Ubuntu Manpage: meterec - console multitrack audio recorder

NAME

       meterec - console multitrack audio recorder

SYNOPSIS

       meterec  [  -tpcih  ] [ -r ref-level ] [ -o output-format ] [ -s session-name ] [ -j jack-
       name ] [ -f frequency ] [ -u uuid ]

DESCRIPTION

       meterec real-time jack ports vu-meter, records specified ports to take  file  and  replays
       selected take(s).

OPTIONS

-r ref-level
Adjust the 0dB reference level of the port vu-meter.

-o output-format
´w64´, 'wav', 'ogg' or 'flac'. Format of the take files produced when recording.
The same session can use different formats subsequently. Defaults to 'w64' or
'wav'.

-s <session-name>, -s <session-file>
Name of the session beeing recorded. If a file called <session-name>.mrec exists,
meterec will execute from the current directory. if a file called <session-file>
exists, meterec will change to it's base directory before executing. defaults to
´./meterec.mrec´.

-j jack-name
Name of the meterec client in the jack graph. This name should be specified if
using several meterec instances on the same jack server. Using the same <jack-name>
for multiple meterec instances is not supported. Defaults to ´meterec´

-f frequency
Set the display refresh rate in frames per second. This setting does not affects
the pace at wich command keys can be used, nor the meter peak value fall time.

-u uuid
Universal unique identifyer used by jack-session save/restore managers. WARNING:
jack-session requests that directory holding session restore data is erased before
session is saved! Make sure you do not use the meterec-session directory or a
parent directory to save your jack-session: this would erase all previously recoded
audio as well as configuration data for this meterec-session.

-t Start recording at startup. Default is to start in playback mode. With this option
a new take will be captured at startup. This allows to call meterec from a script
or do a quick take right from the shell. If recording should only be starting upon
user action or when jack-transport goes to roll state, use this option along with
-p option.

-p Do not playback at startup. Default is to start in playback mode. Use this option
if you want meterec to wait for user input of jack-transport to start playback.

-i Do not interact with jack-transport state. By default meterec will set jack-
transport state when user start or stop playback and playback will start or stop
when jack-transport state changes.

-c Do not connect automatically to jack ports. By default meterec will use the list of
connections stored in <jack-session>.mrec to connect it's ports to other jack
clients at startup as well as when these ports becomes available.

-h Show options and command keys summary.

COMMAND KEYS (all views)

q Quit

<TAB> Switch between the different ´views´: vu-meter, edit, connections.

<SPACE>
Start playback, stop playback. unless -i option is used, the jack-transport state
will be updated so the other jack clients supporting jack-transport are syncronised
with meterec.

<ENTER>
Start recording, stop playback and record. At least one port should be in one of
the recording modes for recording to start. Also updates jack-transport state.

<BKSPS>
when record is already ongoing, this creates a new take on the fly. This operation
allows to have subsequent takes without any gaps in audio. When recording is not
ongoing this key will engage the record mode: the recording of audio is pending
until playback starts. This allows to have meterec start recording when jack-
transport state goes to ´roll´

<UP> Select port above in the list. Will wrap at list boundaries.

<DOWN> Well... Select port bellow in the list. Will wrap at list boundaries.

v Reset maximum level vu-meter markers. Each port will record the maximum signal
level reached and display it with a column char ':'. It is sometime usefull to
reset these markers for a fresh start.

n Toggle port names display. Since the port name is located over the vu-meter display
it might be annoying when reading levels.

i Insert name. Helps tidy you workspace by giving each port a meaningfull name.

t Toggles pass-thru for this port. Depending on the instrument plugged in, it is
usefull to have the live audio at the input side available at the output side.

T Toggles pass thru for all ports.

m Mute/unmute that port playback. No recoded audio for this port will be played when
this port is muted. The audio data coming from the input side due to ´pass-thru´
beeing active is not muted.

M Mute/unmute all ports playback.

s Mute all but that port playback (solo). Note this is not standard ´solo´ approach
found in mixers as you cannot ´solo´ several ports at the same time.

S Unmute all ports playback.

r toggle REC record mode for that port. Available audio from previous take will not
be played back when recording.

R toggle REC record mode for all ports

d toggle DUB record mode for that port. Available audio from previous take will
played along when recording. The resulting take will contain only audio played
during the last take.

D toggle DUB record mode for all ports

o toggle OVR record mode for that port. Available audio from previous take will
played along when recording. The resulting take will contain a mix of audio played
during the last take and audio from previous take. When using this record mode, you
should use take-locking to precisely control what is the track that will be mixed
when recodring. Remeber to remove the lock to be able to ear the result!

O toggle OVR record mode for all ports

<SHIFT>F1-F12
Set time index. Current playhead position will be stored in this index.

F1-F12 Jump to time index. When playback is ongoing, playhead will jump to stored time
index. No action if this time index is not set or if in record state.

<CTRL>F1-F12
Use time index as loop boundary. Will be used at upper or lower bound depending on
time index value and already programmed loop boundary. If the time index was not
set, current playhead time will be used and stored for this time index.

+ Use current time as loop boundary. Usefull for setting a loop quickly.

- Clear loop boundaries. Playback will keep on reading once the former loop upper
bound is reached.

/ Clear loop lower bound. Programming a new bound will move the remaining bound to
lower bound if it is upper than remaingin upper bound.

* Clear loop upper bound. Programming a new bound will move the remaining bound to
upper bound if it is lower than remaingin lower bound.

<HOME> Be kind, rewind.

COMMAND KEYS (vu-meter)

       <RIGHT>
              Seek forward 5 seconds

       <LEFT>"
              Seek backward 5 seconds

COMMAND KEYS (edit)

       <RIGHT>
              Select next take

       <LEFT>"
              Select previous take

       l      Lock/unlock selected track for playback

       L      Lock/unlock selected track for playback and clear all other locks for this port

       a      Lock/unlock selected take for playback

       A      Lock/unlock selected take for playback and clear all other locks in the session

COMMAND KEYS (connections)

       <RIGHT>
              Select port column on the right

       <LEFT> Select port column on the left.

       c      Connect ports.

       x      Disconnect ports.

       w      toggle ports connections.

FEATURES

Monitor port
meterec has an extra output port called 'monitor' that is providing a copy of audio
signal available at the input side of the currently selected port.

Take-locking
By default meterec will play the latest take for a given port when playing back or
recording with DUB or OVR mode. If you want to play an other take you have to set
a lock on the particular tack you want to ear. This is done in ´edit view´. If a
port has lock for several tracks, the track recorded during the latest take will be
played (most recent).

Loops Setting loop boundaries will not make meterec jump into the loop right away. Only
once the upper loop bound is reached, playback will jump to lower bound.

Ports connection
The connection views show 3 ports columns. On the left: all available output ports
of jack clients other than this meterec instance. On the right: all available input
ports of jack clients other that this client. The middle columns shows all meterec
ports available in this session. To connect 2 ports first select the meterec port
you want to connect in the middle column, then go to left or right colum and browse
to the port you wish to connect to and hit the ´c´ key. Connected ports will be
shown by a '+' sign and highligted if your console allows. For all ports, a ´->´
sign between the input side and the ouput side show if this port is in pass-thru
mode.

INTERRUPT

       You  can abort meterec at any time by pressing Ctrl-C.  The current state will be saved to
       <session-name>.mrec before meterec exits.

FILES

       <session-file>, <session-name>.mrec
              Contains current state of session: list of ports  with  connections,  record  mode,
              mute state, name, takes map. List of time indexes. Sampling rate.

       <session-name>.log
              Activity log of latest meterec run for session <session-name>.

       <session-name>_<nnnn>.[ogg|wav|w64|flac]
              Take  file.  <nnnn>  is the take number. This file contains audio for all the ports
              that where selected for record during take <nnnn>. You can open/edit this  file  in
              an audio editor if it supports multitrack audio files.

BUGS

       Please report and monitor bugs using http://sourceforge.net/projects/meterec/

AUTHOR

       Fabrice Lebas <fabrice@kotoubas.net>