D
rusk
Established Member
Posts: 42
Joined: Mon May 16, 2011 7:13 am

Re: KXStudio needs a P.R. person

Post by rusk »

i mean claudia interface usability not only installation guide...

let's imagine i'm new to linux. i used cakewalk before. somebody tells me that kxstudio is much better then cakewalk. so i decided to try. main goal is modular nature of studio in claudia. but first attempt gives me ardour wich don't want to save session until i save it manually.. so if i want tu use a lot of apps in a studio i have to open save dialog many times, then ajust command lines to use saved sessios... i better will return back to cakewalk...
rusk
Established Member
Posts: 42
Joined: Mon May 16, 2011 7:13 am

Re: KXStudio needs a P.R. person

Post by rusk »

For example i can suggest some claudia improvements. How about integrate app launcher in claudia itself? For example dropdown menu sequence. What about rename "LADISH Level" to something more clear, like "Autosave" and "Manual" with explanation tooltips "This application will save its session automatically" and "You have to save state of this app manually before closing session". How about opening applications with their default default sessions copyed separately to ~/ladish_projects/***? For example: start claudia, add ardour, open a new session in ardour, save it, unload studio and load again. Ardour will prompt for a session again. You need to read ardour manual and ajust claudia commandline yourself to start Ardour with saved session. It's not clear and not usefull, because you have to do it with every opened application... Some time ago I've talked with ladish devs to add an option to operate applications windows to gladish.. I've tryed to implement it but my C level is still too low for that. The Idea was in operating windows from gladish: minimize, maximize, may be even show DE window menu for sending window to other desktop, etc. Why it needed? When you have a lot of plugins you see only small squares at panel and cannot find the one you need to ajust quickly. Much better would be open window from gladish or claudia, isn't it? You need to minimize actions for opening ready to use claudia projects. I still can't understand studio logic: rooms, projects, connections etc. I never have had successefully saved and restored project with correct paths for each application. Studio control application need to do it itself and provide options to user.
User avatar
GraysonPeddie
Established Member
Posts: 657
Joined: Sun Feb 12, 2012 11:12 pm
Location: Altha, FL
Been thanked: 6 times
Contact:

Re: KXStudio needs a P.R. person

Post by GraysonPeddie »

With a studio logic, I'm thinking of this:

Grayson's Studio:
Main room
Workstation Room
Mixing Room
Samples Room
Hydrogen Room
Synthesizer Room
...etc.

Is that what studio logic is about?

I know this is overkill and I do lack an understanding of the logic, so I can see how this needs documentation.

And yeah, why not integrate Claudia-Launcher into Claudia? This can eliminate Alt=Tabbing between applications.
--Grayson Peddie

Music Interest: New Age w/ a mix of modern smooth jazz, light techno/trance & downtempo -- something Epcot Future World/Tomorrowland-flavored.
User avatar
GraysonPeddie
Established Member
Posts: 657
Joined: Sun Feb 12, 2012 11:12 pm
Location: Altha, FL
Been thanked: 6 times
Contact:

Re: KXStudio needs a P.R. person

Post by GraysonPeddie »

Then could you include a tutorial in Claudia? You might want to ask the permission before you include an off-line version of it since not all computers need Internet connection when it comes to music creation.

Before I read the tutorial, I think of "studio" as a set of rooms like mastering room, mixing/recording room, a room for microphones, and a room or two for instruments. Of course, not all studios are the same. Anyway, with the tutorial, I'm able to understand how it works now.

So before you find a PR person for promoting KXStudio, I think documentation needs to be done first. And for that, I have three words to say:

Documentation, documentation, documentation.

:)

The more there's documentation, the better someone will be able to promote KXStudio through the web and word-of-mouth.
--Grayson Peddie

Music Interest: New Age w/ a mix of modern smooth jazz, light techno/trance & downtempo -- something Epcot Future World/Tomorrowland-flavored.
slowpick
Established Member
Posts: 457
Joined: Mon Apr 25, 2011 10:09 am

Re: KXStudio needs a P.R. person

Post by slowpick »

i2productions wrote: I've had a serious reversal in thinking about wanting to convert people from Windows to linux.
win/mac hobbyist musicians squander countless studio hours trying to convert one another
to the latest DAW upgrade, and newest superior vsts they prefer...this week :roll: Imagine
the music that could have been produced in those mega-thousands of forum sessions. :shock:

Well, maybe they are better at qwerty keys than midi keys :wink:

Success is largely achieved by discovering a dire need, and then meeting it beyond
all expectations. Hobbyists that are spending $500 and up per year on soft and hardware,
with new computers every-other-year, don't need linux. A guy dating a super model,
likely won't chat up the local Meter Maid.

So breaking music production down into basic elements, and communicating a particular linux
strength, to each one, might help. win/mac users are solution oriented, and don't
need gpl religious conversion, when its the drums that are lousy, the noisefloor
is unbearable, or the guitar tone is uninspiring.

The competition, is sponsored by successful business giants like Apple, Yamaha, Avid, Roland
so collaboration, with a plan, leadership, and faithful workers, is crucial. Things could go on
as they are, for years, with dozens of talented lone-wolf genius developers entrenched in their own
aftermath, wondering why, instead of celebrating success. For example, 6 of the top
100 developers, determine the need, co-purchase a large house, (yeah, the moving van scene!)
convert it into low overhead apartments, office, and studio, maintain day-jobs as needed, and develop a solid business plan, financial plan, team leadership, and project work assignments.

Everyone has skin in the game, something to win, or lose. But no longer alone,
and at the mercies.
slowpick
Established Member
Posts: 457
Joined: Mon Apr 25, 2011 10:09 am

Re: KXStudio needs a P.R. person

Post by slowpick »

But where?

Find a place that is warm, with fresh fish and produce, low taxes,
lacking abusive local zoning regulations, and with a reasonably active economy.

New York? Toronto? Hollywood ? Paris? Moscow? Peking? Nope. Keep searching. :lol:

They are out there, and worth the move.
slowpick
Established Member
Posts: 457
Joined: Mon Apr 25, 2011 10:09 am

Re: KXStudio needs a P.R. person

Post by slowpick »

The typical windows user can probably watch a youtube linux demo, without needing
to learn any terminal commands. But its all downhill, from there :wink:
Videos are great promo tools, and don't impose the need for reading skills on the viewer.

A hoovered archive of such videos would be a worthy download. :)
rusk
Established Member
Posts: 42
Joined: Mon May 16, 2011 7:13 am

Re: KXStudio needs a P.R. person

Post by rusk »

Yes, claudia is a LADISH frontend. For windows management need to add dbus calls to ladish code written in C... It's possible, but wil not work with some DE's and probably with some applications like a2jmidid and pulse sync daemon Also there's a problem with multiwindow apps I can't find how to determine main window ID.
tbritton
Established Member
Posts: 33
Joined: Sun Jan 29, 2012 4:22 am
Been thanked: 2 times

Re: KXStudio needs a P.R. person

Post by tbritton »

I'm on the team for the open-source CamStudio screen recording application for Windows as a help-desk guy for a few years now. I got into that because

a) I believed in the "mission" of the software,
b) really respected the project leaders and programmers and
c) naturally shared from a new user's point-of-view what I had learned while I was learning it.

Of course, I did this using screen-recordings primarily (see my YouTube channel http://youtube.com/tbritton33) but also wrote articles on a website I put up at http://screencasttutorial.org and am active on the forums on a daily basis at http://camstudio.org/forum. I also run a few other education-based sites.

falkTX, your KXStudio project satisfies the first two requirements to engage me (for sure!), and the third comes automatically as I grow to love this distribution and respect it very much.

I have that perspective as a new user now with KXStudio, and have overcome some challenges already that a non-linux person would consider formidable. Your excellent script for recording screens is quite exciting (though certain programs do not appear for some reason), and RecorditNow is installed by default, though it lags pretty badly for me. Nonetheless, I see no problem with doing screen recordings of solutions for KXStudio issues and set-up videos.

I'm not big on Facebook or Twitter, but perhaps someone else could help out with that. I am learning to use IFTTT (If This Then That) for auto-posting across several social media tools. https://ifttt.com/wtf

I'm a web-programmer who works from home, specializing in ExpressionEngine and WordPress customization and design implementations via CSS (though I myself cannot design myself out of a paper bag ... that is, my design sense sucks! What I do is implement what real design-oriented folks dream up). The nice thing about that is I can make time for these other things that interest me. So, let me know how I can best fit in with this PR work, and I'll jump in!

Terry
wolftune
Established Member
Posts: 1350
Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2012 7:40 pm
Location: Portland, OR
Been thanked: 2 times
Contact:

Re: KXStudio needs a P.R. person

Post by wolftune »

Just a quick note: there's tons of PR work needed and it should not be focused on Twitter/Facebook. Those platforms deserve even more criticism than they get. That's not where the energy should necessarily go. Keep being "not big" on those. But yes, everyone who can promote and support KXStudio, please do! I am dependent on this now as my main system, loving it, and I want to see it succeed as much as possible.

I have three students now really getting into using KXStudio (though it's been rough, they are all new to GNU/Linux), and I'm getting closer to pushing it more and more. All my students are aware of it in some sense at least.
Aaron Wolf
Music teacher, scholar
http://wolftune.com
Post Reply