Software synths

[Janina Sajka]

Absolutely.

It's all about the applications knowing where to pipe those audio
streams. And, it's about the various audio managers doing so
consistently and appropriately. And, lastly, it's about applications
honoring your configuration settings. 

On Linux, and in GNOME most specifically, I have no idea of what's going
wrong between gnome-speech and my launching of another audio app, but
wrong it goes and quickly.

The high-end audio group of folks seem to be standardizing on jack. The
desktop group complain that jack doesn't support network audio. We've a
ways to go, I think. And, I don't even understand all of this well
enough yet. But, I know we need to get it resolved well.

Sean McMahon writes:
> From: "Sean McMahon" <smcmahon at usgs.gov>
> 
> Curious to know if the problem you explained with audio recording and
> software synths happens on systems with multi-channel soundcards?
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Janina Sajka" <janina at rednote.net>
> To: "Speakup is a screen review system for Linux." <speakup at braille.uwo.ca>
> Sent: Wednesday, February 04, 2004 6:59 AM
> Subject: Re: Software synths
> 
> 
> > But, Cecil, it's not a question of should or could, it's a question of
> > is and does.
> >
> > Clearly, all synths rely on software, whether or not they're housed in
> > the main computer or an auxiliary device. The point is how they
> > interface to the principle computer, and what resources they require to
> > function. To date it remains my quantified experience that those running
> > on the host computer are less respectful of system resources. I guess
> > it's something along the lines of software expanding to fill all
> > available space.
> >
> > The issue is further exaserbated if one attempts to do any serious audio
> > work while using a synth as one's interface device. At the moment, the
> > quickest way to crash Gnopernicus is to try and launch an audio
> > application like Beast or Gmorgan. Is that Gnopernicus fault? Or perhaps
> > gnome-speech? Or perhaps Esd? Or perhaps Jack? I don't know, and neither
> > does anyone else. The issue of appropriately handling multiple audio
> > streams on Linux remains fluid and unresolved. On Windows things aren't
> > much better as witnessed by all those messages in the MIDI-Mag archive
> > about keeping the speech synthesizer out of the music.
> >
> > So, the theory is just that--theory. The facts are something else.
> >
> > Whitley CTR Cecil H writes:
> > > From: Whitley CTR Cecil H <WhitleyCH.ctr at cherrypoint.usmc.mil>
> > >
> > > Hi,
> > > I'm sorry, I can't buy into there being anything inheriently bad with
> > > software synths.  They actually provide an elegant solution.  Even the
> > > dectalk is at it's heart a software synth, it just runs on an external
> > > computer all it's own.  If I remember the specs, it's a 386 with a meg
> of
> > > memory.  If you can get that out of a 386, what should you be able to do
> > > with one of the modern processors?
> > >
> > > Admittedly, the dectalk has some fancy DAC's.....  But once again, they
> are
> > > circa 1990....  Shouldn't todays technology be able to at least match
> it??
> > > After all, we're not talking tubes here.
> > >
> > > So in summary, I contend that with a modern processor and high end sound
> > > hardware it should be possible to exceed "old" hardware synths in all
> > > catagories.  On the other hand, if you get my dectalk express you'll
> have to
> > > pry it from my cold dead fingers.....
> > >
> > > Cecil
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Speakup mailing list
> > > Speakup at braille.uwo.ca
> > > http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup
> >
> > -- 
> >
> > Janina Sajka
> > Email: janina at rednote.net
> > Phone: +1 (202) 408-8175
> >
> > Director, Technology Research and Development
> > American Foundation for the Blind (AFB)
> > http://www.afb.org
> >
> > Chair, Accessibility Work Group
> > Free Standards Group
> > http://a11y.org
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Speakup mailing list
> > Speakup at braille.uwo.ca
> > http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup
> 
> 
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-- 
	
Janina Sajka
Email: janina at rednote.net		
Phone: +1 (202) 408-8175

Director, Technology Research and Development
American Foundation for the Blind (AFB)
http://www.afb.org

Chair, Accessibility Work Group
Free Standards Group
http://a11y.org