Musicians Linux Operating Environment
High Plains Thumper
[quote]
Product Description
Musicians have particular requirements for their Linux
environment. A Linux-based distribution that is designed for
music needs to be flexible, powerful, yet easy and quick to use.
All of these things are essential in a busy, creative environment.
Thinking about these requirements, the JackLab Audio Distribution
(JAD), or JackLab for short, is based on openSUSE due to its
stability and long development history. All major administrative
tasks can be done graphically and easily without having to learn
any complicated terminal commands.
[/quote]
Seeing I like music (spent 15 years in the Army and Reserve Bands
- tough job but someone has to do it), have done parties with my
keyboard and 40 Watt guitar amp, think this may be worth trying
for only a couple quid. :-)
--
HPT
jebblue
> Seeing I like music (spent 15 years in the Army and Reserve Bands
> - tough job but someone has to do it), have done parties with my
> keyboard and 40 Watt guitar amp, think this may be worth trying
> for only a couple quid. :-)
>
lmms shows some promise. I hope Line 6 ports their software to Linux.
--
// This is my opinion.
colli...@gmail.com
Does it have anything like this:
http://www.steinberg.net/89_1.html
How about this:
http://www.synthogy.com/
Or this:
http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/products/product.asp?pid=431
How about this one:
http://www.digidesign.com/index.cfm?langid=100&
I didn't think so....
Anonymous Sender
> > keyboard and 40 Watt gui | mp, think this may be worth trying
> > for only a couple quid. |.|
> > |.|
> > -- |\./|
> > HPT |\./|
> . |\./| .
> Does it h \^.\ |\\.//| /.^/
> http://www \--.|\ |\\.//| /|.--/
> \--.| \ |\\.//| / |.--/
> How about thi \---.|\ |\./| /|.---/
> http://www.synth \--.|\ |\./| /|.--/
> \ .\ |.| /. /
> Or this: _ -_^_^_^_- \ \\ // / -_^_^_^_- _
> http://www. - -/_/_/- ^ ^ ||| ^ ^ -\_\_\- - roduct.asp?pid=431
> |
> How about this on -------------------
> -=[ You MUST be high! ]=-
> http://www.digide ------------------- id=100&
High Plains Thumper
> High Plains Thumper wrote:
>
>> http://www.osdisc.com/cgi-bin/view.cgi/products/dvd/jacklab
>>
>> [quote] Product Description Musicians have particular requirements for
>> their Linux environment. A Linux-based distribution that is designed
>> for music needs to be flexible, powerful, yet easy and quick to use.
>> All of these things are essential in a busy, creative environment.
>>
>> Thinking about these requirements, the JackLab Audio Distribution
>> (JAD), or JackLab for short, is based on openSUSE due to its stability
>> and long development history. All major administrative tasks can be
>> done graphically and easily without having to learn any complicated
>> terminal commands. [/quote]
>>
>> Seeing I like music (spent 15 years in the Army and Reserve Bands -
>> tough job but someone has to do it), have done parties with my
>> keyboard and 40 Watt guitar amp, think this may be worth trying for
>> only a couple quid. :-)
>
>
> How about this: http://www.synthogy.com/
>
> Or this:
> http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/products/product.asp?pid=431
>
> How about this one:
>
> http://www.digidesign.com/index.cfm?langid=100&
>
> I didn't think so....
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/Feb03/articles/linuxaudio.asp
[quote]
Rosegarden is a MIDI + Audio sequencer which includes notation and audio
editing. Version 4 is probably the closest native equivalent to Cubase for
Linux, and has recently been released as a beta after two years of active
development. Unlike Windows and Mac OS where there is only one kind of
desktop for each system, Linux developers have a wide choice of graphical
toolkits to build applications from. Rosegarden is designed with the KDE
interface, but it will run on any Linux machine with the right libraries
installed. Rosegarden features include MIDI and audio playback and
recording using ALSA and JACK, real-time audio plug-in effects via LADSPA,
score, piano-roll and track overview editors, high-quality score printing
and MIDI file input/output.
[/quote]
Picture of Rosegarden on Linux:
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/Feb03/images/linuxrosegarden40.l.gif
[selective quotes]
AGNULA
The AGNULA project, the name of which is an acronym for A GNU/Linux Audio
Distribution, has been created to design and build aversion of Linux
specifically for professional musicians and recording engineers. AGNULA is
a consortium of several European universities, the Red Hat Linux company
and the Free Software Foundation. The idea is that all the software needed
for professional audio use will be on one set of CD-ROMs, which will
include a tuned Linux operating system. This doesn't mean that it just
comes with an extra driver or two and a few tweaked settings here and
there. While Windows and Mac OS will always remain general-purpose systems,
the open source philosophy means that Linux can be customised for
individual requirements at the most fundamental level.
Ardour is a multi-channel hard disk recorder and digital audio workstation,
capable of the simultaneous recording of 24 or more channels of 32-bit
audio at the 48kHz sample rate. Currently in heavy development, Ardour
visually resembles the UNIX software available on platforms such as SGI.
Linux machines running Ardour are intended to replace dedicated studio
hardware such as the Mackie HDR, the Tascam 2424 and ADAT systems. Ardour
is also intended to rival proprietary software applications such as Pro
Tools, Samplitude, Logic Audio, Nuendo and Cubase VST. It supports MIDI
Machine Control, and can therefore be used with any MMC-compliant digital
mixer.
Audacity is a deceptively simple audio editor and multitrack hard disk
recorder. It has a clean interface with large buttons in the style of a
tape machine, but very precise edits are possible by drawing envelopes
directly on the waveform using the mouse. Audacity breaks large audio files
into small chunks for its native file format, which makes multitrack
recording and editing quite feasible on modest hardware.
[/selective quotes]
--
HPT
Singer
news:fdans7$qcf$1...@news.albasani.net:
1. Rosegarden is like Dr T.s on the Atari circa early 1990's.
Certainly functional, but not something a professional would want to
use considering the inexpensive tools availible in this decade.
2 Ardour has one of the most horrid interfaces ever invented. You have it
right when you say 'Ardour visually resembles the UNIX softer..etc"
That's too bad.
The program is clunky and difficult to use.
3 Audacity is a decent program which also has a Windows version.
So what about programs like Ivory?
Drums From Hell.
EzDrummer.
SoundSoap.
Hardware based solutions like Protools?
DSP hardware based solutions for effects?
And what about interfaces? Will my firewire interfaces and control
surfaces work with these Linux programs?
Face it, Linux is good for someone with zero cash flow to tinker with but
to compare it to even the most simplistic Windows and Mac programs is a
joke.
For example N-Track Studio is free/low cost and it works rather well.
So do the offerings from PPG.
Even the rntry level programs from Sonar and Cubase blow the stuff you've
mentioned away.
However for someone interested in creating music and tonal interludes
based on the calculations of pi to the zillionth decimal place, Linux
might be just the ticket.
Linux is a good solution for some things, making music isn't one of them.
philicorda
<snip>
> Linux is a good solution for some things, making music isn't one of
> them.
Have you tried any of the music software on Linux?
High Plains Thumper
> Singer wrote:
>
>> Linux is a good solution for some things, making music isn't one of
>> them.
>
> Have you tried any of the music software on Linux?
Does User-Agent: Xnews/5.04.25 give any clue?
--
HPT
Singer
news:rXcKi.48697$ph7....@newsfe5-win.ntli.net:
Yes I have.
It took me 3 days just to get Jack running without Xruns on a Delta 1010.
Then there was Ardour crashing intermittantly on a save.
Of course that was after realizing I had to run all these things as root
to get priority.
Then I was getting sample mismatch and "device already in use" messages
which is where I discovered that there is a difference between "Default"
and Hw0:0, despite Hw0:0 BEING default or something like that.
Then of course I learned that arts is not really the same as artsd or
whatever the server version is called.
I don't remember, but I had to kill some sound process to get Jack to
even run.
Linux has way too many sound drivers, just like Linux has way to many
versions.
All it does is confuse things for the user.
I never did get it to run in realtime mode.
And like I said the interface with Ardour is terrible.
Rosegarden isn't too bad but it's no Cubase.
And what about the list of plugins I listed, like Ivory or control
surfaces and firewire interfaces?
I gave up on Linux and audio after screwing with it for about 5 days.
Why bother?
Like the typical Linux application you'll spend all your time screwing
around trying to make it work instead of actually using it.
I installed Nuendo in 10 minutes and was up and running.
Linux is at least 10 years behind the other platforms when it comes to
music and audio and until the powers that control Linux's destiny decide
to settle on one sound system, it will remain that way.
Singer
I'm impressed you can read a header.
What does that have to do with musicians and Linux?
Oh I see, you couldn't address any of my other points so you decided to
look foolish.
You've done well!
High Plains Thumper
> High Plains Thumper wrote:
>>> Singer wrote:
>>>
>>>> Linux is a good solution for some things, making music
>>>> isn't one of them.
>>>
>>> Have you tried any of the music software on Linux?
>>
>> Does User-Agent: Xnews/5.04.25 give any clue?
>
> I'm impressed you can read a header. What does that have to do
> with musicians and Linux? Oh I see, you couldn't address any
> of my other points so you decided to look foolish. You've done
> well!
Hmmm .... voice sounds familiar, very trollish. Don't worry
sweety, we'll figure you out.
--
HPT
High Plains Thumper
> philicorda wrote:
>> Singer wrote:
>>
>> <snip>
>>
>>> Linux is a good solution for some things, making music
>>> isn't one of them.
>>
>> Have you tried any of the music software on Linux?
>
> Yes I have. It took me 3 days just to get Jack running without
> Xruns on a Delta 1010.
>
> Then there was Ardour crashing intermittantly on a save.
http://tracker.ardour.org/view.php?id=1865#bugnotes
[quote]
ID: 0001865 [ardour] bugs crash always 09-11-07 14:23
Reporter sebos69
Assigned To paul
Priority normal Resolution fixed
Status resolved
Product Version 2.0
Summary 0001865: ardour crashes when loading session
Description With ardour 2.05 SVN
when I try to re-open a saved session, ardour crashes without any
message (only "segmentation fault"
I join the saved session, this is the only information I have....
[/quote]
[quote]
Notes (0004354) sebos69 09-11-07 18:44
Nevermind, the crash disappeared after an upgrade... you can
delete the bug. Sorry for the noise
[/quote]
> Of course that was after realizing I had to run all these
> things as root to get priority.
http://ardour.org/system_requirements
[quote]
It is not possible for regular users on a normal Linux system to
get solid realtime performance, and so to avoid having to run all
your audio software as root (a very bad idea), there is a second
kernel patch that is very desirable. This is the "capabilities"
patch. Its very small, but it allows ordinary users to gain
access to the powerful real-time scheduling policies and memory
locking of the Linux kernel.
[/quote]
> Then I was getting sample mismatch and "device already in use"
> messages which is where I discovered that there is a
> difference between "Default" and Hw0:0, despite Hw0:0 BEING
> default or something like that. Then of course I learned that
> arts is not really the same as artsd or whatever the server
> version is called. I don't remember, but I had to kill some
> sound process to get Jack to even run.
> Linux has way too many sound drivers, just like Linux has way
> to many versions.
Oh, really?
> All it does is confuse things for the user. I never did get it
> to run in realtime mode.
>
> And like I said the interface with Ardour is terrible.
> Rosegarden isn't too bad but it's no Cubase. And what about
> the list of plugins I listed, like Ivory or control surfaces
> and firewire interfaces?
Current version of Cubase full is $1,000 US.
> I gave up on Linux and audio after screwing with it for about
> 5 days. Why bother? Like the typical Linux application you'll
> spend all your time screwing around trying to make it work
> instead of actually using it.
>
> I installed Nuendo in 10 minutes and was up and running. Linux
> is at least 10 years behind the other platforms when it comes
> to music and audio and until the powers that control Linux's
> destiny decide to settle on one sound system, it will remain
> that way.
Nuendo 3 is $2,500 US.
I have a couple comments.
Pricey proprietary applications will always have nice features in
them. This is expected, the provider does this to meet needs and
is warranted to be compensated for them.
However, pricey products does not a professional make.
Linux available tools mentioned above along with other Linux
applications meet niches, have professional developers and
sponsors. Some of it is provided as a labour of love.
In some ways it may miss some "spit and polish". However, they
can be made to work, require a little more work, but IMHO, once
one has gotten them up and running, can accomplish significant work.
Example, to create professional results, a photographer on a
budget can make do with a Yashica FX3 manual SLR, selectively
purchased cost effective lenses, high powered budget minded
flashes (Vivitar 285), home made PVC flash stands, aluminised
home builder's foam board for reflectors, etc. (BTDT). He
doesn't need 5K quid worth of equipment.
Another example, a musician does not need a professional model
Yamaha saxophone costing $5K US to produce professional results.
Yes, that sax will have slightly smoother action, perhaps a
little better intonation (in tune) through its range and a
slightly better tone (indistinquishable to the average listener).
I've played Buffet pro clarinets from the '70s that did not
play in tune. I had to play them in tune. First clarinet that
played in tune was a Selmer Bundy beginner model plastic clarinet
of the '80s. Expensive equipment does not a professional make.
Not all of us have the financial resources to purchase high end
hardware and software applications. That will not stop us from
producing high quality results.
If you do not have the patience to select the appropriate
operating system or patches for real time work, spending a little
time in setting up the environment, making use of the different
available tools to accomplish same result and imagination, by all
means, invest $5,000 US into your home studio.
For the rest of us who work and do this as a hobby, or even
professional who have a niche to meet and budget to manage, we
will make these cost effective tools and applications work. We
don't need an investment portfolio to fund our projects.