Difficult-o-Meter: 3 (moderate Linux knowledge required)Covers:
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Question: I've heard that Linux works really well as a platform for music and audio, so I want to set up a jukebox. I want to record a demo tape of my songs to give to the local radio station. I want to archive all my old tapes and vinyl records (and 8-tracks, though I'm embarrassed to admit owning any!). But I'm not sure how to go about doing this.
Answer: Hold on there ”that's a lot of things you want to do! Linux has a plethora of utilities you can use to record, transfer, clean up, and archive digital audio clips. We won't cover all the possibilities, but we'll describe digital audio concepts and show a few of the most useful utilities. Finally, we'll present a practical example of preserving your old vinyl records.
The past couple of years have seen an explosion in the popularity of digital audio. Music lovers are digitizing and archiving their collections. Some people are already using their computers for playback instead of their CD players. Amateur musicians can now record their own music in unprecedented fidelity, without needing to purchase expensive pieces of specialized equipment. It's definitely an exciting time, and Linux is right there in the thick of things. It's an excellent platform for doing all of the things I've mentioned. In this chapter, though, I'll talk more about digital audio concepts and about how to record, clean up, and even distribute your own recordings.