Joc Digital Selects Music Player

[Catherine Rubeo]

BeforeI start, I want to talk about the word "audiophile" for a minute. Walk into a room of tech-savvy computer folk and mention that something is "audiophile quality" and watch the eyes start rolling. I'd like to leave aside the debates about subjective vs. objective, lossy vs. lossless vs. uncompressed, tubes vs. transistors, cables, and other controversial stuff, and instead use the "a-word" in a very straightforward context:

To me, audiophile quality audio playback software is characterized by one primary feature: it gets the digital audio from the computer's hard drive, SSD, or what-have-you through to a dedicated digital-to-analog converter without altering that bitstream in any way.

In this context, thinking about the Linux computer as a place to store digital music and a means to get that music off the hard drive and into the playback system, it becomes clear that any tampering with the digital music stream on the way between storage and playback is likely to mess with the listener's goals. Such tampering could include introducing timing or other errors into the music stream (for example by a system that is too busy doing other stuff to fill the buffers correctly), resampling the music stream (especially with a poor-quality resampling algorithm), mixing in other audio (which may also involve resampling), digitally altering overall level or equalization (which may also involve resampling, although some may like to perform these kinds of operations), and other types of alterations of the source. Moreover, computer hardware usually incorporates circuitry to convert digital audio to analog, using a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), but in most computers, this circuitry is built to be as inexpensive as possible and is often performs poorly, introducing noise and distortion into the analog signal.

One of the first things audiophiles do to maximize the quality of digital music playback is to purchase a high-quality DAC. Depending on the budget and requirements, such a device can cost anywhere from US$75 on up (and up, and up). I have listened to some startlingly good DACs that cost less than US$100, so it's not necessary to break the bank to get in the game. Most DACs in the "inexpensive but good" category rely on a USB connection to the computer; some provide TOSLINK or electrical S/PDIF as well. And most home theater systems provide digital connections usable by computers, which can be a good solution.

The next step is to select music player software that supports the objective of not messing with the audio stream. That means the software must provide configuration options to send the music stream to the DAC in such a way as to not alter the data. Practically speaking, on Linux this usually means configuring PulseAudio to ignore the DAC (so Pulse doesn't resample and mix other audio onto that device) and using music player software that permits directing data through ALSA, either directly or via GStreamer, and specifically to a hardware device, so no resampling occurs. Note that the preceding isn't a criticism of Pulse nor praise for ALSA; it just recognizes that Pulse isn't (yet) configurable to pass digital audio unchanged to a dedicated-to-music DAC. Also note that external USB DACs appear as sound cards in ALSA, similar to TOSLINK or S/PDIF interfaces or internal sound cards.

Before I move into the ratings, I want to mention a fine book that I'd recommend to anyone who wants to get the best performance out of their music playback system: Get Better Sound, by Jim Smith. The author offers over 200 tips about getting the most out of your gear already in place, as well as useful tools and ways to evaluate new pieces of equipment.

Great article. I am a musician and until fairly recently did all my recording with a custom setup and Windows. I am firmly in the Land of Linux now and have been experimenting with distributions from Ubuntu Studio, KXStudio to Fedora Jam.

Linux is a bit trickier to get things where you want them but I usually get quality results. Lately, I have been checking out Modicia O.S. and it's been very impressive from the interface to the out of the box optimizations that are in place upon booting.

Modicia O.S. comes already configured to provide the best results in most cases. That is something I generally have to do myself. All in all Modicia O.S. is very professional in concept and function and I recommend it for any multimedia production. The Xfce desktop environment is stunning and it has just about every needed software installed.

Thanks for the very informative comments, techmedixx! Very good to hear of a real musician with experience of these musician-oriented distros. I think it would be wonderful if you were to write an article for opensource.com on your experiences; please consider it!

Thanks for the comment, Torsten. If I understand your point correctly, I believe MPD provides this kind of capability. But I'm not sure how that contributes to a really well thought out product; it seems more of an architecture decision to me (separating client and server).

Opensource.com aspires to publish all content under a Creative Commons license but may not be able to do so in all cases. You are responsible for ensuring that you have the necessary permission to reuse any work on this site. Red Hat and the Red Hat logo are trademarks of Red Hat, Inc., registered in the United States and other countries.

The multi-function PianoRemote control app allows owners of supported Kawai digital and hybrid pianos to select the various piano and other instrument sounds, adjust numerous Virtual Technician parameters, and listen to a wide range of built-in piano music content, all from an attractive touch interface.

PianoRemote provides a fresh and engaging way to interact with your Kawai digital or hybrid piano using a smartphone or tablet. Select sounds and make personalised adjustments with ease, or simply sit back and browse the instrument's built-in piano music library from the comfort of an armchair.

The ten 'Smart Mode' presets provide an an efficient way to change multiple characteristics of the piano easily, while the 'Advanced Mode' screen allows more discriminating players to control the precise values of individual parameters, such as Voicing, Cabinet Resonance, and Hammer Noise.

Songs can be played normally, or practised as Lesson songs with hands separately. It is also possible to perform many pieces using the Concert Magic function, allowing novices to also enjoy playing music by tapping keys with a consistent tempo.

PianoRemote includes a convenient metronome function, which provides a steady click track to aid practising at a consistent tempo. Simply select the desired time signature, set the tempo in BPM or by choosing one of the preset Italian terms, then start practising.

PianoRemote can also record performances as MIDI or audio data, allowing pianists to log their progress, or send songs to friends & family. Recordings can easily be shared via chat/messaging apps, uploaded to the cloud, or opened in other music apps for further editing etc.

However, the app also includes a complete, multi-language online manual, providing detailed information about each feature, and step-by-step instructions for changing sounds and adjusting parameters etc.

* iOS11 or higher device required.

* Android 7.0 or higher device with support for standard MIDI functions (android.media.midi API) required. Please contact the device manufacturer to confirm MIDI support status.

Please ensure that your piano is listed in the Supported models section above.

Please ensure that your piano is using the latest software update, available from the Software Updates page.

Please ensure that Bluetooth MIDI is enabled on your piano, and that Bluetooth is enabled on the app device.

On Android, please ensure that Location and Storage permission are approved when requested by the app.

On Android, it may also be necessary to enable the Location setting in order to connect via Bluetooth.

On iOS12 or later, please ensure that Bluetooth permission is enabled for the app in Settings > Privacy > Bluetooth.

PianoRemote requires Location and Storage permissions in order to scan for Bluetooth MIDI devices and to save settings.

Please approve both permission requests to ensure that PianoRemote functions correctly. On Android, it may also be necessary to enable the Location setting in order to connect via Bluetooth. This app does not collect, send, or store your location.

If the device is running iOS12 or later, please ensure that Bluetooth permission is enabled for the app in Settings > Privacy > Bluetooth

If the device is running iOS14.2, please update to iOS14.3 which resolves issues related to Bluetooth MIDI connectivity.

While a Sony USB digital audio device (USB DAC), such as TA-ZH1ES or CAS-1, is connected to the EXT port on the back of the HDD AUDIO PLAYER, you can output audio signals to the connected USB digital audio device for music playback.

You cannot output audio signals, which are input from the audio device connected to the input jacks on the HDD AUDIO PLAYER, to the connected USB digital audio device for playback because they are designed to be sent to the analog output terminals on the HDD AUDIO PLAYER at all times.

Designed without compromise, and engineered entirely in-house, Organik is the breathtaking culmination of over thirty years of digital technology expertise. Available in stereo and higher-performing dual-mono variants.

Configurable, modular, network music player with inputs for separate digital and analogue sources; plus configuration options including (but not limited to) source-only, source + amps, and a variety of Surround Sound applications. Optional upgrade to Katalyst DAC, or peak performance with Organik DAC.

Libby is an eMedia resource, available with a permanent or Guest library card only. EMedia are not available with a Temp Card. Current checkout limits in Libby are 10 items (eBook and or audiobook) at any one time per Library account, and checkout period is 21 days. Checkouts in Libby are not renewable. Magazines (many of the most popular titles) are also available in digital form in Libby-and Libby magazines are available with no waitlists or holds, and do not count against your checkout limits.

3a8082e126