Downloads
Denemo
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For any serious composer or orchestrator, looking to score for orchestra and film, notation represents an important means of communication between the writer and the players. In the spirit of the modular nature of working with linux, and the complexity of getting a notation program right with great workflow, notation represented as a computer application can be a formidable challenge. The ability to print industry standard scores, and use a playback component to review can be at odds with each other in a fair representation of the composition, to the user. Denemo was written some time ago, went through a period of inactivity, but has been picked up again, and is being developed further at breakneck speed. The new development team of Richard, Jeremiah, and Nils have taken the applications to new heights already, and more is to come. For the composer, Denemo represents a viable and rapidly developing alternative to commercial applications, and presents a well thought out and powerful user interface for Lilypond, the musical engraving language of professionals. Denemo is cross platform, and for linux based composers, the new jackmidi based midi playback framework is a significant step towards a professional solution, in a native linux environment.
If you want to write, use decent playback and print, a professional score, then Denemo offers this in an easy to use, heavily user defined shortcut paradigm, model.
Our thanks and continued respects go to the Denemo and Lilypond teams, and you can find out more about Denemo, and the Lilypond engraving project, at:
irc #denemo
and
Linuxsampler
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The sampler of choice at the Open Octave Project, is Linuxsampler. Built specifially to playback GIG format sample files, and with future plans for adding other formats, Linuxsampler continues to provide an essential means of using small and large sample libraries. This is particularly important for those writers who want to use a sampler as a gig format playback device, when fed with Midi. Linuxsampler does this and more, with the ability to load instruments in more than one state, i.e. only load when triggered by midi, on demand and hold, which means you only load the samples you want, but keep them loaded for the duration Linuxsampler is open, and persistent, with which Linuxsampler loads all requested samples from a template, on startup of the app. Linuxsampler will open as many channels, ports, and devices as you are capable of using within your particular hardware setup, so it has no arbitrary limits.
Where Linuxsampler is the engine, the frontend or user interface is Fantasia, a highly featured and easy to use application that manages the Linuxsampler engine very well indeed. With multiple channel strips per lane, multiple user defined lanes, configurable instrument database, and an extensive array of tools to quickly and effectively build midi instrument bank and patch maps for libraries large and small, Fantasia is a great way to do a long and sometimes tedious task quickly and efficiently when setting up templates, particularly those of orchestral sizes.
The Open Octave Project team have tested, and are using, Sonic Implants, Miroslav Viteous, Project Sam, and other GIG format sample libraries with Linuxsampler on a daily basis, as part of normal workflow. Our continued thanks and respects go to Christian and the team, for a professional quality sampler, at the heart of the Open Octave working environment.
More about Linuxsampler, and the rapid development going on, including installation instructions for a variety of distros, can be found at their website.
irc #linuxsampler
Ardour
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In the Open Octave Suite, Ardour is the audio recording and editing application of our choice. Paul Davis is the chief developer, and project leader, and Paul has been involved in Linux Audio for a long time. He's also the author of Jack, the Audio and Midi server we use to bring all the apps together, and have them 'talking' to each other without complaint! Currently, the Open Octave team use Ardour version 2.8.0. In addition, Ardour, in conjunction with a Jack sync capable video application called Xjadeo, provides a solid tool base for film score writers, or those putting music to image.
You can find more information about Ardour, and Paul, at:
irc #ardour
Jack-audio-connection-kit
Below is a screen shot of Patchage (a patchbay editor and viewer for jack and connected applications). This is screenshot of Patchage in it's zoomed out view in order to show all applications connected in a full orchestral setup.
The Jack-audio-connection-kit, also know as Jackd, is at the heart of professional, realtime, music production using Linux. This multi app sync capable server provides a hub into and out of which applications communicate and send audio and midi to each other. Jackd, in a soundly built Linux OS, can provide excellent, sample accurate timing, and with Jack transport sync, enable apps written with Jack Audio, and Jackmidi, to start and stop together correctly.
There is more about Jackd, and current developments on their website, but the Open Octave team is appreciative of the opportunity to have a component like Jack handling all our Audio and Midi needs. The current project leader of the Jack team is Stephane Letz, and Jack can be found here,
irc #jack
as well as in most distro packaging systems.
Jconv
Jconv is a simple and powerful convolution reverb application, run from the command line, or terminal. While this may seem a little daunting for those users more used to GUI interfaces, Jconv loses nothing by operating 'behind the scenes' and with simple, easy to configure template files, the user will soon be at home with this essential application. Jconv is an efficient program, that doesn't use a lot of CPU cycles when running, and once the user becomes familiar with the syntax of the configuration file, he or she can quickly build a collection of templates for many types of reverb environments. Jconv is the convolution/reverb application of choice at the Open Octave Project, and can be configured to any number of ins and outs, according to user requirement. A highly useful application of Jconv configuration setup is the ability to create many templates, using the same reverb wav file, with variations in each. Jconv is written by Fons Adriensen, and you can find it at:
http://www.kokkinizita.net/linuxaudio/downloads/index.html
along with other programs and libraries that Fons has coded. He's also the author of Ambdec, an Ambisonics application for a higher level soundspace, incorporating more complex spacial parameters, so for those who are interested in this particular field, it's worth downloading and trying out for yourself.
We'd also like to thank Fons for his sharing of knowledge, and useful tips. The team have directly benefitted, and learnt much, as a direct result of his generosity, professional skills, and ongoing research and development for all things convolution and ambisonically oriented.