xwax Documentation
Edit this pagexwax is an open source vinyl emulation software project under the GPL for GNU/Linux.
This is a wiki, so please feel free to contribute to the documentation. You can also chat with or ask advice from the xwax community live in the IRC channel #xwax.
User Guides & Documentation
Getting Started with xwax
Installing xwax
- Building xwax from Source
- Debian Repository Installation
- Ubuntu Repository Installation
- xwax is also available in the Arch Linux Community repository
Configuring xwax
Using xwax
Hardware & xwax
Non-Standard Usages and Modifications
Non-Standard Usages
- One deck setup - Controlling several virtual decks with only one turntable
- Four-deck rigging - Breaking xwax’s 3 deck barrier
Patches
- Cues saving and display - Port of xwaxed cues features. Save and load from .cue file and cue display.
- xwax Timecode - Version of xwax that contains Mark’s timecode definitions for 4khz, 2khz and 1khz versions.
- OSC Server - Evolution of cmd branch. Permits to send commands with xwax-client command line or by OSC messages.
- ympd web client - xwax remote control branch of ympd mpd client
- Relative Timecode - Togglable prevention of record skipping and needle dropping
Outdated Hacks
- Changing the font size in xwax
- “Vertical side-by-side waveforms” patch for xwax 1.3-beta2 (see screenshot)
- 45RPM Mode for 0.7 and earlier
External Tools and Scripts
Import Scripts
Scan Scripts
- Scan + Import Script for Scratching a Live Input
- iggy’s Scan Script - Uses playlists to speed up xwax’s startup time and gets BPM info from file metadata
- oligau’s Scan Script - Uses playlists to speed up xwax’s startup time and gets BPM info from file metadata or from filename if no tag present
- Mark’s scan script with BPM tags - Extract BPM information from file tags on the fly, and cache it
External Tools
- xwax Playlist Exporter - An Amarok 2 script
- bpm-tools - BPM detection
- key-tools- Key detection
Misc
Common Issues & Troubleshooting
- Virtual decks playing in reverse? Switch the left and right RCA plugs over.
- Getting pops, clicks and xruns? Try increasing your buffer size.
- xwax not working with your CD players? Turn off key lock/master tempo.
- Diagnosing the Scope Views - A useful article from Serato on using the scope display. Helpful if your timecode’s performance is less than optimal.
- Scope signal is square? You might have input distortion if your CD player output is too loud for your audio interface input. If the audio interface has a fixed input gain, you can lower the amplitude of the timecode WAV file in a program such as Audacity and burn a new timecode CD.
- TTF DejaVu fonts not found
xwax Community
xwax is not only a project, but also a lively community!
- Check out our works and list your creations too!
- Communicate with others for feedback and bug reports via IRC and the mailing list, which are on the contact page. Please be patient and wait around a while if nobody is around to help straight away.