# Music Production Setup This repository holds scripts, patch banks, sound resources, and notes for a Linux-based music production setup. The current direction is a PipeWire-based system centered around Bitwig Studio. Older QJackCtl patchbay files, Jack Rack presets, and JACK startup/recording scripts are being removed from the working tree, but the migration is recorded below so the old setup can still be recovered from Git history. ## Current Contents - `scripts/set-pipewire-latency.sh` - helper for checking, forcing, and clearing PipeWire graph quantum/rate metadata. - `sounds.txt` - notes about useful electric piano, piano, brass, pad, organ, string, mallet, and synth sounds. - `soundfounts/` - archived SoundFont resources. - `yoshimi-patches/` - archived Yoshimi banks and patch collections. ## PipeWire And Bitwig Studio The new setup should prefer PipeWire as the shared audio graph instead of manually starting JACK through QJackCtl profiles and wiring sessions with QJackCtl patchbays. For standalone low-latency work outside the DAW, use: ```sh scripts/set-pipewire-latency.sh status scripts/set-pipewire-latency.sh on 128 48000 scripts/set-pipewire-latency.sh off ``` The script writes PipeWire settings metadata with `pw-metadata -n settings`. `on` defaults to a quantum of `128` at `48000` Hz, which is about 2.7 ms per block. `off` clears `clock.force-quantum` and `clock.force-rate` so PipeWire can return to normal behavior. This override is not expected to be necessary when working in Bitwig Studio. Bitwig is the DAW for the new workflow, so latency should normally be handled inside that DAW/session rather than forced globally through this helper. ## Legacy JACK Migration Notes The mainline branch in this checkout is named `main`. At the time these legacy files were staged for deletion, the current `main` / `origin/main` commit was: ```text ee169b0e013496b177195a6719295b40f9c932dd ``` That commit is the last mainline commit where the old QJackCtl, Jack Rack, and script-based JACK workflow is available. To inspect one of the removed files: ```sh git show ee169b0e013496b177195a6719295b40f9c932dd: ``` ### Files Staged For Deletion ```text jack-rack-presets/home/fender-jazz jack-rack-presets/home/headphones jack-rack-presets/home/sr505zw jack-rack-presets/newlife/bass2 jack-rack-presets/newlife/drums jack-rack-presets/newlife/headphones jack-rack-presets/newlife/headphones2 jack-rack-presets/newlife/m48-mix jack-rack-presets/newlife/yamaha-trb jack-rack-presets/onboard/headphones jack-rack-presets/onboard/sg200 jack-rack-presets/onboard/sr505zw jack-rack-presets/onboard/yamaha-trb qjackctl-routing-settings/FastTrack-Practice.xml qjackctl-routing-settings/K6-Bass+System.xml qjackctl-routing-settings/church-eq-bass-with-synth.xml qjackctl-routing-settings/church-eq-mix-ears-only.xml qjackctl-routing-settings/church-eq-mix-splitchannel-with-headphone-mix.xml qjackctl-routing-settings/church-eq-mix-splitchannel.xml qjackctl-routing-settings/church-eq-mix.xml qjackctl-routing-settings/church-eq-two-bass-setup.xml qjackctl-routing-settings/keyboard-qsynth.xml qjackctl-routing-settings/maudio-fasttrack.xml qjackctl-routing-settings/onboard.xml qjackctl-routing-settings/studio.xml scripts/nl-prepare-raw-files-synth.sh scripts/nl-prepare-raw-files.sh scripts/nl-rec scripts/nl-rec-1 scripts/nl-rec-service scripts/nl-rec-service-synth scripts/nl-split-rec scripts/start-church-session scripts/start-church-session-bass-with-synth scripts/start-church-session-two-bassists scripts/start-home-session scripts/start-onboard-session ``` ### Jack Rack Presets The `jack-rack-presets/` files were gzip-compressed Jack Rack XML presets at 48 kHz. They store LADSPA plugin IDs, enabled/disabled state, wet/dry settings, and raw control values. - `home/` contained home practice chains for Fender Jazz bass, SR505ZW bass, and headphones. - `onboard/` contained onboard audio chains for headphones, SG200, SR505ZW, and Yamaha TRB bass. - `newlife/` contained New Life church chains for Yamaha TRB bass, a second bass, M48 mix, drums, and one or two headphone mixes. The bass presets were mono chains for instrument tone/level processing. The headphone, M48, and drum presets were stereo or monitor-oriented chains used by the old patchbay and session launcher scripts. ### QJackCtl Patchbays The `qjackctl-routing-settings/` XML files were QJackCtl patchbay definitions. They described JACK and MIDI clients, expected ports, and cables to restore session routing. - `FastTrack-Practice.xml` routed a FastTrack practice setup with bass through Jack Rack, Hydrogen, QSynth, PulseAudio JACK sink/source, and meters. - `K6-Bass+System.xml` routed a Komplete Audio 6 setup with Jack Rack, PulseAudio JACK, zita-at1, bridge meters, and MIDI control. - `maudio-fasttrack.xml` routed FastTrack bass/headphones/QSynth practice use, including zita-at1, meters, and a JACK-to-ALSA MIDI bridge. - `keyboard-qsynth.xml` connected Oxygen 61 and jack-keyboard MIDI into QSynth, with system and PulseAudio JACK audio routing. - `onboard.xml` connected QSynth, MDA ePiano, jack-keyboard, Alesis Recital, LPK25, a2j/ALSA MIDI, PulseAudio JACK, and headphone routing. - `studio.xml` routed a studio setup with bass, mic, MDA ePiano, Alesis Recital, LPK25, meter ports, and system outputs. - `church-eq-mix.xml`, `church-eq-mix-ears-only.xml`, `church-eq-mix-splitchannel.xml`, `church-eq-mix-splitchannel-with-headphone-mix.xml`, `church-eq-two-bass-setup.xml`, and `church-eq-bass-with-synth.xml` described New Life church routings for bass, M48 mix/drum feeds, monitors, meters, tuner input, second-bass variants, and synth/MDA ePiano variants. ### Legacy Scripts The removed scripts were tightly coupled to JACK client names, QJackCtl profiles, Jack Rack session names, and specific capture/playback ports. - `start-home-session` started QJackCtl profile `Onboard48K`, loaded home bass and headphone Jack Rack presets, and started `j2amidi_bridge`. - `start-onboard-session` started QJackCtl profile `Onboard48K` and loaded onboard Yamaha TRB and headphone Jack Rack presets. - `start-church-session` started QJackCtl profile `Church48K`, loaded New Life bass, M48 mix, drums, and headphone Jack Rack presets, started `meterbridge`, and ran `devilspie`. - `start-church-session-bass-with-synth` extended the church session with `yoshimi`, `a2jmidid`, and separate bass/M48 meter bridges. - `start-church-session-two-bassists` extended the church session with second bass and second headphone Jack Rack chains plus separate meters. - `nl-rec` recorded three JACK capture ports with `jack_capture`. - `nl-rec-1` recorded the sermon channel from `system:capture_3`. - `nl-rec-service` recorded worship, sermon, and altar files from the church capture ports. - `nl-rec-service-synth` recorded the same service files while also capturing Yoshimi left/right outputs. - `nl-split-rec` split one `.wavex` file into M48, drums, and bass WAV files. - `nl-prepare-raw-files.sh` split `worship.wavex` and `altar.wavex` into M48, drums, and bass WAV files with `ffmpeg`. - `nl-prepare-raw-files-synth.sh` did the same split while also extracting synth left/right WAV files. These files document the old JACK-era workflow but are no longer the active direction for this repository.