Audio creation spin development

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Goals

• Create a Fedora spin configured with software and optimizations designed for audio creation work.

Contributors

• David Timms
• Christopher Antila
• Bernardo Barros
• William Blackburn

Status

• 2010-07-22: Creation of the Spin Development page.
• 2010-07-18: There has been renewed interest on the music list in developing a Fedora Music Creation spin.

Timeline

The aim is to release with the next mainstream Fedora release, Fedora 14 "Laughlin," currently scheduled for 26 October 2010 (see here).

Due to the amount of testing required, and the number of things that might go wrong, there will be a meeting in the future to determine whether to treat the Spin as a mature, usable spin, or as one in testing for Fedora 15.

Tasks

If any of these areas interest you, please put your name next to an item, and indicate when you think you might be able to complete the task, etc.

• Develop the list of primary audio packages. (collab)
• Develop the list of other audio packages. (collab)
• Develop a list of system tweaks to improve the user experience.
• Build initial kickstart file based on primary audio packages. User:Dtimms
• Publish the first cut via torrent/site for SIG feedback. (crantila: this should be done via fedorahosted?)
• Make a cool name for the spin.
• Prioritize tasks; assign them to people.
• Team up with Artwork for themes and CDs/DVDs.
• Document "primary" software (Christopher).
• Get space at fedorahosted to store development materials.
• Write information on this page. User:Dtimms
• Get a beat written for the Release Notes (Christopher).
• Contact the Spins SIG to notify them of our project, and ask for help.
• Convert this page to the format suggested by the Spins SIG.

Primary Packages

The spin developers consider this group of packages to cover key audio creation areas.

Written Music / Sheet Music

• crantila: Do we need these at all? We're looking to create a spin targeted for audio creation. People using LilyPond might be better off doing it in the standard distribution, unless they want other audio creation programs. The point is that we don't need to include it as essential software, so let's cut it out and reduce the size of the installation media.
• dtimms: This highlights a few things: who is our target audience ? I'm thinking someone who can't afford a hardware IO box, and just wants to mess around with an instrument / computer to get started. You need to get them hooked on digaudio: cool fx, easy recording, faultless playback, reading of guitar tabs, playback of published music as backing...
• crantila: We should sort out the target audience first, to make it easier to agree on later decisions.

• LilyPond
  • LilyPond-mode for Emacs
  • Frescobaldi
  • InkScape
  • LilyPondTools for jEdit

Recording and DAWs

• Audacity [1.3.12-beta]
• Ardour
• Qtractor
• Rosegarden
• Traverso

Sound Analysis

• Praat

Synthesis

• Keyboard:
  • zynaddsubfx
• Effects:
  • rakarrack
• Sampling:
  • SooperLooper
  • FluidSynth & Qsynth
  • LinuxSampler
  • Qsampler
• Processing/Languages:
  • SuperCollider 3.4
  • PD-extended
  • CSound 5

Sound Server and Configuration

• qjackctl
• jack or jack2 (crantila: jack2 should be a top priority)

Kernel and Drivers

• Real-time kernel
• FFADO: FireWire audio capture/output

crantila: aren't USB & MIDI already included by default? sunset: since I don't have either, I don't know if there are boxes that need firmware packages or specific drivers, if not, then great.

Tertl3: I have heard that the spin must use a normal Fedora kernel or it will have to be classified as a remix as opposed to a spin. It is not a big deal, but I just thought it was worth noting. I, personally, would really like the spin to have a real-time kernel. Will it be the CCRMA kernel or a different one? Hard real or soft real?

Default Desktop Environment(s)

• crantila: If we end up with a DVD, it may be possible to include GNOME and KDE, and maybe even others. Probably only one would fit on a CD. They all have their advantages, so I suggest voting by FAS username. That way, we can pick what would please the greatest number of existing audio creation users.
• dtimms: I would suggest including a single desktop e. that most existing documentation refers to. I would think we want as much as possible for it to be light weight, since we most likely won't have a specialised kernel. We could write some tools to 1. disable all the stuff that can mess up your real-time-d-ness (updatedb), with an option to say - do your maintenance now. A web browser and internet connection stuff should be included.
• crantila: We also want people to use it. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be switching between two installations of the same OS just so that I can do audio creation work in one of them. Of course, including a light-weight installation by default doesn't mean that users won't later be able to install something else.

Other Packages

These packages would be nice to have, but shouldn't be necessary for release.

• SuperCollider

Bugs

We want to keep track of new and existing bugs. Maybe some cached BugZilla queries?

Links to Further Information

• Audio Software Packaging (crantila: what does this mean?)
• Packages Requiring Testing (koji and bodhi)
• AudioCreationWebResources