@jakecj69 Developing software is tricky. While I may not thoroughly agree with every move Singular Sound makes, yet that unique feel of BeatBuddy pedal superiority simply doesn’t leave me after almost half a year of me using it.
I can’t comment on the team priority, yet as we all have already read from the comments of BeatBuddy Support and DavidPackouz, developing software still is the priority number one.
Yes, I am helping the company because I have strong faith in its product! Earlier this month I received the most awesome present possible for my 30-th birthday - a completely new non-squeaky BeatBuddy (that everyone of you rock with by the way!), as mine was an early pre-release sample one. I also got one more totally exclusive BeatBuddy - a “Collector Edition” pedal that is implemented in a different color (I hope to make a video with it some day) together with a personal signed photo and a hand-written birthday card. To me this is a much much better compensation! Primary reason I want to do this - is because I like doing this. I believe getting money for the job you really like is the ideal that pretty much everyone should strive for. Yet I think the official dev team is doing great. I just wanted to help buy them time. Mac is pretty shitty when it comes to device drivers, as it is nothing more than a lousy Linux wrapper - much like Windows 95 was an MS-DOS wrapper. But even then Windows came with a huge ton of device drivers - take modern Windows system, plug just about any reasonable USB device, and it will likely start working right away! Do the same with Mac… And suddenly you get what is advertised as a strong selling point! Less supported hardware = less problems. Yeah, sure…
What is that promise? “Total Control” that should be “Easy to Use” on a “Mac”
Can you please supply the reference where you got this “promise” from. As far as I recall this was only mentioned in regards to the pedal “…giving you full control of the beat” also “…which is easy to use just like a guitar pedal”. The software is another beast and it explains why very few hardware manufacturers go down the software route for programming their devices especially with something as versatile as the Beatbuddy. Without a huge investment in software development it would never be possible to have an easy to use Manager software. So personally I am confident that there is a Mac version on the way and as far as I am concerned Daef offered to release an improved windows version as a Mac port to help you Mac guys out. I don’t know what the hold up is with the official version, however there are still certain issues that need addressing, e.g. no drag and drop when editing drum kits and more importantly the need for an SD card reader as the BB can’t be plugged into the Mac directly…meaning extra costs for the end user on top of that constant requests for added features firmware updates etc etc etc…and all this from a small start up company.
A customer promise is what is implied OR explicitly stated when any business promotes their brand/product/service and then when a customer purchases/owns/uses it, it’s what determines customer satisfaction and ultimately leads to advocacy, loyalty, or if the customer feels let down relative to expectations… leads to dissatisfaction, complaints, defection to other solutions/brands. Since the rise of social media, customer dissatisfaction (versus expectations that are a result an implied or explicit customer promise) is something to be extra careful to avoid as every dissatisfied customer now is armed with a megaphone and are at least 10 x more likely to use it versus people that are satisfied. So the best outcome for a dissatisfied customer is that they just don’t buy your product again - but the more likely scenario is that they will complain and review negatively online and dissuade other new customers that the company was hoping for. The best way to avoid it is to set proper expectations, truly prioritize resources against those things critical to customer satisfaction It’s painful to see any company miss this important aspect of brand management. Truly prioritizing means the company does nothing else not critical to the satisfaction of it’s customers. I’m not getting that sense from this company’s management. All this said, those of you investing your personal time and energy to help out the user community is VERY appreciated. Really, if not for you guys trying to help us, I would be far more vocal than I have been with my dissatisfaction. They are lucky to have you defending their brand. I suppose I just feel compelled to provide a POV from a customer perspective in a way that highlights the disconnect between my expectations as a customer and what I’m seeing from the company in terms of priorities. I want an easy to use Mac solution that allows me to fully work with the Beatbuddy. I wanted that when I invested in it. I invested in it because I was told that’s what I’d get.
That along with the prior post from this company indicate that they’re proceeding on parallel paths. That may get us to a non beta Mac sooner. That’s a good thing. Why daef was able to move faster than the paid team makes me wonder, but at least we have something to work with.
As for the lack of information on an official release, don’t forget that that the owners are in charge of marketing and just finished the biggest trade show of the year (in the US) and that had to have been their priority for the recent past. Miss that opportunity and you might as well close up shop. Hopefully the software team has been busy while David et al were promoting.
Not only did they just finish the biggest trade show of the year, they won a rather prestigious award, Best In Show.
I was lucky enough to witness. It was amazing.
As for the “promises” that they made? I don’t recall them promising a Mac solution right away. That sounds like something you expected without actual evidence that you’d get it.
If you base your expectations on how you wish things were, rather than how they actually are? You’re destined to dissatisfaction.
The product is amazing. They are very obviously working on getting us, the end-user, what we want.
It’s not happening as fast as some folks wish it would, but it IS happening.
Ranting and howling at the moon and stamping your feet in a puerile display isn’t helping ANYTHING, nor is it going to get things moving faster.
jakecj69 is right. I too invested in this expecting the company to have an easy to use Mac software solution. It is, after all 2015, essential for any company making a product that has to interact with 2015 tech. It is unbelievable, no matter how busy they may be with trade shows, that there has been so little movement and communication on this despite constant customer complaints.
“So little movement and communication”?
They’re working on it and we’ll get it soon. What more do you need?
Or do you think that, because you expected something that was not actually promised, you have a right to demand things of someone else’s company?
Just curious.
Mac solution at launch was stated repeatedly in FAQs back when they were accepting the startup $'s. I wouldn’t have invested/pre-bought if it wasn’t. Those of us that are disappointed did their research. Get your head out of your you-know-what.
But you have a Mac version! maybe not the one you originally thought you would have but one is available and from what I’ve read it seems to work better than the windows version. Maybe the Mac version is now not such a high priority anymore as the Beta version is out which does everything and more than the windows version. Like Daefecator said “it bought some time” and solved a grieviance many of you had and rightly so. Maybe if the Mac beta hadn’t been made public then you would have had the “official” version by now, I don’t know, but now you can at least use your BeatBuddies as us windows users. So mistakes have probably been made, unforeseen issues have occurred and communication on this has been poor. Now please move on to a different topic, you have a Mac version - use it and the official version will be released in due course I am sure.
Hard to follow this, as the dates jump all over the place. I need a Mac version so I can set up song lists, etc. When is it coming out? I’d rather not beta test, just want a quick easy solution so I can incorporate this machine in the show.
And, I’d like to install in on my Mac like other software for the Mac, download and install and run. Come on people, let’s go!
Mike, why are you making excuses for the business? Looks like they are getting good pats on the back for Namm, now let’s have them delight the customers who paid for the product and get the Mac version complete. All good!
I’m not making excuses at all.
Just saying that it seems obvious to me that they are doing their best to get a product out as best they can and this constant whingeing and haughty, rude demands aren’t helping. The accusations, the misinformation, the willful misunderstandings that I keep seeing here… how are they helping? How is this behaviour getting the product you want to you faster? How is this incentivising them to do what you want?
Acting like a - to turn a phrase - “you-know-what” isn’t going to win any points and, in fact, might do exactly the opposite of what folks want.
I’m as disappointed as anyone with the setbacks. I work seasonally and missed out on the possibility of quite a bit of money last year, due to the delays.
But I also understand that stuff happens. Setbacks happen. ESPECIALLY with a new company and a brand new product!
Throwing a tantrum and going on and on about how we’re not getting what we want is naive at best and isn’t helping at all.
Please correct me if i’m way off, but thinking about this, it looks as if they allowed Deaf to take it upon himself to clean up the Mac app and release it under his name, thus diverting criticism? LOL
It sort of looks that way. This is perfectly fine, as we get something, but David’s wording was such a fine example of misdirection I didn’t see this until now. (just sort of unusual)
Now if this indeed is the case, why on earth didn’t they explain what was going on? It’s been awhile. Deaf talks like he has an NDA, which is ridiculous.
To me, it looks like they are working on their own Mac version, but they don’t see it as being ready for release AND along comes Daef with his own work that he DOES think is ready for Beta… and it seems like it is. They also seem to be going “OOH! Here’s something that we can look at for suggestions and ways to make the official one better.”
Is your suggestion based on anything other than conjecture?
As for Daef’s appearance of an NDA? Based on what I see around here, the way the information they DO put out is twisted and misrepresented and attacked? I would keep my cards close to my chest, too!
I’m going on a comment he made saying the final release will be based on this Beta.
And It just looks that way. Two separate parallel programs is possible, of course, but then they would have already dumped the other ‘In house’ one according to Deaf’s comment above, in favor of his. And if this were the case, his reticence would be explained by a NDA, as surely we are all in the dark. Either way, the facts are being withheld.
But really, I don’t care even a little. Just having fun : )
Wow, emotions run high I feel the immediate urge to go grab some popcorn!
Yes, I am under NDA as I now have access to the complete source code from the official team. Initially I started my original research, but then it was no longer necessary. Actually, it was my own request to put out at least a beta version for Mac, as its complete development takes time, and I really felt for all the users that were having problems with Mac here on the forum.
DM1,
How is this hard to understand? You obviously read the posts, as you quoted one, how are you not getting it?
They have a team working on a Mac version. That has been established, no? If not, can you come up with any sort of valid reason to think that they DON’T have a team working on a Mac version? I can’t think of a single one, but maybe you have other information.
I’m sure they’ll correct me if I’m wrong:
Daef - very kindly, I might add! - worked on his own, completely separate from the team, just because he thought he might be able to get us Mac users something to mess around with, to at least get familiar with the program. Later, the BB team decided “Hey, that’s not horrible and it might be a resource for us as we work on the Mac version.” and started looking at Daef’s version… and gave him access to their stuff to improve his version, thus putting him under an NDA.
Why he’s being attacked and having mud slung at him with this self-righteous outrage is beyond me. I personally think he should be lauded.
As for the delays? A. I know stuff takes time. I don’t know why you guys don’t get that. And B. I’m going to make so much money when I DO finally get this all sorted, I’m more than willing to have patience. The upgrade to my product as a solo entertainer - and the money saved being able to do a show with drums backing me up without having to pay a drummer! - make it worth the wait.
I waited for months for it to finally get here and it exceeded expectations… for the simple reason that they didn’t rush it and they took their time to get it right. Based on what I’ve seen, I think the Manager - a complicated piece of software, I’m sure… especially if they’re making sure it’s upgradeable and expandable and all the stuff we want it to be - will be just as good, if not better.
I feel the immediate urge to go grab some popcorn!