David Griffiths wrote:
>
> Hello out there...
>
> My name is David Griffiths, and I'm using Linux for music and some
> animation/video stuff.
> I am also a programmer, and I'm currently working on SpiralSynth, a
> softsynth for Linux.
Cool!
You should consider joining the linux-audio-dev mailing list, which
is for linux audio developers. Check out our homepage at:
http://www.linuxdj.com/audio/lad
> I mostly use my Linuxbox as a source of sounds, using programs like
> SoundTracker, TerminatorX and my synth. Tracks are then composed on a 4
> track recorder in good old fashioned style.
> I like software that encourages you to play with stuff in an open ended
> way rather than force you into certain ways of thinking.
> I also prefer playing tunes on my Midi keyboard, rather than sequencing.
>
> As far as Linux software goes, I'd like to see more non-linear editing
> tools availible.
There has been a little discussion on linux-audio-dev about getting
Snd to be able to do this. An edit list format has not yet been
determined (though we might go with a cross-platform solution such
as AAF). Snd can do pretty much anything you could wish to do with
an editor, but much of it can only be done by typing lisp commands
into a text box. That could be changed by writing a config file that
adds menu commands for all the cool stuff, but no one has got around
to it yet.
I checked out your Spiral Synth. Nice work! Cool sounds, easy to
play with. randomize button is fun. I wish it was polyphonic, but
monosynths are great fun too (I have an SH-09!).
You also dealt with one of my major gripes with softsynths in
general - most of the ones I've tried for Linux don't let you save
your realtime playing into a file. Thanks!
Wish list:
1) Raw MIDI input from any user-selected device including named
pipes or STDIN.
This is great fun for those of us who like to write little scripts
(I write in Python) that generate random or patterned MIDI. In the
long term, it would also mean that I could write a sequencer that
can output to several different softsynths simultaneously (it would
require more CPU than I can afford, but we'll get there eventually).
2) "Aux" input so Spiral's filters can be used to process other
audio data. This is fun with old hardware synths; why not
soft-synths too?
3) Plugin support. See the lad page for links to LADSPA. There is
already at least one must-have plugin available - jezar's Freeverb.
Best 'verb I've heard on linux yet. I didn't follow a lot of the
technical discussion of LADSPA so I'm not sure if midi control is
part of the spec, but it would be extremely cool if Spiral could run
as a plugin to a LADSPA host. I don't know if there are yet any
hosts that could take advantage of this; maybe Ecasound.
--
................. paul winkler ..................
slinkP arts: music, sound, illustration, design, etc.
web page: http://www.slinkp.com
A member of ARMS: http://www.reacharms.com
