#LMMS RECORDING PC#
Typical PC sound systems are created for playback, with inputs a poor second-level task they can just about cope with. A possible ‘gotcha’ is that Fast Track replaces your sound card or on-board sound system, so you need to plug a couple of speakers into the interface. There’s no power supply needed Fast Track takes its power from the USB port. The rear panel of the unit consists of a balanced XLR input socket, a quarter-inch jack line/instrument input, input level switch button (line/guitar), stereo RCA outputs, USB connection socket and also a Kensington lock connector. It also sports signal and peak indicator LEDs, 1/8-inch stereo headphone output, and a stereo/mono monitoring selection button. The design is nice and simple the front panel has three knobs, one controlling the mic input level, another controlling the input/playback mix ratio, and the third controlling the main output level (this only affects the headphone and the RCA output volume). According to M-Audio, the Fast Track USB interface is ‘ideal for recording guitar and vocals,’ but it could also be used to record any line level sound source, as long as you have the correct cable. They are certainly not compatible with electric guitar jacks or XLR plugs for stage mics. These are adequate for VoIP phone calls or recording from tape/record decks, but not much else. Whether you have basic on-board sound or a surround sound card for gaming, inputs are usually limited to line-in and microphone jacks.
#LMMS RECORDING SOFTWARE#
Our plan was to try it with LMMS, Rosegarden, Timidity, and any other Linux MIDI and audio software we find. The keyboard has no built-in sound capabilities of its own it is intended to be used with the Session software, which has a good collection of MIDI samples and effects and outputs via Fast Track, or with M-Audio’s Micro USB Audio Interface, which is supplied with Session. There are Pitch Bend and Modulation wheels on the keyboard to tweak the sound as you play, and Octave buttons for when you want to emulate a piccolo or double bass. The action feels a little light, but the ‘touch’ is OK and you soon adjust to playing forte or pianissimo.
The KeyStudio keyboard is well made, with 49 full-size, touch-sensitive keys. Our challenge was to try out this hardware - specifically the KeyStudio MIDI keyboard and Fast Track audio interface - with Linux applications.
#LMMS RECORDING WINDOWS#
Unfortunately, its bundled software, called Session, is for Windows only. Its new “make-music-now” line of products, aimed at musicians just getting into computers or PC users with an interest in music, includes a microphone, speakers, drum machine, and DJ mixer deck. M-Audio has supplied hardware and software to computer-based musicians for 20 years.
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