Bolstered by this weekend's successes with Ubuntu Studio, I decided to try to do some real recording. Sure, the sound quality was terrible, but it's as close to recording as I've ever been, so I wanted to run with it.
I still have the same issues - crappy hardware, JACK not starting with Jack Control GUI, etc. My goal was to make some kind of multi-track recording, or at least be able to play along with a recorded chord progression. I was able to do both, but not without some issues.
First and foremost, I have no idea what I'm doing. And it's not as easy as it seems. I mean, how hard can it be, right? Hit the record button, play, hit stop. Done. Right? Heh, heh, heh. Not even close.
For one thing, Ardour, the multi-track recorder/mixer that comes with Ubuntu Studio, is as about as intuitive as the control layout on my old Subaru XT coupe. Look it up, you'll see what I mean. The first time I tried to get two tracks recorded, they were about 5 minutes apart. You'd hear the first track (all 2 minutes of it), wait five minutes, and hear the second track. Not good. So I tried again with a new project and this time Read the Freakin' Manual (RTFM). I had much better success, and even though they weren't perfect, I was able to get a decent chord progression down and a half-decent lead on top of it, all on two separate tracks.
Still, I wasn't feeling Ardour. I'm sure it's a great tool for someone who has some experience, but I need something more suited for neophytes like myself. Garage Band-esque, if you would. So I installed a program called Rosegarden, and so far I like it. I think it used to be included in previous versions of Ubuntu Studio, but don't quote me on it.
So I'll keep plugging away. As Robert Pirsig would say, I'm at the front of the train, where Quality is, and I'm figuring it out as I go.
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