User:Crantila/FSC/Topics

(1.) Topics marked as "optional" will be completed as time permits, during project weeks 9, 10, and 11. See the proposed schedule for details.

(2.) Where possible, I will avoid replication of material by referring to existing Fedora Project documentation.

System Tasks

• Understanding Sound Cards
  • What Is a "Sound Card?"
  • How Do I Find Information about my audio interface? (optional)
  • How Do I Find Information about my MIDI interface? (optional)
  • How Do I Know Which Input/Output Port to Use?
• Understanding Sound Servers
  • What a Sound Server Is
  • Advanced Linux Sound Architecture (ALSA)
    • What ALSA Is, and Why It Exists
  • PulseAudio
    • What PulseAudio Is, and Why It Exists
    • Knowing When to Use PulseAudio
    • How to Disable PulseAudio
    • How to Remove PulseAudio
  • JACK Advanced Connection Kit
    • What JACK Is, and Why It Exists
    • Knowing When to Use JACK
    • How to Setup Your System for JACK (will refer to kernel section, later)
    • Controlling JACK with QjackCtl
  • Phonon
    • What Phonon Is, and Why It Exists
    • Knowing When to Use Phonon
• Planet CCRMA at Home
  • What Planet CCRMA Is, and Why It Exists
  • Knowing Whether You Should Use Planet CCRMA (including risks & benefits of third-party repositories)
  • Using Planet CCRMA Software
• Optimizing the Linux Kernel for Audio Applications (optional, but highly desired - at least CCRMA)
  • What Is a Realtime Kernel? (including "What is processor scheduling?")
  • Using a Pre-built Realtime Kernel from Planet CCRMA (including "Planet CCRMA's kernels may be older than Fedora's")
  • Building Your Own Audio-Optimized Kernel (of course, with appropriate disclaimers)
  • Other Possible Optimizations (this will primarily be the removal of unused device drivers)

Audio Tasks

• Recording
  • Knowing Whether to Use Audacity or Ardour
  • Audacity
    • Requirements and Installation
    • Configuration
    • Recording a Session
    • Saving and Exporting
    • Using Simple Effects
  • Ardour
    • Requirements and Installation
    • Configuration
    • Recording a Session
    • Saving and Exporting
    • Something Complex
    • Something else Complex
• Synthesizers and Sequencers
  • SuperCollider
    • What Is SuperCollider?
    • The Different Parts of SC
    • Requirements and Installation
    • Using GEdit to write and run code/programs/music
    • Composing with SuperCollider (Method 1)
    • Composing with SuperCollider (Method 2) (N.B. these 'methods' are intended to help users learn compositional strategies... the software is not particularly inviting)
    • Exporting Sound Files
  • FluidSynth
    • What Is FluidSynth?
    • About SoundFonts?
    • Requirements and Installation
    • Configuration
    • QSynth: Introduction and Installation
    • Using JACK with FluidSynth
    • Redirecting Output for Recording
  • Qtractor & Rosegarden: These will be in separate sections, but I'll need to learn the programs better before deciding what to do.
• Typesetting
  • LilyPond
    • What LilyPond Is
    • How LilyPond Works (and "LP is best used with other programs to help it")
    • Installation (and Configuration, if Required)
    • A Brief Introduction to LilyPond Syntax
      • Working on a Counterpoint Exercise (this is a simple score)
      • Working on a Piano Score (these can get quite complex; we'll focus on issues unique to piano music)
      • Working on an Large Ensemble Score (probably a work for orchestra; we'll focus on issues unique to large ensemble music)
  • Frescobaldi (N.B. this is a modified text editor for use specifically with LilyPond files)
    • What Frescobaldi Is, and How It Can Help
    • Installation and Configuration
    • The Basic Features of Frescobaldi
    • The Advanced Features of Frescobaldi
• Aural Skills Training
  • GNU Solfege
    • I haven't used this in years, and it has changed quite a lot. I'll have to re-learn the software, then decide what to do.
• Webcasting (highly optional - would make a great addition)
  • Darkice or Darksnow
  • Icecast Server
  • If I end up covering these applications, tutorial topics can be decided later.