Tue, 27 Jun 2006

kissrec.py: Keep It Simple Stupid audio recording for linux.

Well I decided to update the nrecord program from wavnorm to work with ALSA. I ran into a barrier with using the newt library with the Alsa C API, and as I am lazy, re-implented it all in python. This allowed me to let the excellent pyalsaaudio and progressbar python modules do all the heavy lifting, while the kissrec.py program really just ties them together to make a simple audio recorder.

Features

Command line options

./kissrec.py --help
usage: kissrec.py [options] outputfile.wav

options:
  --version             show program's version number and exit
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  -dDEVICE, --device=DEVICE
                        ALSA device to use, e.g. default for default device, or
                        hw:1 for second sound card
  -v, --verbose

Download

The python code is here: kissrec.py

The prerequisites are:

Why did I make it?

It is a trivial program, but on a low resource laptop all the more featureful Linux recording programs would produce glitchy recordings due to their overhead, while all the simple ones dont have the features to monitor what is going on adequately. This software allows simple recording to occur, but with monitoring of the input levels and if any clipping has occured.

Wishlist

Posted at: 00:35 | category: /nerdy/kissrec | # | 0 comments

Mon, 26 Jun 2006

THE CHURCH OF SPONTANEOUS JOY

Saw these guys play at Glitch Bar and Cinema on Saturday night, was a great show. I'd checked out some of the mp3s from their site before heading off and suprised to find them playing live a much more refined, smoother sound than the acid techno on their site, with atmospheric spoken word, and ultra smooth echo laden trumpet sounding clearly though the Minirig Sound System. Very impressive, and went down a treat on a cold Melbourne night in away from the cold.

After the intermission the performance filled out from the elctronic backing to a full live band with the addition of guitar, bass, drums and violin to head of in a sort of stoner dub Tijuana Brass direction that was also great fun.. they shoulda played longer.. all in all a good night out on a cold melbourne night.

Posted at: 23:21 | category: /bleeps | # | 0 comments

Dick Smith Electronics USB 2.0 External Sound Card

Got this on special for just under $20, for use with Skype.

Worked first go with Linux 2.6.15, ALSA drivers - from dmesg: 

usb 2-4: new full speed USB device using ohci_hcd and address 3
input: C-Media USB Headphone Set   as /class/input/input4
input: USB HID v1.00 Device [C-Media USB Headphone Set  ] on usb-0000:00:02.1-4
usb 2-4: USB disconnect, address 3

it identifies as a C-Media headhone set - but works perfectly. Sounds OK, but noiser than the uca202.

Looking inside the PC board identifies it as a Gamtec MB-102 which it presumably is a rebadged version.

Has a bright blue/purple LED that flashes when the audio is active.

Posted at: 23:02 | category: /bleeps | # | 2 comments

Wed, 07 Jun 2006

MS-20 Arkestra at the Make it Up Club - 06 / 06 / 06

Went and saw the amazing MS-20 Arkestra (made from a bunch of Melbourne musicians) jam it up at the Make It Up club last night, loose and jammy but relaxing and fun.. I just wish the set was a bit longer!

MS-20 Arkestra at MIUC

Posted at: 08:42 | category: /bleeps | # | 0 comments

Tue, 06 Jun 2006

"God will save me" says man just before jumping into Lion enclosure and getting mauled to death.

KIEV (Reuters) - A man shouting that God would keep him safe was mauled to death by a lioness in Kiev zoo after he crept into the animal's enclosure, a zoo official said on Monday.

"The man shouted 'God will save me, if he exists', lowered himself by a rope into the enclosure, took his shoes off and went up to the lions," the official said.

"A lioness went straight for him, knocked him down and severed his carotid artery."

-- links to yahoo and BBC story.

Posted at: 08:48 | category: /rants/religion | # | 0 comments

Mon, 05 Jun 2006

The Religious Policeman Blog

Witty, inciteful, well written.. an excellent insiders view of the craziness of Saudi Society at muttawa : The Religious Policeman.

Unfortunately the author says he has just posted his last post. A pity, this is one of the best sites on the net. As he says, the site is In Memory of the lives of 15 Makkah Schoolgirls, lost when their school burnt down on Monday, 11th March, 2002. The Religious Police would not allow them to leave the building, nor allow the Firemen to enter.

Posted at: 08:38 | category: /links | # | 0 comments