Wow I didn't expect this to get so much attention.

Yes, I built all these products.

The tools have a shared C++ core library and then I did the DAW integrations and platform-specific GUIs with JUCE, which is a cross platform C++ toolkit popular with audio people.

The original issue that I solved was simply mixing a large number of inputs down to something like 22.2 cinema surround based on mathematical formulas. Instead of the user dialing in 24 knobs, they type in XYZ coordinates and the math decides those 24 knobs for you.

Later versions then added animation, control surfaces, the headphone surround sound, and MPEG-H export for live TV.

All the initial release versions were 1 programmer x 3 years. By now, I've moved on and nowadays they have a small team to do maintenance, support, upgrades, etc.

Wow, 22.2 is pretty crazy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/22.2_surround_sound

When you say you can input XYZ coordinates - I couldn't help but wonder, is this sort of thing ever hooked up to motion tracking?

Back then, people used it for live art performances, so I added a protocol to stream in the positions real-time. The ARRI mixing desks have the same protocol, so capturing motion data into your DAW is definitely doable.

This used to be the way. Now it takes a whole team to put a textbox on a Web app.

No. It's just what we chose - http://www.radicalsimpli.city/

I have never seen this chart before today http://www.radicalsimpli.city/Complexity2005_2021.svg. I have seen it three times in the space of an hour on different websites.

I recall I have seen it also on Unpoly presentation which was on HN first page the same day.

The good thing is, there is a bit of a resurgence of the solopreneur spirit.

Exactly. You’ll need an entirely remote design team (to reduce costs ofc) to make sure it’s mobile.

or one ChatGPT