LinuxSampler

LinuxSampler is a music sampler under active development, aiming to provide a pure software audio sampler with professional grade features, comparable to both hardware and commercial Windows or Mac software samplers and to introduce new features not yet available by any other sampler. Much of LinuxSampler is free software but some, such as the backend, is non-free, as described below.

Concept

LinuxSampler was designed as a sampler backend, decoupled from any user interface. It provides a native C++ API as well as a network interface using an ASCII based protocol called [http://www.linuxsampler.org/api/draft-linuxsampler-protocol.html LSCP] for controlling the sampler and managing sampler sessions. Also, there are already two convenient frontends for LinuxSampler, QSampler and JSampler.

Due to the decoupled design the sampler can be controlled with the GUI frontend(s) even from another computer, probably even running another OS like Windows or Mac OS X. With the planned SMP and cluster support LinuxSampler might become a very interesting tool for high-end studios and concerts in future. There is a graphical instrument editor called [http://download.linuxsampler.org/doc/gigedit/quickstart/gigedit_quickstart.html gigedit] , based on the GUI library GTK+, which can be used to edit and create Gigasampler format instruments and can either be used as a stand-alone application or [http://download.linuxsampler.org/doc/gigedit/quickstart/gigedit_quickstart.html#live_editing in conjunction with LinuxSampler] . The latter case allows to play and edit instruments at the same time, making all modifications with gigedit immediately audible, without having to reload the instruments into the sampler.

Platforms

LinuxSampler, as the name indicates, was originally conceived to run on Linux, but thanks to the abstraction of audio and MIDI drivers and platform dependent functions, the sampler was successfully ported to Windows and Mac OS X.

The Windows version of LinuxSampler currently supports only ASIO audio output and MME MIDI input. A VSTi interface is in the works and will allow full integration of LinuxSampler with VST sequencers. The Mac OS X version currently supports jackd audio output and CoreMIDI input. An Audio Unit interface will be provided at a later time.

Goals

It is planned to support all common sampler formats in LinuxSampler, but at the moment the work is concentrate on the Gigasampler format. Beside that, the goal is to design a new, sophisticated sampler format, more powerful and more flexible compared to any sampler format currently available in the world.

There is a [http://www.linuxsampler.org/features.html feature list] with more information about the current development plans available.

Licence

Most components are distributed as free software, under either the GNU General Public License or the GNU Lesser General Public License. However, the licence of the sampler backend prohibits commercial use. For commercial use, permission and terms must be sought from the developers. [cite web
url=http://www.linuxsampler.org/downloads.html
title=Download page with licence information
quote=LinuxSampler is licensed under the GNU GPL license with the exception that USAGE of the source code, libraries and applications FOR COMMERCIAL HARDWARE OR SOFTWARE PRODUCTS IS NOT ALLOWED without prior written permission by the LinuxSampler authors.|] The backend is thus not free software. The ban on commercial use does not however include banning LinuxSampler's use for commercial music production. This is explicitly allowed. [cite web
url=http://linuxsampler.org/faq.html#commercial_music
title=FAQ page with license information
quote=Every indirect commercial usage of LinuxSampler, which essentially means using its audio output, can of course be used in commercial applications like music productions, live shows, etc.|]

See also

* Free audio software (although note that LinuxSampler itself is not wholly free software)

External links

* [http://www.linuxsampler.org LinuxSampler project's website]
* [http://www.linuxjournal.com/content/linuxsampler-project Article about LinuxSampler on LinuxJournal]
* [http://bb.linuxsampler.org/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=11&sid=f42eff54b5b4d7b6a1adf7e47e23a77c List of sample libraries compatible with LinuxSampler]
* [http://www.linuxsampler.org/windows.html LinuxSampler for Windows HOWTO]
* [http://www.linuxsampler.org/osx.html LinuxSampler for Mac OS X HOWTO]
* [http://www.linuxsampler.org/debian.html LinuxSampler for Debian GNU/Linux HOWTO]
* [http://qsampler.sourceforge.net QSampler] - based on the cross-platform C++ GUI library Qt
* [http://sourceforge.net/projects/jsampler JSampler] - Java based, thus platform independent

References