Computer music workstation - Revision history

SteeleNivenson: need updates

2017-06-15T22:36:43Z

need updates

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:36, 15 June 2017
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			'''THIS IS MOSTLY OBSOLETE AS OF 6/2017'''

	== Hardware ==		== Hardware ==

SteeleNivenson: /* DEPRECATED */

2017-04-29T21:09:29Z

DEPRECATED

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:09, 29 April 2017
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	== ~~DEPRECATED~~ ==		== Hardware ==

	The computer music workstation is the core element of [[GNAR]]. It's a ~~bunch of raspberry Pi computers and~~ a ~~cross compiler toolchain for building custom arm packages on Debian. The physical box is located under the~~ [[~~Plan_9\| Plan 9 workstation~~]] ~~and the two share a monitor~~, ~~but have separate mice~~ and ~~keyboards~~.		The computer music workstation is the core element of [[GNAR]]. It's a PC with a [[MOTU 828]] attached via Firewire because, cheap, fast and good.

	[[File:Computer_music_workstation.jpg\|512px\|thumb]]		[[File:Computer_music_workstation.jpg\|512px\|thumb]]

SteeleNivenson at 06:32, 26 February 2017

2017-02-26T06:32:47Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:32, 25 February 2017
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			== DEPRECATED ==

	The computer music workstation is the core element of [[GNAR]]. It's a bunch of raspberry Pi computers and a cross compiler toolchain for building custom arm packages on Debian. The physical box is located under the [[Plan_9\| Plan 9 workstation]] and the two share a monitor, but have separate mice and keyboards.		The computer music workstation is the core element of [[GNAR]]. It's a bunch of raspberry Pi computers and a cross compiler toolchain for building custom arm packages on Debian. The physical box is located under the [[Plan_9\| Plan 9 workstation]] and the two share a monitor, but have separate mice and keyboards.

SteeleNivenson: /* Audio */

2016-10-30T22:58:42Z

Audio

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:58, 30 October 2016
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	There are some little desktop computer speakers connected to the main outs of the Behringer, as well as some old school over the ear headphones. If you went to public school in the 1980s you might recognize them from an AV room.		There are some little desktop computer speakers connected to the main outs of the Behringer, as well as some old school over the ear headphones. If you went to public school in the 1980s you might recognize them from an AV room.

	There is a mixer called a Behringer [[Eurorack MX1604A]]. ~~It is wired up~~ to ~~act like a 12 channel 4 bus analog mixer with two aux sends~~. ~~The PC is sort of like the "mixdown" unit but we're not building a recording studio here! So who cares? Wiring diagram forthcoming~~.		There is a mixer called a Behringer [[Eurorack MX1604A]]. The channels are noisy and the mute buttons need some jiggling to get full stereo output. I blame cheap switches and opamps.

	Sometimes there is a [[Nord Micro Modular]] connected to the mixer. It accepts audio input as signal to presets 90-99. Many of these are vocoders and amplitude modulation or envelope follower. The input it attached to the mixer aux send 1. Any channel can send signal to the Nord, including the Nord, so WATCH OUT! Feedback warning. This is an excellent analog modeling synth, though the module editing interface is shit.		Sometimes there is a [[Nord Micro Modular]] connected to the mixer. It accepts audio input as signal to presets 90-99. Many of these are vocoders and amplitude modulation or envelope follower. The input it attached to the mixer aux send 1. Any channel can send signal to the Nord, including the Nord, so WATCH OUT! Feedback warning. This is an excellent analog modeling synth, though the module editing interface is shit.

SteeleNivenson: add recording section

2016-10-30T22:56:58Z

add recording section

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:56, 30 October 2016
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	The computer depends on JACK for all sound routing and low latency operation. With the current hardware the latency is bad, though usable for sequencers and arps. Around 60ms at 44.1khz 16 bit. The Rpi internal DAC is very noisy as is the analog mixer.		The computer depends on JACK for all sound routing and low latency operation. With the current hardware the latency is bad, though usable for sequencers and arps. Around 60ms at 44.1khz 16 bit. The Rpi internal DAC is very noisy as is the analog mixer.

			==Recording==

			There is a cassette player/recorder for that vintage feel. This is the only recording device at the moment, though a desktop PC should work fine for a stereo mixdown type thing. Multitrack recording is not expected to be a feature at noisebridge, since it is not an acoustically isolated environment or spacious enough to track live studio sessions.

	==Software==		==Software==

SteeleNivenson: /* Audio */

2016-10-30T22:56:41Z

Audio

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:56, 30 October 2016
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	==Audio==		==Audio==

	There ~~was a Denon home theater receiver on the hackshelves. I appropriated it for the power amps and myriad supported inputs. The main outputs of the [[MOTU 828]]~~ are ~~wired~~ to the ~~''STEREO CDR [Analog]'' source input~~ of the ~~Denon. There are~~ some ~~AudioChoice speakers that were on~~ the ~~floor by the west wing lounge~~. ~~I made some custom cables and hooked them up~~ to the ~~''A'' speaker output on the Denon~~.		There are some little desktop computer speakers connected to the main outs of the Behringer, as well as some old school over the ear headphones. If you went to public school in the 1980s you might recognize them from an AV room.

	There is a mixer called a Behringer [[Eurorack MX1604A]]. It is wired up to act like a 12 channel 4 bus analog mixer with two aux sends. The PC is sort of like the "mixdown" unit but we're not building a recording studio here! So who cares? Wiring diagram forthcoming.		There is a mixer called a Behringer [[Eurorack MX1604A]]. It is wired up to act like a 12 channel 4 bus analog mixer with two aux sends. The PC is sort of like the "mixdown" unit but we're not building a recording studio here! So who cares? Wiring diagram forthcoming.

	Sometimes there is a [[Nord Micro Modular]] connected to the mixer. It accepts audio input as signal to presets 90-99. Many of these are vocoders and amplitude modulation or envelope follower. The input it attached to the mixer aux send 1. Any channel can send signal to the Nord, including the Nord, so WATCH OUT! Feedback warning. This is an excellent analog modeling synth, though the module editing interface is shit.		Sometimes there is a [[Nord Micro Modular]] connected to the mixer. It accepts audio input as signal to presets 90-99. Many of these are vocoders and amplitude modulation or envelope follower. The input it attached to the mixer aux send 1. Any channel can send signal to the Nord, including the Nord, so WATCH OUT! Feedback warning. This is an excellent analog modeling synth, though the module editing interface is shit.

	~~There's a turntable without a needle. It has a USB sound interface.~~

	~~There is a cassette player for that vintage feel.~~

	The computer depends on JACK for all sound routing and low latency operation. With the current hardware the latency is bad, though usable for sequencers and arps. Around 60ms at 44.1khz 16 bit. The Rpi internal DAC is very noisy as is the analog mixer.		The computer depends on JACK for all sound routing and low latency operation. With the current hardware the latency is bad, though usable for sequencers and arps. Around 60ms at 44.1khz 16 bit. The Rpi internal DAC is very noisy as is the analog mixer.

SteeleNivenson: /* Audio */

2016-10-30T22:53:04Z

Audio

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:53, 30 October 2016
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	There is a cassette player for that vintage feel.		There is a cassette player for that vintage feel.

	The computer depends on JACK for all sound routing and low latency operation. With ~~our~~ current hardware ~~it's possible to get 96000 Hz @ 24bit 8 channel analog I/O with around 5 ms~~ latency. ~~More on~~ the ~~software stack when it's stabilized~~.		The computer depends on JACK for all sound routing and low latency operation. With the current hardware the latency is bad, though usable for sequencers and arps. Around 60ms at 44.1khz 16 bit. The Rpi internal DAC is very noisy as is the analog mixer.

	==Software==		==Software==

SteeleNivenson: /* Software */

2016-10-30T22:51:33Z

Software

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:51, 30 October 2016
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	* [http://kxstudio.linuxaudio.org/Applications:Carla Carla] (Plugin host)		* [http://kxstudio.linuxaudio.org/Applications:Carla Carla] (Plugin host)
	* [http://bristol.sourceforge.net/ Bristol] (Analog modeling synthesizer package)		* [http://bristol.sourceforge.net/ Bristol] (Analog modeling synthesizer package)
			* [http://qmidiarp.sourceforge.net/ QMidiArp] step sequencer
			* [http://yoshimi.sourceforge.net/ Yoshimi] is a additive/subtractive synthesizer
			* [https://github.com/pichenettes?tab=repositories Mutable Instruments repositories]
			* [http://mutable-instruments.net/cyclic Cyclic]
			* [http://linux-sound.org/ A List of stuff], since Linux Audio is chaotic.

	Much of this software can be used to create digital models of classic synthesizers. The information in the [[Modular \| modular synthesizer workshop]] applies to much of what can be built here using software.		Much of this software can be used to create digital models of classic synthesizers. The information in the [[Modular \| modular synthesizer workshop]] applies to much of what can be built here using software.

SteeleNivenson at 20:00, 29 October 2016

2016-10-29T20:00:11Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:00, 29 October 2016
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	The computer music workstation is ~~a a Gateway PC with a Quad~~ core ~~Intel Core2 chipset on a VIA motherboard. Basically a PC you would build from parts circa 2008. It runs Debian Stretch (which is testing as~~ of ~~this writing). The~~ [[~~MOTU_828\| MOTU 828 mkII~~]] ~~is connected to it to provide some interesting options~~ for ~~audio I/O~~. The physical box is located under the [[Plan_9\| Plan 9 workstation]] and the two share a monitor, but have separate mice and keyboards.		The computer music workstation is the core element of [[GNAR]]. It's a bunch of raspberry Pi computers and a cross compiler toolchain for building custom arm packages on Debian. The physical box is located under the [[Plan_9\| Plan 9 workstation]] and the two share a monitor, but have separate mice and keyboards.


	~~==Specs==~~

	* Quad core 2.5 gHz Intel core2 64 bit CPU (fast)
	* 4 GB RAM (no ECC)
	* Debian GNU/Linux "stretch"
	* 320 GB 7200 RPM SATA drive (No DAW Action for us)
	* 1024 GB LaCie RAID-0 external storage via Firewire 400. (slow, if you want to DAW with this fine, you might lose your magic to bitrot)
	* Fancy Nvidia graphics card (Vancy visuals)
	* Firewire 400 PCI card for multichannel audio interface (pro audio)
	* USB Wifi networking! (that's the little white thing on the back. it blinks green.)

	[[File:Computer_music_workstation.jpg\|512px\|thumb]]		[[File:Computer_music_workstation.jpg\|512px\|thumb]]

SteeleNivenson at 19:33, 29 October 2016

2016-10-29T19:33:26Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:33, 29 October 2016
Line 1:		Line 1:
	The computer music workstation is a a Gateway PC with a Quad core Intel Core2 chipset on a VIA motherboard. Basically a PC you would build from parts circa 2008. It runs Debian Stretch (which is testing as of this writing). The [[MOTU_828\| MOTU 828 mkII]] is connected to it to provide some interesting options for audio I/O. The physical box is located under the [[Plan_9\| Plan 9 workstation]] and the two share a monitor, but have separate mice and keyboards.		The computer music workstation is a a Gateway PC with a Quad core Intel Core2 chipset on a VIA motherboard. Basically a PC you would build from parts circa 2008. It runs Debian Stretch (which is testing as of this writing). The [[MOTU_828\| MOTU 828 mkII]] is connected to it to provide some interesting options for audio I/O. The physical box is located under the [[Plan_9\| Plan 9 workstation]] and the two share a monitor, but have separate mice and keyboards.

	~~[[File:Computer_music_workstation.jpg]]~~

	==Specs==		==Specs==
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	* Firewire 400 PCI card for multichannel audio interface (pro audio)		* Firewire 400 PCI card for multichannel audio interface (pro audio)
	* USB Wifi networking! (that's the little white thing on the back. it blinks green.)		* USB Wifi networking! (that's the little white thing on the back. it blinks green.)

			[[File:Computer_music_workstation.jpg\|512px\|thumb]]

	==Audio==		==Audio==