This month's column is in three sections, indicating the rather busy month I've been having. In truth, it's been more fun than business. So without further ado, here's the 411 from Studio Dave for September 2005.

At long last, I present my promised profile of Jesse Chappell's SooperLooper. Alas, it's going to be brief, due to the other items I wanted to plug into this month's column. But, I think you'll find that SooperLooper is straightforward enough to need only a brief introduction. Afterwards, you can jump right in and start playing with the program. If you need to know the rationale behind phrase looping software, please see my previous column profiling the Freewheeling looper. Here's what Jesse says about his software on the SooperLooper Web site:

SooperLooper requires the JACK audio connection software, and Linux users need the ALSA sound system as well. The SooperLooper engine can be controlled with OSC (the Open Sound Control protocol) and/or MIDI. A user-friendly GUI (slgui, see Figure 1) can be used as a front-end to control multiple instances of SooperLooper, even over a network. But, the author advises that this kind of performance tool is used optimally with MIDI hardware controllers, including footpedals, fader boxes, switchboards and so on.

Figure 1. The SooperLooper GUI

SooperLooper is available from its Web site as a source tarball for Linux and in a compiled package for Mac OS X. Planet CCRMA includes an RPM package for Red Hat and Fedora systems, and a quick search on Google reveals the whereabouts of DEB packages for Debian-based systems. If you decide to build SooperLooper yourself, be advised that although compiling it isn't a difficult task, SooperLooper does require a number of support components that may not be standard parts of mainstream Linux distributions. Study the requirements list on the SooperLooper Web site's Downloads page, and be sure to install the development packages for each component. Users of Planet CCRMA, AGNULA/Demudi and similar audio-optimized systems already should have most or all of the required packages, but you still may need to install their devel packages. Use your preferred package management software to determine which packages need to be installed on your system. With the required pieces in place, all that's left is to invoke the autotools mantra of ./configure; make; make install and your own SooperLooper awaits your bidding.

Okay, you've built and installed the program, now let's do something super cool with it. First we need to start the JACK server. I use Rui Nuno Capela's QJackCtl when I'm working in X, but you can control JACK completely from the command line if you prefer.

After starting JACK, launch SooperLooper with its GUI by entering the slgui command at an xterm prompt. You can view SooperLooper's runtime options with the -h option, or you can read all about them in the program documentation. They're mostly concerned with your JACK, OSC and MIDI connections, all of which can be left at their defaults during your initial experiments. However, three options are interesting more immediately. The -l (loopcount) option sets the number of instances of SooperLooper to launch; -c (channels) defines the number of audio output channels desired; and the -t (looptime) option sets the amount of memory (in seconds) available per channel. You can leave them at their default values, but you probably will want to come back and play with them.

Make your audio and MIDI connections, and you're ready to play. Note that JACK's flexible connectivity combines nicely with SooperLooper. Each looper has its own I/O connection, giving you great freedom in routing signals in and out of SooperLooper.

For my first example, I treat SooperLooper as a desktop composition tool, building audio segments to use as blocks in a larger piece. To begin, I want to have separate loops for drums, synth bass and two guitars. I also want a "scratch pad", so all together I want five instances of the Looper. I already know the time duration of my drum loop, so I restrict the looptime for all other loops. My launch command looks like this:

slgui -l 5 -t 3

Figure 2 shows the results, along with QJackCtl, Jack Rack and Nick Dowell's amSynth. I loaded a drum loop into the first looper, recorded bass and guitar parts in the others, and voila, I made a loop you can listen to here. Okay, so it's not super cool, but it was fun to make as a quick example of what can be done with one drum loop, one guitar and one Linux softsynth.

Figure 2. A SooperLooper 5-Pack

SooperLooper's graphic interface is mostly self-explanatory. Experimentation is the key to learning how to use SooperLooper, and its GUI invites play and discovery. For my example loop, I purposely restricted myself to the Record and Overdub buttons, recording all parts in real time, except the drum loop, of course. Recording is as simple as clicking on Record or Overdub and playing away. If you like the results, you can save them as a WAV file. If not, simply click on Undo and start over.

By the way, the example loop was recorded with ecasound. I used the Versatile Plate Reverb LADSPA plugin in the Jack Rack to process my loops, and the fades in and out were made with the Snd soundfile editor. URLs for these programs can be found in the listings here.

Alas, I have no MIDI foot pedals or slider boxes here in Studio Dave, so I haven't played yet with SooperLooper's real-time MIDI control. I also have to learn more about SooperLooper's various synchronization options. Thankfully, SooperLooper's documentation can help you get started with its MIDI and sync configurations. I have to make way for the rest of this column anyway, so I leave the rest of SooperLooper for you to explore.

On September 17, I drove to Toledo (Ohio) to attend a meeting of a remarkable coalition of local hip-hop music producers, community activists and members of the Toledo Area Linux Users Group (TALUG). Their aim: to build and operate a community-centric recording studio to showcase and promote local musicians, poets, singers, rappers and other artists in need of such a resource. My part was to advise the group on the use of free and open-source software in the context of a studio designed to produce professional-quality recordings.

The coalition already has assisted in the birth of another audio project, the recording and production of the outstanding Reboot: Pass The Message CD. This disc focuses on the varying impact of technology on the communities and individuals most severely affected by the digital divide. Reboot is filled with intelligence, humor and positive admonition, with the clear message that there is a real and present danger looming before the digitally divided. This message is no mere report, though, and the disc includes solid advice for its listeners about their own participation in making truly free worlds.

The Toledo Area Linux Users Group (TALUG) is a great example for other Linux groups looking for ways to become more involved with their local communities. TALUG was instrumental in setting up an all-Linux system for the Murchison Center during the center's establishment of the Cyberchurch project, an Internet gateway to more than 500 Toledo area churches. The Reboot project was planned during this conversion to Linux, TALUG got involved, and now they're on board for the studio project. Given the level of community activism already displayed, Linux is a logical next step for the project's software base. TALUG's role will be to provide training in the basics of operating a Linux system and support for the software base.

Toledo Hip-Hop is a cooperative project for bringing together and promoting area hip-hop artists. The group recruited artists and performers for the Reboot project and donated its production abilities toward creating a professionally polished sound. Reboot was created and produced with proprietary software, but its creators acutely are aware of the desirability of switching to Linux. As my AGNULA T-shirt says, there is no free expression without control of the tools, and the people I met at the meeting are aware of the importance of this level of control. They also are practical people who recognize the need for reliability and capability in a professional recording circumstance. They wanted to know if Linux audio software could compete effectively with and ultimately replace their familiar proprietary tools, such as ProTools, Cubase and VST/VSTi plugins.

I presented the case for a careful choice of hardware and a gradual adoption of programs such as Ardour, JAMin and Rosegarden. A gradual approach was advised due to the complexity of the tasks, and I felt that a sudden change could be too much of a paradigm shift. Professional recordists invest non-trivial amounts of time learning their tools, and time is needed before they'll be comfortable with a new operating environment and its unfamiliar software. Nevertheless, the coalition members have real vision and can see that free and open-source software (FOSS) provides a way out of the ghettos created by the digital divide. They understand that FOSS can offer a way into a world in which the user exercises more profound control of his tools.

Fortunately, this project arrives at a time when it is not only conceivable to build a pro-level recording studio around free software, it's already being done in some professional studios, most notably Ron Parker's Mirror Image Studios in Minneapolis. Time will tell how smoothly the coalition makes the switch, but given the level of dedication I witnessed, I think they'll reach lift-off in a relatively short time.

I hope to report on the progress of this project within the next few months. In the meantime, you can check out and chill with the Reboot CD. Further information and inspiration can be found on the Toledo Hip-Hop Web site and the Cyberchurch site.

By now it should be evident that Linux is eminently well suited for content creation and production. We have tools that rival commercial products and users who know how to put those tools to their best use. But talk is cheap, so I suggest you take a little trip right now to Hans Fugal's excellent Linux Audio Music (LAM) site. Hook up to the RSS podcast feed or M3U playlist to hear exactly what the Linux audio community is really doing with all these cool tools.

LAM is the result of Hans's interest in learning Ruby On Rails. It's a simple site, consisting only of the song list, an entry form for new submissions, an About blurb and connections to the RSS and M3U feeds. The song list contains links to the individual pieces--no files are kept on the LAM site--so you can listen to selections instead of the entire playlist. All files are in MP3 or Ogg format.

The brief entry form for new additions provides fields for title, author, file URL, license information and comments. No licensing rules currently are specified, although Hans recommends the Creative Commons licenses. Of course, posting commercially copyrighted material is strictly prohibited.

As I write this article, I'm listening to the playlist via Andy Lo A Fo's outstanding AlsaPlayer (Figure 3). The range of music represented is impressive, with popular song styles performed by soloists and bands, electronic and experimental music, techno and other dance styles, classical music and some stuff that's just plain tough to categorize. I already have some favorite pieces that I have to hear everyday, including Robert Jonsson's "Spamatica" tracks; Greg Wilder's "Vyserhad"; Pete Bessman's "F4"; Juan Linietsky's "JL" pieces; Escape From The Head Cube's cool "Souled"; Steve Doonan's piano music and his collaborations with James Stone and Thorsten Wilms; and Ivica Bukvic's "Symmetries", which premiered at last year's Linux Audio Conference in Karlsruhe. Production values range from the "obviously produced on the desktop" to full-strength professional finishes. You may not like everything on the list, but you'll certainly notice the fun and creativity that went into their productions.

Figure 3. AlsaPlayer Plays the LAM List

So the next time someone asks whether Linux can be used to make music, send them to the LAM page. The list grows daily, and if you're already a Linux-based musician, perhaps you should add your work to the site.

If the LAM playlists interest you, be sure to check out the Csound Internet concerts and radio shows available here. These broadcasts show off the great variety of music possible with Csound, from pop and groovy styles to highly experimental works. Many of the pieces are quite beautiful, representing some of the finest examples of music whose possibilities depend on the computer. If you've ever wondered what people actually do with Csound or if you'd like to listen to something guaranteed to be different, tune in to the shows, brought to you by the indefatigable Dr. Rick Boulanger & Crew, on-line 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Figure 4. A Csound Internet Concert on XMMS

Is it any wonder that I never listen to commercial music anymore?

That's it for this month. I've learned my lesson, so I'm making no announcement about next month's topic. I guess you'll just have to tune in then. Meanwhile, you can loop yourself to total distraction with SooperLooper, dig the Reboot CD, check out the LAM playlist and settle back for some relaxing (?!) contemporary music from the Csound community. That should keep you occupied for a while.

SooperLooper Home

Michael Noble's Mini-Review of SooperLooper

Lyrics to the Reboot CD

Profile of Reboot producers Brian Zelip and Akil Muhammad