Disappointed by the lack of updates for Hapax

[pmatilai]

This all was just recently discussed here in a similar topic. With a response from Squarp, which folks might want to read:

Just to be honest , its a put off

Hi everyone ! Firstly, thank you all for your input and feedback. I know it sounds cliché, but both positive and negative constructive feedback are very important to us. With regard to transparency I really understand where you are coming from. However, I do believe managing expectations is quite important. We do have a vision that we’re working towards, however we sometimes hit roadblocks in the way. Lately, hapax firmware development has slowed down a bit due to other concerns taking most o…

[andreuparri]

From the same thread:

@Thibault_Squarp

However, on things we know for sure that we will implement, we say so, but just avoid making promises on any timetable, as our day-to-day concerns have proven to be quite unpredictable (for example we are currently dealing with unforeseen production mishaps caused by a supplier which halted ‘normal’ operation).

If you see the examples I posted earlier about loopy pros and unreal engine roadmaps they both have no dates, no timelines, they are just lists.

@Thibault_Squarp

However, on things we know for sure that we will implement, we say so, but just avoid making promises on any timetable, as our day-to-day concerns have proven to be quite unpredictable (for example we are currently dealing with unforeseen production mishaps caused by a supplier which halted ‘normal’ operation).

Same as in the roadmap examples(loopy pro,unreal) they simply have a list of planned features, no timeline or dates so it would be complying to what Thibault is explaining.

[jemmons]

Man, seriously, y’all are the worst. Enjoy your forum of rants and petty, entitled grievances. I can’t take it anymore.

[pmatilai]

Just in case you may not be aware: the forum software supports muting topics you don’t want to see. Below the share/bookmark/flag/reply buttons, you can choose the notification level, and picking Mute will make the thread go away.
It has its uses.

[freqout]

i sympathize with the frustrations of others. i think a little bit of communication/transparency from squarp would go a long way.

[pmatilai]

Dishonest?

Yep, I’ll follow my own advice and mute this constructive thread. Have fun!

I’ll just repeat what I said in the beginning: If expectations and reality don’t meet, there’s usually only one satisfactory solution to that. Venting out on a community forum ain’t going to fix it.

[TheCop]

@andreuparri

Thibault

You were certainly dishonest when you said I came here angry loud and unreasonable to rant about problems that only impact me.

You were dishonest when you warned me not to criticize Squarp because they will retaliate against me for speaking out…also dishonest considering you actually quoted Thibault saying they welcomed the critical feedback.

Bye!

[SteveElbows]

@TheCop

***this is the original post that was just flagged by someone. I took out the word clown because it seems to have offended someone. Anything else wrong with this post?

Random sock puppet accusations for a start.

[Davide37]

Good god. It’ll be pistols at dawn next. This thread is in urgent need of a moderator to restore civility.

[SteveElbows]

@TheCop

It’s clear there is a small alliance of folks here that want to defend and protect Squarp from everyone else that just want answers. Squarp can speak for themselves.

No, its just that other people also want to communicate their own opinions about these matters, just like you do. And then when that happens not everyones opinion is going to be compatible with everyone elses opinion. This thread was never going to be pointing only in one direction, your views and feedback to Squarp are still clear enough no matter what anyone else adds to this thread. People are not silencing you by disagreeing with you, and you dont have a monopoly over what opinions can be expressed in this thread.

[SteveElbows]

Having just re-read the other thread from a new months ago, perhaps it would be fair to say that sometimes your frustration at the pace of change bubbles up, and this gets compounded with further frustration when not everyones echos your opinion. When frustrated it is after all tempting to imagine that expressing that frustration very clearly may channel it into something that builds momentum to bring about change, or at least receive reassuring information about fixes or features being close at hand.

Personally I understood what was said in the thread in February and I didnt necessarily expect to have heard more or had another firmware update by now, it was only a few months ago.

If I were Squarp there would obviously be some bugs I would like to squish sooner than later, and I would want to add some more headline features that could be used for marketing purposes/to maintain retail sales momentum. But if I were Squarp then I would also know what resources were at my disposal for those tasks, and what other aspects of the business kept demanding my attention instead. Much the same themes as discussed in the other thread, which you seemed to come to terms with ok at the time.

[TheCop]

I’ll be the first to say that I really love what Hapax has to offer. I love the workflow. It’s really something that I didn’t know I was looking for. Im not new to this game though. I’ve been making music for 30 years. I guess I’ve never even had the desire or need to go to a message board searching for answers until now!

I have also had the time to dig deep into hapax and discover all the problems, broken features, and unrealized incomplete features. And while maybe people don’t like my style here it’s still the same at the end of the day:

Hapax is broken and there is zero indication of if and when it will be fixed.

I don’t want to be a beta tester I want to make songs.

Thanks

[andreuparri]

@TheCop

You were certainly dishonest when you said I came here angry loud and unreasonable to rant about problems that only impact me.

You were dishonest when you warned me not to criticize Squarp because they will retaliate against me for speaking out…also dishonest considering you actually quoted Thibault saying they welcomed the critical feedback.

Bye!

I think you replied the wrong user, I never said anything like that.

[CreepyPants]

Hi.

I would suggest to those who wish to continue these threads to pause, take a deep breath, and answer the question to themselves: would my post tangibly benefit others.

Ranting aside, personal attacks are inappropriate and unconstructive.

Edit to Add: Community Guidelines
Thank you for your consideration

[TheCop]

Wow!! This forum s filled with gatekeepers willing to go lengths in order to silence the voices of concerned Hapax users and Squarp supporters. What a let down

[heckseven]

Dear Cop,

Hey it sucks your frustrated. I have bad days too and, yeah, sometimes my Hapax freezes. Maybe check your tone a bit because I can’t say anything you’ve said in this thread is particularly productive. Saying you’re being honest is no excuse for being a jerk.

By the way, Squarp is SUPER responsive if you report bugs via their form.

Love,
heckseven
Member of the Alliance of Squarp Defenders

[sydilaxe]

I understand that you are experiencing bugs with your workflows. Have you submitted them via the form? Calling a person dishonest for speaking an opinion is a form of attack BTW. There are lots of happy users getting a lot of mileage out of this sequencer (myself included). I think it is important to understand that your issues are not universal issues, but specific to how you need to use this device. You are not speaking for everyone when you address these bugs.

[Jonr]

Just a reflection here from a new forum member, who is considering near term future ownership of the Hapax.

I do my research before buying, especially with expensive gear such as this. The comments so far tell me some people have genuine issues, some don’t. I have no idea which camp I’d end up being in, due to lack of visibility of those bugs.

So stepping outside of that, it would be REALLY useful if Squarp did implement some sort of bug reporting system where the bugs are visible to us. As an ex-software developer of many years some, these things aren’t national secrets in proprietary hardware such as this, and bug visibility to end users would provide three benefits I can think of immediately:

a) With an end-user visible log of known bugs, it makes it easier for people who are reporting a bug to check if their bug is already on the fix list. Less duplicate bugs would be reported. The nature of bugs means 95% probably are already known and reported in a product that’s 1+ year old. This would give Squarp the advantage of less duplicate bugs being reported, which means less time to triage, which means more time available to fix bugs.

b) Small bug fix releases get the code out into the community and tested with a wider audience. There’s also fewer potential knock on permutational effects compared with fixing numerous problems in a single big bug fix release, so your risk profile is reduced, and potential problems are likely to have a smaller blast radius in terms of impact. Also, as a company you benefit from regular updates, as they delight users, who will feel more in touch with the company, rather than months of radio silence. Importantly, that ONE bug I might want fixing before buying might be fixed this month, instead of in a bug fix release in six months time, by which point I may have lost interest in the Hapax and purchased something else. This is an intangible, but a mega important one.

c) As a prospective user, an open bug list would also enable me to check if any of the outstanding bugs are important to me, in my use case. Maybe there’s dozens, but none of them matter. Maybe there’s one, but it’s a show stopper for my use case. I want to know before I buy.

I hope the above suggestion is useful without sounding condescending or anything other than constructively critical, and my apologies if this system is already in place (reading responses, it doesn’t appear to be).

The result of (the seeming lack of) the above, is that although I’m prepared to pull the trigger on a Hapax right now, and it looks superb from everything I’ve watched and read about it, not knowing if the outstanding bugs are going to hit me makes makes me nervous about splashing out. So I keep my money in the bank for the moment, as I like most people can’t afford to risk blowing £1,200 on a sequencer that only half does the things that are important to me. I simply don’t know if it will or not.

However, if the bug list was visible, I’d have the information to form a more informed opinion, and base my decision on that.

But as of now, I don’t know either way, so until the next big bug fix is released, my money will stay in the bank. Which isn’t great for my creativity, but from a Squarp PoV, isn’t good for cashflow either, as I could buy it now and be delighted with it, regardless of any outstanding bugs.

I realise as an ex-dev. myself that putting a new system and process in place isn’t something you good folks can do overnight, but I think long term it’s something worth considering. Hope that’s useful and constructive feedback, and I equally hope to be joining the community proper once I know what the score is with the Hapax, as it looks like just what I need.

[heckseven]

I agree with pretty much all of what you propose (I also work on software). I especially like the idea because the threads with reported issues often have folks posting a workaround until the bug is fixed. It also helps me know what to avoid doing that might cause a crash/etc.

[Thibault_Squarp]

I seldomly take days off, but off course it’s when I do that topics escalate…

• We have been working on a firmware update for Hapax for a while, but added features which require solid testing have significantly delayed its release. Being aware of the frustration surrounding the current state of the firmware, we have recently decided to re-focus the next update on bug fixes, to try and get the fixes out ASAP. Subsequent firmware release will include the aforementioned features we have yet to fully iron out.

• What also had an impact on the delay between updates is that we have been faced with some hurdles lately, which have unfortunately required shifting focus away from firmware development, to tackle these issues.

• We do not plan on having a public roadmap/timeline/bug-tracker.

• Please try and keep conversations civil.