[linux-audio-user] Looking for a software drum machine usable on stage

[Michal Seta]

Charles Goyard <charles at terrien.org> writes:

> 3/ On some songs, we stop the drumbox, play a bit, and start it again.
> When I hit the stop pedal, it stops immediately (and therefore I need to
> hit "reset" to be sure to be at the beginning of the pattern when it
> starts again). It would like it to stop at the end of the pattern if I
> hit the stop button.

I don't think such thing exists in linux.  It should be not too hard
to implement in PD if you're so inclined.

> 
> 4/ It should "know" the song structure:
> 
> "start" : plays part1 of song
> "stop"  : stops :)
> "start" : again part1
> "stop"  : still stops
> "start" : plays part2 of song

This, IMHO, could be easily solved by treating the second time of
part1 as part2 (so every part is considered unique) regardless of
software used.

> 
> 5/ We need programmable tempo changes.

PD? mod trackers (soundtracker, cheesetracker)?


> 6/ Big display, playlist control, easy to load songs ! We're on stage,
> it's dark,, there is smoke, and it's not very practical to
> "file/open/click/click/click..." with a guitar in the hand and people
> jumping over you. Song name should be displayed BIG (full screen), the
> name of the next song should be already programmed, so I just have to
> press space (or a pedal wired to the parallel or whatever port) to jump
> to the next song.

RTMix.  I have used it for a few performances.  It was especially
great when used with various applications for different songs.  I had
it display current and next song, load applications, quit applications
and advance from one song to another with a keystroke (different key
for different song).  It's mainly a tool for gluing different parts of
your performance and can display big time, metronomes and various
other visual cues (Including text).  Worth looking into if you find yourself needing
more than 1 app for the whole performance and want to minimize
keystrokes and mouse clicks.

> 
> I just spoke about a pedal. I can build a "stop/start, next song" pedal
> and code something that reads events and make it to the audio app.

You could easily wire it up to RTMix via either OSC or MIDI.  But this
is true for PD as well.

> For some songs, just chaining two or three .wav files works well enough.
> But when it comes to things more elaborate, I have been unable to find
> something appropriate.
> 

At this point you will probably have to roll your own in PD or some
other 'programming' language if you want a flexible and 'intelligent'
performance system that is event driven in some way.

> you can listen to some of my music on http://www.raia.info/
> (french web site, sorry for non-french-speaking people)

Thanks for the link.  And I think there are quite a few of us here who
can manage french.

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