Re: [LAD] Kim did the switch to Linux

On Thu, 2009-08-06 at 14:07 +0700, Patrick Shirkey wrote:
>
> On 08/06/2009 03:16 AM, David Robillard wrote:
> > On Wed, 2009-08-05 at 21:53 +0200, Jens M Andreasen wrote:
> >
> > > >From TFA:
> > >
> > > --8<----------------------------------
> > > Go to System->Preferences->Sound, click on the Devices tab, and check
> > > out the pulldown menu next to ‘Sound Events’ at the top of the panel.
> > > You will see various acronyms, possibly including cryptic-looking
> > > technologies like OSS, ESD, ALSA, JACK, and Pulse Audio. These acronyms
> > > represent a byzantine tangle of conflicting technologies that over time,
> > > and due to political reasons or backwards compatibility, have ended up
> > > cohabiting with one another. ‘Frankenstein’ might be an accurate
> > > metaphor here.
> > >
> > >
> > > Thankfully, there is a simpler way, which is the combination of ALSA [a
> > > high-performance, kernel-level audio and MIDI system] and JACK [a system
> > > for creating low-latency audio, MIDI, and sync connections between
> > > applications and computers]. The battle-scarred among us have learned to
> > > ignore all the other audio cruft bolted on to Ubuntu and just use ALSA
> > > and JACK. One can think of the ALSA/JACK stack, the heart of most pro
> > > Linux studios, as the Core Audio of Linux and in my opinion Jack should
> > > be the first thing installed on any musicians laptop. I’d go so far as
> > > to suggest placing it in the Startup Applications so it’s always
> > > running.
> > > -------------------8<--------------------------------------------------
> > >
> >
> > IMO without a ton of effort Jack could, and should, be turned into a
> > viable default installation audio system (or the bottom layer of such a
> > system, at least). The desktop guys certainly aren't ever going to get
> > it right.
> >
> > The above problem is a very real one as far as people's perception of
> > GNU/Linux as an audio system. What a mess. We can do better.
> >
> >
>
> AFAICT it's like 95% there already as far as the average user is
> concerned. So the desktop guys you are referring to have got it and
> are way ahead of anyone else in this respect.
>
> Pulse is ubiquitous now. Jack was never intended to be the default
> audio system for desktop use.

Pulse is also entirely useless for 'serious' audio use, making it not a
good audio system in general. It solves the desktop apps that go bonk
problem, no more. The latency is terrible, no patching, AFAIK no MIDI
involved whatsoever, daemon overhead without the potential advantages
thereof (synchronous, ala jack), etc.

> Let's just fix the interaction between pulse and jack and be done with
> it.

That is one solution.

> It's harmful to suggest that it things are less than they are

Read the user posts in this thread, or ths post that started it. Things
are as they are. Pretending everything is fantastic when it's not
doesn't help either.

Things are definitely not "fantastic" until a noob can run e.g.
hydrogen, run ardour, then record some things with a few clicks in their
cute little desktop menu. Most users don't go through the tedious
process of "setting up" everything, then writing blog posts, etc. etc.
They take one look, then decide "linux sucks for music", and go back to
Win/OSX.

This is currently a big, real problem - not an exaggeration on my part.
Neither pulse or jack solve the "THE audio system" problem, and they
don't work well together.

-dr

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Received on Thu Aug 6 20:15:11 2009