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Linux Support for Multi I/O Cards?
TibbonZero asks: "I am using Digidesign's Digi001 audio interface with Pro-Tools 5.3.1 (an industry standard recording application), but this requires using Windows XP. I was wondering if there have been any attempts at writing drivers that would add Linux support to the soundcard? The Digi001 is a PCI based soundcard, with a breakout box. It provides 18 channels of I/O; 8 Analogue, 8 ADAT Optical, and 2 SPDIF as well as Midi I/O. There is a large users's group that supports most issues with the interfaces, and software, but few of them have the time or skills to program drivers, there is a wealth if information to be found there however. Are there any Slashdotters who are into audio and are willing to help out this community by programming drivers for it. Even getting a two channel stereo driver would be a great start (there is one available for Windows if reverse engineering it would help)." As an add-on to the question: What multi-I/O cards already have Linux support, and what do you think of them?
I think that if there are going to be any Linux drivers for this sort of hardware, it's going to be opensource. In general, the people who are producing and recording audio are not very computer savvy and tend towards Macs because of their 'ease-of-use'. They also tend to be fierce Mac supporters, and getting them to move to even a Windows platform is hard enough, no matter how many times you tell them it's cheaper and faster. Professional audio hardware and software packages are only now being ported onto the Windows platform at their full functionality. Given that Linux isn't terribly great in the 'ease-of-use' dept. I really can't see any hardware manufacturers making Linux drivers, the market just isn't there. So, it looks like you should get a few people together and start a SourceForge project :)
As far as I know, the best such drivers come from the ALSA project. In truth, there are very few multi-io cards listed as supported yet, but MOTU, Echo Audio, Yamaha and Midiman (as well as a few others) are all listed at least as being under developement. The one exception to this 'in the works' rule seems to be RME which appears to be quite well supported. Unfortunately, I see no mention of DigiDesign.
Actually multi-tracking software is in about the same state as the drivers. The most promising package I've seen is Ardour. Their package seems to be very much modeled after ProTools, at least as far as the interface goes. It supports LADSPA open-source plugins (no VST, RTAS, or DX unfortunately... mostly due to license restrictions). It already supports multi-io and many of your standard features, but lacks some things I consider necesities such as MIDI support (especially the ability to send MIDI clock and operate as a metronome... something I almost always use). None the less, there is a future for Linux and recording. It just, more or less, remains in the future for now.
We currently sell some products including Microstar Labs AD converters, which do 64 channels of A/D conversion, 16bits at 16.000 Khz. Not really for the audio freaks, but we geologists love it, not to mention the fact that they provide the board with fully functional set of linux drivers.
at 4000$ a piece, that's not even so expensive!
The DigiDesign hardware is not just a fancy multi-I/O soundcard. It has specialized hardware for many of the more complex sound processing tasks you perform. Writing drivers for this beast isn't about just writing a sound driver. It's about writing support for many devices inside of it and then writing a common interface to all of these devices for an audio processing software app. Unless DigiDesign writes or contracts someone to write linux drivers and port ProTools to linux, you will never ever see support for the DigiDesign hardware. Do you think they're going to port to linux any time soon? Do you think pigs may start flying this season?
Well here's how I see it. OS X support should be out for Macs soon. As we all know, OS X uses a BSD based kernel (Darwin I think). With that software out, I think that reverse engineering it, and the windows wavedriver should be able to reveal what we need to know to write the code.
Although this would be much easier if Digi just released some info to the opensource community and let us write a driver, etc...
Tibbon
tibbon.com
There are USB-based multi-io sound cards on their way that are far superior to the Digi001, and they will have Linux drivers.
DIGI001 is overpriced, and overrated. You fell for it.
; -- the corruption of government starts with its secrets. a truly free people keep no secrets. --
I was going to recommend that you went to talk to the folks over at demudi who are building a distro variant of Debian tailored to audio applications, and therefore will probably have plenty of information about multi-channel IO, but on visiting their site I found that they have merged with agnula which is news to me and looks quite interesting. Am off to go and read up on what is going on...
The only Good System is a Sound System
With the amount of time and money you'll spend getting someone to write these drivers for you, you may as well slap down a few hundred dollars for Windows XP and use that.
Software applications communicate to the Digi hardware through the DAE software. I haven't heard of plans to port the DAE to Linux btu I left Digi before MacOSX came out (I wasn't an engineer either).
There is a customer forum on their site and I know their Customer Service people really try hard to answer all the questions. Try posting a polite message.
Just remember, they're business driven. They need to feel like there is a financial reason to do development or that development done by outside people won't hurt their business. Or, you can buy enough shares in Avid and demand changes.
"What multi-I/O cards already have Linux support?"
None.
"When?"
Never.
Shut up and boot Windows.
I disagree. The Digi was fairly cheap for me (700USD), and came with the software (Protools). This was great for me, because if I had gone out and bought a MOTU unit, then I would have spent around 900USD on the unit, and 500 on Logic Platitunm. I didn't get it for Linux support, or even XP support, I got it because I wanted to know Protools.
Protools is such a standard today in the audio industry, and I can go into pretty much any studio and have a good feeling for how to get around just knowing protools. I also have a great deal of experience with analogue (I love 8 track 1/2 inch recorders), and other digital solutions, and Protools is one of the best.
To some degree it's like buying Cisco stuff, it doesn't do everything that the competition does, but it's standard, and you will pay for the name, but again, it's standard.
Tibbon
tibbon.com
It's more about can I do it, than whether i should do it. I already have XP Pro (which is pretty good once you turn off the crap), so it's not about saving money.
Tibbon
tibbon.com
Professional Audio On Linux?
Many comments, mostly about software and Macs.
There are some Linux Sound Hardware comments.
The "Linux Music and Sound" book is recommended.