eSpeak is a commandline based audio synthesis programme.
It came standard with Ubuntu (8.04) and works perfectly on this amd64 bit computer.
This simple line of text does several lovely little bits of magic: espeak -vnl -f voicetest.txt -w TEST.wav
-vnl: choose the Dutch voice (more languages here: http://espeak.sourceforge.net/languages.html )
-f: choose a textfile as sourcematerial to read from.
-w: save this text in this soundfile.
Done!
Old faithful Audacity, the easy sound editing programme has been disappointing me for a while now, in the sense that I can open a sound, convert it to another format, but I cannot listen to it (highly unpractical for a sound editor)…
“error while opening sound device”
Now, I have looked for some solutions – and this Ubuntu forum post seems to be the most promising at the moment:::
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=710881
I still need to try these suggestions – and promise to report back on the easiest one.
* System used: Ubuntu 8.04, realtime kernel 2.6.24*
A couple of years I ago, I bought a Iriver H340, a sound hard disc recorder for Constant, because the minidiscs were getting old and after some time, you really get sick of digitalizing the 567.273 minidiscs.
I was really not pleased about this machine, because you could for example, not easily change the sound input levels. You could also only record 80 minutes and then the recording stopped. All kinds of annoying glitches you would not expect. The machine (‘s software!) was dictating what you could do with it, and not the other way around.
After some moping about, and grumbling, I decided to try to put Rockbox on the recorder, because, hey, it could not get any worse! Rockbox is software, firmware, an “operating system” for sound devices from for example Apple, Archos, Cowon, iriver, Olympus, SanDisk, Toshiba.
I must say, that it took me a whole afternoon to install Rockbox, but I have not regretted it a minute since.
It is fantastic.
The menu’s are better, more intuitive, the choices are ample, it is flexible, coherent and transparent. The recorder works the way I – or someone else wants it to work and all previous annoyances are gone (quite special to realize that these were all due to software).
For people with a player from the fruit firm, Rockbox annihilates the necessity of iTunes, which I for many a reason consider to be a good thing.
All this to announce that Rockbox 3.0 is out and installing it has never been so simple.
Go check it out and download the installer here!
Thanks Boingboing for refreshing news on Rockbox
I have recently been working on a manual for a certain script with which you can easily record interviews, without having to edit them. More about this script will follow later.
During the research and testing phase of this script, I have encountered many a challenge (euphemism for problem). At this moment in time, my computer has Ubuntu Gutsy Gibbon – Gnome desktop – and an Ubuntu Studio realtime kernel (installed through synaptic).
One of the challenges is the multiplicity of sounddrivers/sound servers.
Alsa – OSS- ESD -> and to make stuff more complex, I use an external soundcard..
Here is where you find the sound preferences of your Linux computer through the graphical interface (by using your mouse (^_^).
This is what I can choose from:
Now, as I try to work with a script, I need the command line version of this:
And this is where arecord comes in.
Arecord = alsarecord
This command displays all soundcards and digital devices that can be used to capture sound – at that moment:
$ arecord -l
On my computer I get a result indicating that my soundcard of my laptop is hardware device number 0 for capturing and the external soundcard (USB) is hardware device number 2:
$ arecord -l
**** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
card 0: ICH6 [Intel ICH6], device 0: Intel ICH [Intel ICH6]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: ICH6 [Intel ICH6], device 1: Intel ICH – MIC ADC [Intel ICH6 – MIC ADC]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: ICH6 [Intel ICH6], device 2: Intel ICH – MIC2 ADC [Intel ICH6 – MIC2 ADC]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: ICH6 [Intel ICH6], device 3: Intel ICH – ADC2 [Intel ICH6 – ADC2]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: Pro [FastTrack Pro], device 1: USB Audio [USB Audio #1]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
Now, I want to record a test sound through my external soundcard, via arecord (in the Terminal).
$ arecord -f dat -d 20 -D hw:1,1 test.wav
The sound is recorded in the file where you are on that moment in your Terminal.
*Extra*
Two commands which give handy results for trouble shooting:
– To see which soundcard(s) are installed on your computer:
$ cat /proc/asound/cards
– To check what sound modules are loaded:
$ cat /proc/modules|grep snd
Thanks to linuxquestions.org and Cyberciti.biz for the online inspiration.
This is actually the fourth Linux audio workshop!
Some details:
** What: Workshop ARDOUR
** Where: Atelier du web, Rue du Fortstraat 39, 1060 Bruxel
** When: 14/06/07, 19:30 – 21:00
** Info and enrollment: http://wiki.bxlug.be/ProjetAudio/Mini-atelier_2
Thursday june the 14th an Ardour worksession is on the agenda. Learn how to make a radiojingle with Ardour. Ardour is a digital audio workstation with which you can record edit and a whole lot more).
Please take your headphones, microphones, ideas for slogans, and some sound and music!
**
This is one episode in a series of workshops taking place during the months of April, May and June, focussing on useage and knowledge exchange about free software for audio. The software presented include all major open source tools for capturing, editing, production, mixing and diffusion of sound. The workshops are a collaboration between Constant, Collectifs.net, Radio Campus, Radio Air Libre, Radio Panik and Bxlug. The workshops came about spontaneously.
**
See detailed program: http://wiki.bxlug.be/ProjetAudio/
(enroll by clicking on edit and adding your name in this wiki page:
http://wiki.bxlug.be/ProjetAudio/Mini-atelier_2)
My sharp eye is always on the lookout for “multimedia” applications and Linux, especially where audio is concerned. Five minutes ago I learnt about the development of Ubuntu studio, throught Boingboing.
How far will Ubuntu go? What software and hardware support will be included? And above all, will it work easily…..
They plan to release Ubuntu Studio in april.
Curious, I am!
If you work with multimedia and you are on linux, you will know that it is not always an easy marriage… Getting all the libraries, making sure that all your hardware (camera, soundcard, graphics card…) is compatible and recognized…
We have recently installed Apodio, which is Mandriva based and it seems to be working quite well! A lot of audio programmes are included, and also there is a preconfigured setup with Jack and Alsa (audio server -not so easy to set up, it basically connects your hardware to your software).
In case of doubt try it as a live cd!
(more about live cd’s on wikipedia)
Pictures and a report of the install party at Nadine here.
And remember, live cd’s do not hurt one bit!
Through the same blog I have also found this amazing wikipedia list of media Players, with all the compatability, with notes where the media players are open source and where not, what they can play (audio and/or video)….
I am in awe!
Respect for the wikipedia…
I will never have problems again in finding an open source media player..