Recording and producing music with Linux

The December 2003 international issue of Linux Magazine includes several features about free software for recording, producing, writing and making music on a computer using the free operating system Linux. The multitracking audio and MIDI program MusE, the MIDI sequencer and score editor Rosegarden 4, the audio processor Sweep are rewied as well as another article explains how to create your own virtual musical instruments using AlsaModularSynth, FluidSynth and NoteEdit. Some of these programs are already included with popular Linux distributions, others need to be downloaded. Offering features commercial software for Windows and Mac introduced a while ago, MusE and Rosegarden 4 are a step behind but still allow working professionally. MusE is an audio and MIDI sequencing program resembling earlier versions of commercial software. You have a transport window, the piano roll, a drum editor, MIDI mapper, equalizer, audio mixer and more. Rosegarden is a score editor with extended MIDI functionality, again resembling earlier versions of commercial score editors. Allowing the conversion of analogue audio sources like vinyl and tape to the digital level, the audio processsing software Sweep also is a powerful processor to scratch, cut, dub, equalize and also to add effects like chorus and flanger. All these programs are free software and sometimes lack functions which have not been implemented by the programmers yet. The articles of Linux Magazine give users a fair idea of what they can expect from the software which usually only comes with very basic documenation, if any at all. The articles name websites and other sources of knowledge.