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.