Rosegarden
Encyclopedia
Rosegarden is a free software
digital audio workstation
program developed for Linux
with ALSA and QT4. It acts as an audio and MIDI
sequencer
, scorewriter
and musical composition
and editing tool. It is intended to be a free alternative to such applications as Cubase.
Software synthesizer
is available as a plugin, and it is possible to use external MIDI synthesizer, hardware or software (such as FluidSynth
or TiMidity++
) in order to make any sound from MIDI compositions. Recent versions of Rosegarden support the DSSI
software synthesizer plugin interface, and can use some Windows VST
plugins through an adapter.
operating systems and other platforms such as OpenVMS
. In contrast, because Rosegarden(-4) uses the Linux ALSA system, it only runs in a very limited manner on non-Linux systems http://rosegarden.sourceforge.net/tutorial/en/chapter-1.html.
The Rosegarden project was started in 1993 at the University of Bath
. Rosegarden 2.1 (X11 Rosegarden) was released under the GPL
in 1997; Rosegarden(-4) began in April 2000. Version 1.0 was released on February 14, 2005, and version 1.2.4 on July 14, 2006. The current release is 10.02, which was released on February 14, 2010.
in an as yet unnamed spinoff project.
Free software
Free software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...
digital audio workstation
Digital audio workstation
A digital audio workstation is an electronic system designed solely or primarily for recording, editing and playing back digital audio. DAWs were originally tape-less, microprocessor-based systems such as the Synclavier and Fairlight CMI...
program developed for Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
with ALSA and QT4. It acts as an audio and MIDI
Musical Instrument Digital Interface
MIDI is an industry-standard protocol, first defined in 1982 by Gordon Hall, that enables electronic musical instruments , computers and other electronic equipment to communicate and synchronize with each other...
sequencer
Music sequencer
The music sequencer is a device or computer software to record, edit, play back the music, by handling note and performance information in several forms, typically :...
, scorewriter
Scorewriter
A scorewriter, or music notation program, is software used for creating sheet music.A scorewriter is to music notation what a word processor is to text.-Comparison with multitrack sequencer software:...
and musical composition
Musical composition
Musical composition can refer to an original piece of music, the structure of a musical piece, or the process of creating a new piece of music. People who practice composition are called composers.- Musical compositions :...
and editing tool. It is intended to be a free alternative to such applications as Cubase.
Software synthesizer
Software synthesizer
A software synthesizer, also known as a softsynth is a computer program or plug-in for digital audio generation. Computer software which can create sounds or music is not new, but advances in processing speed are allowing softsynths to accomplish the same tasks that previously required dedicated...
is available as a plugin, and it is possible to use external MIDI synthesizer, hardware or software (such as FluidSynth
FluidSynth
FluidSynth, formerly known as iiwusynth, is a free open source software synthesizer which converts MIDI note data into an audio signal using SoundFont technology without need for a SoundFont-compatible soundcard. FluidSynth can act as a virtual MIDI device, capable of receiving MIDI data from any...
or TiMidity++
TiMidity
TiMidity++, originally and still frequently informally called TiMidity, is a software synthesizer that can play MIDI files without a hardware synthesizer...
) in order to make any sound from MIDI compositions. Recent versions of Rosegarden support the DSSI
DSSI
DSSI is a virtual instrument plugin architecture for use by music sequencer applications. It was designed for applications running under Linux, although there is nothing specific to Linux in the interface itself...
software synthesizer plugin interface, and can use some Windows VST
Virtual Studio Technology
Steinberg's Virtual Studio Technology is an interface for integrating software audio synthesizer and effect plugins with audio editors and hard-disk recording systems. VST and similar technologies use digital signal processing to simulate traditional recording studio hardware with software...
plugins through an adapter.
History
The current Rosegarden program was originally named Rosegarden-4, to distinguish it from a previous program by the same authors called Rosegarden 2.1, which is now known as X11 Rosegarden. X11 Rosegarden is very limited, but is stable on a wide variety of Unix-likeUnix-like
A Unix-like operating system is one that behaves in a manner similar to a Unix system, while not necessarily conforming to or being certified to any version of the Single UNIX Specification....
operating systems and other platforms such as OpenVMS
OpenVMS
OpenVMS , previously known as VAX-11/VMS, VAX/VMS or VMS, is a computer server operating system that runs on VAX, Alpha and Itanium-based families of computers. Contrary to what its name suggests, OpenVMS is not open source software; however, the source listings are available for purchase...
. In contrast, because Rosegarden(-4) uses the Linux ALSA system, it only runs in a very limited manner on non-Linux systems http://rosegarden.sourceforge.net/tutorial/en/chapter-1.html.
The Rosegarden project was started in 1993 at the University of Bath
University of Bath
The University of Bath is a campus university located in Bath, United Kingdom. It received its Royal Charter in 1966....
. Rosegarden 2.1 (X11 Rosegarden) was released under the GPL
GNU General Public License
The GNU General Public License is the most widely used free software license, originally written by Richard Stallman for the GNU Project....
in 1997; Rosegarden(-4) began in April 2000. Version 1.0 was released on February 14, 2005, and version 1.2.4 on July 14, 2006. The current release is 10.02, which was released on February 14, 2010.
Developers
Rosegarden was developed up through 1.0 by Chris Cannam, Richard Bown and Guillaume Laurent. Since then, each release has been developed by a different mix of core and contributing project members, including, but not limited to D. Michael McIntyre, Pedro Lopez-Cabanillas, and Heikki Junes. Bown has retired from the project, while Laurent has left to pursue his interest in porting to Mac OS X via CocoaCocoa (API)
Cocoa is Apple's native object-oriented application programming interface for the Mac OS X operating system and—along with the Cocoa Touch extension for gesture recognition and animation—for applications for the iOS operating system, used on Apple devices such as the iPhone, the iPod Touch, and...
in an as yet unnamed spinoff project.
Features
- MIDI and audio playback and recording with ALSA and JACKJACK Audio Connection KitJACK is a professional sound server daemon that provides real-time, low latency connections for both audio and MIDI data between applications that implement its API...
- Piano-roll, score, event list and track overview editors
- DSSIDSSIDSSI is a virtual instrument plugin architecture for use by music sequencer applications. It was designed for applications running under Linux, although there is nothing specific to Linux in the interface itself...
synth and audio effects plugin support, including Windows VSTVirtual Studio TechnologySteinberg's Virtual Studio Technology is an interface for integrating software audio synthesizer and effect plugins with audio editors and hard-disk recording systems. VST and similar technologies use digital signal processing to simulate traditional recording studio hardware with software...
effects and instrument support via dssi-vst - LADSPALADSPALADSPA is an acronym for Linux Audio Developers Simple Plugin API. It is a standard for handling filters and effects, licensed under the GNU LGPL. It was originally designed for Linux through consensus on the Linux Audio Developers Mailing List, but works on a variety of other platforms...
audio effects plugin support - JACKJACK Audio Connection KitJACK is a professional sound server daemon that provides real-time, low latency connections for both audio and MIDI data between applications that implement its API...
transport support for synchronisation with other software - Ability to build and run without JACK, for MIDI-only use
- Score interpretation of performance MIDI data
- Shareable device (.rgd) files to ease MIDI portability
- Triggered segments for pattern sequencing & performable ornaments
- Audio and MIDI mixers
- MIDI and HydrogenHydrogen (software)Hydrogen is an advanced drum machine created by Alessandro Cominu, an Italian programmer who goes by the pseudonym Comix. Its main goal is to provide professional yet simple and intuitive pattern-based drum programming....
file import - MIDI, CsoundCsoundCsound is a computer programming language for dealing with sound, also known as a sound compiler or an audio programming language, or more precisely, a C-based audio DSL. It is called Csound because it is written in C, as opposed to some of its predecessors...
, LilyPond and MusicXMLMusicXMLMusicXML is an open, XML-based music notation file format.It was developed by Recordare LLC, deriving several key concepts from existing academic formats . It is designed for the interchange of scores, particularly between different scorewriters.Version 1.0 was released in January 2004...
file export (including PostScriptPostScriptPostScript is a dynamically typed concatenative programming language created by John Warnock and Charles Geschke in 1982. It is best known for its use as a page description language in the electronic and desktop publishing areas. Adobe PostScript 3 is also the worldwide printing and imaging...
and PDFPortable Document FormatPortable Document Format is an open standard for document exchange. This file format, created by Adobe Systems in 1993, is used for representing documents in a manner independent of application software, hardware, and operating systems....
output file generation of score) - User interface translations for Russian, Spanish, German, French, Welsh, Italian, Swedish, Estonian, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Dutch, Polish, Czech, Catalan, and Finnish, as well as UK and US English
- Help documentation available substantially or entirely translated into German, Swedish and Japanese as well as English
See also
- Free audio softwareFree audio softwareThis list of free software for audio lists notable free and open source software for use by sound engineers, audio producers, and those involved in sound recording and reproduction.-Audio analysis:-Converters:-Modular systems:-Platforms:...
- Linux audio software
- GNU LilyPondGNU LilyPondGNU LilyPond is a computer program for music engraving. One of LilyPond's major goals is to produce scores that are engraved with traditional layout rules, reflecting the era when scores were engraved by hand....
- MusEMusEMusE is a free software MIDI/Audio sequencer with recording and editing capabilities. It was originally written by Werner Schweer and now is developed by the Muse development team....
- MuseScoreMuseScoreMuseScore is free and open source music notation software for Microsoft Windows, Mac and Linux. MuseScore is a WYSIWYG editor, complete with support for score playback and import–export of MusicXML and standard MIDI files...
- HydrogenHydrogen (software)Hydrogen is an advanced drum machine created by Alessandro Cominu, an Italian programmer who goes by the pseudonym Comix. Its main goal is to provide professional yet simple and intuitive pattern-based drum programming....
- ArdourArdour (audio processor)Ardour is a hard disk recorder and digital audio workstation application. It runs on Linux, Mac OS X and FreeBSD. Its primary author is Paul Davis, who is also responsible for the JACK Audio Connection Kit...
- NoteEditNoteEditNoteEdit is a defunct music scorewriter for Linux and other Unix-like computer operating systems.NoteEdit is written in C++, uses the Qt toolkit, and is integrated with KDE. Released under the GNU General Public License, NoteEdit is free software....
- harmonySEQ
External links
- Rosegarden home page
- Rosegarden download page (Sourceforge.net)
- Rosegarden user/dev forum - search or post questions here.
- Rosegarden Development Wiki - Official Development Site