Synthesis in the Open Source World
Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 3:15 am
A fellow I know from online has coded and released an inexpensive but still commercial softsynth here:
http://www.stillwellaudio.com/?page_id=37
How does it sound? It completely blows me away, which is much, much more than I can say for any OSS softsynth I've auditioned (I'm not counting LinuxSampler here, as any sampler is dependent mostly on libraries, so I'm limiting myself to synths that generate all of their sound internally). I'm getting a little tired of OSS audio developers who think that Linux music ends with being able to record a band.
I'm making it my mission to kick-start and create the next generation of soft-synths for Linux. As Schwa's Olga synth proves, non-linear characteristics are equally as important to the sound of a good synth, and need to be considered in design. He also proves that one person can put together such a beast in a reasonable amount of time (a second person did the artwork, but that has little to do with the rest of my argument).
Rant over. Sorry for the distraction.
http://www.stillwellaudio.com/?page_id=37
How does it sound? It completely blows me away, which is much, much more than I can say for any OSS softsynth I've auditioned (I'm not counting LinuxSampler here, as any sampler is dependent mostly on libraries, so I'm limiting myself to synths that generate all of their sound internally). I'm getting a little tired of OSS audio developers who think that Linux music ends with being able to record a band.
I'm making it my mission to kick-start and create the next generation of soft-synths for Linux. As Schwa's Olga synth proves, non-linear characteristics are equally as important to the sound of a good synth, and need to be considered in design. He also proves that one person can put together such a beast in a reasonable amount of time (a second person did the artwork, but that has little to do with the rest of my argument).
Rant over. Sorry for the distraction.