I discovered a then-new magazine called Computer Music Journal at the local computer shop and bought every copy I could get my hands on. Inspired by the work of composer David Behrman, I taught myself assembly language and programmed a simple digital sequencer on a KIM-1, single-board microcomputer, controlling an Aries modular synthesizer I had built. I’ve been working with computers since the 1970s. Stay tuned, as I’ll have some other stories on how to make your Linux music workflow effective creatively, particularly in regards to leaping over some of the setup hurdles Kim describes. Even if you’re not ready to leave Mac (or Windows) just yet, Kim’s workflow here could help if you’re looking to make a Linux netbook or laptop more productive in your existing rig. Kim puts his current setup in the context of decades of computer work. A particular thanks, as he’s given me some new ideas for how to work with Audacity and Baudline.

This isn’t someone advocating any platform over another: it’s an on-the-ground, in-the-trenches, real-world example of how Kim made this set of tools work in his music, in the studio and on tour.

In this case, we turn to Kim Cascone, an experienced and gifted musician and composer with an impressive resume of releases and a rich sens of sound.

It’s one thing to talk about operating systems and free software in theory, or to hear from died-in-the-wool advocates of their platform of choice. Here’s a switcher story of a different color: from the Mac, to Linux.

Ubuntu vs mac os x for programming