Group:GNU Multimedia

I am new to GNU. I have read pretty much the whole website. I do use free

software, but I have to use non-free software as well. Why? Because free software directory cannot offer the functionality.

I am a musician. I require sequencers and VST plugins in order to compose music. Unfortunately, all the free sequencers available are too simple and undeveloped - so much that to start using them is making a huge step behind - like 10 years back in time. VST are also not supported by the Free World as it is a proprietary format. But it is like saying that one cannot use piano, so common VST are.

What should one do in such a situation? I am not a coder. If I don't use a non-free sequencer, it may seem that I've chosen my freedom. But instead I will loose any possibility to write music which I can write now. So turning to my freedom will take away my freedom - freedom of self expression which will be restricted by lack of software. How many years will go into the writing of serious software? I am not a coder.

I think this is the real problem nowadays. GNU world is well equiped with text editing software but is very weak with multimedia. How can one willingly cut himself off from the multimedia advantages of non-free computing and step ten years back? And this is not a question of short-term convenience. In many aspects it is restricting one's freedom of self expression.

So each time any of my friends encourage me to install free OS, I have to say 'no' because I will not be able to perform a whole class of tasks which are very important to me - not from the point of convenience, but from the point of possibility.

Free software is extra important. But people have to get interested, not all will make it through the complex net of free world philosophy. I think

multimedia projects should be top priority.

Note from Louigi Verona: this was a letter I wrote to FSF and to my great joy it got a response and made its way into this wiki. I have been told that the priority on multimedia in general is not an official priority of FSF - at least not yet. I really hope that the arguments I present on this page will change that. Please read the "things that need work" section for more details. This page is closely monitored by me, if you have any questions, comments or suggestions, contact me directly at louigi.verona@gmail.com

Things that need work

1. First of all, the world of libre software needs music tools which musicians can use to make a living - and that is music performance tools. As music distribution becomes less and less a business, musicians turn back to the roots of the musician profession - and that is doing gigs, performing. But in order to perform one needs adequate software - sequencers like Ableton Live, dj tools like Traktor. Currently the situation is disastrous - musicians are not able to use free software to perform electronic music. Moreover, using free software only means that a musicians is not able to perform live. So this can be considered an issue which requires most work and most priority.

2. Development of free VST-like plugin standard: an interface for integrating software audio synthesizer and effect plugins with audio editors and hard-disk recording systems. Existing systems LADSPA, DSSI and LV2 have very limited possibilities or number of actual plugins due to various reasons. Those that do exist are very difficult to use and are usually slow. It is unclear whether it is more reasonable to start developing an interface from scratch or seriously rework and/or finish existing ones.

3. Development of free DAW - Digital Audio Workstation - an application that will allow musicians to create music and allow them to use the plugin standard mentioned above. Existing DAWs are either very simplistic and don't yet offer full possibilities to create electronic music or use non-free components or have a very complex and non-friendly user interface. Serious applications include Rosegarden, MusE and LMMS.