Re: [Traverso-devel] Some confirmations for the manual

[Nicola Döbelin]

Hi,

> > - other applications: Are all sound applications capable of playing back
> 32
> > bit files if the hardware only supports 16 bit? Is the dithering done by
> > the audio backend?
> >
> > - the psychologic effect: Sounds trivial, but if someone gives me an
> audio
> > file with 24 or 32 bit resolution, I assume it has enough headroom and a
> > huge dynamic range, so no problem if I boost very low volumes hard. But
> if
> > the resolution of the converters actually was 16 bit, I would get pretty
> > poor quality nonetheless.
> 
> Just to make sure, we're talking here about the audio file format used for
> recorded material, and is somewhat an 'internal' thing only.
> You're not gonna dig into the /projectpat/audiosources/ dir to find some 
> audiofile, and play that with some other application, or send it to
> someone 
> else, would you ?

It's actually quite common to record on one system, and mix on another one. I 
could for example record in Traverso, and find out later that for mixing I need 
Samplitude. (Shouldn't happen, but well... we're both realists...)

> Using the float format by default has some advantages though:
> The resolution is only 24 bit, and many cards support 24 bit recording.
> If you record from some other source, or the input signal has been
> modified 
> somehwere else, or in the application, you don't have to worry about 
> clipping, it's perfectly save to store a signal > 0 dB.
> When Traverso defaults to look at what the audiocard tells, and one starts
> recording some audio stream out of jackd which has some overload, storing
> to 
> 16 bits will give lot's of clipping, whereas in other applications, it
> 'just 
> works'.

My point is just that Traverso shouldn't do any format conversion if not 
explicitly requested. If jack or one of its clients converts 16 bit into 32 
bit, Traverso should of course accept the 32 bit format, regardless of the 
format of the source file, because it's the format that is delivered to 
Traverso.

> > Great! I'm in favour of an option in the config file for now. In the
> > re-designed config dialog (that's the plan, right?)
> 
> Yes.
> 
> > we could add a combo 
> > box offering:
> > - use hardware setting
> > - use 16 bit always
> > - use 24 bit always
> > - use 32 bit float always
> 
> Ah yeah, should have read a bit more first :-)

;-)

<mixed sample rates>
> > So for now a big "Nonono!!!" in the manual should do.
> 
> The only thing that will happen is that an audio file will be played with
> the wrong samplerate, so if you like fancy effects.... :-P

Ok, I'll write that in the manual.

> Ah, it's in the trackpanel, Capture Bus 1, Capture Bus 2, and so on.
> There has been a L / R added to it to indicate which channels were in use
> (not visible right now),

;-)

> but perhaps a Cap. Bus 1 (1/2), Cap. Bus 1 (1), Cap.
> Bus 
> 2 (3/4), Cap. Bus 2 (4) etc will be better ?

L/R is fine with me, but maybe someone else wants to comment on the numbering 
scheme as well.

> > Something I wanted to suggest again (but later, since I bothered you
> with
> > lots of small stuff lately):
> 
> You do, really ? (hmm, it's not small stuff, it's 'a major feature 
> request every day, lol)

Try to.... suppress.... the.... overwelming desire.... AAAAARGHHH!!! I WANT 
ROUTING!!! NOW!!!!!

:-D

> Wouldn't it be better to just keep < SPACE > to "start/stop transport",
> and 
> use the < K > key to toggle recording mode on/off ?
> 
> A recording mode would indeed be handy, if you just want to listen to
> whatever 
> you recorded, you don't have to unarm your tracks first, makes a lot of
> sense 
> indeed, or as you mention to implement overdubbing, start at marker etc.
> 
> However, it should be _very_ clear, I mean, extremely very clear that you
> have 
> to _explicitely_ set traverso in recording mode to start recording on
> armed 
> tracks !!!!!!!
> 
> Don't know how yet, maybe some huge picture at the center of the screen 
> screaming it in your face or something hehe.
> 
> Or  a HUGE BUTTON in the to be made song info widget: "SWITCH TO RECORDING
> MODE", something like that...

How about the following solution, which in fact combines your suggestion with 
mine:

Keep the playback action <SPACE>
Add a mode-switch action <K>
Add a record action <CTRL SPACE>

The last one is just a helper action which switches to record mode and starts 
transport. It's the same as <K> <SPACE>, but since many users (including me) 
will forget to hit <K> before recording >90% of the time (and curse YOU for 
that ;-) ), we still have a separate "record" action for us stupid users.

If punch markers are present in the song (in future), <CTRL SPACE> would just 
start playback and leave the record mode off, but as soon as the punch-in 
marker is passed, switch record mode on automatically. <SPACE>, OTOH, would 
start playback and ignore the punch markers.

At least for me this sounds intuitive. Anyone else?

> > If you want me to elaborate on that (with the aid of some screenshots
> from
> > samplitude), I'd be happy to do so.
> 
> I love screenshots :-)

Ok, I'll see if I can muster some especially for you :-)

Regards, 
Nic

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