Jack Audio Connection Kit

[folderol]

I thought you might like to know some of what I've picked up about Jack.

The first thing to try and get your head around is that Jack is an Audio and a MIDI server. The musicians exact parallel with a printer server or file server. This means it will take audio and MIDI from any Jack-aware software (including drivers) and send it to any other Jack-aware software. This includes going over networks if they are fast enough.

This means that you can turn any piece of such software into a kind of vst plugin, especially as a lot of J/A software allows multiple instances of itself.

For example I can use Rosegarden (which of itself supports some vst plugins) to control two different instances of ZynAddSubFX via separate MIDI 16 channel 'ports'. The audio of one of these could be sent via the Jamin compressor/equaliser to Audacity.

The other instance of Zyn could be sent directly to Audacity and at the same time these inputs could pick up a feed from the Hydrogen drum synthesiser, via a different instance of Jamin. Hydrogen could be getting a MIDI feed from a hardware keyboard, that at the same time is recording a MIDI track to Rosegarden.

Then I might like to use Meterbridge to monitor the output from Hydrogen, but not Zyn. or I might load up Qsynth so I can add in some standard sound fonts. I could get Rosegarden to send the same MIDI data to this as it is sending to one of the Zyn. instances and the output could go to Timemachine because I'm a real masochist and want to make two completely different recordings at the same time.

As you can see this could get pretty convuluted and in actual practice I don't really do any of this (much), but one day... one day

[offthewall]

 
and I think that blowing a penny-whistle down a microphone is complicated 

 
James

[Oren]

Massive possibilities. Seems beyond me at this time, but when I purchased my old Apple computer in1994 - same feeling. And again with my first IBM clone in 2000.

I like what I see of this Linux phenomenon, and learning gets easier with practice.

Here we go....

[kara]

It is true that you have to make some time to learn Jack.
But is has infinitive possibilities.
The best parallel for win* users, is to see it as a MIDI Yoke and (audio) Rewire all in one.
You can send midi and audio from any application or synth to any application or synth.

k

[folderol]

and I think that blowing a penny-whistle down a microphone is complicated 

 
James

Playing any real instrument is extremely complicated. It's just that you do it so automatically by now you don't realise just how much work you are doing!

My only skill is with keyboard instruments, which is really one of the easiest to handle (apart from a bit of rhythm guitar playing in a local 60s rock band).

All the complexities of handling software are actually a bit of a con. You can take just as long as you like trying to get it right, and nobody gets to hear when you screw up!

[Oren]

Will,

What kind of sound card do you use on your dual core computer with Studio 64?

My open-source consultant, Andrew, wants to be sure that all components of this new rig are entirely Linux compatible. Details would be helpful. Also recommendations as to an even better card for the job, if there is one?

We're getting there,

Oren.

[folderol]

Hi Oren.

I use an M-Audio 2496. It is a mid to high grade card that has excellent reviews (that's why I chose it). The top of the range card is the Delta 1010, but was a bit outside my price bracket.

I've never heard of anyone having problems with the 2496. Very occasionally you hear of people having problems with the 1010 but I suspect they are using noname mobos with suspect bios.

Incidentally, I did a quick check and it looks like you're doing a very similar build to mine

My athlon is a 4200 (I think) running at 2.2G and I have 2G 800Mhz DDR2 memory

[Oren]

Thanks, Will.

I'd like to make this machine as close to yours as practical, but with the latest, greatest developments in quiet cooling and processing capability. I have an Audiophile 2496, and for a guy who does mostly analog-source recording, it tends to be a bit bare-bones. Maybe I'll get it going in my fast P4 dual-core machine and see if it will suffice ....certainly will cut down the cost 

Always a pleasure,

Oren.

[Moon]

... but with the latest, greatest developments in quiet cooling and processing capability. ...

I've build my DAW in this case: http://www.paqt.co.uk/index.html

I think it is one of the finest solutions for a DAW, I can't tell if the DAW is running by hearing at it, unless I put my ear very close to it. I'm running an intel E6700.

Moon

[Oren]

Outstanding - A DAW case!

I'll put that puppy on the wish-list 

Oren.

[Oren]

Along with JACK, the stable now includes Rosegarden, Jamin, and that ZynAddSubFX synthesizer.

I'd like to pair the synth with Hydrogen to start making my own drums/bass/pads backing tracks.

Brainstrain....

Oren.

[folderol]

Right. Hang on to your hat. You're going to like this

Start jack first (I actually have my setup configured to do this on bootup)

Start Hydrogen
Start Zyn.

Start Rosegarden. I always like to start this last, as she can be a bit of a Prima Donna if she's not the main act

Try loading one of the demo patterns in Hydrogen. You should also see 'Jack trans.' in blue at the bottom.

In Rosegarden > settings > Configure Rosegarden > Sequencer > Synchronisation (phew) set JACK transport mode to Sync and make sure Sequencer timer is auto.

It may take a few seconds for everything to wake up, and sometimes you need to reset the MIDI network in Rosegarden, but from then on, you can start everything playing using EITHER Hydrogen or Rosegarden controls

Rosegarden can also have a drum track so you can play extra drums not in the Hydrogen main pattern.

As well as that, you can use rosegarden to record audio to a track while playing the rest.

Finally, I've never tried this before, but Rosegarden is able to start on getting any MIDI message, so you could get the whole thing running with a key press. I THINK it can also to that for audio input, but I'm not certain about that.

[Oren]

Looks like a winner, Will 

Would you care to write a few words about how/where Zyn fits into this recipe?

I had hoped to avoid Rosegarden and Ardour for a few months 'til I get some initial ducks in a row. Is there a concoction of this ilk that could do a similar job with just Zyn, Hydrogen, and Jack? The plan was to import the resulting backing tracks (as audio) into Audacity, and "thrash and holler" over top...
Or had I best bite the bullet and jump right into Rosegarden? I'll defer to your judgement on this one - get used to it  .

Oren.

[folderol]

Hmmm... a FEW words?

First Zyn. is a pure synth (on the principle do just one thing but do it well). It has no sequence or pattern facilities, but sucks in MIDI and spits out audio, It has a rudimentary fake 'keyboard' but that is really for trying sounds out. I guess you could just about record something played on the computer keyboard, but I wouldn't like to try it! Having said that, it's worth playing with this just to get an idea of what sounds Zyn. can produce.

<geek warning> Hmmm, we need a smiley for that!

Zyn. distorts time. Once you start playing with the many levels of control you have over the voice patches, hours, days even, vanish in a haze of magical sounds.

If you have a plain MIDI keyboard then you could of course use that, and connect the MIDI through direct with Jack. You then could quite easily play a synth line accompanying a Hydrogen pattern, or record while Audacity is playing other recorded tracks.

This may be a good way to get familiar with these bits, but eventually you will want the extras that a seqencer like Rosegarden can give you. The most fundamental one being absolute repeatability of work, while being able to make non-destructive changes and try different effects.

The number two feature (for me) being the ability to build up work either by mulitple live punch-ins or step-wise editing. You can get results that are totaly impossible to achieve any other way.

<fx: removes evangelical hat>

Hope some of this helps

[Oren]

Thanks Will.

It looks like Rosegarden is a necessary component in the process of creating synthetic bass lines and pads with Zyn.

Ok, it's back to Jack and Audacity for now, then on to hooking up Zyn and Rosegarden for some sequencing practice, then....introduce extra percussion from Hydrogen, and somewhere down the line get Jamin functional and learn how to master with it.

Life used to be so simple... ,

Oren.