Re: [LAU] So what do you think sucks about Linux audio ?

On 02/10/2013 08:52 AM, Ralf Mardorf wrote:
> On Sun, 2013-02-10 at 12:06 +0000, Fons Adriaensen wrote:
>> On Sun, Feb 10, 2013 at 12:17:34PM +0100, Jörn Nettingsmeier wrote:
>>
>>> and if you want to include the setup and configuration of a
>>> bare-bones machine, then please also include the soldering iron and
>>> oscilloscope :)
>> And a calibrated test tape [snip]
> That's why calibration at home usually is limited to premagnetisation.
> Another issue for hobby engineers is to get the service manual.
>
> However, for some humans it's hard to spend much time with the computer,
> but it's easy for them to use stand alone devices.
>
> I guess the original comparison (8 track analog vs a Linux computer) is
> about the difference between a computer and (analog + digital) stand
> alone devices.

One glaring difference is that with analog equipment, it is fast and
easy to get sound recorded. You can unbox it, and you will be able to
record and playback almost immediately. It may take you time to learn
how to get GOOD sounds recorded, but that is a different topic. He can
learn about degaussing at a later time. He can learn head alignment at
his leisure. He can still record, just maybe not at the highest quality
yet.

With computer audio, and Linux more than some, even if you follow one of
the step by step instructions which can be found on the net, it still
may not work. You may have a different kernel than were used in the
instructions. Pulse Audio may not work the way the instructions say it
will (if at all). Your device names will all be different than what is
in the instructions. Your sound card may not work with the version of
alsa used as an example. Systemd and dbus may be causing problems which
weren't an issue in the 5 year old instructions. Your choice of distro
and version can make a huge impact. Inevitably, your jack parameters
will be different than what are given in various examples - and often
with no apparent logic as to why that is so. Until ALL of those things
are solved, the recording environment is unusable.

In other words, even if someone is an experienced audio person, and has
tried to search out various HOW-TOs to get his computer set up, it still
may not work. At all.

An experienced linux person will likely be more able to get things
running quickly, but if the goal is to get 'end-users' to use audio on
linux, then the target market must be "people who want to perform audio
tasks" and NOT "people who already use linux."

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