Ardour Takes DAW Open Source, Music Software Options

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Comments about:

Ardour Takes DAW Open Source

[tencentcat]

Anyone see how to get this into OS X? the website only speaks of linux. looks interesting otherwise.

[peterkirn]

Read their site again -- there's an OS X version, too. :-)

Yes, this was originally a Linux project, but it's now available OS X native, with support for Core Audio. And OS X and Linux have that in common: they access device drivers through an OS-level layer, so apps don't have to natively support individual hardware. What you evidently lose running under OS X is the Linux-specific open source plugins, as near as I can tell. Though if you want that, you can install Yellow Dog Linux on Mac OS X and run Linux software natively.

I'm going to investigate further and try this for myself; I'll let you know how it goes!

[lepetitmartien]

You need to compile yourself the code for OSX, so it's not for unix illiterate, yet not unreachable.

Peter, Soif has an eye on it, you could ask him

We came to the idea in the FR forums to make the compiling and either give it to the developers else to host it in a package form so easy to install for endusers on MM. Stay in touch

Now, I will repeat myself, it's beta version, so tread carefully with it. But it's sure damn interesting

[peterkirn]

Ah, yes, they sort of assume that we're used to doing that (compiling). It's not so big a problem.

I should add, too, while Linux Jack doesn't work on OS X, you could use Ardour with Jack Tools which Dan Negrin DID port to OS X with the same basic capabilities of Jack in Linux but for Core Audio!

[dnigrin]

Just to be clear, *I* didn't do the port to OS X, that was the work of Stephane Letz and Johnny Petrantoni. I did the testing, wrote the documentation, setup the web site, and did the mass public relations campaign. ;-)

Also, please note that the current release version of Jack Tools at http://www.jackosx.com is compiled using an older version of Jack. I believe this means that Ardour will not work properly with the current OS X Jack package that we supply.

We will soon be updating our Jack Tools package for OS X to use the latest Jack release though, so soon that limitation will go away.

Thanks,
Dan

[peterkirn]

Hey Dan, thanks for the correction and thanks for reading. Please do keep us posted; either email me or post directly to news and we'll make sure we keep up with Jack Tools and other developments.

Linux app support is a big deal for those of us who teach computer music, too: schools have extremely limited budgets for purchasing software, and cross-platform open source software means we can also advise our students to get the software on their own. It means they can work on homework away from the lab if they desire, they can continue to use apps after a class, and they can afford software without piracy. Weighs heavily on my mind, at least.

[dnigrin]

Will definitely keep you and everyone posted about our developments. Also, if you're inclined, subscribe to our Yahoo discussion group, for the latest info and discussion about Jack on OS X - the link is at jackosx.com

Dan

[jnanadev]

UI needs some serious work. This looks like a windoze app from Win 95 days...

[peterkirn]

Well, that's the thing with the UNIX apps -- users accustomed to the refined look of the modern UI may be put off. (And, incidentally, that's because Windows95 looked not only like a Mac rip-off but a UNIX GUI rip-off, as well.)

Keep in mind, though, open source, lacking the huge cost of commercial software -- think about academic institutions on a budget, etc.

[dnigrin]

For me, function before form any day.... (free doesn't hurt either)

Dan

[_Prokoschnov_]

Sorry, I read carrefully the ardour web site. And there is no available version for os x.

and when you configure the source code (ardour-0.9beta11.2), you obtain this kind of message :

checking for pkg-config... no
*** The pkg-config script could not be found. Make sure it is
*** in your path, or set the PKG_CONFIG environment variable
*** to the full path to pkg-config.
*** Or see http://www.freedesktop.org/software/pkgconfig to get pkg-config.
configure: error: Library requirements (libxml-2.0 >= 2.5) not met; consider adjusting the PKG_CONFIG_PATH environment variable if your libraries are in a nonstandard prefix so pkg-config can find them.
configure: error: /bin/sh './configure' failed for pbd
configure: error: /bin/sh './configure' failed for libs

is it possible to get such a configuration package file aimed at os X environnement ?

Thank you for your response...
and sorry for my ugly english...

[beatnik]

Hi All,

I use pro Tools on a mac and want to run Ardour on Linux (I have and extra x86 machine that I want to make use of). I'm hoping to somehow run Ardour as a network app so that the actual instance is on my mac but the processing is being done on the second machine. I know a simpler way would be to just run a remote X windows session on my mac that displays what's going on on the Linux Ardour box but what I realy want is to have the Ardour on my mac so I can hopefully use Audio Units based plug-ins as well. Maybe what I need to do is run Ardour on both machines and sync them.

Any ideas on how to make this work keeping in mind I want to continue running Pro Tools at the same time not replace it?

[td3k]

1. Compiling software properly on OS X requires that you install the Devloper Tools disc so you have the correct compilers, gcc ect.

2. Then, as a *nix geek friend once told me: "Config, Make, Make Install... What's so hard that?"

3. Alas, easier said than done, but not impossible.

TD

[td3k]

I'm hoping to somehow run Ardour as a network app so that the actual instance is on my mac but the processing is being done on the second machine.  I know a simpler way would be to just run a remote X windows session on my mac that displays what's going on on the Linux Ardour box but what I realy want is to have the Ardour on my mac so I can hopefully use Audio Units based plug-ins as well.  Maybe what I need to do is run Ardour on both machines and sync them. 

Any ideas on how to make this work keeping in mind I want to continue running Pro Tools at the same time not replace it?

You definitely will not be able to run an instance of an app from an x86 machine on your Mac. VNC or remote X will be cumbersome, slow and will still not bring the audio in from the other computer. (remote desktop control only)

Your best bet is to sync the other system to PT as a slave via MIDI (to sync start, stop, tempo, ect.) and run the audio into PT. Record in on another track.

If you really just want to use AU's (no AU to RTAS wrapper, TBOMK) with PT why not try running Plouge Bidule. Or skip putting Linux on the x86 box and run Bidule, build yourself a cool environment to slave into PT with VST's AU's ect. I have a laptop set up up like that and I use it as an instrument, it works killer.

Hope that helps
TD

[beatnik]

Thanks for the advice. I downloaded Bidule early this morning and played around with it but then I got distracted with Cecilia a gui version of C-sound for OS X. It's very cool for all kinds of Synthesis and fx. Not a sequencer pretty much just a stand alone processor.

I think you're right about just syncing the two machines up and running audio cables between them. I wasn't planning on running the audio though the remote session per se. 10/100 is fast enough to transfer a stereo track so if I can get the audio out from the remote computer to connect to some audio in on the other it is possible with the bandwidth available. Audio is probably the more direct way for realtime interactivity though. I had heard Ardour was ported to Mac but can't seem to locate it.

I also downloaded jack which is supposed to allow me to connect various softwares audio units/vst etc. Not unlike Bidule.

[beatnik]

After looking into this more, it looks like the best thing for my set-up is to build the Linux/PC for sample and synth playback. Not for audio. I plan to run midi to the PC from my mac and audio out from the PC into the mac. So, I won't be trying to sync them , yet but instead treating the linux box as a potential synth sampler.

Main question. Does anyone have any favorite synths that will run on Ardour?

[sburt]

I have gotten close to running Ardour in OS X. I found several things when compiling Ardour. For n00bs, make sure you have installed the Developer Tools from Apple (or XCode). You can get it free from Apple's website if you poke around enough. It contains gcc, the c compiler you will need. After running ./configure, find the packages that are "missing." Install fink. Fink is an awesome automated process that downloads and installs cross-platform packages and their prerequisites if available as fink os x ports. You can run fink in the terminal like "fink install packagename." With fink, I got the packages I needed. However, as stated in an earlier post, the current version of osxjacktools does not appear compatible with audacity.

checking for jack >= 0.66.0... Package jack was not found in the pkg-config search path.
Perhaps you should add the directory containing `jack.pc'
to the PKG_CONFIG_PATH environment variable
No package 'jack' found

configure: error: Library requirements (jack >= 0.66.0) not met; consider adjusting the PKG_CONFIG_PATH environment variable if your libraries are in a nonstandard prefix so pkg-config can find them.
configure: error: /bin/sh './configure' failed for gtk_ardour


If anyone discovers a solution to the jack problem, please post it here.


Samuel Burt

[dnigrin]

I'd urge you to not use up too much time in trying to get this to work, as Ardour binaries for OS X, together with a new Jack OS X package, are coming soon.... :-)

Dan

[guttertrash]

does anyone know if jacktools 0.51 is compatible with the currrent ardour binary? i have it running, but when i load jack, ardour wont load.

[dnigrin]

Unfortunately no, you need the upcoming Jack OS X 0.6 for it to work properly.

We are quite close to getting this out, just waiting for the Jack server v0.99.x to stabilize a bit, then we'll be set....

Dan

[guttertrash]

awsome

thanks for being so quick to reply!

[tomkerswill]

Woohoo! The new Jackosx is out. I have configured Ardour succesfully on my powerbook and it's currently compiliing.... So hopefully with a bit of luck I'll have a working Ardour 0.9beta26 on my mac in a few minutes,
Tom

[lepetitmartien]

Mhmmm yummy, tell us all then