Subject: [linux-audio-dev] various nags
From: Dave Phillips (dlphilp_AT_bright.net)
Date: to elo 12 1999 - 10:38:15 EDT
Greetings:
I'm still sifting through the various commentaries regarding the state
of Linux audio software. I'm beginning to make a provisional list of the
Most Important Things that need done. Here's where I'm at so far:
Problem 1. We need a soundfile editor that can handle arbitrarily
large files.
Solutions: Can any of the existing editors (MiXViews, DAP, Snd, etc)
be retrofitted for that capacity ? What would be involved ? Should the
attempt be skipped in favor of a whole new editor ? I agree with Adam
Zygmunt that this a very serious issue.
Problem 2. We need to resolve issues of latency and dropouts caused
by system activity. It will make no difference how cool our software is
if dropouts kill its efficiency. Maybe I can get by with one or three
minute files now, but what will happen with my 20-minute pieces ?
Solutions: RTLinux ? A customized kernel for audio ? Can we fix the
existing kernel to adapt to audio concerns ? It seems to me that this is
also a most important concern: has Alan Cox been apprised of its
significance ? The kernel developers must take note of this problem, and
audio should not be left as a sort of backwater concern. Put it out
front, don't let sound matters remain secondary or even tertiary
concerns in kernel development. And I'm not just talking about drivers
here ! ;)
Problem 3. We need a good basic MIDI and/or audio sequencer.
Solutions: Jazz++ ? Multitrack ? Something not yet seen ? Multitrack
is slated for open-source, but will it fit the need ? Jazz++ is not
open-source, but its developers may be responsive to suggestions
regarding its stability and use. Is there another project more deserving
of developers' focus ?
Problem 4. There are perhaps too many projects undertaken and not
enough cooperation. IMO, we need to focus on the development of only a
few superlative applications instead of any number of private projects,
no matter how nice those projects may be. Without the larger-scale stuff
Linux will never be consider a serious audio development and composition
platform.
Solutions: Make more project leaders aware of LAD and the Csound
UNIX/Linux Development group. Contact each other, write to start-up
project leaders, ask what their goals are, see whether we aren't
re-inventing the wheel. For instance, just how many audio and audiofile
libraries are out there now, but how many do we really need ? I should
think that one or two could provide all necessary services, provided its
design considers everything needed by common (or even uncommon) audio
applications.
I have a pet project that I would like to see come to pass. I want to
make the NoTAM applications capable of handling large files, and I want
their feature sets to be completely working (especially in Mix). I would
have a pretty slick composition/processing environment with Csound,
Ceres, and Mix, but only if the issues of file size and record/playback
latency are resolved. Csound 3.57 is impressive enough already, but I'm
not sure Cecilia will work with it. Ceres and Mix have well-known
problems and they are being addressed, but I wonder whether they can be
fit to modern needs.
Okay, just kicking things around here. As always, comments and
criticism are welcome...
== Dave Phillips
http://www.bright.net/~dlphilp/index.html
http://sunsite.univie.ac.at/Linux-soundapp/linux_soundapps.html
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