I didn’t expect it wouldn’t be that difficult to load a simple binary file in C++ (of course, I’m talking about a sysex file).
The problem is not to load it to the heap, the problem is to find documentation to do so. Most documents load text strings – but I cannot use strings for binary files.
A friend has politey written a wee small Qt application for me to get me started. I improved it so it now requests and loads a binary file from the hard drive when pressing a button. Pressing an other button writes the hex code of the data to stderr.
I already know that I will be interested in multithreading as soon as possible. When writing the data to stderr one can already see the GUI to freeze for a short time – and the data has only been 34KB :) .
I wonder that it was that difficult to load binary data. I guessed that for a computer it should be very simple to handle it. But no, various data types are represented by a different amount of bytes on different platforms/architectures. Furthermore, you need to know that if you load binary data into a string object the machine will convert bytes that look like row endings. Urgh.
I finally decided to learn some C++ so I can help improving existing free software and to be able to create own helper applications.
In fact, C++ seems to be a language difficult to learn. Having some knowledge in Basic and shell scripting, C++ is more complex and abstract.
The problem is not to start writing some C++, the problem is to get enough knowledge to understand existing code.
I fear it will last a long time until I can read code written by others, and I’m curious if I will continue learning C++.
Well, finally with a delay of one week, a short review of the LAC 2005.
The conference was visited well again, and the talks have been of high quality.
On wednesday evening, we had a first dinner at an italian restaurant with the participiants which have already arrived.
On thursday, Peter Brinkmann introduced »MidiKinesis – MIDI controllers for (almost) any purpose«, which lets you use MIDI controller events to trigger previously recorded mouse actions (pressing buttons and so on). The mouse events are recorded relative to the application window, so it can be moved around without breaking the recording. In the evening hours the »Opening Concert« took place in the ZKM Kubus.
On friday, I held a talk about »Linux Audio Usability Issues«.
On saturday I was impressed by the talk of Jürgen Reuter
who introduced »SoundPaint«, a tool to convert paintings into audio material. Furthermore there has been a talk about »System design for audio record and playback with a computer using FireWire«, a very important topic because firewire on linux is not available for audio cards yet. Nasca Octavian Paul demonstrated his cool synth »ZynAddSubFX« and Paul Davis demonstrated »Ardour«, the digital audio workstation software he has worked on for five years now. I really was impressed how matured it is – a really professional grade software. The evening hours have been filled with a second concert and the sound night with some further events happening on the ZKM balcony.
After that, we entered a restaurant in the city called »Stoevchen« at a quarter past two – seventeen people! We got something to eat and to drink and I arrived at home at 4AM – very tired ;-) .
On sunday the talk of Dave Phillips (»Where Are We Going And Why Aren’t We There Yet?«) was the last one. After some reports about the sessions that took place the day before the conference officially ended. Fortunately, we returned to the italian restaurant in the evening hours to have a nice meal again.
Yesterday there was an event in the »Badischer Kunstverein« where Eric Ross played the Theremin. I was not convinced about the music, but the Theremin was really an interesting instrument. I already knew and heard it before, but never live.
Eric also played an Roland XP 80 and the guitar.The Theremin was connected to an guitar effects processor and he used a lot of reverb and delays. The Theremin was manufactured by Big Briar, the new company of Robert Moog who originally invented the analog synthesizers in the middle of the last century.
Due to the fact that I needed to write the two papers for the Linuxtag, I still haven’t had the time to write down my thoughts about the Linux Audio Conference last weekend. Friday in the evening hours I submitted the papers, so this task is finally finished.
