Yamaha to buy Steinberg

[mildbill]

http://www.pinnaclesys.com/aboutus/PR/News.asp?NewsID=3753&Langue_ID=7

[DJDM]

Now this should be interesting...

[radiospace]

As a Cubase user:

 

That's GREAT news! Wow.

[resigned]

As a softsynth user, it's the end of the world as we know it. This means that Yamaha bought VST technology and the rights to license to whoever and however they choose. Think about it: there's no escape from Yamaha now... they can control the world VST market. As someone in another forum aptly remarked: Yamaha is the Borg.

[radiospace]

VST is no longer "the softsynth market." In fact unless you are using Cubase or Nuendo you're probably not using VST plug-ins without a translator. If Yamaha was foolish enough to try and monopolize the softsynth market via their control of VST-licensing, everyone would simply use one of the other sequencers, their plug-in format (AU, DXi, MAS, etc.), and run Steinberg out of business.

[Ben One]

I'd be very glad if Steinberg was no longer a part of Pinnacle. From my personal experience with Pinnacle's consumer video products, I don't have a very high opinion of their software (it's brought on market before all its compatibility, stability, and bug problems are sorted out) or their customer support (very inaccessible and the support website is very patronizing).

 

Also, audio software companies are probably almost always shortchanged if they become a division of larger video companies. With Yamaha, Steinberg would at least be associated with a company that already has an extremely serious interest in audio.

 

Ben

[MikeT156]

Quoted by THEPRO:

-------------------------------------------

As someone in another forum aptly remarked: Yamaha is the Borg.

-------------------------------------------

 

Hey Pro, aren't you confusing Yamaha with Microsoft? Now THAT'S the BORG.

 

Mike T.

[radiospace]

I think the big plusses are:

 

1) Yamaha can provide capital for Steinberg to support its products...immediately.

 

2) Yamaha will likely in time produce hardware controllers designed specifically for Cubase/Nuendo to compete with the advantage Pro-Tools users have in that regard. (Maybe at the Control24 level, not expecting a Yamaha Icon controller...)

 

3) It will likely lead to general advances in the way our computers and our hardware interact (Studio Manager, etc.)

 

4) Maybe mLan will finally be good for something.

[felix.]

Wow. This could go a few interesting directions. This one will be fun to watch.

[RABid]

This worries me. Roland investing in Cakewalk. Yamaha buying Steinberg. Who is Korg going to buy, and what will happen to future integration. I want to know that the mLan card I stick in my Motif ES works as well with Sonar as it does with Cubase. I dont want my hardware and software choices to be interdependent.

[Athan Billias]

Yamaha intends to continue to fully support a wide variety of DAW platforms as we have always done in the past. We have always been a proponent of open standards and this will not change. Ths smae is tru of Steinberg, they will continue to support a wide variety for hardware as they have done in the past.

 

So just as the in the past Yamaha will support Sonar, Logic, Digital Performer and other sequencers and try to encourage the development of open standards for the integration of hardware and software like Studio Connections Recall.

 

We have already spoken with upper management at Cakewalk and reaffirmed that we will be working closely together as we have in the past. The same situation will apply to Logic/Apple.

 

It is not these companies that pose any challenge because they share our belief that a free and open marketplace based on open standards is the best thing for the industry.

 

It is companies who hold on to proprietary advantages and refuse to allow other companies to compete who are the real Borg.

 

Athan Billias

Director of Technology

Yamaha Corporation of America

[Roger Hooper]

Yamaha has always been a strong advocate of computer use in music from early on. Steinberg is fortunate indeed to have been bought by them; can't wait to see the marvelous products that will result! Yamaha has made incredible sounding converters from day one, not to mention ground-breaking digital mixers, Steinberg has been a major innovator, providing an affordable and also great quality alternative to Pro Tools; there are good things ahead.

[Basketcase]

Originally posted by Athan:

Ths smae is tru of Steinberg,

[Sven Golly]

Originally posted by Basketcase:

Originally posted by Athan:

Ths smae is tru of Steinberg,

Presuming that Athan is who he presents himself to be (given the ease of signing up with a nom de plume on forums such as this), I'll cut him some slack for a few typos and errors in grammar and thank him instead for a quick response to this thread. Much more constructive than sarcasm, don'tcha think?

 

Perhaps it was the 'Borg' comment that prompted it? Perhaps it's a case of 'methinks he doth protest too much'? Either way, in a day and age when it's often difficult to get an answer out of manufacturers, this is a positive.

 

Oh, and on topic, as a new Motif ES owner, and soon-to-be-Cubase user, I'm looking forward to what the future may hold (and if it all goes to hell in a handbasket, the software I buy today will still work tomorrow).

 

Cheers,

SG

[Ben One]

As a side note, the very reason that I chose to go with the Cubase platform several years ago was that Cubase 5 offered the very best support for the now-discontinued Yamaha DSP Factory digital mixer. I've since moved on from the DSP Factory, but for me, it's as if everything has come full circle.

 

I can believe that Yamaha would still want to support multiple platforms and open standards; it is in their best interest to do so.

 

Ben

[JimmieWannaB]

As someone in another forum aptly remarked: Yamaha is the Borg.

That's what we used to call Pinnacle in the video world. After they built up a large warchest with Alladin, Pinnacle bought up just about every little manufacturer they could get their hands on. For a while it looked like they were going to take over everything except the big Japanese manufacturers.

 

Pinnacle found if far more cost effective to buy a company with an established product than to develop its equivalent in house. Having worked at Pinnacle years ago, I always assumed that they picked up Steinberg for a specific piece of software and would eventually sell off the rest. I'm just surprised that it took this long.

[Geoff Grace]

I'm surprised that no one has brought up what happened with Gibson's purchase of Opcode. That outcome is usually the big fear in cases like this. However, I'd be very surprised if it turned out that way with Yamaha's acquisition of Steinberg.

 

Perhaps with Yamaha's backing, we'll now see all of Steinberg's VSTis bundled with Cubase the way Apple did with Logic and its instruments? Hint, hint.

 

Best,

 

Geoff

[burningbusch]

On the surface this looks like a postitive. I've been concerned with the acquisition of music/audio software companies by non-music/audio companies.

 

Apple-Emagic

Sony-Sonic Foundry

Adobe-Syntrillium

Pinnacle-Steinberg

 

So hopefully this will bear fruit and we'll see much better integration of computer and keyboard technologies in the future.

 

Busch.

[resigned]

"The Borg" comment is a little strong, but living in the US or abroad and seeing the Yamaha name on everything from pianos to snowmobiles, watercraft, motorcycles and more gives the impression of Yamaha's immensity and desire to own marketshare. That same Borg comment has some roots in concerns in the US over Yamaha's engagements in political committees that affect our policies regarding public land fees and other issues.

 

We've learned not to fully trust larger corporations - the largest of which we tend to trust the least. Yamaha's newest acquisitions may be the best thing since sliced bread, or the worst thing since burnt toast, depending on your point of view and whatever future indicators of company policy Yamaha's reps deem fit to share with us. Open standards sounds good but the bigger the company the more likely it is to be the entity determining those standards.

[Markyboard]

Perhaps with Yamaha's backing, we'll now see all of Steinberg's VSTis bundled with Cubase the way Apple did with Logic and its instruments? Hint, hint.

To be announced at NAMM:

 

Cubase 4.0 Pro $1000(List)

 

Comes bundled with-

Halion

Drum Machines

Virtual Guitarist

Hypersonic

The Grand

Virtual Instrument Collection

D'Cota

(get on with the joke Markyboard)

Motif ES

ES Rack

P250

DM2000

01X

ADAM S3.0A(pair)*

 

*we know our monitors ain't so good

[Geoff Grace]

ROTFL Markyboard!!!

 

Best,

 

Geoff

[FrankieP]

Originally posted by Sven Golly:

Originally posted by Basketcase:

Originally posted by Athan:

Ths smae is tru of Steinberg,

Presuming that Athan is who he presents himself to be (given the ease of signing up with a nom de plume on forums such as this), I'll cut him some slack for a few typos and errors in grammar and thank him instead for a quick response to this thread. Much more constructive than sarcasm, don'tcha think?

SG

hmmm...

Isn't Athan the moderator for the Motifator forums (Yamaha_US)?

 

Anyway, Athan, welcome to the forum and thanks so much for that useful info!

[Sven Golly]

Originally posted by FrankieP:

hmmm...

Isn't Athan the moderator for the Motifator forums (Yamaha_US)?

Could be... I don't frequent that forum, so I don't know. I wasn't suggesting that he wasn't a credible source... just putting a disclaimer up, in case it turned out to be a hoax.

 

Cheers,

SG

[radiospace]

Originally posted by Sven Golly:

Presuming that Athan is who he presents himself to be (given the ease of signing up with a nom de plume on forums such as this)

Yeah, it could be an imposter who registered on this forum in November 2001 and with great patience has been waiting for the ideal moment to spring his nefarious plan into action. And, apparently, that moment has finally arrived!

[Markyboard]

I'll assume at this point no one's figuring I'm in any way affiliated with Yamaha.

[DafDuc]

Markyboard, might be a good time for them to revive the Model-E too.

 

I'm guessing this means no more soft Yam clones from Arturia or NI? And will the next Virtual Grand only sample Yam pianos?

 

The mind boggles...

[radiospace]

Originally posted by DafDuc:

I'm guessing this means no more soft Yam clones from Arturia or NI?

I'm unaware of the fact that NI pays Yamaha licensing fees for FM7, or that they have found it necessary to even obtain permission to create that product. If it isn't necessary for them to obtain permission (legally) then Yamaha can't stop them from producing it. Even if Yamaha were to decide to pursue a copyright infringement claim against NI over the product, at this late date I would imagine that their case would be seriously weakened by the fact that they have allowed NI to establish a franchise under the title FM7 without previous objections.

 

If NI is paying Yamaha for FM7 I'd be interested to read about it, so fill me in.

[burningbusch]

NI provided support so that current devices like the AN200 could be used to control FM7. Hence the hardware unit remained functional and wasn't replaced by the software. That's a nice way to do it. Before any of these companies goes through the process of cloning a hardware piece I would suspect that they would get clearance.

 

Busch.

[Sven Golly]

Originally posted by radiospace:

Yeah, it could be an imposter who registered on this forum in November 2001 and with great patience has been waiting for the ideal moment to spring his nefarious plan into action. And, apparently, that moment has finally arrived!

Gee, sarcasm. Merry Christmas right back atcha.

 

This was only the second post by the poster; is it so far-fetched to think that perhaps it's either a dormant account that may have been hijacked by someone, or an old account that someone changed the name of? You do realize you can change your display name, right?

 

Thanks for contributing to the thread, though. Quite constructive.

 

SG

[RABid]

Originally posted by radiospace:

Originally posted by DafDuc:

I'm guessing this means no more soft Yam clones from Arturia or NI?

I'm unaware of the fact that NI pays Yamaha licensing fees for FM7, or that they have found it necessary to even obtain permission to create that product. If it isn't necessary for them to obtain permission (legally) then Yamaha can't stop them from producing it. Even if Yamaha were to decide to pursue a copyright infringement claim against NI over the product, at this late date I would imagine that their case would be seriously weakened by the fact that they have allowed NI to establish a franchise under the title FM7 without previous objections.

 

If NI is paying Yamaha for FM7 I'd be interested to read about it, so fill me in.

Your being unaware of the fact does not mean there is no deal. And though you would like to be filled in, Im not sure Yamaha or NI feels a need to keep you informed on their business dealings. But for some basic information on the cooperation between the two companies look through the manuals.