Audio setup old

Specific notes on my audio workflow.

• MIDI hardware
  • Yamaha DJX
  • Korg Nanokontrol 2
  • Numark DJ2GO

• Session management
  • Cadence
  • Non Session Manager
  • JACKPatch - NSM util to save jack patching
  • http://i3wm.org/docs/layout-saving.html - create layout, save to JSON, edit configs to uncomment/edit window title/class, restore from JSON

• Audio systems, routing and hosts
  • ALSA
  • JACK - jackd 2, multiprocess, gui config via dbus. to try jackd 1 for speed later.
  • alsa_in/alsa_out - for adding additional input and output devices to jack
  • Patchage - JACK/ALSA patchbay
  • Carla - plugin host (LV2, LASDSPA, DSSI, Linux/Windows VST). MIDI automation CC per parameter.
  • Ingen - plugin host (LV2) and patcher. MIDI learn.

• MIDI routing
  • a2jmidid - via Cadence, as jackd 2 doesn't do the Metadata API yet
  • mididings - filtering, scripting, switching via 'scene' changes
  • GMIDImonitor - displays traditional MIDI CC names

• MIDI sequencing
  • sequencer64 - no MIDI record control (in dev) or MIDI learn
  • harmonySEQ - no recording. sequences and LFOs with multiple patterns, MIDI learn for: sequence toggle/one-shot, note/chord/octave change, pattern change, tempo and sequence sync
  • CCStepper - no recording. Windows VST.

• sequencer64 - MIDI control config - keyboard mapping - see Audio#sequencer64
  • pattern toggle - 0-31 in sequencer64 - c2-g4
  • screen-set up - g#4
  • screen-set down - a4
  • screen-set play - a#4
  • mod queue - b4
  • mod replace - c5
  • mod snapshot - c#5
  • mod group learn - d5
  • mod group mute select - d#5
  • bpm down - nano cc61 127
  • bpm up - nano cc62 127
  • toggle between sequencer64 controls and playing notes/chords - e5?
  • mididings scene mod between toggle and on and off?

• Parts
  • Kick
  • Snare
  • Hi-hat
  • Other percussion
  • Bass
  • Phrase 1
  • Phrase 2
  • Phrase 3

• MIDI automation
  • arpage
  • QMidiArp
  • Hypercyclic
  • BlueARP - Win VST
  • RandARP - Win VST
  • arp4midi - Win VST

• Audio mixing
  • StereoKnot - basic lv2 stereo mixer
  • LiveMixer - basic lv2 stereo mixer with two sends
  • Non Mixer - a JACK client for each mixer strip, effects available (seek lv2 patch)

• Samples
  • drumkv1 - file based sampler
  • shuriken - beat slicer. no MP3.
  • freeycle - beat slicer

• Drum synthesis
  • Stegosaurus - lv2
  • ErsDrums - win vst
  • KickMaker - kick, 4 sine osc+env. w/ out env. win vst.
  • TW-Opkicker - kick, win vst
  • TW-Percussion1 - monophonic
  • KMT2 - individual outs

• Synths w/ host tempo sync
  • TheBlooo, TheScrooo, Diodow, Crystal, basic65, dlM entropy, TAL Noizemak3r, Infamous Cellular Automaton Synth, Eclipsis

• Effects w/ host tempo sync
  • Delay (mono): ZamDelay, Della
  • Delay (stereo): Calf Vintage Delay, Calf Reverse Delay, TAL-Dub-3, Leet Delay 2 (Win VST), TigerDelay (Win VST), Spaceship Delay (Win VST), PPD Echobox (Win VST), Tapatiki (Win VST), Delazi (Win VST), Rubbadub (Win VST), KR-Delay FS, SoundHack +delay (Win VST)
  • Loop: SuperBeatRepeater, beatslash-lv2, InstaLooper, Tempo Sync Reverser
  • Gate: SuperCutSequencer, dfx skidder, de la Mancha moot, dlM gator, StormGate1, Gate3
  • Filter: Channelswap, MAutopan, MFlanger, MFreqShifter, Ducka (side-chain envelope), TAL-Filter-2 (filter), ndcTrem+ (tremelo), dlM bent (desync), Masha (beat grinder), dfx buffer override (stutter), dlM thrummaschine (distortion) Kitchen Sync (complex LFO), The Modulator 2 (amplitude/ring/frequency modulation), dlM sfilter (sequenced filter), dlM pfilter (probabalistic filter), dlM manic (glitch sampler), Livecut (glitch), Muchacho (stutter), Phase Seq (glitch), dlM truc/2 (multi), Frakture (multi), Hysteresis (multi)
  • Granular: Argotlunar, grANALiser, 23_words, Muchacha

• To do
  • MIDI controlled MIDI routing/switching - mididings scenes
  • part/pattern progression switching - mididings scenes? seq64 mute groups?
  • part/channel preset switching

• Cannot yet do/use
  • MIDI controlled MIDI looping - no software good enough yet, would allow live loop of mute and effect changes
    • sequencer64 - no MIDI start/stop/arm.
    • Giada - audio/midi looping - problems between nanoKONTROL2s no button off note off CC and parameter scales. fiddly midi control; learn but no 'mod' like sequencer64, i.e., no MIDI 'channel' (sample/sequence) select or channel groups - every item requires unique MIDI CCs and learns for each of it's functions.
  • External interactive tempo changes
    • klick doesn't do JACK transport and OSC mode (from gtklick) at same time
    • Jack Director only has set bpm presets triggerable by midi
    • InConcert doesn't take external input or display bpm, crashes often
  • Samples
    • petri-foo - broken, always starts from 0 :(

Session setup commands:

cadence
  # gui, optional, easiest. input device can be entered manually if not autodetected.

# cadence-session-start -s
  # cadence script to start jackd, divert from pulseaudio, etc. might work for you.
    # if fails, try cadence-session-start --reset

non-session-manager -- --session-root path_to/NSM_projects_root
  # i.e. non-session-manager -- --session-root ~/audio/NSM
  # same session root for all projects

NSM entries

jackpatch
  # nsm specific util to save and restore jack connections

nsm-proxy alsa_out -j "USB Out 1" -d hw:5 -q 1 2>&1 1> /dev/null &
nsm-proxy alsa_out -j "USB Out 2" -d hw:6 -q 1 2>&1 1> /dev/null &
  # additional 2 stereo outputs, USB soundcards for DJ main and headphone

nsm-proxy patchage -A
  # connection manager gui. ctrl-g, ctrl-f to sort connections
  # via nsm-proxy for the -A argument to not load ALSA

non-mixer
  # modular mixer, osc/cv controllable

nsm-sequencer64
  # via nsm-proxy, requires an empty midi file

nsm-ingen
  # via nsm-proxy, hack of sequencer64 script above, copies in a blank project, starts ingen modular host engine and gui
  # ingen -eg project.ingen

jack_midi_clock
  # transforms JACK transport tempo beats to MIDI ~Clock pulses