Re: EDP cost/promotion/etc and some figures for thought

[Mark Sottilaro <sine@zerocrossing.net>]

On Monday, March 31, 2003, at 12:50 AM, Kim Flint wrote:

> for whatever it's worth, the processor that the EDP uses is one of the 
> most successful and widely used microprocessors ever in history. And 
> since it is still used in thousands of products, and is still in 
> production after something like 20 years, I don't think there is 
> anything to worry about. It's a bread and butter product for its 
> manufacturer. It is also quite affordable compared to many other 
> microprocessors on the market.

Thank you Kim!  Ah facts.  I'm not sure what the original email post 
that said someone from Oberhiem told them that it was hard to get parts 
for the EDP, but that makes me feel a lot better.  I've heard that NASA 
has a hard time getting 386 and 486 processors that it uses for many of 
it's older, but still in use, gear.  (I think the Hubble uses a 486 
processor in it's main CPU)  It made sense that it might be hard to get 
a 68040, but I'm glad it's not.

> I'm not sure why it matters how "modern" the hardware inside is or 
> isn't. The hardware is capable of doing the features that the EDP has. 
> If you like those features, the EDP may be a nice choice of looper for 
> you. If the features are not what you are looking for, choose 
> something else.

My point wasn't that the EDP didn't work well enough, it was all about 
a perceived possibility that the processor and memory were no longer 
made.  I'm happy to be wrong.

> The existence of looping products at any price is not going to cause 
> more people to get interested in looping. That would be the tail 
> wagging the dog. (Or supply-side economics, your choice.)

I agree.  I hope that more modern bands feature looping (especially 
live where it's harder to perceive that it's a studio production 
technique only), as it would be good for us all.

Again, I wanted to say that I wasn't the one who said the EDP was too 
expensive.  Another list member said it, and I responded by saying that 
while it did seem kind of expensive, but when you figure the price of 
the Repeater had another $70 or so tacked onto it for a bigger memory 
card, it came out to be more or less the same.  (but hard to compare 
due to their very different natures) I've also never said the EDP 
wasn't worth it.  Why did I buy one?  I've spent many years working in 
Music Retail and I saw the price point where something like the EDP 
becomes attractive to a mass audience.  My guess is that right now it's 
probably somewhere around $300.  Now, I guess there are good loopers 
out there, like the Line6 DL4 that are in that price range, so that's 
really good.  (oh, if only it had MIDI sync!) I've seen a ton of DL4s 
out there, and I just met some college guys who had just started 
exploring looping using one.  I mentioned the EDP to them and the guy 
said, "oh, I want one of those but can't afford it."  He had a Mesa 
Boogie amp, Kerzweil 2500, Paul Reed Smith guitar and a bunch of other 
stuff.  His roommate, who wasn't there at the time, had even more high 
end gear.  Now, I bet that as they grow more enamored with their DL4s 
they'll come around to the EDP.  (I sent them to the Looper's Delight 
website)

Thanks again Kim for the facts.  Misinformation can be a bad thing for 
sure.

Mark Sottilaro