On Wed, 2009-08-05 at 21:53 +0200, Jens M Andreasen
wrote:
From TFA:
--8<----------------------------------
Go to System->Preferences->Sound, click on the Devices tab, and check
out the pulldown menu next to ‘Sound Events’ at the top of the panel.
You will see various acronyms, possibly including cryptic-looking
technologies like OSS, ESD, ALSA, JACK, and Pulse Audio. These acronyms
represent a byzantine tangle of conflicting technologies that over time,
and due to political reasons or backwards compatibility, have ended up
cohabiting with one another. ‘Frankenstein’ might be an accurate
metaphor here.
Thankfully, there is a simpler way, which is the combination of ALSA [a
high-performance, kernel-level audio and MIDI system] and JACK [a system
for creating low-latency audio, MIDI, and sync connections between
applications and computers]. The battle-scarred among us have learned to
ignore all the other audio cruft bolted on to Ubuntu and just use ALSA
and JACK. One can think of the ALSA/JACK stack, the heart of most pro
Linux studios, as the Core Audio of Linux and in my opinion Jack should
be the first thing installed on any musicians laptop. I’d go so far as
to suggest placing it in the Startup Applications so it’s always
running.
-------------------8<--------------------------------------------------
IMO without a ton of effort Jack could, and should, be turned into a
viable default installation audio system (or the bottom layer of such a
system, at least). The desktop guys certainly aren't ever going to get
it right.
The above problem is a very real one as far as people's perception of
GNU/Linux as an audio system. What a mess. We can do better.
-dr
Linux audio is a total mess... a normal human being can't work with pro
audio on Linux, unless he/she spent hours and hours to learn the little
tricks or he has an expert available who helps him...
I spent 5 hours last week to help somebody to get his (pro) audio
working on Linux... He says to his girlfriend, you better spend a 1000
euro's for such a white macbook, then things just work...
I don't know if I can really recommend Linux for pro audio to normal
human beings... at least I should say, you need a lot of time, not easy
give up on things and a lot of patience...
I don't know if there is a connection between LAD and the distro
builders, but it seems there is need for change somewhere...
Kim did the switch (nice article), but he has an other background then
most of the people who works on Desktops and in studios...
\r