Subject: Re: [linux-audio-user] Introduction
From: Kai Vehmanen (kai.vehmanen_AT_wakkanet.fi)
Date: Mon Jan 14 2002 - 12:17:16 EET
On Sat, 12 Jan 2002, Tony Lambley wrote:
> Moving on, I'm interested to know has anyone created anything using this
> stuff, other than whoop-dip-bleep-whoosh academic meanderings?
For what it's worth, I've been making music with Linux since around 1998.
Some of my older tracks are available at
http://www.wakkanet.fi/kelaus_tree .. Not exactly "normal" stuff (what
is?), but not very academic either. :) One of the reasons for using Linux
is that I don't necessarily want to sound like everyone else.
It always suprises me that musicians are content on using the same guitars
(Strato or Les Paul), synths (not much has happened here either, JV1080,
JP8000, Trinity, the few Novations, maybe Nordlead), sampler ([EAS]xxxx),
programs (Protools, Acid, nowadays Reason) effects, etc as everyone else.
It's as if it already wasn't difficult enough to make yourself noticed. I
think this is one aspect of Linux that should be of interest to musicians
(at least the more creative ones).
The software I use:
- soundtracker (sequenced parts)
- LADSPA plugins (mixdown, mastering)
- snd and ecawave (editing) [ + before 2001, also soundforge/win]
- ecasound (recording, mixing, mastering)
- ALSA or OSS/commercial driver for sb128/ens1371 (the only good
creative card, and that's probably because it was made by ensoniq ;))
... I'm the author of ecasound and ecawave, so I'm slightly partial
here.:) Possibly the biggest limitation of this setup is that I need to
divide the recording work into sequenced and nonsequenced phases. First I
create the sequenced background parts, either with soundtracker or my
hw-sequencer. When I'm pleased with the results, I record/render the
sequenced parts to ecasound. Then starts the live-recording phase. Now the
obvious problem is that after doing the shift, I can't go back to the
sequenced material and change things.
The above limitation seems like a big thing, but I had to do the same
exact thing with analog multitrackers, so it's not something unheard of.
And what's important, it works. I get basicly unlimited number of tracks,
fast access to alternate mixes, very flexible effect setup, and even
more importantly, with very little hassle (for me anyways).
As for future plans, I'm most interested in solving the
sequenced-vs-nonsequenced problem. Possible solutions:
- MIDI synchronation -> ecasound driving a hw-sequencer; there's
already support for some of the MTC/MMC functionality, but I haven't had
time to test it much; Ardour has better support already in place,
I'll intend to test that, too
- inter-app connections; JACK is one possible solution here - by
adding JACK support to for instance soundtracker, and transport
control features to JACK, ta-daa, problem solved
- hacking ... making a custom version of ttrk or possibly the
new shaketracker (both tracker-style MIDI-sequencers) that
is connected to ecasound - not very elegant, but possible and
doesn't involve a lot of work
- any ideas? :)
One already working solution is to have the background parts as a
soundtracker module, and use the module file as one ecasound input. This
works (rendered w/ mikmod), but the quality is not the best (soundtracker
is _much_ better at rendering mods than mikmod).
-- http://www.eca.cx Audio software for Linux!
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