Pro-Audio in WINE [sub-forum]

[AnthonyCFox]

There's a sense of being between two worlds using wine for pro-audio. I've seen Linux users criticized on other forums by windows users and; once, long ago; I even saw someone criticized here for using wine. I've talked about running software in wine here a number of times, but in the back of my mind is always the thought that someone might take offense that I would dare speak openly about running proprietary software on Linux.

A sub-forum here would make it clear to newbies that wine is acceptable and that this is a safe place to ask questions, share experiences and tips, and talk about what software does and does not work. Practically every pro-audio forum I've ever seen has threads about running software on Linux. I suspect there's a decent sized potential community out there and it doesn't have anyplace to call home.

Plus, with both Reaper and Ableton Live able to run in Linux, DSSI-VST supporting a broad range of plug-ins and the ever increasing number of class compliant interfaces, WINE makes Linux a feasible pro-audio platform for just about any reasonably tech savvy musician. As well, of course, the native Linux applications.

And who knows, some may come for wine support and, over time, realize there's native Linux applications that will work for them as well or better.

[AnthonyCFox]

Hmm.

I'm getting back into music after a very long hiatus that began in the pre-digital home recording studio days. Well, ADAT existed, but was out of most people's price range. In the interim I adopted Linux as my primary OS, so when I decided to get back into recording, Linux software was my first option. Clearly, my experience is very different from the usual.

Seems like a good idea.
That way I can send people asking about Wine to there and forget about it...

Maybe some other Wine gurus will show up and take some of the load off of you. Or, you could train up replacements.

[Oaces]

Excellent idea. I've also seen post around the web of folks using Mixcraft 6 and Presonus studio one in Wine. Would be good just to see how many users go this route.

[nils]

Even if I am against Wine I find this is an excellent idea. It would be nice for them to have a place where they can gather without having to hide the fact that they are running the software in Wine. And I see this from the other perspective: If you go into a windows or audio forum and say "Something does not work in my workflow. I get not sound from feature X, what do I do wrong?" you will not get a real answer if you say "oh, this is in WINE".

So a Windows-Software forum in a Linux forum is the perfect solution. Transparent and the boundary conditions are clear. This way wine users can whine among themselves and are still in reach for snide remarks.

[AnthonyCFox]

So a Windows-Software forum in a Linux forum is the perfect solution. Transparent and the boundary conditions are clear. This way wine users can whine among themselves and are still in reach for snide remarks.

Awesome!!

[AnthonyCFox]

The holidays probably aren't the best time to post to the suggestion box.

[GordonS]

... someone might take offense that I would dare speak openly about running proprietary software on Linux.

Not me.

I'm very happy to say publicly that I use some proprietery and/or commercial software on Linux. Sometimes that's because what's available in Linux isn't yet 'mission ready', sometimes because it's just easier, sometimes because GPL tools just aren't available, sometimes it's because the Linux community keeps changing things (not always for the better!) and I get fed up with relearning. For music, I have Pianoteq and Renoise, and I'm tempted by Harrison MixBus (semi-proprietary). I also make donations for some of the free software I use.

I like to support people and organisations that help to drive and support my choice of operating system and the applications thereon. Most of what I use is OpenSource, but not everything.

[Quirq]

I agree, top idea!

I built a new PC in mid-December and have spent an awful lot of time since then trying to get a few things to work in Wine, which has been very frustrating. From the googling that I did, I get the distinct impression that a lot of the focus in the Wine community is on gaming and that pro-audio is overlooked or neglected to some degree. It's a very specific use case with its own set of problems and needs. As a Wine audio user It would be nice to have a home rather than wandering, lonely between several camps

I'm a pragmatist: I'm fine with commercial Linux software (I'm a very recent and eager convert to Pianoteq: I was happy to pay money to a company that supports Linux and in the process ditch some Windows plugins that were causing a lot of grief) and fine with using Windows software when there's no alternative. For instance, there's nothing to compare with the G-Force M-Tron Pro plugin if you want Mellotron sounds. I'd love not to have to use Windows stuff, given how much time I've lost trying to get it to work, but sometimes there's just no alternative.

I can understand people not wanting to use commercial and/or Windows stuff for reasons of principle, but not everybody feels the same way and we're as much a part of the Linux audio community as anyone else. So yes, it'd be nice to have our own little corner where we can whine

[AnthonyCFox]

So this isn't going to happen?