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This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

--- wiki:newbie [2010/12/18 03:09] – moved session management to seperate section lee
+++ wiki:newbie [2013/05/25 17:20] – [Why Linux for music composition and digital recording?] raboof
@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 FIXME **This page should structure itself around different user stories and provide some starting points and guidance for each.**
-===== Introduction =====
+===== Introduction for New and Prospective Linux Musicians =====
-Linux audio technologies are finally coming of age.  It is now possible for distributions to ship with good and reliable
+Welcome to the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newbie|newbie]] page of the Linuxaudio.org [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki|wiki]]. This part of the wiki is meant to help you make a successfull start with [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux|Linux]] as your audio workstation and musician's tool. We will use some external links for further information. On the side of this page you see a table of contents so you can go to the chapters which you're interested in and skip those which are less interesting for you. There's also a search function. If this page does not provide all the answers to your questions, you can always ask a specific question on the LinuxMusicians [[http://linuxmusicians.com/index.php|forum]]. For more support options (e.g. IRC and [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mailinglist|mailinglists]]) check the [[apps:categories:documentation]] page. Don't hesitate to ask!
-audio which works just off the CD (off the web, off the USB!) on much hardware.  There is also pro-level audio out there,
-including multitrack recording, live synthesis, MIDI interaction of many sorts, filters of several sorts both live
-and for alteration of recordings, and tight integration with video on a number of levels.
-A good place to start is very probably to see what your current favorite distro will do with your hardware.  These days, if it doesn't work immediately or with just a little casual investigation (and if you have the bandwidth), the quickest way to see results is to try the LiveCDs of a variety of other distros until you find one which does work easily and immediately.  Getting the very basic Linux audio to work is very much a matter of many tricky bits at the levels of distribution install and configuration, so it's best to start with a running setup if you can.
+==== Why Linux for music composition and digital recording? ====
-Pro audio can get different.  Technologies have coalesced quite nicely around a system for realtime connection of applications
+  - Linux is safe, stable, easy to work with and free!
-and hardware called Jack or Jackd.  Jack has its own needs which can conflict with some general-purpose audio elements; for this reason there are many [[http://wiki.linuxaudio.org/apps/categories/linux_audio_bundles_distributions|pro audio specific distros]], which will save you lots of time and frustration if this is your work.
+  - Great professional grade, free audio software for recording, editing, midi, sampling, drumming and much more!
+  - Lower latency than on Windows or OSX, plus more configuration and optimization options.
+  - Great options for connecting multiple computers (also Windows and Mac) and syncing audio over the network (NetJack).
+  - Great support by the Linux community and [[apps:categories:documentation|other audio/music focused Linux groups]], in many different languages!
+====Examples of some great pieces of free audio software====
+  * [[http://ardour.org/|Ardour]] Digital Audio Workstation.
+  * [[http://qtractor.sourceforge.net/|Qtractor]] Audio/MIDI multi-track sequencer.
+  * [[http://musescore.org|MuseScore]] Music notation and composition software
+  * [[http://www.linuxsampler.org/screenshots.html|LinuxSampler]] sampling with SFZ and GIGA files.
+  * [[http://distrho.sourceforge.net/ports.php|TAL Noisemaker]] Excellent synth available as LV2 and LinuxVST plugins as well as a JACK app.
+  * [[http://samplv1.sourceforge.net/samplv1-index.html|samplv1]] RNCBC's simple but very useful sampler. Available as LV2 plugin and JACK app.
+  * [[http://www.openoctave.org/ | Open Octave Midi]] is a Linux based DAW designed to give musicians the tools needed to make composing on a computer possible, and even fun!
+  * [[http://guitarix.sourceforge.net/| Guitarix]] is a virtual guitar amplifier for Linux.
+  * [[http://www.mixxx.org/|Mixxx]] DJ tool.
+  * [[http://calf.sourceforge.net/?id=4|Calf audio plugin pack]] high quality open source audio plugins for musicians.
+  * [[http://audacity.sourceforge.net/|Audacity]] sound editor
+  * [[http://www.hydrogen-music.org/|Hydrogen]] drummachine
+  * [[http://yoshimi.sourceforge.net/|Yoshimi]] Improved version of the famous Zynaddsubfx synth
+These are just a few examples, more at [[http://apps.linuxaudio.org/|apps.linuxaudio.org ]]
+Not sure if a tool you need is available or don't know which one suits your needs best? Ask advise and user experiences on the forums or mailinglists!
+==== Commercial Audio Software ====
+Next to the many free open source audio software on Linux, there is also commercial audio software available for Linux. Some examples are:
+  * [[http://www.harrisonconsoles.com/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=108&Itemid=42|Harrison Mixbus]]
+  * [[http://www.renoise.com/|Renoise]]
+  * [[http://www.linuxdsp.co.uk/| LinuxDSP]]
+  * [[http://www.energy-xt.com/|EnergyXT]]
+  * [[http://www.pianoteq.com/| Pianoteq]]
+  * [[http://www.loomer.co.uk/| Loomer]]
+  * [[http://www.discodsp.com/ | DiscoDSP]]
+  * [[http://www.guitar-pro.com/en/index.php| Guitar Pro]]
+  * [[http://bitwig.com/bitwig_studio.php | Bitwig Studio]]
+More on commercial software and VST plugins [[vst_support_and_commercial_apps|here]]. Our efforts on our support channels (forum, wiki, IRC), is, as you'll understand, focusing mainly (but not exclusively) on the Free and Open Source software. For support on commercial software, we'd suggest you to go to the particular software support service offered by the companies.
+===== Audio-oriented distributions =====
+For newbies it's highly recommended to start using a optimized Linux distribution for proaudio or multimedia. Then you don't have the trouble of doing all the specific configuration needed for proaudio yourself. For more information see [[apps:categories:distributions]].
 ===== Elements =====
@@ Line 28: / Line 65: @@
 [[apps:all:OSS_free|OSS]] - an audio interface that was formerly the standard in Linux. Its development is now continued outside the Linux kernel.
+===Supported hardware===
+Many people wonder if their (audio) hardware is supported by Linux. The quick answer is that there's a good chance that it is. When you start working with Linux it's always good to do a little searching, and that'll likely tell you whether it is supported. Most hardware is actually supported by Linux, because of lots of work from the Linux community. In addition, more and more companies are making hardware [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Device_driver|drivers]] for Linux.
+[[hardware|Here]] You can see which soundcard, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firewire|firewire]] device  or other audio hardware is supported by Linux. Your hardware not on the list? Then you can ask at the LinuxMusicians [[http://linuxmusicians.com/index.php|forum]] or post a message on the [[http://lists.linuxaudio.org/mailman/listinfo/linux-audio-user|LAU mailinglist]].
 ==== Higher-level Layers ====
@@ Line 43: / Line 85: @@
 ==== Session management ====
-Due to the modularity of the Jack audio infrastructure there is some demand for a single point where sessions can be saved and restored. [[apps:all:ladcca|LADCCA]], the [[apps:all:LASH|LASH]] project and [[apps:all:ladish]] aim(ed) to provide this functionality but they are somewhat dormant. A more recent approach, supported by an increasing number of applications, is [[http://trac.jackaudio.org/wiki/WalkThrough/User/jack_session|Jack session]], present in development versions of Jack.
+Due to the modularity of the Jack audio infrastructure there is some demand for a single point where sessions can be saved and restored. Quite the collection of GUI session management systems exists: [[apps:all:ladcca|LADCCA]] and its successor [[apps:all:LASH|LASH]], [[apps:all:Ladish]], [[apps:categories:jack_session|JACK_Session]], and the [[apps:categories:nsm|Non Session Manager]].  The Non Session Manager and the Ladish systems are known to be in heavy development with active support.
-Another option is writing shell scripts that restore a session, a newbie introduction to this can be found [[http://digitaldub.wordpress.com/2009/12/16/linux-audio-session-scripting/|here]]
+Another option is writing shell scripts that restore a session.  A newbie introduction to this can be found [[http://digitaldub.wordpress.com/2009/12/16/linux-audio-session-scripting/|here]].
+A more recent system using shell scripts with a tool called [[http://aj-snapshot.sourceforge.net/|aj-snapshot]], being used for live stage use, [[http://lsn.ponderworthy.com/doku.php/robust_session_management|is documented here.]]  GUI tools are used for patch design and confirmation, scripts are written to replicate the patches.
 ==== Plugin formats ====
@@ Line 90: / Line 133: @@
 Dave Phillips Article [[http://wiki.linuxaudio.org/apps/all/the_linux_soundfile_editor_roundup|The Linux Soundfile Editor Roundup]] perfectly covers this subject.
-The category [[apps:categories:soundfile_editors_and_utilities|Soundfile Editors & Utilities]] lists available software.
+The category [[apps:categories:soundfile_editors|Soundfile Editors]] lists available software.
 == Sampling ==
@@ Line 182: / Line 225: @@
 ==DSSI==
-[[apps:all:DSSI|DSSI]], the **D**isposable **S**oft **S**ynth **I**nterface, is a higher-level API that builds on LADSPA. DSSI-plugins may (and mostly do) provide their own GUI. There are softsynths available, for instance [[apps:all:nekosynth|nekobee]], a Roland 303 emulatur, and [[apps:all:hexter|hexter]], emulating a Yamaha DX7.
+[[apps:categories:DSSI|DSSI]], the **D**isposable **S**oft **S**ynth **I**nterface, is a higher-level API that builds on LADSPA. DSSI-plugins may (and mostly do) provide their own GUI. There are softsynths available, for instance [[apps:all:nekosynth|nekobee]], a Roland 303 emulatur, and [[apps:all:hexter|hexter]], emulating a Yamaha DX7.
-[[apps:categories:dssi_plugins|A list of DSSI plugins]]
 ==LV2==
@@ Line 201: / Line 242: @@
 For an object-oriented, more general-programming-language-like syntax and live-coding abilities try [[apps:all:Supercollider|SuperCollider]] or [[apps:all:chuck|ChucK]].
+===== Get your support! =====
+Linuxaudio is great, make sure you get the best out of it. It's impossible for us to keep the documentation up-to-date. So little annoying issues with a (combination) of certain software, are not documented and might cost you way too much time. Therefore, it's highly recommended to join one or more support channels, so you know what's going on in the world of Linuxaudio and are able to ask support for issues you're confronted with. Join our forum, the Linuxaudio mailing-list (LAU) or the support channels of the distribution you use (forum or mailing-lists). For most people it's the only way to find a pleasant workflow on Linux and get the best out of it! Do it!