Software I Use

Although I’m a one man band on Jamendo, I don’t really make my music alone.  I have help.  In fact, you could say without the effort that went into creating the software below, my music would have stayed in the practice room.

Note: this is not an all inclusive guide.  I have picked the software, below, that works the BEST, for me.

System

Linux

I’ve been a Linux user since 2004.  Although I started with Debian, then moved to Ubuntu, the main system I use now is:

• Fedora 10 — Running in 32-bit mode on a 64-bit computer, for full JACK and linux audio compatibility (see below).
• CCRMA — Currently available only for Fedora 10 (the latest release is Fedora 11).

For more information on this system, see the following article, which I wrote after I first set it up: Fedora 10 / CCRMA (13-March-2009).  For reference, I did actually do a massive comparison of most of the available Linux distros (24-March-2009)– so I speak from experience.

On October 25, 2009, I started using the 64-bit version of Ubuntu 9.10 as the alternative in my dual boot system.  I’m still evaluating its suitability as a music production platform.

JACK

Probably the most important bit of audio software I have, ironically, doesn’t actually make a sound itself: JACK.  It is important enough it has even shaped my Linux distro choices (see above).  The only problem I’ve encountered is that, at present, JACK and related software only seem to work well in 32-bit mode.  I expect this will change in the future.

Audio

Mixing

• Audacity — Every album I’ve recorded since La vie sous la mer has been mixed down using Audacity.
• K3B — OK, this isn’t really an audio mixing program, but I use it in the mixing process.  Before I finalize a track, I mix it a number of different ways, burn it to CD with K3B, and preview it on a number of different stereo systems.

Sequencing

I play bass, guitar, and various keyboards.  In the old days, I played drums as well — but since I moved to Virginia, and live in a townhouse, those days are over for now.  As a result, I had to have some way of putting realistic rhythms into my music.  Here are the tools that worked the best.

• Hydrogen — One of the best drum machines out there.  I’m still getting used to the new version (0.9.4), but the old one served me well on Points of Departure, Martian Winter, and In Unexpected Places.
• Renoise — Although this software isn’t “free”, it’s very high quality.  Most of the percussion tracks on Points of Departure were sequenced using Renoise.
• Rosegarden — I seldom use Rosegarden for finished musical projects.  However, for short “proof of concept” compositions, it has proven to be very valuable.

Synthesis / Processing

• CSound — Csound’s greatest virtue is its incredible power.  It’s greatest drawback is . . . it’s incredible power.  There are so many options, and so many things to learn, that even today, I don’t think I’m an expert on its use.

Graphics

• GIMP — I have used the GIMP for every image on this website, for every album cover, and for every photo I’ve ever edited.
• Lilypond — When I discuss music theory here, especially rhythms, it helps to be able to generate actual sheet music (standard notation).  I use Lilypond for articles like these: Rhythms in Five, Rhythms in Seven.
• LaTeX (specifically, TeXLive) — For big writing projects, an essential tool is LaTeX.  Yes, it’s old, creaky, and hasn’t been updated in a while — but it’s still the best there is at what it does   An example is the companion book I wrote for La vie sous la mer.