KVR Audio

Numanoid · Post by **Numanoid** » Fri Sep 30, 2016 7:40 pm

Looking at some of the more known DAW's, I start to wonder why so many of them are based in Massachusetts?:

Pro Tools, Massachusetts
Sonar, Massachusetts
Digital Performer, Massachusetts

Logic, San Francisco/Cupertino, California
Studio One, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Reaper, New York

Bitwig, Berlin
Live, Berlin

Cubase, Hamburg
FL Studio, Gent (Belgium)
Reason, Stockholm

KBSoundSmith · Post by **KBSoundSmith** » Fri Sep 30, 2016 8:04 pm

Simple. Access to talent. Massachusetts has some of the best schools in the country, and it has a lot of them, including music schools. To top that off, the state has become more business friendly over the years. Those two factors combined are turning Massachusetts into an attractive place -- GE, for example, is moving its headquarters to Boston, and they even cited those reasons for the move, amongst others.

Robert Randolph · Post by **Robert Randolph** » Fri Sep 30, 2016 8:10 pm

Maybe there's some sort of Institute of Technology in Massachusetts that has a great deal of technical talent? Or perhaps some sort of community built around such an institution?

Perhaps.

ZeePok · Post by **ZeePok** » Fri Sep 30, 2016 8:15 pm

One addition to your list:

Mulab, Zoersel (near Antwerp, Belgium) .

Numanoid · Post by **Numanoid** » Fri Sep 30, 2016 8:23 pm

Robert Randolph wrote:Maybe there's some sort of Institute of Technology in Massachusetts that has a great deal of technical talent? Or perhaps some sort of community built around such an institution?

Perhaps.

So why is Ardour based in Philadelphia ?

https://ardour.org/credits.html

chk071 · Post by **chk071** » Fri Sep 30, 2016 8:29 pm

Numanoid wrote:
Robert Randolph wrote:Maybe there's some sort of Institute of Technology in Massachusetts that has a great deal of technical talent? Or perhaps some sort of community built around such an institution?

Perhaps.
So why is Ardour based in Philadelphia ?

https://ardour.org/credits.html

Does logic imply that, just because there might be a connection between having many educational sites, or an Institute of Technology, and the settlement of software engineering companies, that every software engineering company has to have its HQ there then?

Numanoid · Post by **Numanoid** » Fri Sep 30, 2016 8:32 pm

chk071 wrote:Does logic imply that, just because there might be a connection between having many educational sites, or an Institute of Technology, and the settlement of software engineering companies, that every software engineering company has to have its HQ there then?

I dunno, but if times are bad, having somebody nearby could be beneficial, to take over your business.

Hink · Post by **Hink** » Fri Sep 30, 2016 8:37 pm

KBSoundSmith wrote:Simple. Access to talent. Massachusetts has some of the best schools in the country, and it has a lot of them, including music schools. To top that off, the state has become more business friendly over the years. Those two factors combined are turning Massachusetts into an attractive place -- GE, for example, is moving its headquarters to Boston, and they even cited those reasons for the move, amongst others.

you know GE was based out of Lynn Mass for years and left, I'm not sure if their corporate HQ was in Lynn but there was a huge plant there. (I went to a tech high school in Mass, took machine shop and we toured GE, lathes so big the operator rode on the carriage). It's true, Mass has some great schools (and pricey housing) and many businesses to thrive here, they also crash and burn...Wang for instance (I live in Lowell, Wang did a lot for Lowell but it's collapse did it's share of damage). We also have great hospitals.

Cakewalk was from Cambridge Mass I believe, in the late 90's I worked at a small music store minutes on the red line from them (Davis SQ was where I was) and had several of their engineers as customers and they were in Cambridge then. I think PT is from Mass only because AVID bought them and they are based out of Wilmington which is close to where I live for now, it's good location because it's out of the city and has highway access to the key routes. DP is/was MOTU and again Cambridge, it was actually the first soundcard I ever saw for pro audio like it, once again I had a few employees as customers. (all that was before I owned my first computer).

Massachusetts has a lot of tech companies, my dad was an engineer and management at Raytheon for 43 years. One of my oldest friends is an engineer at iRobot (based in my hometown), Cisco Systems built a huge complex on the road my mom's condo was on (we sold it in April, it sold the first day on the market...thanx Cisco

)...I just think when new companies come in they should use old buildings (iRobot did actually) and not keep building new ones, I see so many vacant places that aren't that old and less ans less trees.

Numanoid · Post by **Numanoid** » Fri Sep 30, 2016 8:44 pm

Michael Dukakis, one of the persons behind the "Massachusetts miracle", what a shame he didn't win the Presidential election in '88

Karma_tba · Post by **Karma_tba** » Fri Sep 30, 2016 8:55 pm

I am a life long resident of Massachusetts. I was born in Boston City Hospital, grew up in the Back Bay(South End) , Roxbury ,Dorchester,and currently reside in Malden. I was schooled in Boston Public Schools, and attended Mass. College of Art. Massachusetts has always been active in technology and the Arts. I am proud to be called a Bostonian and have many precious memories and experiences in the Art and Music community. I am not surprised of the presence of these developers. I worked for office product supplier W.B. Mason (though I consider it a low point life experience) and made several deliveries to Cakewalk. At the time they were located in the "artists district" on the waterfront. It is a run down section of old office buildings and warehouses, I was not impressed, but that just goes to show it's not the location it's what you do with it.

ATS · Post by **ATS** » Fri Sep 30, 2016 8:58 pm

They may be business friendly too like with taxes

Timfonie · Post by **Timfonie** » Fri Sep 30, 2016 9:01 pm

Why are so many DAW devs based or originated in Germany?

Bitwig, Berlin
Live, Berlin
Cubase, Hamburg
Logic, Rellingen (Germany) before Apple bought them

That leaves only two conceived and developed in Massachusetts. Still impressive since Massachusetts has only 1/10 of the population of Germany.

Karma_tba · Post by **Karma_tba** » Fri Sep 30, 2016 9:01 pm

ATS wrote:They may be business friendly too like with taxes

Maybe for businesses but us residents call it "Taxachusetts".

Numanoid · Post by **Numanoid** » Fri Sep 30, 2016 9:03 pm

To make a comparison, Massachusetts population is half of that of London, UK.

And how many major DAW companies have their HQ in London?: zilch.

UK in general: zilch

So that is one of the reasons it makes it noteworthy.

BBFG# · Post by **BBFG#** » Fri Sep 30, 2016 9:04 pm

Numanoid wrote:Looking at some of the more known DAW's, I start to wonder why so many of them are based in Massachusetts?:
Pro Tools, Massachusetts
Sonar, Massachusetts
Digital Performer, Massachusetts
Logic, San Francisco/Cupertino, California
Studio One, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Reaper, New York
Bitwig, Berlin
Live, Berlin
Cubase, Hamburg
FL Studio, Gent (Belgium)
Reason, Stockholm

I may be off base, but I seem to remember that while their main offices are still located there, that much of Digital Performer and Pro Tools are 'farmed out' all over the globe. And in the case of anything Apple controlled, that it was bought and brought to Cupertino.

I think the greater observation would be look at how much really comes from Germany.

Why are so many DAW devs based in Massachusetts?