Ubuntu Studio
by Blake on Jul.18, 2007, under Computer Stuff, Linux
May 11th, 2007 Ubuntu Studio was released and I finally decided to get my hands on it. Downloading and installing just like all the other Ubuntu Alternate installs. After installation was complete I immediate started messing around with many audio packages included. First one I started with was JACK.
JACK is used to change sound routes through your computer. In my case I first had ZynAddSubFX Software Synthesizer open and was messing around with the many different sounds it comes with. I then opened another cool app called JACK Rack and Patchage. JACK Rack allows you to add thousands of diffrent effects into the main mix. Then through the Patchage i connected the out put of the Synthesizer into JACK Rack then took the output of JACK Rack and connected it with the audio out put of my sound card. Heres a screen shot of what was going on.
I can now also take the input from the sound card and patch it through to the JACK Rack and guitar effects.
The one thing I didn’t like was not having control on volume with Audacity. So I went out on the net and found a package called Ardour. Ardour is a multi track recorder. Through JACK I can connect diffrent audio devises to Ardour. This means that if I have 4 USB Mic’s and 2 Guitars I could plug them into my box and connect the devices to Ardour. Then Ardour can record all 4 Mic’s and 2 Guitars individual. This is very nice for editing later on. You can ajust levels for certen Mic’s or guitars. Very cool.
Now of cores this all uses a fair amount of CPU. But if your using digital inputs (ie. FireWire recording devices, USB preamps, etc) it takes allot of the stress off your CPU. If you are looking into making a small or large audio editing studio I would strongly consider a Digital Mixer with FireWire out. I would also buy a high end motherboard and processor.
I have a bunch of broken USB PS2 head sets that I’m hopping to use for Guitar and Mic digitizers. I will make sure to document the hole experience.
The one thing I found about Ubuntu Studio is there is no good video editing apps. They all suck. I went out on the net and found A good one, but really it sucks to. I will get back to you if I find any good ones.
All-in-all I enjoy Ubuntu Studio. If your into audio editing or doing podcast I would strongly recommender Ubuntu Studio for you.
April 11th, 2009 on 5:29 pm
Here we go again !!!
After using Ubuntu before and liking the improvements, and using Back Track security testing software, And Checking out Dynobolic and hating it one more time for Lynux and Video editing are just NOT going to happen, Jesus turning gay stands a better chance. I should have known better, I took the chance, I have a weelbarrel full of old and not so old Laptops and desktops what the hell. I still would like to Tell Bill Gates and Micro-Crash and Internet Exploder to hit the high road some day. But the OS Ubuntu-Studio seemed to take a huge leep backwards and not forwards. some of the age old 15 years ago complaints reared their ugly head one more time, CODECS CODECS and gimme MORE Codecs, you got to be kidding, There wasn’t one %$#@%kskin codec included in the DVD setup not to play no to record accept for the .DV tag for projects. This was the grossest NIX install ever, I had a Pile of PCMCIA Wireless cards and it took 5 of them to find one that worked and why? So I could go out on the net and download what seemed like a boat load of codecs that didn’t work!!! WHATTT A FFFFFARKIN JOKE!!! Seems as though the Audio end of things show more promise, but realy people it should be Labeled Ubuntu-Music Man or something like that because Video editing with this is like trying to make babies with the Neanderthol Man:-( It is the biggest pile of Bovine Scatology I have ever seen in my Networking career.
April 2nd, 2010 on 10:12 am
Blake, thanks for the great post. I did not realize Ubuntu had a multitrack recording package available. I just loaded that a couple months ago and haven’t been doing much with that box except surfing the web and checking emails. Will definitely check out this package. Cheers!