Subject: RE: [linux-audio-dev] [OT] Question regarding multi-channel capable apps in Linux
From: Ivica Bukvic (ico_AT_fuse.net)
Date: Mon Jan 28 2002 - 16:33:19 EET
Hi all, again. First off, thank you all for generously offering your
suggestions. I do need, however to clarify a couple of things before
this thread goes completely the wrong way.
I am linux-literate, and I will gladly install Ardour because I know
it's probably the best solution for my problem, but I am currently in a
time crunch and am hoping there is something easier out there to install
(I've received a reply Max Kovgan who said that Ardour is now available
as a tarball. Is this true? About a month and a half ago, I spent 4 days
trying to get Ardour working, just to end-up with a flashing window,
followed by a segfault :-( (no pun intended, my assumption is that it
was probably the compiler I am using -- 2.96). I am simply not aware
what other apps are out there capable of similar "things," and besides,
I would like to provide a variety of multi-channel apps so that the
students using the workstation have a choice.
Let me try to clarify what I mean by "things." I am simply looking for
an app that can do somewhat similarly what Cool Edit Pro does, but ONLY
in its multitrack mode (i.e. no sound processing stuff is needed). I
understand I am aiming high, but I am just giving this as an example.
Now, support for LADSPA would be a wonderful extra but is not a must,
since in my studio students mostly do their sound processing prior to
mixing when writing electronic music, so what they would use this app
for is to mix all the pre-processed sounds in a final mix -- this means
they need a relatively nice gui where they can use mouse for a most of
the stuff (i.e. move sounds back and forth and into different tracks),
possibly having visual representation of pan/volume envelopes. Mixmagic
for linux is kinda close to this but I am pretty sure it does not
support anything beyond Stereo spread (please correct me if I am wrong).
> I don't think this is off topic. It's my belief that a lot of
musicians
> have this problem. You can shit on windows as much as you like, but it
> is very easy to use, and to install software on.
> It's time to start working on a LAD (Linux Audio Distribution :) or
> something like that. I know there is an initiative based on ?debian?
but
> I don't know what the it's status is.
It's called Demudi, it is currently in Alpha/Beta stage (visit
http://www.demudi.org) and is currently waiting for people to commit
themselves to maintaining audio-related packages.
> It's nice that we make great tools that can withstand the competition
with
> commercial (windows) products (like Ardour), but what's the use if
there
> is
> no easy 'framework' for the potential users? Such programs are pretty
much
> unusefull if they can only be installed by people that are Linux
> expierenced.
Paul Davis will (I am assuming shortly after Ardour is complete) start
selling linux workstations with Ardour preinstalled on it, offering tech
support as well. So, just wait for a couple more months and we'll be
there...
> I can only illustrate this with my own experience: I have pretty
extensive
> computer knowledge, and any windows platform is a piece of cake (not
much
> credit to be taken there)... but Linux still requires quite some
> intelligence
> from my part. And I'm running RedHat, which is (I presume) one of the
most
> easy
> distro's around.
I would tend to say that MDK is maybe even more user-friendly when it
comes to the desktop stuff. But, this is obviously only a personal
opinion...
> I didn't apply the low latency patches yet, and I expect
> that
> when I do, I will need at least half a day to get things working. Not
> because
> patching is that difficult, but because I will have to learn about
various
> other aspects of Linux first.
>
> This issue is becomming more important as we speak because Apple,
being
> the
> artists favorite, has released MacOS X. I have no expierience with
MacOS X
> but
> from what I hear, it's pretty good. For the moment it still lacks the
> nescessary
> programs, but that won't take long.
It lacks a lot more though. The development environment is primarily
based on a cludgy objective C, printer support is awful, driver support
is rather limited (many problems with third-party SCSI cards), the
machines are generally overpriced, and the list goes on...
We still have time, albeit not a lot...
Ivica Ico Bukvic, composer, multimedia sculptor,
programmer, webmaster & computer consultant
http://meowing.ccm.uc.edu/~ico/
ico_AT_fuse.net
============================
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"To do is to be" - Sartre
"Do be do be do" - Sinatra
"I am" - God
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