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# 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:<path>
```
### 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.