Cubase Secrets

This new series in my blog, will be notes on my Cubase AI4 and Yamaha KX8 Midi Keyboard secrets. Steinberg Cubase AI4 is the DAW that came with my Yamaha KX8 MIDI Controller. I have been very satisfied with the performance of this system combination although I still have reservations with Windows XP: One has to be extremely careful with Windows and Windows explorer. Viruses and Spyware are easy to get if you do not keep up with the Service Packs and updates. I highly recommend that you use Mozilla Firefox as your default browser and only use Windows Internet Explorer in extreme conditions. Windows Explorer is a magnet to catch viruses and Spyware.

A version of Drivers and application that would run on the Linux platform would be a great sell for this product but Steinberg does not indicate whether or not they will ever develop on the Linux platform.

I must say that this is a stable product. I have used the KX8 and the CUBASe AI4 application to play live concerts in the past where we only wanted it for the Grand Piano sounds. Windows never crashed during the four hour concert which pleased me very much.

Well if you are following these post, stay tuned for some more Secrets to the Cubase AI4.

MIXXX the Linux DJ solution

I set up my MythBuntu (MythTV) system with MIXXX the DJ software mixer. With the Soundblaster Live and my PA system, I can mix .MP3, .WAV, .OGG, and other music formats through the Mixxx interface.
I loaded MIXXX version 1.6.1. This is a very stable version of MIXXX. The older versions were not stable and crashed often.
I especially like the way the headphones and main mix works. I set up MIXXX to use the front speaker connection on the SB Live card for my PA and the rear speaker connection for my headphones. Mixing this way works flawlessly as you can CUE (listen to the beginning of a song) before you mix it in. I is very easy to mix different songs from different music file sources.
In my PA system, I have several input connections such as a Turntable, a sythesizer, and other connections for instruments. With Mixxx I can fade out and use the external mixer (a Mackie 12 port in this case) to mix in other inputs to the PA system.
Mixx is a fantastic product and it is free for LINUX, MAC and Windows. The Windows version did not allow me to mix in music from a Data CD.
The current problem that I am having with Mixxx is with the playlist. It will not save them and open them consistently. I am in contact with their team to help solve this where Mixxx does not seem to save and open the same Playlist. It changes randomly every time you open it.
This is the only flaw that I see at this point.
You can really set up a nice party with software like this.

How to Use Ubuntu Linux and Sun VirtualBox.org to train myself in Sharepoint and SQL 2005

Using my new desktop recording session and Sun VirtualBox, I set up a powerful training lab for Sharepoint MOSS.
Using Ubuntu Studio Hardy Heron, my desktop recording session and VirtualBOX, I set up a lab that includes: Windows 2003 server configured with IIS, AD, DNS, Sharepoint MOSS, and SQL 2005 enterprise (dev edition). I plan to add MS Exchange to the mix. Imagine being able to train in all of these disciplines!

As an extra feature of the lab, re-using an old retired Compaq computer, I created a separate router using the free router software: Smoothwall Express. Although the router is not neccesary, the smoothwall router assist with the illusion of a corporate network. One can create different scenarios of a corporate environment and test your configurations. Some examples are VPN, firewall, security, remote control, etc.

The beauty of it all is that I set this lab up on a Laptop. With 2 Gb of mem, an internal 80 gig drive and an external 500 GB SATA Usb harddrive, I set up a virtual environment with Active Directory, MOSS, and SQL. Using Virtual Box's powerful network configurations and the external router, the NT servers are live on my home network. Each server has it's own static IP address.

Understand that this is a lab environment so you cannot expect full throughput but it runs flawlessly.

I built the MOSS scenario based on David Sterlings Book: The Complete Reference Microsoft Office Sharepoint Server 2007: McGraw Hill, Osbourne Press, ISBN 978-0-07-149328-4. He expertly takes you through a complete Sharepoint installation with SQL and IIS. I feel that this is the best way to learn Sharepoint. I love that book.

Ubuntu Studio and Gtk-RecordMyDesktop

I finally got RecordMyDesktop Working with my M-audio Revolution 7.1 sound card. The trick was to make it work with Jack. RecordMyDesktop would not recognize the card any other way.
I also added a Logitech Quickcam Pro 9000 to the mix and configured a new webcam software called Cheese.
There is an advantage to using Jack. Now I can use my entire studio to record desktop events. I can mix in my pro microphone, my electronic organ, my turntable, TV audio and video, and telephone conversations. The quality of the sound from the M-audio revolution is great!

Ubuntu is panning out to be a very useful desktop product.

Ubuntu Studio 8.04 Hardy Heron Study 1

I upgraded all of my systems to Ubuntu 8.04 and added a Dell Laptop to the collection that runs Ubuntu Studio. I am so impressed with the performance, that I am having a hard time believing it. Ubuntu has improved so well that I feel that Ubuntu has caught up with and/or passed Windows XP and Vista.
My workstations run flawlessly. During the upgrade there were some challenges. There were parts of the systems that stopped working. There were parts of the systems that had to be reconfigured. However, I was able to fix all problems and move on.
In this series, I will go through each of my systems and give you my notes on how I solved many small but serious problems. Here is a list of scenarios that I will comment on:
* MythTV DVD creation
* MythTV Recording Channels
* MythTV Scheduling
* Ubuntu Studio Jack interfaces including MIDI
* Streamripper and Streamrecording configurations
* MIDI
* MIXXX Dj console
* VLC Player (beats Movie Player in my opinion)
* WINE and Filesharing techniques
* External drives
* Hardware considerations
* the next generation Ubuntu Studio computer in my studio

This list is long and it will take many notes to get it all out. It is a most exciting time for Ubuntu.
Ubuntu has all but replaced Windows in my private environment and I do not miss it. This is great because I have not even started testing the 64 bit versions in a production environment yet! My 32 bit computers are just so stable and reliable!
Look out for future Blog entries as we go through this series.

Zoneminder in the Church

Exciting new and powerful. Zoneminder is setup in my church. It was a trying installation but I enjoyed every minute of it.
The plan was to provide a church located in a low income section of Atlanta, Georgia with a surveillance system and a budget of $3000.00.
Zoneminder was chosen because of it's cost...FREE! I also chose Ubuntu as the Linux distribution of choice because I am most familiar with Ubuntu Studio, MythUbuntu, and other Debian distributions. Besides, I like the way Ubuntu and Debian update. Not to mention a strong following.

This installation requires 16 cameras to cover the most critical areas of the church. There have been numerous breakins, thefts, and accidents. The board wanted a surveillance system that would not break the bank.
Since I am the electronics/computer hack in the media department, they came to me for a solution.






I looked at several packages from Windows XP to Hardware Proprietary systems. All had excellent features but they cost in the thousands and with Windows XP, add in licenses and hardware. The price climbed to $6000 and I did not even get to the camera support hardware yet!
I studied zoneminder for 2 months, built a test system with a 4 port Brooktree knockoff card, 2 cheap analog cameras, and a USB webcam.
Although I had major issues to overcome where I had to learn about how to configure the system, It ran flawlessly. I ran it for days to test it. I wanted to see if zoneminder was worth the effort. It was!
With help from other forum members, I got it running and it runs flawlessly (if you leave it alone).
I also went through backup and restore scenarios and found that it was easier to maintain than exspected.
I challenged an upgrade to a new version and quickly learned how to set permissions, clean up the database, restore, etc. Overall, I was impressed. There were some serious glitches that I caused by playing in files but I found that I could correct them very easily.
When I installed the church, I built a brand new machine and I used hand chosen parts to build a system that would run 24/7. I tossed out stock CPU fans, case fans, and added high volume fans to keep the air flow consistent. Even the memory chips, and the 2 - SATA hard drives have cooling fins. The system run Ubuntu 7.10 Gutsy Gibbon and Zoneminder 1.23.2. AWESOME System!
The cabinet is a new IKEA cabinet modified and fortified. I tossed away the cheap back panel and replaced it with 1/8 inch plywood. I drilled 3 inch holes in the base and side walls to create an airflow. I installed a 4 inch, 12 volt fan to aid the airflow. It works great.
This system is designed to be a server so I took an old Dell GX110 and put it back into service as a monitor and configuration workstation. I loaded Debian 7.1 on it and it runs like a new station with just 512Mb memory. I do not run any console commands on the Server. This preserves CPU for other important things.
The cameras are 4mm N/D indoor outdoor cammeras. I put the same cameras everywhere to save money and they also work great wherever I put them. I bought a 18 port, 12 volt power supply to power them.
The entrie system is powered by a 1500 watt APC Pro UPS.
I used Cat5e cable to connected it all with passive video baluns. If you want to save money, use the baluns, they work! TIP: Run a cable for every camera and use 1 pair for the balun (up to 1200ft) and the rest of the pairs (bound together) for 12 volt power. Watch you length of cable, if you are over 200 feet from your camera. Add a central power supply (with a small UPS) to power those remote cameras. You will suffer voltage drops and the cameras will not function properly if the voltage is too low. Save your self the headache. I know about this!

ZONEMINDER Video Surveillance System

My new project. In development for 2 months, ZoneMinder Video Surveillance. It works!. The system was built from Ubuntu 7.10 Gutsy Gibbon and features 16 CCTV color and night vision cameras. The system also accepts IP cameras and USB cameras. POWERFUL!
My church needed a video surveillance solution that did not break the bank. Since I am always playing in Linux and Ubuntu, I did some research and discovered Zoneminder. After one month of configuring and testing, a powerful video surveillance system was born.
I built the system using a new ECS AMD MOBO, Fast dual core amd processor, 2 GB of fast 800Mhz Corsair Memory, 2 SATA drives totalling 550 GB, a true 500 watt PS, and a cheap computer case that is modified for better airflow. The 16 port video capture card is a PV-183 obtained from Bluecherry.
I will be posting details of this build in the next few post. I will also post YouTube videos on the system.