Subject: Re: [linux-audio-user] SNR (not audio)
From: Dave Phillips (dlphilp_AT_bright.net)
Date: Mon Jul 29 2002 - 20:16:54 EEST
"Malsky, Ken" wrote:
> Does anyone want to talk about must-have apps or warn of pitfalls?
I maintain the Linux Soundapps pages on the Web (see sig). I've also
written a book about Linux sound & music applications (see sig again)
that will be going into a 2nd much-revised edition next year, and I've
written a few articles about the subject that have appeared on-line and
in hard-copy. So maybe I can offer some suggestions WRT to your
questions.
1) Must-have apps include a wide range of software synthesis
environments such as Csound, Common LISP Music, and RTCmix; a rather
narrower range of hard-disk recording systems (Slab, Ardour, and most
definitely ecasound); another increasingly larger list of softsynths,
including RTSynth, the impressive Spiral Synth group, the Bristol
emulator, Dr. Nagorni's ALSA Modular Synth, Juan Linietsky's LegaSynth,
and the Ultramaster RS101; a few work-in-progress MIDI sequencers such
as MusE and Rosegarden; the SoundTracker and CheeseTracker MOD trackers;
MAX-like audio/visual programming environments such as jMax and Pd; as
well as your general run of players and multimedia apps like XMMS and
the Crossover Plugin. Many other appliactions are cataloged on my Web
site, but alas, they are offered without much criticism. The members of
this list will surely offer their own opinions as to what they consider
must-have apps.
2) Caveats and gotchas: Most Linux audio apps are written to "scratch
an itch", so the programmer may not bother with such amenities as a
beautiful interface or extensive (or any) documentation. Furthermore,
because coders love to try the latest & greatest tools, you may often
run into dependency issues that at times threaten the user's sanity.
There are often issues surrounding simply getting your Linux
audio/MIDI system off the ground; new users can easily be confused by
the choices between installing the (soon to be deprecated) OSS/Free
kernel sound modules, or the ALSA system, or the commercial OSS/Linux
package. Here's a brief overlook with suggested routes:
A) If you're using a kernel *not* in the 2.5 series, *and* if your
distribution has an audio installation utility such as Red Hat's
soundconf you can try setting up basic sound with it. Most modern Linux
distros are modular, i.e., they already compiled the modules against the
included kernel, so all you have to do is identify your soundcard via
the audio installation utility and the setup should drop in the correct
pieces. Note that the operative word here is "should": If your soundcard
or chipset is unsupported or unrecognized you may be SOL, or you may
need to move on to options B or C. To wit:
B) If you're possessed of much courage and bravery and need a
thoroughly modernized audio subsystem you can try instaling the latest
ALSA packages. If you're running a 2.5.x kernel you're already using
ALSA: the system will become the default Linux audio system after the
2.5 experimental series, so it's on the way to replacing OSS/Free
anyway. Actually, I've overstated the need for much fortitude: IMO, ALSA
has come a long way in its installation procedures, and I personaly
don't find it very difficult to install. Opinions differ on that issue,
to say the least.
C) If you don't mind spending the money and you don't care about
matters such as the GPL, the FSF's definitions of free software, or the
closed vs. open source debate, then you can try the OSS/Linux package.
OSS/Linux has an excellent installation utility, supports a wide range
of cards and chipsets, and offers a nice batch of amenities such as 3D
sound support (though usually at an extra cost).
> Can we discuss multi-channel techniques or a successful tube model or a
> well-received performance or how to keep fans & drives quiet in the studio?
You'll find a lot of information regarding multichannel recording on the
mail lists for the apps that support that process, such as the lists for
ecasound, Ardour, and Audacity. But feel free to ask about such apps and
processes on this list, it's certainly an appropriate forum.
WRT noise in the studio: Simple answer is to keep your noisy gear out of
the studio. You can buy long cables for your peripherals, and you can
store noisemakers such as CPU cases and power amps in closets. (Be sure
to ventilate those closets !) For instance, I have an at-times rather
loud power amp that I store in an adjacent well-ventilated room. A
100-watt power amp can work up a fair amount of heat if it's running all
day (like mine dose).
> Throw me a bone! There are lots of other places where I can hear
> open-source frontier flaming. Is this list always this bad?
No. ;)
Please, look at the archives, you'll find the longer answer there. But
bear in mind that controversy is not discouraged here, and that email is
sometimes a poor transmission medium. Many of the members here do not
speak English as a primary language, but I must say that everyone does
their best to communicate. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions,
and like all other lists I'm on there will sometimes be some rather
uncomfortable stretches where the discussion may seem pointless to some
members and radically important to others. If you check the archives I
think you'll see generally more signal than noise, and it should be
noted that since LAU does *not* proscribe much in the way of subject
matter (as long as it remains relevant to Linux audio and MIDI) there is
a fair amount of latitude for discussions.
It's good to see the list membership expanding, and I expect there will
be more difficult stretches. That happens with things that grow...
Best regards,
== Dave Phillips
The Book Of Linux Music & Sound at http://www.nostarch.com/lms.htm
The Linux Soundapps Site at http://linux-sound.org
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