Clipland

In analogy to the very good Movie Making Manual, this is the Music Production Manual - with a focus on using Open Source / Linux tools.

Tools of the Trade

The OS

-Windows XP or better -Mac OS X -Linux (on which we focus here)

There are numerous specialised Linux version out there (called distros) which collect a set of tools aimed at multimedia production:

• Dyne:bolic Multimedia oriented LiveCD Linux that includes Audacity, Ardour, drum machine, and audio streaming engine, as well as tools to edit videos. Version 1.4.1 Can run on any 586 PC (with CD reader) with 64mb RAM and X-Box; version 2.2 can run on most computer made within last 2 years.
• 64Studio, successor of Dyne:Bolic which hasn't been updated in a while.

http://64studio.com/wiki/DownloadAnInstaller

• Ubuntu Studio

All of the above contain a patched Linux Kernel, which is mandatory to work properly on a Linux system.

Recording And Sequencing

• Audacity: Released under GNU (meaning free AND libre). As many audio tracks as your computer can handle, and have lots of effects and plugin. For Windows, OS X, Linux, BSD, and Solaris.
• Ardour: Released under GNU (meaning free AND libre). 64 audio tracks and 16 MIDI tracks available. For Linux and OS X
• GNUsound (free, GPL), multitrack sound editor for gnome (1 & 2), support LADSPA for sound effects, and JACK for realtime processing.
• Rezound (free, GPL) PowerFull audio editor
• Wired (free, GPL)
• JACK, to patch it all together

More reading

• Recording Studios
• Record Producers
• Identified sounds

Links

• Wikipedia movie making manual
• Wikipedia writing effective songs
• Multimedia links