Crazy covid times for everyone. For me it started with the cancellation of the SC Symposium (SuperCollider) and an 8 show tour in the Northeast with RM Francis. As a recently deemed ‘essential’ university IT state worker, I’ve been fortunate to remain employed, but many of my friends and peers have not been so lucky.
My projects of 2020 have mostly consisted me banging my my head against a new linux computer and various distros (Ubuntu 18 LTS, Ubuntu 19.10, PopOS 19.10/20, Fedora 32, etc) in an attempt to get all of my old gear working. My 2011 MacBook Pro is very much on its last limbs due to an annoying graphics card issue. I’m writing on it now, but when I reboot it’ll take me a good 30 min to get it back up and running, which can be a problem, especially in a live performance situation.
It’s felt important to get away from Apple, despite how easy it is to navigate and how much it is supported in the audio world. Windows 10 is subpar for applications I need to use for audio work, and I associate that OS with work, so I’d really rather not. The Linux ecosystem, open source nature, and potential to work with all kinds of hardware seems ideal… but if you’re approaching it like I am, trying to get old hardware and/or peripherals to work on it can be a bit of an uphill battle – particularly if they are unsupported/not developed. That’s the thing to keep in mind about Linux, someone has to have taken the time to get it to work, because manufacturers sure as hell don’t. I’ve found this out before when experimenting with Linux… the time it takes to figure this stuff out is nuts… so is it worth it for you? Its worth it to me, but I’m also still on the fence. I’d rather be making stuff.
This trip began with getting the wrong computer without Thunderbolt 3, which meant I couldn’t use my RME Fireface 800, which was a $2K firewire audio interface. There is no reason at all to buy a new interface in the shape it’s in and if I wanted one of similar quality I’d have to drop at least as much money, which is more than the computer. Many Linux forums suggest acquiring cheap usb audio interfaces, which I’m sure are fine, but to me its not just about getting it to work, its about getting really good high end sound, which means the interface needs good components. So, after an exchange, returning a System 76 Gazelle, I ended up with a System 76 Darter Pro, which I’ve had since. The construction quality is not like a Mac (in fact it already has a chipped back corner), but it has ports, a nice keyboard, 64GB of RAM(which I could source and upgrade myself for a lot less $), an NVME SSD, etc… and it is cheaper.
After a couple months of futzing around, I got Ubuntu Studio Controls within System 76’s PopOS distro to run Firewire. It was a bit clunky, and now there is no support for Firewire (FFADO back end) within the new version of Ubuntu Studio Controls, so in some ways I’m back to square one. After an upgrade, and now trying to work without Ubuntu Studio Controls, and realizing my some of my MIDI gear isn’t working… the trip continues. I’ll spend a bit more time trying to get this to work, but I’m afraid I may need to enter the realm of Arch Linux very soon, as there is a very deep community there. Planet CCRMA is also a possibility. So… this is an ongoing project.
I did complete Guy Wilkinson’s OLED screen mod for the MKS-70. And while I had it open it was suggested that I also complete the noise reduction mod, which is essentially just a re-routing of cables. Here it was under construction.
My next projects include getting back to work on a DIY synth for my 4 year old, putting some more work into the Linux audio configuration, continuing to learn Supercollider, continuing work with Teensy and Raspberry Pi platforms, starting up a net label project and maybe recording some music?