sex & foreplay

Tue May 25 21:54:41 UTC 2004

Hi Chris,
I would highly recommend you install your audio via Planet CCRMA 
http://ccrma.stanford.edu/planetccrma/software/  . It comes with a low 
latency kernel.  Audacity is available here. Software is installed via 
apt-get so a lot of dependancy hassles are taken care of. 
 From the site:
" Planet CCRMA (CCRMA is pronounced ``karma'') at Home is a collection 
of rpms (RPM <http://www.rpm.org> stands for RedHat Package Manager) 
that you can add to a computer running RedHat 7.3, 8.0, 9 or Fedora Core 
1 to transform it into an audio workstation with a low-latency kernel, 
current ALSA audio drivers and a nice set of music, midi, audio and 
video applications. It replicates most of the Linux environment we have 
been using for years here at CCRMA for our daily work in audio and 
computer music production and research. Planet CCRMA is easy to install 
and maintain, it can be installed and upgraded over the network from the 
Planet CCRMA apt repository or its mirrors, or from cdroms you can 
download from this site."
Jim

> First the sex then the foreplay. That way I won't waste your time if 
> you're not interested. ; )
>
> The Sex:
>
> I can't configure my linux boxes to record musical instruments.
>
> The Foreplay:
>
> I want to record music in linux. I'm thinking of Audactiy because it's 
> easy to get and looks like what I want – a multitrack recorder.
>
> I have two pretty good systems:
>
> Compaq Deskpro EN
> 384 MB RAM
> Sound onboard: Intel 18x0 82801BA/BAM AC'97 Audio (rev 01)
> Sound card: Sound Blaster Live! 5.1 EMU10k1 (rev 0a)
> NIC and 56K external modem
>
> custom Duron 800
> 256 MB RAM
> Sound: Creative Media CM 8738
> Video: ATI Xpert 98 8 MB AGP
> NIC and 56K external modem
>
> I also have an external backpack CD-RW which I could use with either 
> machine (not that I've figured that out yet).
>
> My instruments, cables, PC, soundcards and the stereo system that the 
> PC connects to for playback all work fine. I have recorded music under 
> Windows 98 so the hardware is all OK.
>
> I've been running a business with applications running on linux for a 
> few months now – spreadsheet, word processor, printing, posters, 
> business cards, Internet and email. Multitrack sound recording is my 
> final frontier.
>
> Here are some of the things I have done, resources I have, etc...
>
> - I had a debian guru from the list install beta sarge on the P733. As 
> soon as I got the PC back to Timmins and booted it, I got the error, 
> “artsd - sound server fatal error - cpu overloaded” and have not been 
> able to record with the card. I can't play CDs either. I installed 
> (even bought) Vmware so that I could test the card in W98. Little did 
> I know that the VMware W98 vm can't use a real driver – it picks sound 
> up (if it's working) from linux via VMware Tools – in short, if I'm 
> right, the Vmware quest will pick up sound only if it's working on the 
> host. But I don't want to get sidetracked with VMware issues. I want 
> to get sound working under linux.
>
> - I have a dial-up connection to the Internet so I can download 
> applications but not OSs. If someone out there inspires me to work 
> with a particular distribution I'll get it from Cheapbytes or wherever.
>
> - At one point I had a linux/W98 dual-boot. However I found myself 
> spending too much time in W98 and too little in linux. Everytime I 
> didn't know how to do something I would just boot to W98. I don't 
> think that would happen now as I can do all (but multitrack recording 
> and CD burning) in linux now. So, if a dual-boot scenario will serve 
> me well for a while I may try that while I'm learning how to configure 
> sound in linux.
>
> It seems to me that the best thing to do would be to do a dual-boot 
> W98/linux (whatever tluggers talk me into) installation. Then I could 
> carve the hdb drive into two to back up song projects in W98 and 
> linux. The two benefits of this scenario are, 1. I would have access 
> to information about hardware (including that it is connected and 
> working) from W98, and, 2. I could start recording songs in W98 (on 
> ProTools Free) while I work away at configuring sound in linux. So, 
> all week linux would be up for business and sound configuration, and 
> when the weekend comes I boot to W98 and get recording (until Windows 
> is finally out of my life) – that kind of thing.
>
> So, the first question I have is, which distribution? The second is, 
> which PC I should use for this? It's been suggested that the P733 will 
> be faster than the Duron 800. And I do recall problems with the Duron 
> hanging. I haven't had that problem of late but then I have not been 
> using it much. My only problem with using the P733 is that it has an 
> onboard card *and* a sound card. So, I don't know which sound card is 
> the “active” one (if that is aconcept that applies) at any given time. 
> I want to be able to leave my line, mic and speakers cables attached 
> to one card (the SBL! 5.1) and know that that is the card that will 
> record and play.
>
> Of course, this all begs the question, why not just use W98? Well, I 
> don't want to. I hate the idea of using MS products even if I'm not 
> paying for them. Multitrack recording and CD burning) is the only 
> thing between me and a Microsoft-free life.
>
> Don't be shy to suggest things that cost money. If buying a Mandrake 
> boxed set with support is the answer then I'll do it.
>
> I'm not looking for the distribution I'm going to grow old with, just 
> one that a redhat, and soon-to-be-former Windows, user would be able 
> to learn with modest but consistent effort over the next five weeks (I 
> want to be multitrack-recording in earnest by the summer) and have a 
> chance of having Audacity (or another multitrack recording 
> application) come up and record instruments through the Mic and Line 
> ports no my soundcard.
>
> Thank you. This is a long email to read.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Chris Aitken
>
>
> -- 
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>

--
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TLUG requests: Linux topics, No HTML, wrap text below 80 columns
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