[Lancaster] Linux audio workshop - first thoughts

[Ken Hough]

Andy Baxter wrote:
> On Sunday 22 May 2005 21:28, Ken Hough wrote:
> 
>>Andy,
>>
>>Wow! There's food for thought!
>>
>>I'm interested in sound processing/editing, but so far mainly for
>>recovering some of my old LPs to CD.
>>
>>I have used the likes of Krecord, Broadcast2000, Audacity and gramofile.
> 
> 
> Have a look at rezound - it's better than audacity. (don't know about 
> broadcast2000). It has a gramofile-like track splitter, but it doesn't work 
> properly on the files I've tried.

You recommended 'rezound' to me some time ago. I did get around to 
installing it, but was unable to get it working properly.

I find track splitting (via 'gramofile') not to be reliable. It should 
be OK for tracks recorded at high level separated by silence, but is 
very iffy on a lot of classical music. It's easier/more reliable to 
identify the gaps visually via the likes of Broadcast2000 or audacity 
and simply chop up as required.

'gramofile' does do a pretty good job of removing crackles and other 
extreanious noises.

> 
> 
>>You may recall that I am a SuSE user, so that after installation things
>>usually just work! I do not yet understand much of what the sound
>>systems do "under the hood" and would like to make progress on that
>>front.
> 
> 
> I've started writing up those notes properly on the wiki at:
> http://www.lancaster.lug.org.uk/modules.php?name=Guiki&MODE=SHOW&PAGE=Linux%20audio%20guide
> 

Will look when I next get time. Am presently panicking to get ready for 
five visitors next weekend and to get myself packed ready for all six of 
us to go to Scotland.

> I've only made a start on this. If anyone has anything they want to add, feel 
> free. I probably won't go into as much detail for all of it - probably put in 
> more links to stuff on the web that covers the same ground.
> 
> 
>>I could provide a PC or two to play with. For example, an Athlon
>>XP2200/512MB RAM or a 500Mz K6II/400MB RAM, both with hard drive caddies
>>and plug in carriers which we could configure to suit the occasion and a
>>laptop (800MHz PIII) with SuSE v9.1 installed, but internal sound
>>hardware is a bit naff.
> 
> 
> That could be handy as long as we can sort out the power / humidity (?) 
> problem.
> 

As the inside of a working PC gets quite warm, I can't see how humidity 
can be the problem (unless resulting from corrosion over some time when 
the machines are cold). Most routes on modern/fast PC motherboards are 
of fairly low impedance.

BTW, is there to be a LUG meet this Wednesday (last of month) and where? 
I might not be able to make it.

Regards

Ken Hough