FOSSPicks
FOSSPicks
Sparkling gems and new releases from the world of Free and Open Source Software
Hardware automation
Open Stage Control 0.16.5
There's no doubt that the Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) standard revolutionized music. At its most basic, it enabled musicians and producers to record and play back a performance from a MIDI-equipped keyboard or synthesizer. Then drums, then lights, and then almost everything else. But it was also the harbinger of modern pop music, with its obsession with automation and control over every single aspect of a piece of music. From the swing between each note to painfully autotuned vocals, pop has never been the same. As soon as people got used to dragging notes with a mouse, they wanted to drag everything.
Rants about modern music aside, MIDI is still amazing. It has aged even better than Depeche Mode's Construction Time Again ("Everything Counts," excepting) and was born in the same year – 1983. But it was never designed for this crazy interconnected world we find ourselves in. MIDI transfers data at a serial rarity of 31250 bits per second, and the binary package that holds the data has more in common with old modems than modern modulars. This is where the Open Sound Control (OSC) protocol comes in handy. It's an open, modern, hardware-agnostic protocol that's designed for the real-time communication of signals across modern connections. At its core is a URI schema with high-resolution timing and data encapsulation. As with XML for text, OSC allowed creators to design their own specifications and then easily transmit the data encapsulated within OSC. It works brilliantly, whether you're connected via USB or the Internet, and it's really not as complicated as it sounds.
OSC hasn't yet cracked the hardware synthesizer market, but it's used for all kinds of music and multimedia applications, including Ardour, Pure Data, and Renoise. But it's also perfect for automating lights and other hardware, such as mixers. But, OSC on Linux is otherwise lacking. However, Open Stage Control is one of the best OSC tools I've seen. In one mode, it's an interface designer, letting you add faders, buttons, piano keyboards, VU meters, and many more elements to a blank canvas. With those widgets arranged, you can then define how they send and receive OSC data to your hardware and software. Turn the editor off, and you then use the application as you would a mixer, or a virtual synthesizer, or a remote control. Your arrangement can then be saved as a JavaScript session and loaded again, alongside other templates created by other people. Because Open Stage Control is built with Node.js/Electron, it even runs within Chrome 49 or later. What the application does depends on how you create your templates, and it reminds me of applications like Lemur or TouchOSC for popular tablets, but I've not seen any application on Linux that does this so well, and looks so good. If you're interested in any kind of remote applications, even if that doesn't involve esoteric synthesizer programming, Open Stage Control is definitely worth a few hours of your attention.
Project Website
System optimizer
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Endless OS 6 has Arrived
After more than a year since the last update, the latest release of Endless OS is now available for general usage.
-
Fedora Asahi 40 Remix Available for Macs with Apple Silicon
If you've been anticipating KDE's Plasma 6 for your Apple Silicon-powered Mac, then you're in luck.
-
Red Hat Adds New Deployment Option for Enterprise Linux Platforms
Red Hat has re-imagined enterprise Linux for an AI future with Image Mode.
-
OSJH and LPI Release 2024 Open Source Pros Job Survey Results
See what open source professionals look for in a new role.
-
Proton 9.0-1 Released to Improve Gaming with Steam
The latest release of Proton 9 adds several improvements and fixes an issue that has been problematic for Linux users.
-
So Long Neofetch and Thanks for the Info
Today is a day that every Linux user who enjoys bragging about their system(s) will mourn, as Neofetch has come to an end.
-
Ubuntu 24.04 Comes with a “Flaw"
If you're thinking you might want to upgrade from your current Ubuntu release to the latest, there's something you might want to consider before doing so.
-
Canonical Releases Ubuntu 24.04
After a brief pause because of the XZ vulnerability, Ubuntu 24.04 is now available for install.
-
Linux Servers Targeted by Akira Ransomware
A group of bad actors who have already extorted $42 million have their sights set on the Linux platform.
-
TUXEDO Computers Unveils Linux Laptop Featuring AMD Ryzen CPU
This latest release is the first laptop to include the new CPU from Ryzen and Linux preinstalled.