[linux-audio-user] Wired audio/midi app...

Russell Hanaghan hanaghan at starband.net
Mon Dec 6 20:42:41 EST 2004


Brad Fuller wrote:

>
>
> Russell Hanaghan wrote:
>
>> Brett McCoy wrote:
>>
>>> Russell Hanaghan wrote:
>>>
>>>> Has anyone been using this app and if so, have you been able to use 
>>>> it with jack? It says it has jack support on the home page but I 
>>>> have not been able to get it working.
>>>>
>>>> http://wired.sourceforge.net/
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> It looks like it has the potential to be a pretty slick 
>>> application... but it's got a long way to go.  I think Wired uses 
>>> PortAudio for JACK support, so you'll need to investigate getting 
>>> that to work.
>>>
>>> If you need to get something serious recorded, though, 'd recommend 
>>> using Ardour and Rosegarden (with JACK).
>>>
>>> -- Brett
>>>
>> Agreed on all points...
>>
>> The GUI is nice and if it really will "do it all" at least in terms 
>> of working as a sequencer, it may solve my live sequencing dilemna 
>> and free me of Cakewalk and Windblows.
>
>
> Are you using Sonar? What does your Cakewalk have that RG does not? 
> What are you missing?
>
Hmmm, I'm gald u asked... :)

I use Sonar as a sequencer to run midi files (Mixed, edited if needed 
and saved to Sonar format) to back me doing vocals and guitar. Sorta 
like Karaoke on steroids rather than Milli Vanilli :) So when live, I 
need to load a file and play...no time for messing around...1 sec = 1 
millenium on stage as you all know...

I use soft synths only. Usually, Roland Virtual sound canvas or Edirol 
Hypercanvas. I have been running the later as a Vst under jack_vst (Have 
not had time to mess with DSSI) and used both Muse and RG. Rose garden 
never seems to get the instrument selection right(?) I don't have time 
onstage to mess around with Ch 1 = voc...Ch 2 = guit...channel 3 = 
drums....etc. I think it expects that even though drums would be midi 
channel 10, they are not always track 10(??) so it does not allocate 
drums automagically. Sonar...and even Muse...I load the file and the 
right instruments are loaded or allocated to the right track.

RG has no play list feature...Neither does Muse. This would be a good 
feature for request?

The mixer in RG and Muse are prone to causing crackling when operated in 
RT. This maybe a kernel issue. I use 2.6.7 with Relatime-lsm and run as 
a user.

The track visual is ok...but a bit bland (Now I'm just getting nit 
picky) but a little more detail would be good. I use thos as visual ques 
in live settings. Vertical resizing of individual tracks?

Those are the main items...I thank you for asking. Both RG and Muse are 
very promising. And now Wired...we shall see.  IF one could integrate an 
internal midi wave based GS or GM2 128 voice softsynth...that would be 
awesome. Yes, I know we have fluid synth...and Qsynth if not using the 
internal fluidsynth  in RG...but sound fonts are a pain! Roland / 
Edirol  seems to be able to get killer wave based instrument sounds 
squeezed into 8 and 14 MB....The nearest sounding reasonable soundfont 
set I have is 26MB.  The SBlive sf2 file from my Live5.1 is only 4mb...I 
have not been able to track down the 8mb file...but they dont sound that 
good stacked next to HyperCanvas. Nor is there there any instrument 
tonal control available... There are other ways to accomplish this in 
Linux but it requires running several apps at minimum. This creates more 
risk in terms of crashes and more fiddling!  In my home studio I have 
the time to mess with all this...on stage...no way.  It would be nice to 
have a radio button to select internal GM / GS softsynth

I run Sonar on Win XP on a Dell CPxj 650. It has never crashed or held 
me up in the 5 years I have been using it. I still run 2.1 though. 3.0 
has funky feel to it in GUI and not too mention its bloody expensive! 
:)  I use a Linux box to run fx on the PA and accoustic guitar; I would 
love nothing more than to leave the Windows machine at home...or if I 
use it it is only as a display out of sheer convenience and not 
necessity! I get a lot of curiosity generated over my live setup and 
folks ask a lot of questions about it.

Again, to the Muse & RG devs...you both have come much distance!!! I can 
sync both to Ardour and have it all....but for the live thing and 
softsynth stuff...It's not quite ready for prime time; at least not for me.

Cheers,

R~








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