Remote Live Music-Making With Jamulus

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Contents
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Introduction
Checklist
Hardware
  ​Buying Guide
Software
  Installation
  Configuration
  Connecting
  Using
​​Server​
Musicianship
Repertoire

Advanced Topics

Audio Routing
Engineering

Introduction

In this disconnected time, C4, like many other groups, is looking for new avenues for performance that do not require being in the same room at the same time. We are investigating different approaches: serial overdubbing, simultaneous performance using the Internet to connect performers, and so on. We plan to pursue all approaches to see what we can gain from each.

This document focuses on one approach: high-quality live remote music performance, with many participants connecting from different places via the Internet and performing in real-time. This approach is different from some other (equally valid) approaches that we and others are also pursuing.
  • It differs from a “virtual chorus” or overdub approach, where participants record their contributions individually, and the result is assembled afterward.
  • It differs from a “Zoom call” approach. Though both are live and remote, sessions using standard video conferencing software emphasize participation, togetherness and ease of setup, rather than audio quality. Zoom and Google Meet are great for many things, but they do not provide very good quality when everyone is talking at the same time, let alone singing.

In short, we are aiming at a performance that is both live and high quality. Getting to this combination requires surmounting some obstacles.
  • There is some technological setup pain. Much of this document focuses on getting through that.
  • We are also willing to accept the inevitable latency that comes with remote performance. In fact, we want to embrace the latency by performing pieces that incorporate the resulting smearing of time and tempo as an artistic device.
  • We have also realized that we need a high artistic bar for performance preparation. On a Zoom call, people can sing however they want, sitting in front of their laptop. The quality of the resulting audio is so poor that vocal production barely matters, as long as people are more or less in tune. But once we improve the sound quality, it becomes painfully obvious when participants sing breathily into a microphone, with the pitch inexactness that comes naturally when seated at a computer singing softly. So in addition to the technical requirements, there are artistic practices that we will need to develop.

So far, the best audio sharing solution for us appears to be Jamulus, an open source platform for remote music-making. It was originally designed more for rock music jamming, but it works well for our use case.
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The next section is a quick setup checklist. The following sections cover in more depth the important considerations involved in high-quality live remote music-making:
Finally, there are sections covering advanced topics, for those interested in a more involved audio setup.

For an overview of many of the topics covered here, you can also watch "All Together Now - Live Remote Choral Performance in the Age of Social Distancing," a webinar cohosted by C4 members Karen Siegel, Daniel Andor-Ardó, and Brian Mountford, and Scot Hanna-Weir, director of choral activities at Santa Clara University.