Rosegarden,
the free Linux digital audio workstation with multitrack audio, MIDI,
and notation features, is pre-release software no more. Version 1.0 has
gone gold, available for download for Linux or as part of Fervent Software's
Studio-to-Go CD, which will run on Windows PCs without installation.
Fervent has helped support Rosegarden's accelerated development, and if
you opt for their pre-built CD option you can avoid having to configure
Linux yourself, while taking advantage of a complete software studio
built around Rosegarden and many other Linux tools. (See our interview with Fervent.)
Is this a free Cubase alternative? Well incredibly, the answer is
nearly yes. Rosegarden still isn't as mature as competitive DAWs, and
lacks the flexibility of software like Ableton Live and the notation
power of dedicated applications like Sibelius and Finale. But for
students and musicians whose budget can't accommodate purchasing full
software setups, this could really open some doors, and its open-source
nature means it could be the basis of new audio software
solutions. There's an incredible amount of functionality, and
thanks to Studio-to-Go you can try this out with minimum fuss.