[LAU] iPad and Linux audio

Patrick Shirkey pshirkey at boosthardware.com
Tue Feb 7 00:43:54 UTC 2012


> On Mon, Feb 6, 2012 at 7:02 PM, Renato <rennabh at gmail.com> wrote:
>> On Mon, 6 Feb 2012 18:21:49 -0500
>> Paul Davis <paul at linuxaudiosystems.com> wrote:
>>
>>> this is what *CANNOT* be done sensibly on android:
>>>
>>> TC-11: http://www.bitshapesoftware.com/instruments/tc-11/
>>> Orphion: http://vimeo.com/35131490
>>>
>>> watch them both, and prepare to weep. Orphion doesn't have the most
>>> interesting synthesis, alas.
>>
>> couldn't they both be achieved if the tablet was used only as control,
>> and synthesis was actually happening on a computer?
>
> perhaps, yes, although driving physical synthesis models with MIDI is
> like driving a lamborghini with 8 pairs of ski gloves on each hand and
> concrete overshoes on your feet. you can do it, but ... its just not
> the same.

:-)

While I agree that Android is a complete nightmare when it comes to
latency and realtime audio, work is being done now on the controller front
at Fairlight Instruments.

http://fairlightinstruments.com.au

They have leveraged ADB on the Android platform to provide a usb
connection to a Linux synth server which is controlled from an UI running
on a Samsung Wifi-5.0 YP970. It's like a big ipod touch.

I have built a custom ROM for them to provide a more aesthetically
pleasing experience.

Further work is being done to allow third party applications to have
access to the synth server API among other things that I am not at liberty
to share yet ;-)

They were showing them at NAMM last month.

I am not 100% sure ;-) but I think their reason for moving to Linux is
that they are sick of dealing with that other platform and the often
frustrating and buggy experience. Although Samsung have done their best to
try to keep that flame burning on Android platform, the Fairlight guys are
not looking back...


Cheers


--
Patrick Shirkey
Boost Hardware Ltd


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