A major performance issue solved: when xwax is displaying in a remote X11 window, the rate of importing tracks is absolutely abysmal. Xwax enables importing of tracks to the player with a shell script called “import.” It’s basically a big case statement enabling the import of different file types based on their extension, and to use the preferred import executable on a particular file type.

Examples given are mpg123 and ffmpeg, and the fallback importer is ffmpeg, so each file type has a command line extension that looks something like this one tweaked for Ogg Vorbis files.

exec ffmpeg -loglevel … Read the rest

In the last six weeks or so since I posted anything about this, I blew up two computers, revived one computer, and learned a hell of a lot about C programs, Unreal Engine 4, networking, and remote development.

The principle described in the previous post is sound:  Spatialize the digital DJ experience by integrating the data with the physicality of the turntables.  Yeah, ok, but isn’t that what Traktor and Serato do?  Sort of.  You’re still checking your mail on a screen.   Not that my current iteration is any less awkward, but the basic idea is there.

This is what … Read the rest