Taking off a week... maybe two... :) Be back later.
Wouldnt it be cool to have a way to mix multiple streams of audio into one stream. The Cool Pick Of The Day, MuSE, allows for just that. MuSE is a free Open Source, GPL licensed application, for the mixing, encoding, and network streaming of sound. MuSE is capable of mixing 6 audio streams from files (mp3 and ogg), network source, as well as sound card output. The encoded stream can then be played locally through a sound card, recorded to harddisk, as well as stream over a network. Additionally, the audio can be streamed to a audio server (Litestream, Icecast, Darwin Streaming Server, and Shoutcast) and then to network clients.
MuSE offers both graphical interfaces and a command line interface to control its features as well as a reusable API interface to the core mixing engine to allow for creation of new interfaces.
For added functionality, LAME and Ogg Vorbis libraries can be utilized for MP3 and OggVorbis support.
An important Note. MuSE is not the same thing as MusE. MusE was covered in an earlier C.P.O.T.D.
Installationwget ftp://ftp.dyne.org/muse/sources/MuSE-0.9.2.tar.gz
tar zxf MuSE-0.9.2.tar.gz
cd /tmp/MuSE-0.9.2
./configure --with-ogg-prefix=/usr/local/lib --with-vorbis-prefix=/usr/local/lib
make
# if you have MusE installed you should differentiate between these two Muse's: MuSE and MusE
# by saving the binary muse to its proper name. e.g. c
paco -lp MuSE-0.9.2 "make install"
# Now copy the newly installed (different muse) to its proper name. e.g. cp /usr/local/bin/muse /usr/local/bin/MuSE
Running MuSE
/usr/local/bin/MuSE
The Internet Public Library is an experiment, trying to discover and promote the most effective roles and contributions of librarians to the Internet and vice versa, it is the first public library of and for the Internet community. It is run bya group of hard working, highly talented, creative, strong-willed people/
The main link is here http://www.ipl.org/
An annotated collection of high quality Internet resources, selected by IPL staff for their usefulness in providing accurate, factual information on a particular topic or topics.
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Being very interested in robotics, I have been always on the look out for a good robot controller. I have quite a few robotic controllers but all of them are very specific to their intended need. The Mindstorm robotics Brick is neat and with all the hacks available, it has become even more functional. With the introduction of their new robotics controller, the NXT, even more cool designs are possible. But still, the NXT processing and options are quite limited. Then there is the Robix Construction Kit which offers a general Parallel/'USB interface to servos with an aluminum set of links with all the hardware to make quite a few different kits. The controller connects to a computer, and it is controlled through the use of the included software and developed control language. Then there is the Evolution ER1 which supplies a interface to motors, etc. all controlled by a laptop with software, complete with camera and aluminum construction pieces. Then there is the Xport Robot Controller, from Charmed Labs, which is the Cool Pick Of The Day.
In general, for learning robotics, it is best to have a controller board and a separate "brain". I think it is preferable to have a computer processor that is linked to the controller, with a generic control language that sends commands to the controller, while still being capable of doing other tasks. To accomplish this, one option is to have a multitasking Operating System on the processor. This usually involved a pretty substantial architecture and OS. An Intel computer with an OS such as Linux would fit the bill but this adds substantial cost to the Robot. The other option is to have the controller be powerful enough to take care of all the tasks it is given and have the processor be the interface and overall task manager.
The second approach is used for the Charmed Lab's XRC. For the processor, Charmed Labs chose a very easy to buy, very inexpensive, pretty powerful computer- the Game Boy Advance (Series). Another neat feature is that you can use LEGO's with the setup which extends the functionality and flexibility of this robotics controller.
The XRC consists of 2 components- the Xport 2.0 which is the embedded system development module and an IO controller in the form of a daughter card that works with the XPort. For power, it uses 6 NiMH (recommended) or NiCd batteries that can also power the GBA.
Xport 2.0 features a fully programmable FPGA (available with 50,000 or 150,000 logic gates),64 user-programmable I/O signals, 4 Mbytes of flash memory,16 Mbytes of SDRAM (optional), built-in high-speed communications and debug port,and free FPGA synthesis software. Also, supplied is several pre-tested logic configurations,in system programmability,open source software,and source level debugging. The real-time operating system used in the XPort is eCos 2.0, the bootstrap environment is RedBoot, and the debugger is Insight.
The XRC daughter card provides: 4 closed-loop back-EMF motor controllers,16 digital sensor inputs,8 analog sensor inputs,In-system NiCd, NiMH battery charger,battery voltage monitor,comprehensive open-source software to program in C/C++, wireless communication via an optional bluetooth module, and option XIR module.
The XRC plugs into a GBA (not included but you can surely get one for under $99 maybe even $50) and utilizes the powerful 32-bit RISC CPU. You can program in C or C++, use the PCM sound, utilize the 240x160 TFT color LCD as an interface for control and status, for your robot experiments. The controllers cost between $140-$269 and the modules are $16 for the XIR, $89 for the Bluetooth modules and the Omniwheels are $9 each
Without a doubt the XRC provides a flexible and functional robotics development environment by combining advanced cost-effective technologies.
I was looking for an audio project to play with and came across Ardour and Ardour2. The main site for the project is http://ardour.org/. Ardour runs on Linux and MaxOS X. Also, if you just wish to test drive Ardour2, and don't wish to delve into the complexities of this article, I recommend downloading the LiveCD/LiveDVD Studio 64 (32 and 64 bit versions are available) from the Studio 64 website.
Their description of Ardour's functionality is far better then I could explain, so I include the write up from their home page below...
Ardour is a digital audio workstation. You can use it to record, edit and mix multi-track audio. You can produce your own CDs, mix video soundtracks, or just experiment with new ideas about music and sound.Ardour capabilities include: multichannel recording, non-linear, non-destructive region based editing with unlimited undo/redo, full automation support, a mixer whose capabilities rival high end hardware consoles, lots of plugins to warp, shift and shape your music, and controllable from hardware control surfaces at the same time as it syncs to timecode.
Ardour is not a sound file editor, a MIDI sequencer or a loop-based music system. You can use it in conjunction with Audacity which is a sound editor, or MusE with is a MIDI sequencer and ??? which is a loop based music system. Ardour is audio hardware independant since it uses jack and therefore supports a wide variety of hardware. Also this means that Ardour will run with any hardware supported by JACK, or even with no audio interface at alli It also is a great architecture to use in audio render farms where modern networks are used to move audio instead of audio cables. The complete list of supported hardware is quite extensive.
Audio
In conjunction with its support for a wide range of audio hardware, Ardour offers you sample rate neutral facilities (ie. any sample rate is supported to the extent of your hardware's capabilities). All sample data is maintained internally in 32 bit floating point format for maximum headroom and fidelity. Native file format is industry standard IEEE 32 bit floating point Broadcast WAVE or WAVE. Play or record any number of tracks with bit-perfect quality (what comes in is what goes out). Import from (or export to) more than 30 different audio file formats, using Ardour's builtin audio file database manager with free-form fields or directly from an ordinary file browser.AudioProviding seamless operation with any supported hardware, Ardour's 32 bit floating point mixer offers endless headroom and guaranteed bit-for-bit fidelity for 24 bit samples. There are no hidden filters anywhere in Ardour's mixer - what you record is what you hear, unless you choose otherwise. Within ardour's two primary windows, you have a superb system for audio production, including the most flexible mixer architecture in the industry, total automation and a large selection of plugins. Ardour doesn't come with any builtin EQ or dynamics, leaving you free to use your choice of any of the numerous available plugins without having to bypass the builtin system. You can mix any number of tracks that your hardware can handle, and you can use both MMC and generic MIDI control surfaces to manage the mix without developing wrist injuries or despising your laptop touchpad. And of course, all your settings are saved between work session, so all automation, mixer, routing, and effects settings return to precisely where you left them.EditingAt the present, most DAWs are converging on a fairly common set of editing features, and Ardour is no different in this respect. Even so, we believe that in time, Ardour's editing capabilities will become the new standard for DAWs. Within the edit window, you can adjust everything about your session and its timeline layout, all with sample-level resolution. Trim regions, crossfade by dragging, timestretch useful samples, split and regroup audio, move non-contiguous selections around, identify and use song chunks as you wish. Edit automation data in their own tracks. Unlimited undo/redo should encourage you to try out your ideas without fear, especially with a snapshot facility to store interesting or useful versions of the session.PluginsArdour relies on plugins to enable many features from FX processing to dynamics control. At this time, Ardour supports the LADSPA plugin API, developed by the Linux Audio Developers community. To use a plugin, just add it to the track (pre- or post-fader, of course), and then open its editor with a single mouse click. Edit the settings, store/load presets, and automate any of its parameters. LADSPA currently offers more than 100 plugins, all of them open source software, ranging from simple filters to vinyl degradation simulators, analog flangers and multiband EQs.CompatibilityUnlike every other DAW available, Ardour is open source. This means that anyone can read the "source code" to the program to find out exactly how, when and why it does certain things. It's this openness that allowed the first port of Ardour to Mac OS X to be carried out by someone previously uninvolved with the Ardour project. It's also this openness that ensures that Ardour's existence does not depend upon the continued involvement or solvency of its creators. It's this openness that allows Ardour to be built to run on many different computer platforms, and that will ensure that support for it is available from many sources. At the same time, Ardour adheres to as many standards as possible in its operations and capabilities. Whether its SMPTE/MTC for timecode, Broadcast WAVE or WAVE as a native file format, MMC for remote control of its transport system, or XML as the data format for its session files, Ardour doesn't try to hide its technology or design as part of an attempt to earn more money.
Mastering
Ardour is not just a recorder, editor and mixer, but can also be used to master your project all the way to its final form. This is not just because of its editing capabilities or the available plugins, but because its integration into JACK makes the use of mastering tools like JAMin a breeze. Ardour also permits bouncing to disk via outboard gear, thus enabling even more possibilities for balancing the tonal qualities of your session. And because it uses standard audio file formats and can export to many others, there are many fine custom tools available to handle conversion into specialized formats such as MP3, Ogg Vorbis and others.I built this using RedHat and Slackware. Most current distributions include most of the required libraries, but if yours does not, just follow the instructions for your particular requirement. I mainly use Guardian Angel Linux- for any versions before G.A.L. 3.4, the following packages are needed:
fftw-3.2alpha3.tar.gz
jack-audio-connection-kit-0.109.2.tar.gz
liblo-0.24.tar.gz
liblrdf-0.4.0.tar.gz
raptor-1.4.16.tar.gz
For a complete listing of the dependencies read: http://ardour.org/building
Building Ardour's Dependencies
export PKG_CONFIG_PATH=/usr/local/lib/pkgconfig/
mkdir /tmp/ardour
cd /tmp/ardour
wget http://internap.dl.sourceforge.net/sourceforge/scons/scons-0.96.1.tar.gz
tar zxf scons-0.96.1.tar.gz
cd scons-0.96.1
paco -lp scons-0.96.1 "python setup.py install"
paco -lp scons-0.96.1 "python setup.py install --standard-lib"
ldconfig
cd /tmp/ardour
wget http://pkgconfig.freedesktop.org/releases/pkg-config-0.20.tar.gz
tar zxf pkg-config-0.20.tar.gz
cd pkg-config-0.20
./configure --prefix=/usr
make
paco -lp pkg-config-0.20 "make install"
ldconfig
cd /tmp/ardour
wget http://download.librdf.org/source/raptor-1.4.9.tar.gz
tar zxf raptor-1.4.9.tar.gz
cd raptor-1.4.9
./configure --prefix=/usr
make
paco -lp raptor-1.4.9 "make install"
ldconfig
cd /tmp/ardour
wget ftp://xmlsoft.org/libxml2/libxml2-2.6.24.tar.gz
tar zxf libxml2-2.6.24.tar.gz
cd libxml2-2.6.24
./configure --prefix=/usr
make
paco -lp libxml2-2.6.24 "make install"
ldconfig
cd /tmp/ardour
wget http://www.mega-nerd.com/SRC/libsamplerate-0.1.2.tar.gz
tar zxf libsamplerate-0.1.2.tar.gz
cd libsamplerate-0.1.2
./configure --prefix=/usr
make
paco -lp libsamplerate-0.1.2 "make install"
ldconfig
cd /tmp/ardour
wget http://www.ladspa.org/download/ladspa_sdk.tgz
tar zxf ladspa_sdk.tgz
cd ladspa_sdk
cd src
make
paco -lp ladspa_sdk_1.12 "make install"
ldconfig
cd /tmp/ardour
wget http://easynews.dl.sourceforge.net/sourceforge/lrdf/liblrdf-0.4.0.tar.gz tar zxf liblrdf-0.4.0.tar.gz
cd liblrdf-0.4.0
./configure --prefix=/usr
make
paco -lp liblrdf-0.4.0 "make install"
ldconfig
cd /tmp/ardour wget ftp://ftp.gtk.org/pub/gtk/v2.8/glib-2.8.6.tar.bz2
tar jxf glib-2.8.6.tar.bz2 cd glib-2.8.6
./configure --prefix=/usr
make paco -lp glib-2.8.6 "make install"
ldconfig
cd /tmp/ardour
wget ftp://ftp.gtk.org/pub/gtk/v2.8/atk-1.10.3.tar.gz
tar zxf atk-1.10.3.tar.gz
cd atk-1.10.3
./configure --prefix=/usr
make
paco -lp atk-1.10.3 "make install"
ldconfig
cd /tmp/ardour
wget http://easynews.dl.sourceforge.net/sourceforge/freetype/freetype-2.2.1.tar.bz2
tar jxf freetype-2.2.1.tar.bz2
cd freetype-2.2.1
./configure --prefix=/usr
make
paco -lp freetype-2.2.1 "make install"
ldconfig
cd /tmp/ardour
wget http://fontconfig.org/release/fontconfig-2.3.95.tar.gz
tar zxf fontconfig-2.3.95.tar.gz
cd fontconfig-2.3.95
./configure --prefix=/usr
make
paco -lp fontconfig-2.3.95 "make install"
ldconfig
cd /tmp/ardour
wget ftp://ftp.gtk.org/pub/gtk/v2.8/dependencies/libpng-1.2.8.tar.bz2
tar jxf libpng-1.2.8.tar.bz2
cd libpng-1.2.8
./configure --prefix=/usr
cp scripts/makefile.linux Makefile
make
paco -lp libpng-1.2.8 "make install"
ldconfig
cd /tmp/ardour
wget ftp://ftp.gtk.org/pub/gtk/v2.8/dependencies/cairo-1.0.2.tar.gz
tar zxf cairo-1.0.2.tar.gz
cd cairo-1.0.2
./configure --prefix=/usr
make
paco -lp cairo-1.0.2 "make install"
ldconfig
cd /tmp/ardour
wget ftp://ftp.gtk.org/pub/gtk/v2.8/pango-1.10.4.tar.bz2
tar jxf pango-1.10.4.tar.bz2
cd pango-1.10.4
./configure --prefix=/usr
make
paco -lp pango-1.10.4 "make install"
echo "/usr/local/lib/pango/1.4.0/modules" >> /etc/ld.so.conf ldconfig
cd /tmp/ardour
wget ftp://ftp.gtk.org/pub/gtk/v2.8/gtk+-2.8.17.tar.gz
tar zxf gtk+-2.8.17.tar.gz cd gtk+-2.8.17
./configure --prefix=/usr
make
paco -lp gtk+-2.8.17 "make install"
echo "/usr/local/lib/gtk-2.0/2.4.0/loades" >>/etc/ld.so.conf
echo "/usr/local/lib/gtk-2.0/2.4.0/immodules" >>/etc/ld.so.conf
echo "/usr/local/lib/gtk-2.0/2.4.0/engines" >>/etc/ld.so.conf
ldconfig
cd /tmp/ardour
wget http://ftp.gnome.org/pub/GNOME/platform/2.14/2.14.1/sources/libart_lgpl-2.3.17.tar.gz
tar zxf libart_lgpl-2.3.17.tar.gz
cd libart_lgpl-2.3.17
./configure --prefix=/usr
make
paco -lp libart_lgpl-2.3.17 "make install"
ldconfig
cd /tmp/ardour
wget http://ftp.gnome.org/pub/GNOME/platform/2.14/2.14.1/sources/libglade-2.5.1.tar.bz2
tar jxf libglade-2.5.1.tar.bz2
cd libglade-2.5.1
./configure --prefix=/usr
make
paco -lp libglade-2.5.1 "make install"
echo "/usr/local/lib/libglade/2.0 " >>/etc/ld.so.conf
ldconfig
cd /tmp/ardour
wget http://ftp.gnome.org/pub/GNOME/platform/2.14/2.14.1/sources/libgnomecanvas-2.14.0.tar.bz2
tar jxf libgnomecanvas-2.14.0.tar.bz2
cd libgnomecanvas-2.14.0
./configure
make
paco -lap libgnomecanvas-2.14.0 "make all-recursive"
paco -lap libgnomecanvas-2.14.0 "make install"
ldconfig
#Ardour version 1
cd /tmp/ardourwget http://ardour.org/files/releases/ardour-cvs.tar.bz2
tar jxf ardour-cvs.tar.bz2cd ardoursconspaco -lp ardor "scons install"ldconfig
#Requirements for Ardour version 2
cd /tmp/ardourwget http://downloads.sourceforge.net/liblo/liblo-0.24.tar.gz
tar zxf liblo-0.24.tar.gzcd liblo-0.24
./configure --prefix=/usr
make
paco -lp liblo-0.24 "make install"ldconfig
cd /tmp/ardourwget http://www.fftw.org/fftw-3.1.2.tar.gz
tar zxf fftw-3.1.2.tar.gz
cd fftw-3.1.2./configure --prefix=/usr --enable-single
makepaco -lp fftw-3.1.2 "make install"ldconfigcd /tmp/ardourwget http://internap.dl.sourceforge.net/sourceforge/jackit/jack-audio-connection-kit-0.109.2.tar.gz
tar zxf jack-audio-connection-kit-0.109.2.tar.gz
cd jack-audio-connection-kit-0.109.2./configure --prefix=/usr
make
paco -lp jack-audio-connection-kit-0.109.2 "make install"ldconfig#Ardour version 2
cd /tmp/ardourwget http://ardour.org/files/releases/ardour2-cvs.tar.bz2tar jxf ardour2-cvs.tar.bz2cd ardour2
sconspaco -lp ardour2 "scons install"ldconfigRunning Ardourardourardourardour2ardour2
Conclusion
Ardour and Ardour2 are extremely powerful packages. You won't need both and I recommend Ardour2 over Ardour. The need to use Ardour may arise if your distribution is old enough that you can't get the required dependencies to compile on your distribution.
Also, if you just wish to test drive Ardour2, and don't wish to delve into the complexities of this article, I recommend downloading the LiveCD/LiveDVD Studio 64 (32 and 64 bit versions are available) from the Studio 64 website.
Today's Cool Pick Of The Day is Lessons in Electronic Circuits by Tony R. Kuphaldt (with contributions from Dennis Crunkilton and maybe many others) hosted at the very excellent resource of http://www.ibiblio.org It is a free 6 volume series of textbooks on the subjects of electronics and electricity released under the Design Science License.The Lessons in Electronic Circuits series is a 6 volume set that consists of: Volume I -DC Circuits 5th Edition, Volume II -AC Circuits 5th Edition, Volume III -Semiconductors 4th Edition, Volume IV -Digital Circuits 4th Edition, Volume V - Reference 4th Edition, Volume VI - Experiments 1st Edition.
Additionally, two great electronic circuit sources are VA3AVR and Bowden's Hobby Circuits.
Have fun!
Ever want to know more about Astronomy? Ever want to be able to view the sky from anywhere in the world or from the surface of another planet, while never having to leave the comfort of your arm chair? Well now it is possible, using Stellarium as one of the tools to explore your arm chair universe. With this you will not only be able to see the night sky... but the universal time machine.
Today's Cool Pick Of The Day is Stellarium is free GPL software which renders realistic skies in real time using openGL. With Stellarium, you can view the heavens as if looking thought your naked eye, binoculars or a small telescope. Stellarium is also used in planetariums or to control projectors such as those created by Digitalis Education Solutions.
It can be run on Linux, MacOS X, and MS Windows. What packages you need for Linux are: OpenGL implementation, SDL, Zlib, libpng. I use Red Hat AS 4 and I installed SDL in the Bolo C.P.O.T.D.Navigating around Stellarium can be done via the mouse and keyboard keys. You can look around by mouse dragging or moving your mouse against the edges of the window, using the scroll mouse wheel to zoom in and out, and there are many keys to press for constellation drawings, mapping grids for RA and DEC as well as Alt/Azi, ecliptic and equator lines, etc. Another wonderful feature is "Time Travel" which allows you to time index or jump to a specific time and date and see the celestial view from your current vantage point at that specified moment in time. A full description of keyboard control can be found at the Keyboard Actions section of the Wiki.There are over 100,000 objects in the catalog. All stars from the Hipparcos catalog, also included are the planets of our solar system, and their natural satellites, all Messier objects, all NGC objects, planet orbits, meridian line, cardinal points, azimuthal grid, equator line, equatorial grid, ecliptica, asterisms, names of the constellations, equatorial/azimuthal mount, constellation boundaries, Nebulae, to name a few. Observation from another planet and as solar system observer is also possible.To enhance the viewing experience, there are different projections available: Perspective projection, fisheye projection, "old_style" texture projection, spherical panorama projection and stereographic projection. Also, realistic atmosphere, constellation art based on Greek mythology, surface fog, star twinkling, and meteor showers. And full customization such as adding your own landscapes, constellation images, scripts, and your own deep sky objects, further enhances the viewing experience.By using scripting it is possible to record and play your own shows. You can do this by either using the script input window or loading it through the text user interface.
Getting and Installing Stellarium
wget http://superb-east.dl.sourceforge.net/sourceforge/stellarium/stellarium-0.8.0.tar.gztar zxf stellarium-0.8.0.tar.gzcd stellarium-0.8.0./configuremakepaco -lp stellarium-0.8.0 "make install"
Running StellariumstellariumA comprehensive Manual is available. A full description of the Keyboard Actions can be found on their Wiki.
In the beginning of the movie Paycheck, the main character Michael Jennings reverse engineers a competitor's display technology and then improves upon it. As he is demonstrating his new "A-Life" 3D display technology, he is asked if the technology is the exact same technology as their competitor's. He says no, not exactly, since he realized that there was actually no need for the screen at all and the he proceeds to remove the screen and the image is left still being displayed. WOW! Cool stuff... Futuristic... not really. A similar technology has been available for awhile. The Cool Pick Of The Day goes to Heliodisplay.
The Heliodisplay technology has been around for at least a few years now. Every time I have explained the technology to people, they do the wand wave off and say "yeah yeah that'd be cool but come back to reality." Then I tell them, "But you have been able to buy and even rent them for over a year." Their whole attitude immediately changes with a look of excitement, then back to disbelief... It MUST be like $100,000 or something. Nope, actually last I checked I was quoted around $18,000 to buy (could be cheaper now). "NAHHHH, it's just vaporware," they say... "has anyone seen it?"" Yes! It is available today!
Not only have people seen the Heliodisplay, they have touched it. Yes folks, this image projection technology is interactive, like a touch screen. How does it work? The display technology is based on projecting an image onto a curtain of modified air. The air handling mechanism draws air into it and charges the air particles and aligns them, then blows them out so the projector can then reflect the image of them. Nothing is added to the air so there is no odors or particulates to worry about- they are just charged air particles. The projector can sense when something crosses the air curtain and that is how the display can sense touch. Using their Heliocast(TM) software with a USB connected computer, the touchscreen capability is available.
The projected image itself is 2-Dimensional. The image is a projection onto a planar air curtain but since their is no depth reference plane to compare it against, images can be easily made to look 3D. Images can be viewed from the front only at a 150 degree viewing angle from the front and the image resolution is from 800x600 - 1280x1024 and higher resolutions are possible and available with their enterprise solutions option. Its 30 inch diagonal viewing area can support both 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios. It can display the image up to 28 inches away from the Heliodisplay but its quality is best when the image stays within its normal specified 30" diagonal display area. Normal video connections are possible to the Heliodisplay so computer, TV and DVD outputs are simple. Since the image float without any reference color around them, it is best if they are large, bright, well defined images. Outdoor viewing is almost impossible since the air stream can easily be interrupted and the daylight will wash away the image. Though I don't see why the display can't be encased in glass and displayed at night.
Since the image is only visible from the front, it can be used for some interesting types of applications. For instance, a camera viewing a person from behind a Heliodisplay will never see the image on the display. In this way the Heliodisplay can be used like a teleprompter. It may be even possible for the Heliodisplay to project an image dark and solid enough to create a 1-way courtesy curtain.
The power requirements are normal and can on standard 110-220v power, so it can be used anywhere in the world. No special glasses need to be used to view the display and no special devices like gloves, pointed stylus, etc needs to be used to interact with the image. To use this display, your eyes and hands are the only thing needed. :)
MusE is an Open Source, GPL licensed, MIDI/Audio sequencer with recording and editing capabilities that aims to be a complete multi-track virtual studio for Linux. MusE has among other things support for: - Midi sequencing
- Record/Playback/Import
- Input filter
- Audio sequencing
- Record/Playback several mono/stereo inputs/outputs.
- Use effects
- Nice routing features
- AudioGroups
- LADSPA
- Perform audio effects like chorus/flanger!
- Jack
- Use the Jack Audio Connection Kit for midi/audio routing.
- Internal Audio Routing Interface
- ALSA - based on the Advanced Linux Sound Architecture
You can use several soundcards to access external midi devices and record/playback them with MusE. - NEW Advanced jack audio routing possibilities
- NEW Automation architecture for both midi and audio
- Improved Better midi controller abstraction: available midi controller can be defined in instrument definition file (*.idf) idf
- Improved Integrated mixer with:
- NEWUnlimited number of inputs
- NEWUnlimited number of outputs
- NEWUnlimited number of tracks
- NEWUnlimited number of aux's
- LADSPA effects on all track types, both before and after fader
- Stereo/Mono track types
- Improved interface changes, the TrackInfo pane is used more
- Improved Midi instrument definition files (*.idf)
- Improved Lots of customization options
- NEW Shortcut editor
- NEW Drag and drop import of midi files
- NEW Drag and drop import of wave files
- Standard midifile (smf) import-/export
- RTC (Real time clock) use for rock solid timing
- Advanced arranger with track and part abstractions.
- midi editors:
- Pianoroll,
- Drum editor,
- List editors,
- Controller editors
- Realtime editing of "everything"
- Unlimited number of open editors
- Unlimited undo/redo
- Realtime and step-recording
- Multiple midi devices
- Unlimited number of tracks, both midi and audio
- Audio playback/recording
- Sync to external and internal devices/applications:
- MTC/MMC
- Midi Clock
- Master/Slave
- NEW Jack transport enabled
- LADSPA effects
- Integrated softsynth architecture M.E.S.S
- Several internal synths available
- Simple architecture for adding more synths
- NEW support for industry standard Windows VSTi softsynths
- JACK enabled
- ALSA sequencer client
- LASH enabled (formerly LADCCA)
- Raw midi device usage through ALSA
- XML based project files
- XML based configuration files
- project file contains complete app state (session data)
- Application spanning Cut/Paste Drag/Drop
- uses C++, QT3.2 GUI Library, STL
Getting and Installing MuSEwget http://easynews.dl.sourceforge.net/sourceforge/realtime-lsm/realtime-lsm-0.1.1.tar.gzwget http://download.savannah.gnu.org/releases/fluid/fluidsynth-1.0.7a.tar.gztar zxf fluidsynth-1.0.7a.tar.gzcd fluidsynth-1.0.7./configure --enable-ladspapaco -lp fluidsynth-1.0.7 "make install"wget http://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/libtool/libtool-1.5.22.tar.gztar zxf libtool-1.5.22.tar.gzcd libtool-1.5.22./configuremakepaco -lp libtool-1.5.22 "make install"wget http://superb-east.dl.sourceforge.net/sourceforge/lmuse/muse-0.8.1a.tar.gztar zxf muse-0.8.1a.tar.gzcd muse-0.8.1./configuremake./configurepaco -lp muse-0.8.1 "make install"echo "/usr/local/lib/muse/synthi" >> /etc/ld.so.confecho "/usr/local/lib/muse/plugins" >> /etc/ld.so.confldconfigRunning MuSEmodprobe snd-seq-ossjackd -d alsa # or ossmuse
