I am a developer and I will jump in on some projects to help Linux
Audio. But also do some of my own projects, I feel the need of realtime
synths, either plugin or standalone. I have not decided yet to create
DSSI or application, as someone mentionend before, the plugin idea is
something from the closed source world which not applys to Linux.
BTW what is the state of the wired sequencer? I never got time to check
it out but it looks promising. I like Rosegarden but it takes to much
screen estate in my opinion, something which is common for Linux
applications, or is my computer configured wrong? For instance several
things in the otherwise splendid videoeditor Cinelerra annoys me a bit
so I try to get into it. It wastes screen estate too, in comparison with
Final Cut Pro, which I bought some years ago and which I am about to
replace with Cinelerra, offers me more information and tracks in the
same resolution.
I dont see the need for VSTs and VSTis so badly as others do. For sure
there are 100s VSTis out there but can't they boiled down to, lets say,
5 who sounds different? I see many TB303 simulations and many Poly
Subtractive synths, mostly constructed with SynthEdit and the build-in
modules. Dont we have enough TB303s already in the repos?
Audio applications do have some unusual widgets - i'm particularly
thinking of rotary knobs and mixer faders - that complicate the issue,
but I think there is some simple standardisation that can be
done here, so that applications dont have to reinvent the wheel.
In my opinion we shouldnt recreate the interfaces of the well known
closed applications without questioning it. I dont think for example
rotary knobs is the most desirable in usability. And a virtual synth
doesnt sound like a Moog when it looks like one, something which should
Arturia learn. I dont want to look on a image of a Moog and tickle its
knobs with the mouse, this is not the way I would like to create music
in the future. There should be some more intuitive interfaces which make
more fun and without the need to sell something in an oversaturated
market, there is no need for emulate the glitz of the closed buiz.
On CDM I read that Apple come out with something new as Logic replace
and I guess they put some new ideas into the old sequencer paradigma.
Ableton did some evolutionary work too (I would not call it revolution)
and I dont mean a new skin.
Issues I would be happy to discuss soon in Berlin.
Cheers,
Malte
--
Malte Steiner
media art + development
-www.block4.com-