Network Audio System

The Network Audio System (NAS) is a transparent client-server audio system that was originally developed by the company Netword Computing Devices ( NCD). It has already been implemented on many platforms. NAS is something like the X server for graphics for audio. It can be used anywhere where sound from the remote computer to be played on the local machine. Appropriately, therefore from a remote application launched both the display ( DISPLAY environment variable ) and the sound ( environment variable AUDIOSERVER ) is redirected to the user's computer. However, the following features also allow a use other than those originally planned.

Features:

• Hardware Independent sound over the network
• Many audio formats
• Caching of audio in the server for fast playback
• Mixing and manipulating sound possible
• Simultaneous use of the sound card of several programs ( each with different sound formats ) - In contrast to ESD or Phonon NAS is not tied to a specific window manager.
• Free license

Architecture

On the user's computer the server is started. The remote application will be informed of the above environment variables on which X server to which they bind and audio server it should send sound data. The application must be compiled with the libraries of this NAS, a corresponding option offer many applications already. Others can be used by means of a preloaded library which redirects the traffic to the sound card to the audio server.