FXpansion’s BFD Acquired by inMusic

[elxsound]

JUCE: https://roli.com/article/roli-welcomes-juce-2

FXPANSION: https://roli.com/article/software-innov ... joins-roli

I still think Fxpansion's Cypher/Strobe makes sense (especially when you look at reactions to Equator especially at launch). I don't think it needed to be FxPansion, but it probably needed to be something more established for accelerating a want for their hardware alongside software that is designed to function together. Roli Studio Player and even Roli Studio Drums is a nice move on their part (and I'm guessing that doesn't happen without FxPansion).

As for the product of BFD... It seems obvious that it just didn't fit that big picture of MPE integration.

They also had significant cash flow at one point (but seem to have overshot their expectations on returns).

[Jace-BeOS]

They also had significant cash flow at one point (but seem to have overshot their expectations on returns).

I had suggested “arrogance” and “overconfidence” in my original query, but had deleted that part to avoid being unkind. Still... it does seem apropos.

[elxsound]

They also had significant cash flow at one point (but seem to have overshot their expectations on returns).

I had suggested “arrogance” and “overconfidence” in my original query, but had deleted that part to avoid being unkind. Still... it does seem apropos.

I can't argue that! Still, I've got a feeling that their acquisitions were not the problem... And that worries me. I love my Blocks and want them to keep being developed and supported.

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

Hey, you've got a bunch of money burning a hole in your pocket and you go out and buy some plugins and apps you don't need and probably won't use! Who among us isn't guilty of that? Roli did the same thing!

[Aloysius]

They should have had a big blockbuster epic release ready to go so we don't have to rely on future hope. Hope that everything will go well. No disrespect meant but talk is cheap.

[elxsound]

Hey, you've got a bunch of money burning a hole in your pocket and you go out and buy some plugins and apps you don't need and probably won't use! Who among us isn't guilty of that? Roli did the same thing!

Sir, I do not know that which you are speaking of!

But just picking apart pieces of what's been mentioned and seeing some of the names involved in their spending spree... my impression is that they are top heavy with their resources, leaving very little to invest in dedicated support (which results in slower development time while allocating staffing to tasks that could be better handled by entry level support).

That might be a heavier leap and criticism (if true) than just saying arrogant and overconfident.

[Jace-BeOS]

JUCE: https://roli.com/article/roli-welcomes-juce-2

So much corporate speak and optimistic hollow talk. What actually came out of all that talk? Any actual measurable progress?

The announcement was made at an event called “slush”, FFS. As in “slush fund”??

A conference for “entrepreneurs and investors”... what a celebration of hollow opportunistic nonsense laissez-faire capitalism is. I’m amazed that anything worthwhile ever gets created anymore. It’s rare for good products to be maintained (or at least maintained in a state of excellence; Apple has certainly lost excellence via obsession with Wall Street “performance” that their current leadership demonstrates, and I’m saying that as a fan of the 2007-2012 Apple).

Actual work in this world (as in hard work put forth to create, build, or design something of actual value and notability) is rare. It’s either labor workers who are told they’re “essential” enough to be put at risk during COVID19, but are paid as though they’re utter undesirables (because they’re an expense, to corporate)...

...or a tiny batch of skilled workers, whose ranks are shrinking by the year (often being replaced by gig workers who have been indoctrinated by a job market that demands familiarity with every dogdamned job, but zero expertise in anything... because no one values expertise, nor pays for it.

Expertise is dying in this economy and culture. The few remaining skilled people get bandied about like product, traded back & forth between corporations, opportunistically used by so-called “investors”, and then tossed aside when one corporation decides to divest itself of “the intellectual property”.

The workers then struggle to get their nezt “gig” and pay their bills, while most of the money goes to what is basically a bunch of gamblers who got lucky once and have therefore presumed themselves to have some kind of special predictive ability and leadership skills...

Anyway, I’ll be HAPPY for FXpansion if this InMusic thing turns out well for them. I just don’t personally have confidence in it, due to multiple prior examples, and I don’t feel like spending money on InMusic brands (due to feeling personally screwed by them abandoning my expensive Avid/M-Audio FireWire audio interfaces... and yes, Avid is also on my shitlist). So I feel like BFD has been removed from my world as a result of this buyout.

[digitalboytn]

JUCE: https://roli.com/article/roli-welcomes-juce-2

So much corporate speak and optimistic hollow talk. What actually came out of all that talk? Any actual measurable progress?

The announcement was made at an event called “slush”, FFS. As in “slush fund”??

A conference for “entrepreneurs and investors”... what a celebration of hollow opportunistic nonsense laissez-faire capitalism is. I’m amazed that anything worthwhile ever gets created anymore. It’s rare for good products to be maintained (or at least maintained in a state of excellence; Apple has certainly lost excellence via obsession with Wall Street “performance” that their current leadership demonstrates, and I’m saying that as a fan of the 2007-2012 Apple).

Actual work in this world (as in hard work put forth to create, build, or design something of actual value and notability) is rare. It’s either labor workers who are told they’re “essential” enough to be put at risk during COVID19, but are paid as though they’re utter undesirables (because they’re an expense, to corporate)...

...or a tiny batch of skilled workers, whose ranks are shrinking by the year (often being replaced by gig workers who have been indoctrinated by a job market that demands familiarity with every dogdamned job, but zero expertise in anything... because no one values expertise, nor pays for it.

Expertise is dying in this economy and culture. The few remaining skilled people get bandied about like product, traded back & forth between corporations, opportunistically used by so-called “investors”, and then tossed aside when one corporation decides to divest itself of “the intellectual property”.

The workers then struggle to get their nezt “gig” and pay their bills, while most of the money goes to what is basically a bunch of gamblers who got lucky once and have therefore presumed themselves to have some kind of special predictive ability and leadership skills...

Neo liberalism...

The new world order

[elxsound]

I don't think it has anything to do with Neo Liberalism (or anything else that would end up in HPC).

Its seems to be just an observation and at times an expressed opinion mixed in.

I don't see much to argue with at all .

[MadDogE134]

well i took the roli thing as BAD news... and no matter what is said from 'pep talk' hand me downs... this transition to inmusic is more bad news to me as an end user. all this is based on investment and profit margin.. if BFD shows no influx of revenue then inmusic will dump it off or let it die and write it off on taxes as a loss. and as for that feral pup as creative manager... that is a joke. he is only there as a face and was probably paid handsomely for it which runs up debt in hopes of a payoff. his name alone will sucker in kids that want to be an idol or at the very least famous lol that alone will bring in a bit of new revenue. but as the disappointment sets in... there will be less and less of any money flowing in to the coffers. i quit investing in BFD with the advent of roli and the only way BFD will survive is to make a statement by action and not words immediately... not 2 yrs down the road. like a new interface, better browsing and possibly integration to other products. roli bought them in hopes of a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow and it didn't pan out. seems inmusic is doing the same but now with the world in economic distress there will be a LOT more transitions or aggressive takeovers happening as companies vie for position and try to keep their heads above water. i for one am not holding my breath.

[elxsound]

I don't know that it didn't pan out though... Roli has what they wanted from that buyout in Cypher, Strobe and I'm assuming Roli Studio and Roli Studio Drums. Time will tell what happens to Geist, but I'm guessing it'll be integrated into the line up too.

I don't think they were expecting a pot of gold... just an established and well respected software suite that they wouldn't have to license to use but direct its development to align with their hardware goals. It seems they got that.

BFD doesn't align with it.

I won't argue on behalf of inMusic because I think all of us responding have been doing this long enough to have had a negative experience with one of their brands.

[Sinisterbr]

https://futuremusic.com/2020/04/24/roli ... -keyboard/

"Next to go was FXpansion, the UK developer of the Strobe soft synth, and most notably BFD, a popular acoustic drum simulator that is enjoyed by studio engineers who relish it’s ability to augment recorded kits. InMusic is the lucky winner this time, the same conglomerate behind Akai, Numark, Alesis and M-Audio. The brain trust behind FXpansion, including the entire engineering department, will not stay at Roli to work on Cyber and Strobe, but instead head over to InMusic. "

So, that's end of the line for Cypher and Strobe, it seems?

[triggerthehorizon]

So all fxpansion products are moving over to InMusic?

[acYm]

I'm really gonna miss Cyber, if not...
lol journalists

[revvy]

Geist is fading....I'm losing it...