Re: [LAU] Laptop as portable synth/effects box?

Dan S wrote:

> Yes, why not. You get much nicer results if you use an external sound
> card rather than trying to hook up to the small jacks on most laptops
> (because of impedance matching but also balanced sockets help
> eliminate hum etc), which adds to cost if you don't already have that.

I use a USB sound card (Behringer UCA202) that has line-level stereo RCA
jack inputs and outputs - I wouldn't waste time running the output of
that old laptop's onboard Intel audio into a real sound system!

> It's unlikely that you need a machine with a particularly fast
> processor, if you're doing straightforward effects and maybe a
> softsynth too. The main concern is to use a system that can give
> low-latency audio I/O, since the guitarist/violinist/whoever

In this case, me on keyboard.

> will *very* quickly notice the latency and feel very uncomfortable with it,
> if it's more than (say) one or two dozen milliseconds. So do use a
> linux distro with a real-time kernel (e.g. ubuntu studio, pure:dyne).

I was thinking I'd do that. I've downloaded a number of them. I'm not
using a real-time kernel on my regular laptop, and it shows.

> HTH
> Dan
>
> 2009/4/29, david <gnome@email-addr-hidden>:
>> The guitarist in my church band has been using a hefty effects box for
>> years (of course). Our violinist just bought a small one for chorus
>> effects. I should figure out to use my laptop as a synthesizer and
>> effects box and start bringing it along. Or maybe I should set up my
>> wife's old laptop for that - it's got a faster processor in it. Anyway,
>> suggestions/thoughts?

-- 
David
gnome@email-addr-hidden
authenticity, honesty, community
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