[LAD] automation on Linux (modular approach)

[Ralf Mardorf]

rosea grammostola wrote:
> Thanks Ralf (qtractor) and Chris (rosegarden) for taking the time to 
> give comments on my post.
>
> I believe the comments of Ralf about Qtractor, so it is doing the job 
> pretty well, with an drawing curve.
> But qtractor is not really an modular approach focusing application.
>
> Non-daw and non-mixer are ( http://non.tuxfamily.org/ ) and in my post I 
> quoted:
>   
>>> Damn, this should be a lot easier. Even the ancient Cakewalk was 
>>> lightyears better.
>>> _I think we have a great opportunity here for some developer to make 
>>> the world a better place. Simply make *non-daw's* timeline 
>>> controllers output midi CCs"_ 
>>>       
> This is actually possible as I found in the non-mixer manual:
>
> "1.1.2.3.1.3.1. Control Voltages
>
> The control voltage concept should be familiar to anyone who has 
> experience with analog modular synthesizers. MIDI, while having definite 
> advantages in many respects, multiplexes control data in such a way as 
> to make connecting one MIDI control to a parameter involve a significant 
> inconvenience, usually requiring the adjustment of settings on both ends 
> of the connection in order to separate the control data streams.
>
> Control Voltages, on the other hand, provide a simple 1:1 source to sink 
> relationship and offer much higher resolution, both in time and value, 
> than can be natively expressed through MIDI. The chief advantage of CV 
> in the context of Non-DAW is the ease with which an control sequence can 
> be connected to a mixer module parameter. If you have a MIDI controller 
> that you'd like to use to control parameters of Non-Mixer, consider 
> /jm2cv/, a JACK MIDI to Control Voltage daemon which was written by 
> Peter Nelson specifically for use with Non-Mixer. jm2cv can be acquired by:
>
> git clone git://fuzzle.org/jm2cv.git "
>
>
> http://non-mixer.tuxfamily.org/MANUAL.html#n:1.1.2.3.1.3.1.
>
> That makes the state of automation on Linux, with the modular approach a 
> lot better :)
>
>
> All though... it appears that there are at least two existing problems 
> right now:
>
>    1. Zynaddsubfx/ yoshimi and probably other standalone synths, doesn't
>       have an very good midi mapping.
>    2. Non-Mixer doesn't support LV2 (they are working on dssi, they
>       support ladspa) and they are not planning to do so.
>
>
> About point 1, it would be nice if the developers of standalone 
> application make automation / midi mapping as good as possible. PHASEX 
> seems to be a good example.
>
> About point 2, I don't see a way to do automation with LV2 plugins, when 
> you work the modular way, right now. If I'm right that's a real lacking 
> point. In my opinion, it would be a missed chance if non-mixer will not 
> support LV2 plugins, and I know I'm not the only Linux audio user who is 
> thinking so.
>
> What is needed here I think, is an (external, non non-dev) developer who 
> is willing to code LV2 support into non-mixer. You will make the Linux 
> audio world a better place, cause non-mixer / non-daw gives us new 
> possibilities (for example automation). I take it for granted that some 
> programmers don't like LV2. But if you don't do it for yourself, do it 
> for the community ;)
>
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> \r
>
> ps. I'm not involved in developing Non things

I didn't know Non-Mixer :).

Because of CV gate vs MIDI, here "we" spend a lot of money to MIDIfy CV 
gate synth, because of the advantages MIDI has got ;).

Anyway, I guess I do understand what you are talking about. And even if 
I never ever will change from Linux to any other OS, I'm whining because 
of Linux audio each day ;).

As I've written before, subscribe to the Qtractor devel mailing list and 
tease Rui :D.
Qtractor is a really cool sequencer. Perhaps Ardour3 is a cool sequencer 
too, I don't know it.