Linux PA WAS [linux-audio-user] More Mandrake 9.2 fine tuning...Dell latitude live fx box

[Greg Reddin]

--- Russell Hanaghan <hanaghan at starband.net> wrote:
> THis
> Saturday evening will be the test at the good ol' "Lucky Dawg"
> saloon!
> Yup, you read it right...The "Lucky Dawg"!! Reeks of Banjo music
> dont?
> :) But it's a fun low pressure gig. 
> 

Keep us posted on how this goes.  I've had visions of using my Linux
box as a live processor for months mow.  Most of the gigs I do are
low pressure so I'd be a good guinea pig for it :-)

So to fork the topic completely, here's my vision.

Phase 1:  Use a Linux DAW for EQ and dynamics processing for the PA.
Phase 2:  Add a multi-effects processor to use from an aux or group
on the board.
Phase 3:  Use a midi controller and ditch the analog board.  Linux +
controllers + amps becomes the PA system.
Phase 4:  Add software to help analyze a room and set up EQs, etc.

Here's some use cases for an ideal world after all this is set up.

1.  One sound engineer mixes house and monitors for a club band. 
He's up on stage listening to the monitor mix and adjusting it with a
PDA over a wireless network :-)

2.  Two separate engineers for house and monitors.  Everything is
routed through one computer (or a cluster) to multiple controllers
(as opposed to analog splitters they now use).  The monitor engineer
has a controller and builds the monitor mix.  The FOH engineer has a
controller to manage the FOH mix.

3.  Multiple computer setup.  Headless processor that takes all
inputs and outputs and does all processors.  Laptop controllers that
do the GUIs.  For that matter, the processor box(es) wouldn't even
need to be running X.  It could be controlled via networking. 
Everything is fault-tolerant.

4.  Installations.  Render a 3D design of the room.  Use this
information to spec out what system is needed.  When the system is
installed, set up mics around the room and use the analysis software
to set up EQs and processing.

Ok, so my dreams are waaay bigger than what is possible right now,
but I think the master processing and effects processing are doable. 
Once you get into that you really start wanting individual channels
mixed in the computer, but you also want tactile control over each
channel.  We'll see where it goes.

Sorry for the diversion.
Greg

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