[21:01] <mrjb> hello, I recently upgraded to ubuntustudio 13.04 but am having trouble finding how to set up the "compose" key.
[21:01] <mrjb> https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ComposeKey#Ubuntu_with_Gnome_desktop has a manual but the System=>Preferences=>Keyboard menu simply does not exist?
[21:02] <Unit193> You are using xfce, so menu > settings manager > keyboard
[21:04] <mrjb> Excellent, I found that, but no mention of the compose key. There's what appears to be a search box but it's disabled.
[21:08] <mrjb> Note that i am not looking simply to change the keyboard layout. I very much dislike "dead keys" because they always get in the way.
[21:08] <mrjb> Instead I would like to hit the AltGr or right "windows" key if i need an accented character.
[21:09] <Unit193> You should be able to add a new one, and hit the key for it to pick up.
[21:10] <mrjb> I'm not sure you fully understand what I'm on about. When I was running vanilla ubuntu 10.04, I could go to system->settings->keyboard and there was mention of a "compose key".
[21:11] <mrjb> after I enabled that to be mapped to my right win key, i could hit rightwin key followed by, for example, O c and it would display the copyright symbol (since it looks like an "O" and a "c" at the same position).
[21:12] <mrjb> But the same menu option doesn't appear to exist at the moment. So how do I enable the compose key for ubustu 13.4?
[21:12] <Unit193> Ah, terribly sorry.  Yes, I was on a different page, thinking a keyboard key for a email compose button. :P
[21:13] <mrjb> ah haha no that's actually pretty much self-configuring. I hit the email button on my keyboard, I instantly get a popup which app it should run.
[21:13] <mrjb> which is none because i have an online mail reader somewhere abroad.
[21:14] <Unit193> Alright, and did the upgrade leave you on Gnome or take you to Xfce?  In xfce: http://forum.xfce.org/viewtopic.php?pid=23726 should do it, gnome I don't know as I haven't really used it.
[21:15] <mrjb> This whole compose key business is extremely practical to me, because although i generally am in an english-speaking environment, i do tend to chat with people in 4 different languages , one of them Portuguese. Which is a pain to type without special characters :)
[21:16] <mrjb> Brilliant, that solves it.
[21:16] <mrjb> setxkbmap -option compose:rwin and I'm back in business.
[21:16] <Unit193> I understand.  Personally, I use Ctrl+Shift+U for unicode input number, but that isn't what you're looking for. :)
[21:16] <mrjb> (have a play around with it. it's awesome)
[21:17] <mrjb> yeah, I really can't be bothered memorizing the whole UTF-8 character set ;)
[21:17] <mrjb> massive thanks Unit193
[21:17] <Unit193> Sure, glad I could help.
[21:19] <mrjb> and it took all of 5 minutes! you have no idea how much time I spent looking for this... let's just say it was considerably longer than that ;)
[21:19] <Unit193> Also helps to know that you are (most likely) running Xfce now rather than Gnome.
[22:26] <caodepalha> Hi everyone. is anyone using reaper or any other daw via wine? is it a good alternative?
[22:31] <mrjb> have played around with reaper via wine - seems halfway convincing sound-wise.
[22:31] <caodepalha> what do you mean halfway? :) is it reliable to work?
[22:32] <mrjb> it's long ago for me and i only briefly messed around with it, so i can't really tell
[22:33] <caodepalha> do you use any daw now?
[22:33] <mrjb> spent more time messing about with Ardour which seems a lot more useable and stable nowadays than say 4 years back.
[22:33] <caodepalha> i really like ardour. just miss a few vst plugins
[22:34] <mrjb> which VST plugins specifically?
[22:34] <caodepalha> still havent found a way to install more plugins in ardour
[22:34] <caodepalha> the waves pack
[22:34] <mrjb> you've got all of ladspa 1&2...
[22:34] <mrjb> okay help me out here, what does the waves pack do?
[22:34] <caodepalha> well they have great plugins for mixing for example
[22:35] <caodepalha> tape simulators etc
[22:35] <mrjb> hang on (starting up ardour)
[22:36] <caodepalha> ok
[22:36] <caodepalha> :)
[22:36] <caodepalha> i have ardour and harrison mixbus
[22:40] <mrjb> specifically a tape simulator i can't find at the moment, but for the sake of natural compression, perhaps the tube simulators are a close enough approximation
[22:40] <mrjb> C* AmpIV seems a pretty decent alternative, for example
[22:41] <caodepalha> is there a need is there a need to look for more plugins other than the default ardour ones?
[22:41] <caodepalha> i still didnt figured out how to install new plugins though
[22:44] <mrjb> for most intents and purposes, there's plenty of them for regular use i'd say, just try them out
[22:45] <mrjb> some specialistic ones may need separate installing, for instance there's the "autotalent" pitch correction one which is prominently missing from the default plugins
[22:46] <mrjb> i remember managing get it working a few years back using just the provided instructions
[22:46] <mrjb> other than that, the few hundred plugins which come with ardour pretty much will fit your every need
[22:47] <mrjb> (unless you're *heavily* into special sound fx)
[22:47] <mrjb> oh well, i'm off to bed now
[22:47] <caodepalha> allright! just wondered if reaper was "usable" under wine. but i'm getting along pretty well with ardour
[22:47] <mrjb> have a good one
[22:47] <caodepalha> thank you!
[22:47] <mrjb> as far as i can tell
[22:48] <mrjb> reaper is "usable"
[22:48] <mrjb> but personally i prefer native apps
[22:48] <caodepalha> allright thank you
[22:48] <mrjb> whatever works best for you is what you should use :)