[sdiy] Re: The Via board--linux music

[mikko.a.helin at nokia.com]

Hi,
I've been on linux audio developers list for some time, and there are some multitrack audio apps in developement (can be used but there are some open issues).

Anyway, ecasound (Kai Vehmanen is the author) is one, it's terminal based (no GUI). Another apparently good app is the Ardour (from Paul Davies, or Barton-Davies actually, screen shot here: http://ardour.sourceforge.net/screen2001-11-04.png and here http://ardour.sourceforge.net/editor.png ). Problem is that there are no Linux distributions that are ready for low-latency audio / MIDI stuff. Basically you have to first get the kernel sources and the low-latency patch (Andrew Morton's) + pre-emptible kernel patches (Robert Love's), also O(1) scheluder patch (Ingo Molnar's) is told to give good results. Then apply the patches, configure, compile and install the kernel. Then do the same for kernel modules. Now you also need ALSA drivers, which also are kernel modules (though can be also compiled into kernel), version 0.9.0b or something (use latest even though they are not labelled stable, developers don't support older ones). You propably need ALSA sources and need to configure!
 , compile and install them like any kernel modules. Also you should install JACK (Jack Audio Connection Kit) which enables low-latency shraring of audio port between multiple apps, and LADSPA, which is the (VST like) DSP package for Linux audio apps. I think then you could start apps and use aconnect to connect the inputs and outputs. Pretty complicated stuff, but then you have <1.5 ms latency for audio apps meaning you can play the soft synths like you play hardware synths without any annoying delays.


Links: ecasound: http://www.wakkanet.fi/~kaiv/ecasound/
         other links: http://eca.cx/la_links.html (alsa etc.)
jack: http://jackit.sourceforge.net/
jack apps: http://jackit.sourceforge.net/apps/

ardour: http://ardour.sourceforge.net/


Happy hacking!

-Mikko

> -----Original Message-----
> From: ext metasonix at earthlink.net [mailto:metasonix at earthlink.net]
> Sent: 14. June 2002 8:28
> To: synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl
> Subject: [sdiy] Re: The Via board--linux music
> 
> 
> >> Bloody hell. Isn't that cute! All you need is a nice 
> realtime embedded OS.
> >> Say, isn't there a linux project for that?
> 
> Which reminds me. 
> Has anyone come out with a decent multitrack audio recording 
> program for Linux?
> Something on the order of Cool Edit or IAM would be usable.
> 
> (ps--I hate Pro Tools. The paragon of bloatware.)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> E. Barbour
> metasonix
> 
>