Getting Linux to produce Music fast and powerful Hartmut NOACK www.linuxuse.de/snd Max-Steinke-Strasse 23 13086 Berlin, BRD,
[email protected] Abstract better usability. But it can be made much more At the LAC 2006 I introduced a plan to build a PC accessible by explaining how it ticks in user ori- to serve as a Linux Audio Workstation (L.A.W.). ented documentation and tutorials. Now we have a prototype of this machine, that we Some may ask: would like to demonstrate. The box shall be dis- played, tried and reviewed by visitors of the con- is this still possible without charg- ference to find out, how its concept can yield its ing the users for software? intended results. The machine has a set of essential GUI-oriented Linux audio software that works with I say: It is! - if we find a way to charge the users jackd and is integrated with scripts, presets and tem- for integration and support... it is my belief that plates that allow to start complex scenarios with a the time is nigh to make people invest in free single click and comes with extensive user-oriented audio software development. People like Fons documentation. Adriaensen, Rob C. Buse or Paul Nasca should be rewarded for their work. A reasonable part of Keywords the revenue that could be generated with floss- usability, integration, suite, interface, workstation based audio workstations should go directly to the developers of the most important software 1 Introduction for these boxes - especially if these developers do Musicians often state that they don’t know very not yet receive any reasonable financial support.