Sound Design and Music Composition Using Linux

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Sound Design and Music Composition Using
Linux By Niyam Bhushan and Vivek Khurana
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ALSA

• Advanced Linux Sound Architecture
• Supports several sound cards including
  professional multichannel audio interfaces
• supports older sound API such as OSS.

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Real Time

• Latency required for audio recording is lt 4ms.
• Patch kernel for Low Latency.
• For Linux 2.6, Realtime Linux Security Module
  can be used.

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JACK

• Jack Audio Connection Kit.
• Low Latency audio server.
• Connect multiple audio applications to sound
  device.
• Share audio output between applications.
• Provides internal patchbay

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Hydrogen

• Advanced Drum Machine.
• Pattern-based drumming program
• Multiple drum kits available.
• Supports upto 32 instrument tracks with volume,
  mute, solo, pan capabilities.
• Support of samples in FLAC file.
• Works with OSS as well as JACK.
• Export song as wav or midi file.

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Audacity

• Create/edit Sound Files.
• Multi Channel recording.
• Track Mixing.
• Supports VST and LADSPA plugins.
• Built in amplitude envelope editor.

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ZynAddSubFX

• Realtime synthesizer
• Midi Support.
• Virtual Keyboard.
• Polyphonic and mutlitimbral.
• Allows creation of new instruments/sounds.
• Modification of ADSR.

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Rosegarden

• Multi track Editing, notation editing, event
  editing.
• Configurations for a number of well-known MIDI
  synths available Details for other synths can
  be added.
• Supports LADSPA plugins.
• Audio mixer for audio routing and level mixing.
• Works with JACK.

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Ardour

• Digital Audio Workstation.
• Multichannel/Multi track recording.
• Non-linear, non-destructive region based
  editing.
• Supports LADSPA plugins.

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Jamin

• JACK Audio Connection Kit (JACK) Audio
  Mastering interface.
• 30 band graphical EQ.
• Capable of storing session parameters in Scenes.
• Spectrum analyzer.
• Stereo controls to control the wideness of the
  signal.
• Allows compressor bypass, total bypass or
  limiter bypass.

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References

• Agnula distribution www.agnula.org
• Alsa project www.alsa-project.org
• Jack project jackit.sourceforge.net
• Hydrogen project hydrogen.sourceforge.net
• Audacity Project audacity.sourceforge.net
• Zynaddsubfx zynaddsubfx.sourceforge.net
• Ardour project www.ardour.org
• Jamin project jamin.sourceforge.net