Linux Music & Sound [Paperback]

Dave Phillips (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 6, 2000

Are you interested in creating, recording and mixing your own music with Linux? If so, then you've found the right book. Linux Music & Sound is an in-depth introduction to recording, storing, playing and editing music and sound on a Linux system. Musician/programmer Dave Phillips has reviewed dozens of Linux music and sound applications and presented his top picks in this one-of-a-kind volume.

In concise, easy-to-understand English, this book demystifies the Linux audio system set-up, describes basic and advanced use of the system, and profiles the broad range of sound and music applications and development software available for Linux. You'll learn how to:

• Record, mix, and add effects to your own tracks or others'
• Work with Mod, Midi, and Mp3 files
• Perform hard disk multi-track recording
• Explore software sound synthesis programs like Csound
• Set up your network to share sound resources
• Use realtime synthesizers
• Produce high quality scores with music notation programs
• Broadcast live over the Internet

The CD-ROM includes all of the software mentioned in the book, including MIDI applications, digital audio and music notation software, games and utilities. The CD also holds an electronic version of the book with live links to hundreds of Internet resources.

You'll also find out about digital audio basics, the hardware you need to get started, and configuring Linux for sound. Don't spend hundreds of dollars on applications that you can get for free--let Linux Music & Sound be your guide to the world of computer and electronic music under Linux.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

One of Linux's chief attractions always has been the wealth of fun toys that are available to its users. For people who like to play with shaky software that's emerging from some hacker's brain, the open-source operating system has no peer. The Book of Linux Music & Sound explores one of Linux's rougher facets and the software that's emerged to enable audiophiles to combine their interests in sound and Linux. The book is primarily a survey of what's out there, and one might conclude that a careful scan of Linux software archives and some attention to documentation files would reveal most of what Dave Phillips covers in these pages. That's probably true, but Phillips (who includes most of the software he talks about in the book on the companion CD-ROM) has done a service to readers by saving them the trouble of tracking down the information themselves, and providing also informed criticism of the software.

Coverage of a given software package--and Phillips documents several score of them--typically begins with a data capsule that explains where to go for the latest version, and some instructions on how to install it. From there, he explains how to use the program. The form of this coverage varies, for obvious reasons, among the packages that he covers. However, it's rather deep universally, and reflects his honest understanding of what each program is good for and how it fits with other software. Taken in concert with his instructions on how to set up and configure (in both hardware and software) Linux machines for audio work, this book is a fine resource for Linux users who have an interest in sound. --David Wall

Topics covered: The state of the art in Linux audio, including the native capabilities of the operating system, and (especially) Linux software for sound and music work. The book has a well-annotated catalog of Linux software, including WAV file recorders and editors, MIDI editors, MP3 utilities, synthesizers (both real-time and otherwise), and music notation programs. A special section deals with software for DJs who are interested in using Linux to generate techno, hip-hop, and house music.

From the Author

Interested in recording and playing digital sound and music on your computer? Interested in distributing your music as MODs, MIDI, or MP3s? Would you like to experiment with digital signal processing software? Would you like to do all this and more with free applications? If so, then this book and Linux are for you. In concise, easy-to-understand English, this book clarifies the Linux Audio system set-up, describes basic and advanced use of the system, and profiles and evaluates the broad range of sound and music applications and development software available for Linux. In addition, to help you evaluate the prospects of Linux sound and music, I have included sections on the history, current status, and possible future for the Linux audio system. This book is the first attempt to collect and present Linux audio information in one place. At the heart of the book are my evaluations of selected software packages and brief tutorials describing the basic installation ! and use of those packages. However, the examples I give are only a small taste of what lies in store for you, and it is my sincere hope that you will be led to install the other software packages and try them out yourself. The CD-ROM The CD-ROM contains a wealth of HOWTOs, FAQ sheets, programming examples, comparison charts, and other relevant documentation. It also offers most of the applications discussed within the text, and many others are included as well. Where possible (always in the case of software protected by the GNU Public License), source code is included; packages in the popular Red Hat RPM (Red Package Manager) format are provided if available; and binaries have been built for most of the packages.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 408 pages
• Publisher: No Starch Press; Pap/Com edition (September 6, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1886411344
• ISBN-13: 978-1886411340
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #830,086 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A THOUROUGH list of topics and softwares, quickly reviewed., December 19, 2000

By 

Bruno A Nitrosso (Mendoza, Mendoza Argentina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Linux Music & Sound (Paperback)

First of all, be warned: this is not a book explaining how things work (even though first chapter has something of it), it is more about which softwares are available on Linux. Thus, you won't learn much on midi but you will definetly know which software does what on where and how to get it. A short description tells you how to install it and get started. This is VERY helpful already in our globally immense world... One regret: no mention of ogg-vorbis, the great MP3 replacement. The CD is a very welcome plus.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Useful for end users, but overpriced, July 31, 2001

By 

W. A. Norris (Redmond, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Linux Music & Sound (Paperback)

As end users start migrating to Linux, it's only natural that Linux books start appearing on how to obtain and use software (and not just administration and development tools). In that vein, this book contains an extremely thorough survey of audio software that would take quite a while to investigate on your own. If you are a Linux user (or a potential Linux user) interested in finding good tools for music and sound, this book is an excellent resource.

Having said all that, I think the list price the publisher set for this book is ridiculous. For under [price], this book would be a slam dunk. But I expect even a lot of people who are interested in this information will find it hard to justify the price, especially when a lot of it will be obsolete in a year or two. Five stars for the content, one star for value.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An accompanying CD-ROM includes over 100 MIDI applications, February 23, 2001

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Linux Music & Sound (Paperback)

Dave Phillips is an expert Linux programmer and a professionally performing musician who draws upon his special expertise and experience to explain the basics of digital sound and Linux-specific software/hardware issues in The Book Of Linux Music & Sound. Phillips covers the general Linux audio set-up, basic and advanced system use, as well as the broad range of Linux sound and music applications. Readers will learn how to record, mix, and add effects to music tracks; work with MOD, MIDI, and MP3 files; use hard disk multi-track recording; explore software sound synthesis programs like Csound; share sound resources over a network or broadcast live over the Internet; use realtime synthesizers; and produce high quality scores with music notation programs. An accompanying CD-ROM includes over one hundred MIDI applications, including digital audio and music notation software, games, and utilities. The Book Of Linux Music & Sound is a "must" for all Linux users wanting to incorporate sound and create music, and take full advantage of their computer's manifold capabilities in the process.