[linux-audio-user] Rewrite sfxload for native ALSA

[Mark Constable]

On Thu, 4 Dec 2003 12:34 pm, LinuxMedia wrote:
> > My thoughts are to try and create a reasonable piece of music
> > that *I* find listenable and not too embarrasing, mainly so there
> > are no copyright issues, and create some oggs then write up
> > (heh, sure pal) a HOWTO and how I created the end result (that
> > will never be "ended" because it could always be reused and
> > re-released as another version).
> ...
> Actually, there's much more to it than the above stuff. Of course,
> there's the ongoing building of soundfonts and the extra stuff like
> that. In fact, there's a lot of things like that I'm doing in along with
> the above to keep inproving the situation. But aren't we all (-:

What I lament the lack of is some system whereby there is a
coordinated effort amongst a number of folks to come up with
some kind of quasi-standard in a few areas, particularly with
a "standard reference" soundfont so that when we play back any
MIDI files, for instance, and they sound the same. I'm not
suggesting some system that demands people do something in a
certain way but allows "us" to build on top of each others
efforts and explorations as ALSA and the apps that use it mature.

For instance, it's taken me a week of effort to come up with a
method of using bash shell scripts to be able to easily play
any MIDI file with Timidity using the two guspat sets and 4
or 5 soundfonts so I can get a better grip on the relative
quality of each...

. I'm sure someone has made this same effort in the past yet
  I had to go through a week of hair pulling just to move a
  half an inch forward... so I can _start_ to create some music

. I'm equally sure _some_ other people in the future will want
  to go down this same path and so they will also have to spend
  hours working it out before they can start making music

I'd like to see some structure/system whereby mine and other
peoples efforts can build up "something" to eleviate us all
(newcomers to linux audio) having to reinvent basic understanding
before we all can really get on with what ALSA is mostly about,
enabling people to not only just play, but create, music.

Like I say, one little thing I hope to do is finally create
some piece of music I am mostly happy with and then not only
provide all the parts and components as examples but try to
write up the whole procedure that went into creating this piece.

To say the very least... if someone else had already done
something like this, so I could simply follow the instructions,
then I would be VERY happy not to waste my time reinventing
wheels most likely already spinning elsewhere.

--markc