Great look, but, well, eh, perhaps I’m partially blind somehow, but, how do you post new topics in the forums?
This new website looks really good. Especially the homepage intro/advertisement for Ardour. Simple, attractive, aesthetically awesome, informative.
However, you might consider changing one thing: the “Musicians” paragraph. It sounds very reactionary, unlike the other paragraphs…especially Ardour is open. Is the point to scare away electronic or hip hop musicians? If not, then consider removing that part. I’m a bit worried about it. Potential Ardour users including talented performers who create non-traditional experimental electronic music may choose to ignore Ardour if they read that it’s specially designed for orthodox music production.
As a musician who grew up without a traditional instrument or music education, I’ve found Ardour to fit my needs. Many other electronic musicians seem to as well. Check the “Made With Ardour” forum. Electronic and hip hop beat-makers use Ardour. I’d feel comfortable predicting that more and more electronic producers will use Ardour in the future unless something is done to drive them away.
I use Hydrogen to sequence (and play with “pads”) perc samples that I recorded from random sounds, I use various linux softsynths to design sounds that I play using a MIDI keyboard, then I record and mix everything down in Ardour (using plenty of LV2s), and master my mix using JAMin. I love Ardour and it works for me. I don’t play traditional instruments, but I do play “actual instruments.” Not quite sure what “actual” is referring to in that sentence on the homepage. Which instruments do you consider to be “not actual”? And how does Ardour step “out of the way to encourage the creative process to remain where it always has been”? Stepping out of the way to encourage traditional status quo music production using well built instruments? Does Ardour therefore discourage innovation and experimentalism in music? Is Ardour not for the likes of bands like, say, Kraftwerk?
Yeah, I’m a little worried. I’m hoping that Ardour doesn’t change for the worse in order to become a tool for ONLY traditionalists. Everyone should be able to make use of it, right? Ardour is my favorite DAW and that’s why I make monthy donations. I really hope that electronic musicians are welcome in the Ardour community.