GP2X Gp2x / Zaurus Portable Music Workstation

[danboid]

To be honest, I don't think the GP2X will be much cop for music apps until it gets kernel access to the the full 64MB RAM and you can get 640x480 or bigger output on a TV or monitor under GP2X11. Then you will need a USB audio ins/outs and MIDI sockets adapter of course. In a year or two we'll be able to buy a PocketPenguin (see my other post in this forum) which will make a truly great portable music workstation. Those who can't wait and have the money can go buy a Zaurus SL-C3200, install pdaXrom now and thank me later!

Audacity could be used for sound editing and multitrack recording

zynaddsubfx is a great multi-channel, analogue-style MIDI triggered syth. Problem is, will even the cxxxx Zauri have enough CPU power to get even 1 channel? If so, how many?

specimen can be used for sample playback

but what do we use for a sequencer? The Z and GP2X don't have enough memory to run rosegarden (PocketPenguin will be OK again) but we should be able get seq24 running fine

 

[dockthepod]

I don't know if the GP2X would have the balls to run most workstation software, but I plan on creating an MPC type app for it once I get mine (and have some free time!).

 

[torpor]

This is a pretty 'consumerist' attitude .. of course the GP2X can run some 'pre-made' packages with a bit of hacking, but there is also another possibility: The Brand New World.

MidiShare + USB Cable + USB-MIDI interface == Brand New Platform for coding interesting and useful MIDI/Sequencing applications beyond what 'everyone else has already done' ..

I've got MidiShareGP2X "almost" ready to release - I'm on vacation for another week right now - but when I get back I'll have another go at finishing the port .. which works, but still has a few minor glitches I'd like to get ironed out before I release it for people to hack with. MidiShare provides a superlative - on par with Apples' CoreMIDI - MIDI API for music-app hackers .. and paired with SDL+Cairo will give the GP2X a serious shot in the arm for interesting musical apps .. I assure you ..

In the meantime though, there's still another week of sunshine to enjoy. But stay tuned ..

 

[danboid]

Its true! JACK and Specimen run on the Zaurus! (just about). Five years after I asked about a pocket Linux workstation on OESF I finally give an update on 'studio Zaurus'.

http://www.oesf.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=16827

The Pandora has significantly more RAM and a better CPU so I'm confident JACK and specimen/seq24 will be fully usable on the P

 

[trooper]

Grave Digging.

Trooper

 

[torpor]

I've got seq24 working very nicely already on my Touchbook, so consider this a sure-thing for release as soon as I have a Pandora to test with .. the only interesting issue is going to be with the MIDI drivers, but I've been assured that they'll be bundled in the base OS already, so .. should be great to get sequencing going pretty much straight away.