Can I use MIDI Mobilizer to control synthesizer applications or play other music apps on my iPhone?
This is technically possible, but would require software updates to each application in order to communicate with MIDI Mobilizer. Additionally, the developer of the application would need to become a Line 6 MIDI Mobilizer developer in order to be given the development tools, and allow Line 6 to publish their MIDI Mobilizer-enabled version (currently, all applications for a hardware accessory must come from the same publisher).
If there’s an application you’d like to see work with MIDI Mobilizer, please have the developer contact MMdeveloper [at] line6.com for more information.
This is the bit that I don't get. Does this mean that developers will need to hand over their apps to Line6 for them to publish the version that works with the hardware? Will developers do that?
Views anyone?
4 comments:
Why don't they license their SDK to app devs. It would suck if they crippled the ability to use this hardware with 3rd party apps especially since the iPad is going to make softsynth apps and sequencer apps so much more awesome. Open Inclusiveness is way better than proprietary exclusiveness!
-Otter
Apple's policy here seems really to limit the usefulness of hardware accessories.
It seems they want to keep their developers in silos- like the way iolibrary got nixed.
Maybe individual developers need to start forming coops to submit their apps through, so that they can all "come from one publisher".
It would be better if apple supported developer created shared library code.
Yeah, it kinda sucks, but apparently Apple doesn't allow developers to develop for another person's add-on, so Line6 has to be the one to submit the app. Also, Line6 wants a 20% comission on sales meaning devs have to give up almost 50% of their profits to Apple and Line6. Not sure if this is a good deal for outside developers since the number of users will be pretty small I'm guessing. Would be pretty hard to recoup the development costs (without charging a lot..)
This is just stupidity. Apple deserves a big sock in the jaw for this brain-dead policy. Who is it protecting? Only Apple.
As a result the whole idea of a general purpose MIDI interface on the iPhone is dead in the water. Instead what we get is yet another proprietary standard and walled garden.
I'm kind of sorry for Line 6 here. They are the victim of Apple's fine print and absurd policy. And they probably spent a large amount developing and licensing the MIDI Mobilizer.
The same issue would affect the AKAI keyboard. Plus it would be impossible to have a single version of an app support both AKAI and Line 6.
The stuff is going to eventually chip away at Apple's position in the market. Unfortunately Android has yet to address the task of peripheral access. Let's hope they get something more flexible together soon because there's a big market opportunity here to exploit.
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