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136 lines
4.6 KiB
Markdown
136 lines
4.6 KiB
Markdown
# tek [](https://nogithub.codeberg.page)
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a music making program for your terminal
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## what it does
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Tek is a [MIDI](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIDI) sequencer, sampler, and plugin host
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for the Linux terminal. It's written in [Rust](https://www.rust-lang.org/), and targets
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[JACK](https://jackaudio.org/) (or [Pipewire](https://www.pipewire.org/)'s JACK implementation).
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> [!NOTE]
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>
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> I've been dreaming of this project for a decade, and finally had the experience and peace of mind
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> to start building it in late May 2024.
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>
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> I quickly reached the limit of how much of the UI I can write imperatively,
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> so I started refactoring... and refactoring... and refactoring... you know
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> how it is.
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## project status
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for roadmap, see https://codeberg.org/unspeaker/tek/milestones
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> [!NOTE]
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>
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> As of 2024-12-25, the release window has been open since 2024-12-10.
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> [6 alpha/beta versions have been published on the Releases page](https://codeberg.org/unspeaker/tek/releases).
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> [!NOTE]
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>
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> I still want to tag the first working prototypes (as seen in the demos published in the
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> [tek channel at basspistol's peertube](https://v.basspistol.org/c/tek/videos)) as `0.1.0`—
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> once I've identified the appropriate commit!
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[^0]: (Especially if you know how to host LV2 plugin UIs in `winit`;
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or how to relink abandoned Win32 VST2s into LV2 or CLAP monoliths 😁)
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## design goals
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### lightweight
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My goal is to have a pop-up scratchpad for musical ideas that doesn't get in the way
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of building upon them. Kind of like [Ableton](https://www.ableton.com/) — but for free systems,
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and without all the bloat!
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### flexible
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Besides Ableton, I'm also inspired by the workflow of trackers and various old-school hardware
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sequencers (of which I've broken several). I've found that every existing music-making tool
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takes me about 80% of the way to the music I want to make. And so, after a decade of fucking
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around, I've decided it's finally time to make good on my old dream to build the instrument
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that will take me 100% there.
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### programmable
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A secondary goal is to make my music making environment extensible, programmable, and
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interoperable; the intended project format is an
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[S-expression](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S-expression)-based notation
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([EDN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clojure#Extensible_Data_Notation),
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[Steel](https://github.com/mattwparas/steel), or similar... though I've also been
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looking for an excuse to embed a
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[Forth](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forth_(programming_language)) 😏)
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## getting started
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### requirements
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* Linux
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* JACK or Pipewire
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* a terminal supporting 24-bit colors (I use `kitty`)
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### recommended
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* MIDI controller
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* Samples
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* LV2 plugins
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### installation
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#### arch linux
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[tek](https://codeberg.org/unspeaker/tek) is available as a package in the AUR. You can install it using an AUR helper (e.g. `paru`):
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```sh
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paru -S tek
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```
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### downloads
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See the [releases page](https://codeberg.org/unspeaker/tek/releases).
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### building from source
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You need a Rust toolchain and various system libraries. You can obtain the former
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using `rustup` and the latter using `nix-shell`. From there, use the commands in the
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`Justfile`, e.g.:
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```sh
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just arranger
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```
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## usage
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> [!WARNING]
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>
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> The following applies to `tek 0.1.0`. I will update it as part of the `0.2.0` release.
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### Overview
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Tek is inspired by "clip launching" workflows as exemplified by Ableton Live, Bitwig Studio,
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Ardour, and probably others. The main view consists of three sections:
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* The **arranger view** corresponds to Ableton's Session and Arrangement views.
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It allows you to put together a musical composition as a sequence of **phrases**,
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playing simultaneously across multiple **tracks**.
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* The **sequencer view** allows you to edit phrases, which consist of MIDI events.
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* The **chain view** allows you to add **devices** to each track. Devices determine
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how a given phrase will sound. Currently, there are two devices implemented:
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**sampler** and **plugin**.
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> [!NOTE]
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> Use `Tab` to switch focus between views. Use `Enter` to exclusively focus the highlighted view,
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> and `Esc` to unfocus it. When a view is focused, use the `Arrow Keys` and `Enter` to navigate.
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> Use `;` (semicolon) to open the command palette, which will list the remaining keybindings.
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---
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> [!NOTE]
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> Your moral support means a lot to me.
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> Feel free to [contact me on Mastodon](https://mastodon.social/@unspeaker)![^0]
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>
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> Love,
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> 🤫
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> (a rogue knowledge worker in a cyberpunk dystopia)
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