Hi,

since you are talking about Linux & audio, a
few related news:

a new version of LinuxSampler: http://www.linuxsampler.org
just came out.
For those that don't know it's a free, open source software sampler that can play samples in .GIG format (GigaStudio) and stream them directly from disk with very low latency thus allowing for sample sizes of dozen of Gigabytes instead of a few mere Mbytes.

see here for the announcement: http://sourceforge.net/mailarchive/forum.php?thread_id=7356318&forum_id=12792


For example LinuxSampler is installed by default on the Lionstracs Mediastation X-76 ( http://www.lionstracs.com )
and it it perfectly integrated through a custom GUI where you can use the same GM/GS patchselector (touchscreen + buttons) to change the Gigasamples you play on the keyboard in real time.


btw, the Mediastation X-76 uses JACK too: http://www.lionstracs.com/modules/Static_Docs/data/gui/midivst.png


Gigasamples have features like keyswitching where you can map eg the lower keyboard keys not to play sounds but to change the timbre of the sounds by triggering other sounds.
So for example you can switch from staccato to legato strings in real time achieving very expressive and realistic playback.

see here for a few articulation examples: http://www.garritan.com/control.html


As you probably know most of today's film scores are composed using not real orchestras but using gigasamples. For example one of the trendsetters in that area was Hollywood composer Hans Zimmer (Gladiation, Lion King ..). He uses a stack of gigasampler machines to render his compositions.

you certainly have heard of sample producers like:
Vienna Symphonic Library: http://www.vsl.co.at/
Garritan Orchestra: http://www.garritan.com
Post Musical Instruments: http://www.postpiano.com
East West: http://www.soundsonline.com
Project SAM: http://www.projectsam.com

Lionstracs is working on a new arranger software http://www.lionstracs.com/modules/Static_Docs/data/gui/arranger.png

that will be able to unleash the power of Gigasampler in real time.
So Gigasamples plus the right styles will bring styles to a new level of realism.


The critics that still believe putting a "PC" or better (a PC mainboard) in a keyboard is a crappy idea and "embedded keyboards are here to stay forever will over time realize that it's simply not possible to compete (doing proprietary embedded boards + proprietary embedded firmware) with the power of mainstream PC hardware and open source operating systems like Linux.

As we see Korg is using Linux on the OASYS (but no opensource apps and it uses an embedded ARM chip while the synthesis is done on DSPs AFAIK) but it cannot keep up with the flexibility of the Mediastation since it's fully programmable by software.
(For example you cannot use LinuxSampler on the OASYS to stream 200 voices of large gigasamples from disk etc).

I think the fact is simple: traditional keyboard makers are afraid of the PC since it would give them no competitive advantages since "anyone" can do it plus it would hurt their own product line.

For example imagine Yamaha doing a Mediastation: with the right software it can be an arranger, sampler, synth, workstation, HD recording unit, mixer, FX unit whatever.
So what would the purpose be to buy a Tyros
(which costs only a little less than the Mediastation X-76) if you can get the "Yamaha Mediastation" that does everything.
They could make it much more expensive than the Tyros, but then it would face competition from the Lionstracs Mediastation.

It's not an easy equation to solve.
The fact is Linux and PC technologies are disruptive technologies. For a certain kind of products (especially where much computing power is needed) they render proprietary embedded hardware+software obsolete.

BTW: for those that do have an emotional attachment to Windows and audio software for Windows, the Mediastation can run Windows XP
too.
http://www.lionstracs.com/modules/Static_Docs/data/mediastationXP/MSXPB4.JPG http://www.lionstracs.com/modules/Static_Docs/data/mediastationXP/MSXPmenu.JPG

But I believe it's the wrong OS for a keyboard: too crash prone, costly, messy licensing scheme, not perfect for real time audio, source code of the operating system is not available so you cannot tweak it, it's impossible to perfectly integrate standalone apps (Cubase, Gigastudio, Kontakt etc) into a keyboard UI because those apps are not designed to be used in a live keyboard etc.

Like it or not, tt's time to a change in the keyboard world ... and I believe the change is not coming from one of the big keyboards makers because they still try to sell you the embedded keyboards for big bucks as it was the state of the art. While the truth is most new keyboars are old soups that are warmed up with a few new sounds but still contain chips that are a decade old.

I think the keyboard future is still exciting and not becoming static thanks to a few little corageous guys

Remembed when scientists said the earth was not flat ... they were hanged ... but in the end they were righ.t it's the same with Keyboards ... only time will tell ... hoping to to get hanged

cheers,
Benno