[linux-audio-dev] GUIless friendly applications

[Matt Gerassimoff]

What about csound?  This is a command line and text based program for 
handling synth stuff.  Check out http://www.csounds.com

Matt

On Tue, 5 Nov 2002, Mario Lang wrote:

> Hello.
> 
> I'm a blind Linux user since 1997, and I'm also
> interested in doing music on Linux.
> 
> Since I'm the synth-type-of-guy, I'd really love
> to be able to play with software based synths, a little
> bit of step seuqencing, and some sample based stuff.
> Controlling my SuperNova DrumMachine via MIDI (and being able
> to sequence it) would also be nice.
> 
> Well, since blind people are still very GUIdisabled in Linux, the only things I can use are those which are either
> CLI or curses based,
> or expose their functionality through a easily programmable
> API. 
> 
> If only choice number two is available, that isn't that nice, because I'd like to
> be productive sometimes, and if you have to write yourself
> every little bit of convenience thing, you are not really making music, you're programming :).
> THe biggest problem there is that you actually
> dont do much realtime modifications.  And realtime
> changes to sequences or parameters of things are very important
> for experimental type of electronic music.
> 
> SO I've looked around, and found some stuff, but
> still have nothing really useful.
> Here is the list of software which is nicely
> done, and GUIless friendly:
> 
> Ecasound!!! Kai, cool done!  But its not the thing I need
> unfortunately.
> 
> GDAM.  Looks promosing because the workhorse
> code is nicely separatedd from the GUI, and I already
> managed to program gdam123 a bit to allow rate control,
> but again, its not really what I'm looking for although
> it seems nice.
> 
> Ardour is also somewhat accessible from what I hear, but
> again, its a multitrack recorder, not what I need.
> 
> 
> SSM: I looked at the code, and it seemed quite
> horrible to me.  GUI and workhorse code are tightly coupled, I see
> no way for me to get to the underlying functionality.
> 
> What I'm really missing is:
> 
> Some Sequencer which is capable of MIDI out and in
> 
> Some Synth software which is controllable through that
> sequencer.  SSM seems nice, but its a GUI-only thing,
> PD is even more GUI...
> 
> Some LADSPA plugins seem promising, but again its too much
> putting-things-together work.  
> 
> Can anyone add anything to that list?
> 
> Can anyone help with the listed problems?
> 
> Is some software author (i.e., the SSM author) interested
> to work with me on getting GUIless controllability?
> I'm not a good C programmer, but I'm at least
> familiar with what we'd need to work efficiently...
> 
> Or am I missing anything completely?  Some trick
> to circumvent the need for some GUIs?  Can anyone
> give an example on how to create a short trtack
> with some samples and a synth line without X?
> 
> -- 
> CYa,
>   Mario | Debian Developer <URL:http://debian.org/>
>         | Get my public key via finger mlang at db.debian.org
>         | 1024D/7FC1A0854909BCCDBE6C102DDFFC022A6B113E44
>