[LAU] jack, pulse = confusion, at least for me

[Len Ovens]

On Mon, 13 Mar 2017, Ralf Mardorf wrote:

> The OP's original request:
>
> http://lists.linuxaudio.org/pipermail/linux-audio-user/2017-March/107563.html
>
> IMO the implicit master question is, what setup meets the OP's needs.
> In most cases it makes no sense to run two sound servers in
> combination, that are aimed for opposite purposes. Doing this usually
> is self-defeating. Why starting from the premise that the OP's needs
> fit to an unlikely corner case?

This is a case where the combination of pulse and jackdbus work quite 
well. Wanting to have a DAW on the screen and be able to, without exiting 
from the DAW, play a u-toob vid... I don't know, for instruction (a 
tutorial), illustration, (thats the sound I mean) or whatever, is hardly a 
corner case. In general, web browsers don't just emit noises at odd times 
and in the case of ubuntustudio, the default is that all desktop noises 
are turned off.

Certainly, in a studio where the DAW computer is used for nothing else, 
never connected to network anyway and there is another general purpose 
computer sitting there anyway, having pulse installed (or a web browser) 
is pointless. However, one might argue that in todays world and within 
Ubuntustudio's target audience, this DAW only computer would be a corner 
case.

If the creators of jackd had finished it to present a default alsa device 
as pulse does, handle USB devices that appear and vanish without notice, 
switching from one to the other as needed... maybe there wuld be no pulse. 
But jack does not cover all needs and so a frontend such as pulseaudio can 
be a real plus. There are a number of workflows where a pulse/jack 
combination is the only way to make it work. (radio studio that uses skype 
for callin or interviews comes to mind) I hear rumours that pulse handles 
Blue Tooth Audio and ALSA doesn't. (if true, what does that say about the 
future of ALSA?)

--
Len Ovens
www.ovenwerks.net