Hello from Russia!

[Enef]

Hi, everyone here!
Finally, I reached web-resource where I can find help on the way of creating music in Linux. First, sorry for my english, sometimes it can be poor, but I hope you will understand me
I am a programmer, but music is my life and this is what I'm enjoying. I've got musical education when I was a teenage - I learned to play guitar. For some years after that I was just a listener, but time to time I wanted to compose something myself. Finally, I understood that electronic music is what I really want to do - it allows me to mix my technical look with musical ideas in my head.
I decided to try music creation about a three years ago and firstly I tried Windows-based software solutions. I used Linux for two years, but working with sound on this platform always looked too complicated for me (no VST instruments\effects, troubles with MIDI-controllers...). Windows audio software costs too much for me in most cases, and that was the reason to use some lite versions of DAWs and other "cutted" audio software. Now I'm tired of limitations and I think linux-way is the real solution for me.
Yesterday I installed Hydrogen drum-machine on my Ubuntu laptop and tried to connect Korg nanoPad to it. I thought it will fail, but it works(!) with nanoPad. Than, I tried to install some other software like Ardour and zynAddSubFx (amazing synth!). So, this experiments made me believe, that linux can be very useful for my musical activities.

Before moving from Windows to Linux, I want to get some advices about distributives (I have read some threads on this board, and I think I will install 64Studio, but any advices are welcomed). On Windows I used Sony ACID as main DAW. So, I need audio and MIDI both working for me. Google told me about Qtractor and I think I will try this one, because on screenshots it looks friendly for me. But for working with pure audio without MIDI Ardour looks very nice.

I use E-MU XBoard-49 as primary keyboard... is it supported or I will meet troubles with my hardware?

Thanks for this great board! Hope, I will not be disappointed in linux audio software.
And sorry for my english again, I posted too large text using too little language skill...

[brummer]

welcome Enef

From what you wrote, you are on the right way and have the needed Information already found.
I can't say if your Keyboard is supported by Linux, but I guess it is.
To your English, man, it's well formed. I could understand every single verb

Hope you come to have a lot fun with Linux Pro Audio.

brummer

[MattKingUSA]

драсвитя, welcome to the board, you have excellent English skills. There are tons of users on this board that are both home and professional so you are in the right place!

[spm_gl]

Welcome!
The x-Board works perfectly. I have the larger version, and it actually works better on Linux than on Windows. Under XP, the system sometimes "forgets" the driver, and I have to manually re-install it. On Linux, I simply plug it in and use it.

[autostatic]

Hello Enef,

Welcome! Good to read that the nanoPAD works with Hydrogen, it's on my birthday wish list

Best,

Jeremy

[studio32]

About the distro's. Try and find out what makes you happy. Good options are imo 64studio 3.0 beta (Ubuntu based) and Ubuntu (studio) 9.10.

[Enef]

Thanks to you all.
I installed Ubuntu 9.10 and it's good enough for me now. 64Studio works OK, but it's built on LTS package
base - I don't want to install another one Linux for desktop usage right now, may be I will think about it later.

XBoard work well out-of-the-box. Unfortunetly, I haven't tested it's knobs yet.

Now I'm going to upgrade my very old Aureal Vortex 2 for something newer, because I have some problems with it. Think, I should create topic in "Hardware", but there are lots of topics about "What soundcard to choose?". I want to buy internal PCI card and from what I see in our local stores I like M-Audio Audiophile cards. There are Audiophile 2496 and Audiophile 192. Second one has better parameters and as I understood it's the next model in Audiophile line, but ALSA-project site says that there are some issues with it. Does anyone use this card?
I red some good comments about 2496 on this board and if this card is simpiler to set up than 192 I think, I should buy 2496. But characteristics of 192 model looks better...

UPD: Now thinking about buying M-Audio Delta 44.

драсвитя

You meant здравствуйте, I thnink

Good to read that the nanoPAD works with Hydrogen, it's on my birthday wish list

Yes, I tried to plug it in and I successfully drummed something on pads
I like nanoPAD and nanoKONTROL. Compact and useful devices. I think you will not be disappointed, Jeremy.

Alex

[autostatic]

Yes, I tried to plug it in and I successfully drummed something on pads
I like nanoPAD and nanoKONTROL. Compact and useful devices. I think you will not be disappointed, Jeremy.

I already have a nanoKONTROL and I'm quite happy with that device. Bought it together with a nanoKEYS but I returned the latter, it was unuseable for me. Traded it for an M-Audio Oxygen8.

[Enef]

I already have a nanoKONTROL and I'm quite happy with that device. Bought it together with a nanoKEYS but I returned the latter, it was unuseable for me. Traded it for an M-Audio Oxygen8.

I bought nanoPAD and nanoKONTROL together. imo, nanoKEY is too toy-like and it's keys are like laptop buttons. But I had one situation when I wanted to have the one - it was a rehearsal of the band I'm doing sampling for. When the task is to send notes in a signle octave to rule the sampler, my 49-key xboard is too large to take it with me, but laptop buttons have no velocity sence and are placed for printing chars, not playing notes.

[Chipfryer]

Welcome Enef.