Call for help: spread the word

#1

Hi there,

The Axoloti project would benefit from more visibility on the internet, and I'm asking your help:

  • posting about Axoloti in related online forums like muffwiggler, kvr, electro-music, diystompboxes, make, arduino, hackaday...
  • make a video/picture/track of your setup and post them on social networks
  • EDIT: no more need to vote for coverage on CDM, thanks for the votes!
    https://twitter.com/cdmblogs/status/678995063922233344

This is of course not an invitation to spam or violate forum rules!

Thanks!
Johannes

#2

Man, I have been campaigning for you since the day I got it and still are :wink: On Facebook, among friends and to everyone who listens :wink: ........ will also make a post on electro-music.com forum later today when I am home again.... That is a really important forum in my opinion.

But one thing I have to say that I'v heard from some people who sold it again is that it is really complicated getting started with. I have more than 10 years experience from Nord Nm1 and Nord G2 and I have also had a hard time getting started. But have learned a lot allready thanks to you and Techno bear and other users too off course :smile: . I feel pretty comfy about it now. So I reckon some one with zero experience with modular environments will have a very hard time. But I guess anyone coming from PD or Max it is piece of cake. So those groups should probably be primary targets for "campaigning" :smile:

#3
#4

Done voting :wink:
It deserves all the visibility! with or without a case its instant - What is THAT? what it does?

Have a bit more spare time these days, lets see if i can record something.

Oh, and @johannes Merry Christmas and a happy new year also to Axoloti community;-)

#5

Yeah, need to do a recording here also. Maybe a abstract version of some christmas song :smile:

#6

Go for it !!
no harm I'm sure… in the end it will document evolution (and besides you have plenty of patches to start with :wink: ) no?

#7

Yeah.. A lot by now :smile: But the kids are here today... I think after christmas I have time to make a music post :smile:

#8

a video is coming soon ... its really difficult to capture the monitor + hardware at the same time without me covering the image :smile:

done

#9

Yeah man. True! I have a Macbook 2012 and God knows why Apple decided NOT to put in an Audio input in the newer Macbooks... Only the microphone option....

#10

One of the thing that might scare people off is the UI of the Java editor. While it works very well and is pretty functional it looks a bit dated compared to the other flow based softwares (Max, Reaktor, Bidule, etc).
Perhaps just tweaking the color scheme could help a bit ?

#11


I never really liked Java as a UI. My choice would have been juce. Its free for open-source projects, cross platform, very customisable, with a modern UI approach. But the Axoloti Java UI works very well (except for macs where it takes almost all cpu power) and i somewhat like the 'retro' touch.

#12

There's certainly room for improvement, but I'd focus efforts on UX before design. For color scheme, I'm open for contributions (in code).

I'm not sure we need wiggling patch cords like introduced in Max7 though :smile:

#13

I'm making some gifts for friends, this xmas, with axoloti cores...is it valid as "spread the word"? :wink:

#14

I completely agree, those wiggles are terrible :stuck_out_tongue:

#15

I love the wiggly cables, they make my code run faster :smile:

actually, I don't believe the UI is the issue... ( I don't like java either btw)

for me, I think the issue is, recognising some (many?) users are 'preset' users... they will only ever take existing patches and tweak them, programming is just to big an ask.

if you look at Reaktor in particular, Id say a very high percentage, only pick up others ensembles/instruments from the library (which is fantastic) and just use them.
With blocks this is changing slightly, but only because they are 'high level' components, and are attracting modular users (or at least wannabe)

this is a completely valid use for software/hardware... not all want to 'dig in', many don't have the time, and many will find this intimidating as the first step when the take it out of the box.

for these users I believe the barrier to entry is to high. It can be lowered by:

a) User Library, needs to be rich in content
b) Videos showing what Axoloti can do for them, out of the box...

If axoloti just showed a few patches with ready to use applications it would be worth the money
e.g.
- decent reverb unit
- delays/chorus/phasors, with midi control
- midi router/filtering (usb to din, din to usb)
- VA synth with obvious midi control/mapping
- drum machine/sequencing

I know we can build them, but that is a big step for many, a step to far...
think a decent H/W reverb unit will cost you more than 65 euro... a board which can be used as a swiss army knife for FX, midi mangling, synth voices, sequencing, drum machine - whats that worth?

most will look at the axoloti website, and just not get it.. they will look at the youtube videos, and just not understand it could be plug n play, it looks complicated, and time consuming

I think Axoloti is technically superior to OWL, but they recognise this.
watch the recent coverage by sonicstate, they described it essentially as an extendable system. it was said, almost only in passing, that you could program it yourself...the focus was on how easy it was to get things from the library, and instantly install them

of course, the great thing is, bring in new users for what it can do 'out of the box' and it won't be long before a few/many start tweaking it gently, and then perhaps digging in further...

these are just my thoughts...but perhaps there are more 'programmers' out there than Im assuming.

#16

Good point. We should spread the word and create a community driven patch library with good documentation and how-to videos.

#17

Im on electro-music all the time, drop by the chatroom sometime.

#18

My unit shipped today! which means of course I don't have it and cant contribute to meaningfully to this thread, other then a bunch of HELL YEAH.

That being said from a development standpoint:

I think the first step (which it looks like many folks have started in various places) is to create a list of "missing"/ Wanted patches, and an easy way to request them. Similar to a bug list (I dont think we should pollute the dev github, but this is very much something that could be managed on git) We start tracking those needs/bugs/tasks and people can start kicking them out and dropping them on git until the day that we can build a better UI for the library, or package it with the actual patcher. I think we can totally make this stuff super low barrier for folks.

#19

Hello,

i just finished the "Beta" Version of my Axoloti Synthesizer. I plan to build a case with 4 octave keys and Pitch and Modwheel around the Core. The Front Panel Layout of this Synth is also just finished. When the complete Synthesizer is finished, i will upload pics to my web site and, like always, a video of this synth to my YouTube Channel. I will link all to your Web Site. Maybe it helps a little bit.

Best and merry christmas

Mario aka Synth-Project

#21

I've made a little video that you can use it you want