NAMA(1)

NAME
Audio::Multitrack - Perl extensions for multitrack audio processing

nama - Multitrack recording/mixing application

SYNOPSIS
nama options project_name

OPTIONS

-d project_root_dir
    Use project_root_dir as nama top-level project directory (default $HOME/nama)

-g  Graphical user interface

-t  Text user interface (default)

-f config_file
    Use config_file instead of default .namarc

-c  Create the project named after all options

-a  Save and reload ALSA state using alsactl

-m  Suppress loading of saved state

-e  Don't load static effects data

-s  Don't load static effects data cache

DESCRIPTION
Audio::Multitrack provides class libraries for managing tracks and buses.

Nama is a recorder/mixer application with text and graphical interfaces. It is configured as a single mixer bus with per-track volume/pan/effects, a master fader, and a mixdown track.

There are two types of commands.

Static commands control the chain setup that will be used for audio processing. They are generally used while the audio processing engine is not running.

For example, the REC/MON/OFF status for a track and its associated group controls whether that track will be included in the next Ecasound chain setup, and whether the audio stream will be recorded or played back.

After issuing static commands, use the the arm command (or GUI button) to generate a chain setup file and connect it to the audio processing engine. This is usually the last operation before pressing the start button.

Dynamic commands operate in realtime, affecting volume, pan, and playback head position while the engine is running. Effects parameters you can adjust at any time. Playback position can only be adjusted after the chain setup is connected.

On the first run the program creates $HOME/.namarc, the configuration file and project directory $HOME/nama. WAV files and parameter settings for each project are stored in .wav directories under $HOME/nama. You probably want to edit the default .namarc to suit your audio configuration.

Project state can be stored/retrieved. These data are stored in the State.yml file in the project directory. The storage format is user-friendly YAML.

To be certain your chain setup loads correctly, you may need to regenerate the setup using the Arm button in the GUI or the arm command under the text interface.

LADSPA
Audio::Multitrack will automatically incorporate locally available LADSPA plugins provided you have the 'analyseplugin' program (part of LADSPA client libraries) installed.

Tk GRAPHICAL UI
Invoked using the -g switch on the nama command line, the Tk interface provides two panels for record/mix and effects. Linear/log sliders are automatically used for most plugins. For other plugins, text-entry widgets are used to enter parameters.

The GUI time display color indicates whether the upcoming operation will include recording (red), mixing only (yellow) or playback only (green).

Even in GUI mode the text command prompt appears in the terminal window, and text commands may be issued at any time.

TEXT UI
The command line interpreter starts by default or by using the -t option when invoking nama.

Enter command:

Nama and Ecasound-IAM commands can be entered directly.

Perl code should be preceded by "eval ".

Shell code should be preceded by "!".

Commands on the same line should be separated by semicolons (';').

Note that if an 'eval' or '!' appears at the beginning of a command, the entire line will be give to the corresponding interpreter.

In other situations, the lines are split on semicolons and each part is executed appropriately as Nama, Ecasound, perl code or shell commands.

You can access history using up-arrow/down-arrow (Ctrl-P/Ctrl-N on Mac).

Type help for a command summary, help command for help with command.

TRACKS
Multiple WAV files can be recorded for each track. These are identified by version number. Identical version numbers indicate WAV files recorded at the same time. Version number increments automatically so that the order of version numbers follows the time sequence of the recordings.

Each track, including Master and Mixdown, has its own REC/MON/OFF setting and displays its own REC/MON/OFF status. The Master track has only MON/OFF status. Setting REC status for the Mixdown track is the same as issuing the 'mixdown' command.

Master and Mixdown tracks can behave differently from user-created tracks because they belong to different groups.

All user-created tracks belong to the Tracker group. The Tracker group has REC/MON/OFF and version settings that apply to all user tracks.

Tracker group MON setting (text command 'group_monitor') forces all user tracks with a REC setting to MON status. Tracker group MON mode triggers automatically after a successful recording.

Tracker group OFF setting (text 'group_off') excludes all user tracks from the chain setup. Can be useful when playing back files recorded through the Mixdown function. The text 'mixplay' command sets the Tracker group to OFF.

A track with no recorded WAV files that is set to MON will show OFF status.

SAMPLE SESSION
Here is a typical sequence of commands to record tracks with Nama:

create marys_little_helper # new project add guitar; r1 # record track 'guitar' from input 1 add piano; r2 # record track 'piano' from input 2 add drums; r3 # record track 'drums' from input 3 arm start (perform song) stop show # new versions of guitar, piano and drums
                        # appear arm; start # review recording

group_record # rec-enable group guitar mon; piano mon; drums mon # set three tracks to monitor mode add vocals; r2 # record track 'vocals' from input 2 arm start (perform vocals) stop

arm; start # review recording

(adjust effects)

mixdown; show # set mixdown mode, show results arm; start # record mixdown track stop mixplay # mixdown playback mode arm; start # review completed mix

DIRECTORY STRUCTURE
$project_root is the directory where your project files, including WAV files you record, will go. $project_root is defined in the first non-comment line of your .namarc file.

File or directory Explanation -------------------------------------------------------------------------- $HOME/.namarc Nama configuration file $project_root/project_name/.wav WAV files we record will be stored here $project_root/project_name/Setup.ecs Ecasound chainsetup, dynamically generated $project_root/project_name/State.yml Default save file for project parameters $project_root/project_name/.namarc Project-specific configuration

BUGS AND LIMITATIONS
No GUI remove-track command is provided.

Default GUI volume sliders are not log scaled.

The post-recording cleanup routine deletes newly recorded soundfiles under 44100 bytes in size.

Parameter controllers support is not complete

EXPORT
None by default.

DEPENDENCIES
This module requires that you have installed these Perl modules:

        Carp
        Data::YAML
        IO::All
        Cwd
        Storable
        Data::Dumper
        Getopt::Std
        Tk
        Audio::Ecasound
        Parse::RecDescent
        YAML::Tiny
        Data::YAML
        File::Find::Rule
        File::Spec::Link

The Ecasound audio processing libraries must also be installed. Ecasound may be obtained from http://ecasound.seul.org/ecasound/ or as precompiled binary packages for your Un*x distribution.

LADSPA libraries and plugins are strongly recommended. In that case, the LADSPA utility program 'analyseplugin' must also be installed in a directory in your execution PATH. See http://ladspa.org .

'file', a BSD utility program, is also needed.

AVAILABILITY
CPAN, for the distribution.

Pull source code using this command:

    git clone git://github.com/bolangi/nama.git

AUTHOR
Joel Roth, <joelz@pobox.com>

COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE
Copyright 2007 by Joel Roth

This library is licensed under GPL version 2. See the file COPYING (included in the distribution) for terms and conditions.