[ardour-users] Xjadeo

[Thomas Vecchione]

> 
> Utilizing Jack as a Router/Patchbay/Central transport controller allows one to create a virtual studio.  Similar to having different pieces of "kit" in a studio, Jack allows one to choose the tools that are best suited to each application and to allow them to work harmoniously...  or am I wrong?

No you are not wrong, at least in theory that would be true.  The thing 
is there is so little that is truly supported well in Linux, even now 
with multimedia.  There are strong attempts in that area, dont get me 
wrong, but you will always have oddball things that work fine elsewhere. 
  I have better luck with some media players than others, and all that 
fun stuff.

But having several different toolkits loaded, one for each program of 
say a synth, sampler, Jack(QJackCtl), ardour, and a video player, means 
that you also open yourself up to the bugs in any of those apps taking 
out a link in your chain.

Its why I prefer to have a single app handle things as opposed to 
multiple seperate apps in most cases, assuming all other things being 
equal.  It allows you to have to worry about keeping less things up to 
date to avoid bugs and concentrate more on other things, like making the 
music/sound/video/whatever.

However like I said there is something to be said for STRONG development 
of multiple apps.  If you have your choice of STRONG apps then fine, at 
the moment for our uses I dont really think we do on Linux.

Ideally you wouldnt have to worry about bugs that might crash things, 
but it is somewhat of a risk of using what is currently bleeding edge 
software for your use.  Even very stable things still will have bugs pop 
up, both in open source and in closed source software.  But the less 
risk I have of a bug ruining a session the better.

Its the same reason I try to use very few programs when putting together 
shows to run off a computer.  At the moment I am in the process of 
rebuilding most of a design because what I had originally thought would 
work wouldnt, and I dont want to risk having to depend on many peices of 
software when one can do the job.

Eventually the model that Jack represents would come into its own, I 
dont think it is there yet as it not only depends on Jack being stable, 
And Ardour(Or whatever multitracker you use) being stable, but also 
EVERYTHING you use being stable and dependable.  Especially with Video I 
dont think that has been reached yet.  VLC I have had very good luck 
with, but that i have found there is no ability to sync it to Jack yet. 
  Xine many people use, and until recently I had had good luck with, but 
recently there have been many things stopping me from using 
it(Configuring it to run with an RME card for example, I believe it is 
possible, Ill be danged if I can find a way to do it, so right now apps 
that use it I cant use, also there are occasionally a crash or two in it 
still, or was last I used it).  MPlayer I know people have had good luck 
with, I havent yet myself.  Just small things in each of these that add 
up to weaken the overall chain.

       Seablade