FOSSPicks
FOSSPicks
Graham has been playing with the source code to the amazing Mutable Instruments Eurorack modules. The company is closing, but every firmware to every product is open source. Merci, Émilie Gillet.
Music notation
MuseScore 4
Since last looking at MuseScore 3, the Muse project has seen a flurry of activity. Most significantly, its parent Muse Group bought the audio editor, Audacity, and created a furor over plans to add telemetry to it. They eventually relented, but the bad taste remained, requiring Muse Group to be careful with major future releases. MuseScore has suffered similar criticisms, especially with its attempts to funnel users into an online service and training portal. Because MuseScore is open source like Audacity, anyone is free to fork the project to remove the parts they don't like. It's also a project with a lot to like. There are very few professional quality music-notation applications, and none of MuseScore's caliber that are open source. Like Audacity, this makes it essential for music students, eager learners, and budget composers. Version 4 strengthens MuseScore both as a notation powerhouse and as an open source ambassador project without giving too much usability away to the money funnel.
You will first notice the music notation rendering. Previous versions were always better than another great open source alternative, LilyPond, but not by much, and it paled in comparison to its expensive proprietary alternatives. Not any more: Both the rendering and the spacing between notes has been overhauled, and musical scores are now beautifully rendered both on screen and in print. MuseScore's notation font has been improved, and the alignment of elements outside the score with the notes themselves is now pixel-perfect. While purely aesthetic improvements, they help push MuseScore into the top tier of music notation software, which is amazing when it's still open source. There are new light and dark color schemes, 400 new icons, a high-contrast mode, and a top bar that includes more configuration options, including the ability to choose what to show and hide. Selections while dragging the mouse are now intelligent and context sensitive and will only show options relevant to the complete set of selected objects. Plus you can now make gradual changes to the tempo.
In the background, a new audio engine includes support for VST3 plugins, letting you send scores directly to industry-standard virtual instruments, orchestral sample libraries, and effects, Linux compatibility permitting. SoundFonts (called MS Basic) remain supported and are the default. A new mixer helps control tracks, volumes, panorama amounts, and which tracks play which instrument. If you're prepared to leave the open source world, Muse Sounds, a new orchestral sound bank, transforms the sound output in MuseScore from pianola to professional. It's a separate 14GB download and offers much higher quality, multilayered and multi-instrument audio samples using Muse Playback Events rather than MIDI over VST. It generates naturally dynamic and fully fledged orchestral music – a brilliant way to compose music directly from the editor.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you've found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
The GNU Project Celebrates Its 40th Birthday
September 27 marks the 40th anniversary of the GNU Project, and it was celebrated with a hacker meeting in Biel/Bienne, Switzerland.
-
Linux Kernel Reducing Long-Term Support
LTS support for the Linux kernel is about to undergo some serious changes that will have a considerable impact on the future.
-
Fedora 39 Beta Now Available for Testing
For fans and users of Fedora Linux, the first beta of release 39 is now available, which is a minor upgrade but does include GNOME 45.
-
Fedora Linux 40 to Drop X11 for KDE Plasma
When Fedora 40 arrives in 2024, there will be a few big changes coming, especially for the KDE Plasma option.
-
Real-Time Ubuntu Available in AWS Marketplace
Anyone looking for a Linux distribution for real-time processing could do a whole lot worse than Real-Time Ubuntu.
-
KSMBD Finally Reaches a Stable State
For those who've been looking forward to the first release of KSMBD, after two years it's no longer considered experimental.
-
Nitrux 3.0.0 Has Been Released
The latest version of Nitrux brings plenty of innovation and fresh apps to the table.
-
Linux From Scratch 12.0 Now Available
If you're looking to roll your own Linux distribution, the latest version of Linux From Scratch is now available with plenty of updates.
-
Linux Kernel 6.5 Has Been Released
The newest Linux kernel, version 6.5, now includes initial support for two very exciting features.
-
UbuntuDDE 23.04 Now Available
A new version of the UbuntuDDE remix has finally arrived with all the updates from the Deepin desktop and everything that comes with the Ubuntu 23.04 base.