Nama
Easy multitrack recording with Ecasound
Sun, 13 Jun 2010
Q. How do you get started with Nama?
Q. Can you show me how to record my first project?
A. Sure! Note that the following description covers text commands
and text display. (Much of this can also be done using the GUI
buttons and menus. Just try clicking on stuff.)
I'm assuming you have Nama installed, and that sure your
audio drivers are configured so you system is capable of
sound input and output.
1. Configure Nama
% nama
The first time you run Nama, you are asked permission
for Nama to create the Nama configuration file
(~/.namarc) and Nama project root directory
(~/nama).
The default configuration may be good enough to get started.
If you choose to edit .namarc, use a text editor like
vim, emacs, etc. If you use a fancy word processor,
be sure to save the file in ASCII (plain text) format.
2. Start Nama and create a project 'three' (as in Three
Blind Mice). We will record a live bass input while using a
drums input from Hydrogen via JACK. We will assume
JACK is running.
% nama
nama> create three
created project: three
Track Name Ver. Setting Status Source Bus Vol Pan
=============================================================================
1 Master -- mon MON -- Master 100 50
2 Mixdown -- off OFF -- Mixdown -- --
No tracks to record or play.
[ live input allowed ]
No chain setup, engine not ready.
nama [Mixdown] ('h' for help)>
Tracks and configuration data will be stored in ~/nama/three
Mixdown is the current track.
3. Create a track
nama> add bass
Track Name Ver. Setting Status Source Bus Vol Pan
=============================================================================
1 Master -- mon MON -- Master 100 50
2 Mixdown -- off OFF -- Mixdown -- --
3 bass 1 rec REC 1 Main 100 50
[ live input allowed, record ]
Engine is ready.
setup length is 0.0
now at 0:00
Press SPACE to start or stop engine.
nama [bass] ('h' for help)>
'bass' is now the current track. Track commands will apply to 'bass'.
The engine is ready to record bass_1.wav, but we won't start it yet.
By default, Nama automatically reconfigures the engine after each
command, however Nama will not interrupt the Ecasound engine if it is
running.
(In the following steps, we show only the tracks display.)
4. Set the input channel to soundcard channel 2
nama> source 2
nama [bass] ('h' for help)> source 2
bass: input set to soundcard channel 2
Track Name Ver. Setting Status Source Bus Vol Pan
=============================================================================
1 Master -- mon MON -- Master 100 50
2 Mixdown -- off OFF -- Mixdown -- --
3 bass 1 rec REC 2 Main 100 50
5. Create a drums track, set the track width to stereo, and
set the track input to JACK client Hydrogen.
nama> add drums; stereo; source Hydrogen
Track Name Ver. Setting Status Source Bus Vol Pan
=============================================================================
1 Master -- mon MON -- Master 100 50
2 Mixdown -- off OFF -- Mixdown -- --
3 bass 1 rec REC 2 Main 100 50
4 drums 1 rec REC Hydrogen Main 100 50
Note that JACK and Hydrogen must be running for this setting
to take effect.
6. Confirm that Ecasound is properly configured (optional)
nama> chains
# ecasound chainsetup file
# general
-B auto -r -z:mixmode,sum
# audio inputs
-a:1 -i:loop,Master_in
-a:3,R3 -i:jack_multi,system:capture_2
-a:4,R4 -i:jack,Hydrogen
# post-input processing
-a:3 -chcopy:1,2
# audio outputs
-a:1 -o:jack_multi,system:playback_1,system:playback_2
-a:3,4 -o:loop,Master_in
-a:R3 -f:s16_le,1,44100,i -o:/home/bob/nama/three/.wav/bass_1.wav
-a:R4 -f:s16_le,2,44100,i -o:/home/bob/nama/three/.wav/drums_1.wav
7. Record these two tracks
nama> start
(Play music here.)
nama> stop
You can also use the SPACE bar.
8. Nama now reconfigures Ecasound to playback the WAV files
just recorded.
Track Name Ver. Setting Status Source Bus Vol Pan
=============================================================================
1 Master -- mon MON -- Master 100 50
2 Mixdown -- off OFF -- Mixdown -- --
3 bass 1 rec MON [2] Main 100 50
4 drums 1 rec MON [Hydrogen] Main 100 50
The 'Main' bus is set to MON, forcing 'bass' and 'drums'
tracks to MON status.
9. Add a vocal track, from soundcard channel 3
nama> add vocal; source 3
Track Name Ver. Setting Status Source Bus Vol Pan
=============================================================================
1 Master -- mon MON -- Master 100 50
2 Mixdown -- off OFF -- Mixdown -- --
3 bass 2 rec REC 2 Main 100 50
4 drums 2 rec REC Hydrogen Main 100 50
5 vocal 2 rec REC 3 Main 100 50
Note that the Main bus has toggled back to REC. But we don't want to
record bass and drums again.
nama> for bass drums; mon
Track Name Ver. Setting Status Source Bus Vol Pan
=============================================================================
1 Master -- mon MON -- Master 100 50
2 Mixdown -- off OFF -- Mixdown -- --
3 bass 1 mon MON [2] Main 100 50
4 drums 1 mon MON [Hydrogen] Main 100 50
5 vocal 2 rec REC 3 Main 100 50
You could also use the track number:
nama> for 3 4; mon
Note that that vocal_2.wav will be recorded, not vocal_1.wav. The version
number always increments, indicating that vocal_2.wav is recorded _after_
bass_1.wav and drums_1.wav.
10. The vocal take was fine, so now you're ready to make a rough
mix to send to your mother... ah no, to the Dashed Fantasy Records
representative in Nashville. You fiddle volume and pan
control, and add an effect:
nama> bass pan 30
nama> vol 80
nama> drums pan 70
nama> vol 50
nama> vocal vol 120
nama> add_effect time_reverb1
nama> Master vol 170
Track Name Ver. Setting Status Source Bus Vol Pan
=============================================================================
1 Master -- mon MON -- Master 170 50
2 Mixdown -- off OFF -- Mixdown -- --
3 bass 1 mon MON [2] Main 80 30
4 drums 1 mon MON [Hydrogen] Main 50 70
5 vocal 2 mon MON [3] Main 120 50
nama> show_track
Track Name Ver. Setting Status Source Bus Vol Pan
=============================================================================
5 vocal 2 mon MON [3] Main 120 50
O: Pan
1. Level %: 50
P: Volume
1. Level %: 120
Q: time_reverb1
Signal width: mono
11. Having satisfied ourselves that it sounds good enough for Dashed Fantasy
to get an idea of our potential, we're ready to mixdown.
nama> mixdown
Track Name Ver. Setting Status Source Bus Vol Pan
=============================================================================
1 Master -- mon MON -- Master 150 50
2 Mixdown 1 rec REC -- Mixdown -- --
3 bass 1 mon MON [2] Main 80 30
4 drums 1 mon MON [Hydrogen] Main 50 70
5 vocal 2 mon MON [3] Main 120 50
nama> start
This should result in a stereo file, Mixdown_1.wav. The default format is CD
compatible (s16_le,2,44100). The 'mixdown' command disables audio
monitoring during the engine run.
12. Nama automatically sets the 'mixplay' mode, playing back the
mix you just created. But instead you want to return to the usual playback
mode.
nama> mixoff
13. Probably you will want to save your settings as you work.
nama> save
This will save settings to State.yml in the ~/nama/three
directory.
But perhaps you have several mixes, and want to save the
settings for each. You decide to save your settings as dashed_fantasy.yml,
and then exit.
nama> save dash_fantasy
nama> quit
When you are ready to start Nama next time. You can do this:
% nama three
nama> restore dashed_fantasy
(END)