LinuxQuestions.org - Computers for Writing and for Keyboard (Midi)

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Computers for Writing and for Keyboard (Midi)

I have three computers. Two are some what old and dated but they still have some life left in them. I was using one as a server but I changed my mind. It was easy enough to set up and get going as a server but I want to try something else.
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A--Now my main computer is fine. I have Suse 9.3 Pro on it. Soon I will install PC-BSD on it again. I use it for a variety of things but I want two specialized computers. Many musicians and writers will understand why.
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B--My second computer I will use strictly for music. It is a Pionex 350 MHz computer with an older MusicQuest midi card, an old Sound Blaster and 512MB Ram. I also have a Sound Blaster Live I can put on it instead of the solo midi card and older sound blaster.

What linux distro do musicians out there use? Also what programs and hardware do you recommend? I have a Casio CTK-558 Keyboard and I will also be buying an amp for my electric guitar soon (it is a cheap but good one, lol,) not to mention a Yamaha acoustic guitar I have.
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C--My third computer will be strictly for writing short stories, plays, poems and so on. It is a Hewlet Packard Pavilion 6635 (533MHz) Maxed out at 256MB ram.

I have the same questions for the writers out there. What Linux distro do you use and what software?
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Thanks in advance.
Webwolf

B: Read up on the linux-sound.org site. On the page for Linux audio software bundles and distributions you can find several different options.

Planet CCRMA is a set of packages to be applied to Redhat 9 or Fedora Core 1/2/3. From the blurb on the homepage:

Quote:

Planet CCRMA (CCRMA is pronounced ``karma'') at Home is a collection of rpms (RPM stands for RedHat Package Manager) that you can add to a computer running RedHat 9 or Fedora Core 1, 2 or 3 to transform it into an audio workstation with a low-latency kernel, current ALSA audio drivers and a nice set of music, midi, audio and video applications.

Another option for a distribution focused on audio is demudi which is a Debian distribution fine tuned for musicians.

I use Gentoo and have found it easy to install and use music software on it. I am mainly experimenting with Ardour and JAMin - editing and mastering things on my laptop at home (or whatever) that were recorded in a studio.

C: IMHO any Linux distribution would do well for writing. OpenOffice, AbiWord, etc comes with most distributions by default.

Håkan

is an app that I have heard some good things about... unfortunately for your second machine it requires at least 800 MHz CPU.

I would be interested to hear about any success that you have in this area. Personally, I didn't find a whole lot in this area on LINUX... at least not compared to what resources are avail under Win

I did get the Cheesetracker to successfully compile (an Impulse tracker clone), although I'm not sure that is what you were really looking for, as it has no means of MIDI control. What specifically are you wanting to do? I mean, like pure synthesis, sampling, remixing, etc...?