Linux Music & Sound: How to Install, Configure, and Use Linux Audio Software [With CDROM]

Having a firm grasp of the english language, I feel that I can pay the proper amount of dignity to such a well written book.Having run Linux for a few years, I felt it was time to venture into the realm of music and sound. Mr. Phillip's book was the perfect starting place. The writing was concise and accurate and it effortlessly guided me through some tough spot's.When I would hit the wall on some application's the author himself was very prompt and courteous and saw me through it with a volley of email exchange's. Let's see Bill Gates reply to the end user the next time he get's a 'Blue Screen of Death'?!?!Money well spent. I would recommend this "one of a kind" book to any Linux user curious about the world of computer music and sound. Bravo!J.

Dave Phillips is an expert Linux programmer and a professionally performing musician who draws upon his special expertise and experience to explain the basics of digital sound and Linux-specific software/hardware issues in The Book Of Linux Music & Sound. Phillips covers the general Linux audio set-up, basic and advanced system use, as well as the broad range of Linux sound and music applications. Readers will learn how to record, mix, and add effects to music tracks; work with MOD, MIDI, and MP3 files; use hard disk multi-track recording; explore software sound synthesis programs like Csound; share sound resources over a network or broadcast live over the Internet; use realtime synthesizers; and produce high quality scores with music notation programs. An accompanying CD-ROM includes over one hundred MIDI applications, including digital audio and music notation software, games, and utilities. The Book Of Linux Music & Sound is a "must" for all Linux users wanting to incorporate sound and create music, and take full advantage of their computer's manifold capabilities in the process.

First of all, be warned: this is not a book explaining how things work (even though first chapter has something of it), it is more about which softwares are available on Linux. Thus, you won't learn much on midi but you will definetly know which software does what on where and how to get it. A short description tells you how to install it and get started. This is VERY helpful already in our globally immense world... One regret: no mention of ogg-vorbis, the great MP3 replacement. The CD is a very welcome plus.