Xwax Explained

xwax
Operating System:	Linux
Developer:	Mark Hills
Programming Language:	C^[1]
License:	GPL-2.0-only
Website:	xwax: Digital Vinyl System for Linux
Latest Release Version:	1.8

xwax is an open-source vinyl emulation software.^{[2] [3] [4]} It was initially developed in 2006 as proprietary software. In May 2007 xwax was licensed under the GPL-2.0-only,^[5] making it the first open source software of this kind.

Unlike the software supplied with some proprietary packages for vinyl emulation, xwax is hardware independent. Notably, it can be used with the audio device and timecode recordings supplied with the Scratch Live^[6] program, and older versions^[7] of the Traktor Scratch program,^[8] and the audio interface supplied with the original Final Scratch.^[9]

The xwax source code is used to decode timecodes for vinyl control in Mixxx^{[10] [11]} and is also used in the PiDeck project on the Raspberry Pi.^[12]

Features

• Separated processes of the interface from the external decoder.
  • The benefit of this separation is that should a faulty track be loaded and crash the only thing affected is the decoder. The primary xwax interface will still be up and usable.
  • An external decoder also allows you to play what ever digital audio encoding you wish to use.
• MIDI controller support
  • 1.2 was the first version to introduce midi controller support, allowing the user to manipulate cue points with the Dicer DJ controller from Novation ^[13]
• A fully scalable UI that makes xwax suitable for high resolution displays.^[14]
• A "software pre-amp" that allows you to use an un-amplified turntable output with xwax without a hardware preamplifier.^[14]

Notes and References

1. http://xwax.org/devel/tips.html xwax development: Guidelines
2. Web site: xwax: Digital Vinyl on Linux. 2008-01-02.
3. Web site: Skratchworx: And for Linux users... . 2013-08-11 .
4. Web site: Create Digital Music: xwax: Vinyl Scratching Emulation on Linux. 24 May 2007 . 2007-05-24.
5. Web site: xwax development. 2008-01-02.
6. Web site: Xwax - An open source DVS . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20100327201141/http://www.djforums.com/content/2009/04/26/xwax-an-open-source-dvs/ . March 27, 2010 .
7. Web site: xwax: Overview. 2014-09-08.
8. Web site: xwax: Overview.
9. ALSA and the Rane SL 1 interface. 2007-09-04. xwax-devel. Hills. Mark.
10. Vinyl Control and New Audio Core in Trunk. 2007-08-22. mixxx-devel. Santoni. Albert.
11. Web site: Vinyl Control - MixxxWiki. 2008-01-02.
12. Web site: PiDeck: Standalone DVS Control On Raspberry Pi. 31 October 2016 . 2017-09-30.
13. Web site: Hills. Mark. xwax-devel mailing list: xwax 1.2 release. 30 November 2012.
14. xwax-devel mailing list: xwax 1.4 release. xwax-devel. Hills. Mark. 2013-08-11. 2013-06-08.