A new computer - let's load it up!

[folderol]

Ah! Progress. Good to see

I think getting Jack up and running is a priority, but it shouldn't really present any difficulties. Once you have that in place everything else can use it as a patchbay.

I've got to agree with Kara though. Your first efforts with Ardour can be arduous.

... I'll get my coat 

[Oren]

Will,

This Ubuntu Ultimate edition is huge. The development is overseen by a character who calls him/herself "TheeMahn". Every imaginable software tool, several very advanced multi-player games, and on-line help menu that is gargantuan, and constant updates/upgrades.

I haven't found Jack yet, and the most recent Ubuntu version of Audacity must be downloaded from their resource catalogue.

There's a lot of learning to be done, but with this level of sophistication and user assistance, I can't imagine ever returning to windoze or mac.

Oren.

[folderol]

The trick with a distro like ubunto is to NOT get sidetracked by all the shiny toys

In most distros Jack is managed with the qjackctl front-end which (surprise surprise) has a 1/4in jack plug as its icon 

[Oren]

Thanks, Sage!

(you can put your coat away now  )

[Oren]

So,

The old Athlon 1700+ workhorse is now history, and as I accustom myself to the Linux machine, my pentium dual-core unit running at 2.67 gigahertz is taking up the slack.

progress: - finally found how to open a terminal window 
               - in the process of downloading and installing countless updates that have
                           accrued in the last six weeks
               - got the two computers hooked up to the same monitor and mouse so I
                           can switch back and forth with both units running.

next: - find Jack
         - download Audacity
         - test the soundcard.

This is a howl  !

Oren

[Wyatt]

Glad to hear you're making such good progress..
..I been wonderin. 

Wyatt

[Oren]

Wyatt,

Progress is "good", but not fast  !

The gentleman who assembled this hot-rodded version of Ubuntu Ultimate for me knows Linux, but not audio, so:
             - the machine and O/S combined are like a rock - very, very stable
                       ...and fast    the 3gigahertz dual processor chip just screams
             - several key features were left out of the build, but (hold your breath) I
                       just succeeded in retrieving and installing them - yeah, ME!
                     the programs: qjackctl (thanks, folderol!), Audacity, Hydrogen, and
                                                 the LADSPA plugins.

And you ain't seen Audacity, 'til you've seen it in Linux...woh!

So now I can finally set up Jack - oh happy day...

Oren.

[folderol]

And you ain't seen Audacity, 'til you've seen it in Linux...woh!

So now I can finally set up Jack - oh happy day...

Oren.

Steady, boy! Steady

Once you have jack under control, you might like to take a look at jamin - quite a nice three band compressor & graphic equaliser. It is rumoured the original designers were RL audio engineers.

Hmmm, meterbridge is another useful level indicator...

then there's...

No, let's stop there shall we

[Wyatt]

Hi Oren,

Thanks for the update..I'm glad to hear you're on top of things.

Wyatt,

Progress is "good", but not fast  !

Sounds like you do a good job of persevering. 

The gentleman who assembled this hot-rodded version of Ubuntu Ultimate for me knows Linux, but not audio, so:
             - the machine and O/S combined are like a rock - very, very stable
                       ...and fast    the 3gigahertz dual processor chip just screams
             - several key features were left out of the build, but (hold your breath) I
                       just succeeded in retrieving and installing them - yeah, ME!
                     the programs: qjackctl (thanks, folderol!), Audacity, Hydrogen, and
                                                 the LADSPA plugins.

And you ain't seen Audacity, 'til you've seen it in Linux...woh!

Awesome, Dude! Now there is something I'd like to see.

So now I can finally set up Jack - oh happy day...

Oren.

Keep up the good work. I'm glad you escaped the Windoze dungeon. There is hope. 

Wyatt

[Oren]

Will, Wyatt,

JACK is in operation and the M-Audio 2496 is much easier to configure with the Linux interface.

I just beat my brains out with Hydrogen (boom-chicka, boom-chick, boom-chickaboom....) then tweaked the resulting pattern in Audacity.

Flawless.

Now to record some analog audio....Ardour is calling 

Oren.

(got those recommends, Will - jamin & meterbridge - thanks again)

[Wyatt]

Congratulations, I'm happy for you.

Now crank us out some music bradda..
..you been missed. 

Wyatt

[Oren]

Ardour is going to take some study, but...

Fortunately I've been working  with Audacity in windoze, and it meshes very nicely with the 2496 card in recording analog audio and playing back the multiple tracks. There is a latency issue, but it will require some adjustment before the monitored tracks sync up with track being recorded.

So it's all in place. Linux is the answer to Vista. For all intents, windoze is history.

Time for a nap  .

[Fred S]

Time for a nap  .

+1

So, what's a linux, anyway?

[kara]

That's an understatement Oren

k

Ardour is going to take some study, but...

[Oren]

Fred,
The guy who began the development of this open-source operating system, his name was Linus...hence the eventual O/S moniker.

Kara,
Ardour appears to be far less of a challenge than tackling the initial steps of learning to work with Linux, so confidence is high...

Taking the step into open-source software is only a matter of committing to the idea, and following through. Learning the concepts in bite-size servings, and applying them as you're able, will eventually yield the most amazing results. No particular aptitude or inspiration is necessary.

The way this new computer performs with the Ubuntu Linux O/S has me thinking that XP Pro residing in my dual processor Pentium-equipped machine had better be replaced with Linux.
And then there's my wife's new laptop with Vista - a fast processor, lots of RAM, and a real slow-poke -  prone to freezing up, slow to start up, and slow to accomplish even simple tasks ....hmmm

Oren.