[LAU] FOSS DAW recommendations

[David Kastrup]

Len Ovens <len-ODU3Ot18rIYsV2N9l4h3zg at public.gmane.org> writes:

> On Thu, 16 Nov 2017, David W. Jones wrote:
>
>> Well, when I made an attempt to use Ardour, I quickly figured out
>> that its design assumed I was a fluent user of a traditional
>> hardware mixer and an experienced sound tech/engineer ... but I'm no
>> music pro, so could just be me.
>>
>> At the same time, I handled the physical tasks of connecting cables
>> between modules on a Moog ages ago, so maybe Ardour needs a more
>> physical UI? ;)
>
> If you don't want to hire an engineer, I am guessing you need to do
> their job. Just as with physical mixers and tape machines, someone
> needs to decide which physical input goes to which channel, what level
> and Eq that signal has, etc. etc.

That's not the problem.  The problem is that you have various modes with
fuzzy separation and distribution of tasks, that the mouse does not work
as usual (regarding context menus on third button etc), that stuff like
"remove something with the mouse" wanders around and is not discoverable
with menus or mouse-over help (what was it now?  Alt-middle or
something?).  Similar with the keyboard.

It is very prone to crashes and hangs when anything with the transport
goes wrong, and it's not exactly trivial to restart transport.  Its
autosave does not just leave a recoverable state but actually saves the
whole thing periodically as the current project, so if you don't know
whether you actually want to commit (or are pretty sure you don't) you
have to turn it off, or quitting without saving will leave you in some
unpredictable state.

I recently had a demonstration where the mics were wired wrong and so
the two "stereo" channels I recorded on were mixed up.  You think I
managed to split the tracks into mono in order to salvage two usable
tracks?  No beef.  I'd have had to do a stem export and reimport.  Or
something.  Didn't really fit in the demo time frame.

Handling marks (setting, moving them) is always hit and miss.
Manipulating automation with the mouse is hit and miss.  And so on.

> and yes, Ardour can be run quite well with a physical UI. Be it a
> keyboard with black and white keys, a control surface with faders
> (physical or touch), a keyboard with letters and numbers on it... or
> even a strange small box with two buttons and a wire (or not) that you
> slide around on your desk. It seems some people are willing to spend
> extra money so they can have one of each.

For recording a session, I use a nanoKontrol.  Don't want computer fans
or rotating disks anywhere near my mics.  Ardour is fine for making
takes.

It's when you start editing that things get awful.

-- 
David Kastrup