Nama is a multitrack recording application based on Kai Vehmanen's Ecasound with text and graphic interfaces. It can work with ALSA or JACK. Although many Nama users end up building from github,[1] this release to CPAN[2] allows prospective users to install it with a simple incantation[3]. We're naming this release to honor our brother Julien,[4] whose tireless testing, bug reports, feature requests and documentation-writing have helped make Nama what it is today. :-) I'd also like to shout a thanks to newer users who've contributed, especially Raphaël Mouneyres, who suggested improvements to the track record/play settings and text-mode display, along with many reports and suggestions. The following are recent features, new and improved: ## Hyphens in Commands Nama now accepts hyphens in command names: Both "find_effect" and "find-effect" are acceptable (in addition to the usual shortcut "fe".) ## Hot keys The hotkey mode supports arbitrary bindings. The default mapping provides for changing the selected track, effect, parameter, stepsize and increment/decrement. You switch from command mode to hotkey mode with "#" and back to command mode with ESC. ## Sequences Sequences have been implemented as a special type of bus that plays its member clips (tracks) one after another, and allows for spacing or overlap between clips. ## Submixes These can be used to provide each musician with her own mix for live monitoring, and can use either the raw track source or the effects-processed track output. ## Track Modes Track modes have been revised to REC/MON/PLAY/OFF, set by the corresponding commands (in lower case). Note that "off" (do not route track audio streams) is distinct from "mute" (silence track audio output.) MON: + use track source setting as track input REC: + use track source setting as track input + record audio file to disk PLAY: + use audio file from disk as track input OFF: + do not route track audio I/O By default, REC, PLAY and MON settings route track audio output for monitoring. ## Improved Track Listing The example below shows a simple setup for recording two audio files: sax_1.wav and synth_1.wav. The signals are routed to the Main bus (the default), which outputs to soundcard channels 1/2. All files recorded in the same take get the same version number. No. Name Status Source Destination Vol Pan ========================================================================= 1 Master MON Main bus 1/2 0 50 2 Mixdown OFF -- -- -- -- 3 sax REC v1 1 Main 0 50 4 synth REC v1 bristol Main 0 50 ## Project management using Git Each project has a git repository in which Nama stores the entire project history.[5] Nama automatically promotes each named snapshot into a branch. This allows users to follow multiple approaches to a project and return to any previous version. Within each project we use a save <name> / get <name> pattern similar to managing project state as files or snapshots. Users benefit from version control technology without having to study git or learn special commands. ## GUI Amazingly, the plain-jane Tk GUI still works, providing functions of a basic harddisk recorder. Since all diagnostics appear on the terminal (which is also available for commands), the user is never slowed down by having to close an information window or dialog box. ## MIDI Nama provides rudimentary MIDI support via Midish, starting a Midish process when configured with midish_enable: 1 in .namarc. Midish commands can be issued at any time. For convenience, Nama issues a save-to-file command to Midish on exit. ## Preliminary OSC Support This is a thin wrapper that accepts Nama commands as OSC packets, and returns the results. ## Underlying Code There have been many improvements. Support for multiples engines has been added, which will in future allow for monitor outputs to be kept "live" continuously. (Currently Ecasound must be reconfigured when changing routes for playing or recording audio.) Effects code has been coverted to OO style, which is easier to read and will allow for a change in underlying data structure in future. Effects support was one of the first parts of Nama to be written and was the last still written in procedural style. ## Future Live monitoring support was mentioned above. Latency compensation is awaiting improvements the underlying JACK interface library.[6] MIDI tracks are planned. Thanks to the Linux audio community and Nama users for your support. Cheers, Joel 1. http://github.com/bolangi/nama 2. A distributed hosting system for perl libraries, and acronym for Comprehensive Perl Archive Network http://cpan.org Perl was/is a hotbed for testing culture. Modules I upload get built (smoke-tested) on many different architectures, and are provided a bug-tracking system. 3. cpanm Audio::Nama + Installs into $HOME/perl5 by default with no special permissions required + However, you may need to install cpanm (c.f. App::cpanminus) sudo cpan Audio::Nama + Installs under /usr/local/perl5 by default 4. http://juliencoder.de 5. All information relating to sound of the project except for the audio files is stored in the file State.json. Project data *not* under version control such as track or version comments, effect chains, and effect profiles is stored in Aux.json, which can be blown away without affecting the audio output. 6. https://github.com/navicore/Jacks -- Joel Roth, Nama Animator _______________________________________________ Linux-audio-user mailing list Linux-audio-user@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx http://lists.linuxaudio.org/listinfo/linux-audio-user
