Should I compose music on linux?

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frabato56
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Should I compose music on linux?

Post by frabato56 »

Hi,

I started trying to write music on linux about 13 years ago using the DeMuDi distro (for those of you who are old enough to remember that), I gave up and started using cubase on windows and went happily along until cubase studio 5. Steinberg did it's last update and left lots of bugs, especially in the score editor which is my preferred way of working. I realize that asking multiple questions in one post is not ideal but maybe, rather than answering these questions, someone would be kind enough to refer me to links that address these questions. I'm sure that they have been asked many times, but after many hours of searching these forums, I'm unclear as to the answers. So here is what I like to do. I write chamber music using mostly, the Miroslav Philharmonik VSTi mixed with synthesized sounds using mostly omnisphere and I write 3 & 4 & 5 etc. part harmony, making a score editor (to me) essential. 99% of my compositions are using VSTi instruments rather than recorded audio. So, here are the questions:

1) can I use Miroslav Philharmonik and omnisphere in any of the better linux sequencers?
2) are there soundfont libraries (or anything else for linux) that would make me happily kiss the "above mentioned libraries" good bye.
3) can I link qtractor with a score editor? (using jack), or anything else.
4) are there other solutions to these questions? (I've always relied on the kindness of linux users).

Thanks!
Eino
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Re: Should I compose music on linux?

Post by Eino »

I use NtEd music score editor, with timidity, timidity-daemon, timidity-interfaces-extra, and fluid-soundfont-gm.
Every thing can be found in Debian Wheeze repositories.
NtEd has bugs, that can be worked around. But it seems that the developer has not worked on it for a long time.
But it still works for me, and my uses. What I like about it you can export a midi file directly from the editor.
"Music is everybody's possession. It's only publishers who think that people own it. "
John Lennon

https://soundcloud.com/eino1953
nils
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Re: Should I compose music on linux?

Post by nils »

All 4 question can be answered with "no". You will not be happy with the current state of orchestral sampling in Linux. Not at all.
frabato56
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Re: Should I compose music on linux?

Post by frabato56 »

Hello Gentlemen,

Eino, that sounds nice and simple. If you would like to expand your sound palette, there are some soundfonts that might interest you:
http://the-filmmusic-group.deviantart.c ... -224143947
and
http://soundfonts.darkesword.com/
and
http://sso.mattiaswestlund.net/
and I'm sure that people on this forum have discovered many more, some are sfz format, so you would probably have to user qsampler (or something). It's nice that you can do what you want to do on linux.

NilsGey, one of the first conditions that must be satisfied is the availability of decent sounds (which are just a matter of taste of course), I happen to like orchestral samples mixed with synthesized sounds. I saw your post:
http://www.linuxmusicians.com/viewtopic ... 129#p52129
and the situation looks rather grim. But, before I give up, has anyone had any luck running philharmonik, omnisphere or kontakt under WINE. Of course, this is not my first choice but I only use windows to compose music. Since lightworks went opensource (and actually since flowblade came along) I have no other use for that operating system.

Thanks for the responses!
DepreTux
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Re: Should I compose music on linux?

Post by DepreTux »

I guess the best choice when it comes to writing scores is using lillypond through frescobaldi.
Lilypond is a text based score editor where you write a text file and then use a "compiler" (the lilypond command itself) to get the score exported to pdf, and midi if required.
Frescobaldi is a frontend to lilypond which will allow you to play your scores with a synthesizer, or any of the soundfonts above.

Despite lilypond being one of the best solutions to score writing, you must learn its syntax, which is easy, but is still another thing to learn.

And as far as I know, windows vsts work under carla (a plugin host) when install alongside its win32 bridge (carla-bridge-win32).

You also probably need to know that getting used to the linux audio workflow takes time, and effort, though there are lots of good resources available online such as this forum, and the linux audio user mailing list, which you probably should join.

Good luck!
tatch
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Re: Should I compose music on linux?

Post by tatch »

i'm entirely unfamiliar with orchestral arrangement on linux so my input may not be helpful at all but i recall people having success running kontakt under wine and a quick google search returns this.

i also don't use notation often but from what i gather there are a few notation sequencers on linux (sorry if i'm wrong) and i've no idea if they are any good, but in case you're interested:

http://ariamaestosa.sourceforge.net/
http://www.rosegardenmusic.com/
http://laborejo.org/ this is written by nilsgey, i'm guessing there's a reason he didn't mention it in his post (maybe since it says it's being updated? not sure)
frabato56
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Re: Should I compose music on linux?

Post by frabato56 »

Well I think I'll try some VSTi's using wine. If I can get those to work it looks like there's plenty of software to get the job done.

Thanks for the responses!
Eino
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Re: Should I compose music on linux?

Post by Eino »

tatch wrote:i'm entirely unfamiliar with orchestral arrangement on linux so my input may not be helpful at all but i recall people having success running kontakt under wine and a quick google search returnsbeing updated? not sure)
None of this is my own composition, I was reading the sheet music to make the music
What i stated earlier was just the music score editor that I use on occasion. .
This is the closest to an orchestral arrangement you can get using linux,lmms, and a midi keyboard.
https://jumpshare.com/v/E8Smp65gO5NGOyfxyNAT

https://soundcloud.com/eino1953/to-where-you-are

If you read my profile on sound cloud you will see my experience, as a musician.
https://soundcloud.com/eino1953
"Music is everybody's possession. It's only publishers who think that people own it. "
John Lennon

https://soundcloud.com/eino1953
tnovelli
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Re: Should I compose music on linux?

Post by tnovelli »

Seriously, the answer is no.

After you compose a piece in the score editor, you'll want to fine-tune the sound in a DAW and maybe record some audio tracks. Problem is, you have to import MIDI files into the DAW to do that. It's a cumbersome one-way process. The DAW doesn't see the score's structure, just a flat stream of MIDI notes. To change the notes, you have to go back to the score editor and export/import all over again.

I gave up on that. I use DAW/sequencer piano-roll editors for MIDI stuff, and score editors for parts to be played by humans.
Eino
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Re: Should I compose music on linux?

Post by Eino »

With the score editor I use, I can edit midi with it, the biggest issue is when you export the midi, it has no dynamics, the pitch, and volume never changes, and it sounds mechanical. But It gives you a good idea of what it will sound like, when it's played by a human. But from the score editor to a finished product. The answer is no it's not going to happen.
"Music is everybody's possession. It's only publishers who think that people own it. "
John Lennon

https://soundcloud.com/eino1953
frabato56
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Re: Should I compose music on linux?

Post by frabato56 »

Thanks to all of you for your replies.Yes, it looks like doing the kind of composition that I've been doing on windows for the past several years is either not possible or quite the headache on linux. I hope that the situation will change in the near future.

Again, thanks to all.
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AlexTheBassist
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Re: Should I compose music on linux?

Post by AlexTheBassist »

frabato56 wrote: 1) can I use Miroslav Philharmonik and omnisphere in any of the better linux sequencers?
2) are there soundfont libraries (or anything else for linux) that would make me happily kiss the "above mentioned libraries" good bye.
3) can I link qtractor with a score editor? (using jack), or anything else.
4) are there other solutions to these questions? (I've always relied on the kindness of linux users).
1. Maybe. You should give it a try by using it in Carla plugin host via its new VST bridge. Should work very well when not used via Carla-Rack LV2 in Ardour. You'll need to install Carla from Git. There's a packaged version in KXStudio PPA.
2. Take a look at GIG, SFZ and SF2 samples, they're supported by Linux DAWs and hosts very well.
3. Yes, if you will use some MIDI bridge and MIDI channel splutter.
4. Yes, there are always lots, but KXStudio disrto should provide you with anything you just need.

So, all you need is to download the needed distro (64bit is preferralbe if your CPU is 64-bit), to install it, to install carla-git, install your VSTs and experiment! Also, there's other new and promising VST bridge which just lets you to load Windows VSTs directly to your Linux DAW. If there's still no solution, I'd recommend you to install Reaper and run it along with Wineasio. It's usually lots better with Windows VSTs.
Being creative does not imply being lazy, stupid, or illiterate.

Working in Harrison Mixbus and Ardour on KDE Neon + KXStudio.
frabato56
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Re: Should I compose music on linux?

Post by frabato56 »

AlexTheBassist wrote: 2. Take a look at GIG, SFZ and SF2 samples, they're supported by Linux DAWs and hosts very well.
Does anyone know of any decent orchestral samples in any of these formats? Free or commercial would both be fine with me.
AlexTheBassist wrote: Also, there's other new and promising VST bridge which just lets you to load Windows VSTs directly to your Linux DAW.
Tell me more about this if anyone knows. This may not be as easy as doing things in windows but I haven't given up yet!

Thanks!
StudioDave
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Re: Should I compose music on linux?

Post by StudioDave »

frabato56 wrote:... here is what I like to do. I write chamber music using mostly, the Miroslav Philharmonik VSTi mixed with synthesized sounds using mostly omnisphere and I write 3 & 4 & 5 etc. part harmony, making a score editor (to me) essential. 99% of my compositions are using VSTi instruments rather than recorded audio.
To be honest, since you're already working with a completely defined system I see no need to use Linux at all. You're asking for headaches. None of your tools are available natively for Linux, and equivalents are either insufficient or lacking entirely.

Even if it's possible to do what you want, why change at all ? You have a completely working system of composition, what gain could possibly come from switching operating systems now ?

Linux sound and music software can do incredible things, but it is not a drop-in replacement for the Windows music apps stack.

Best,

dp
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Re: Should I compose music on linux?

Post by raboof »

tnovelli wrote:Seriously, the answer is no.
While I agree for OP it's probably not worth it to try and switch...
tnovelli wrote:After you compose a piece in the score editor, you'll want to fine-tune the sound in a DAW and maybe record some audio tracks. Problem is, you have to import MIDI files into the DAW to do that. It's a cumbersome one-way process.
.. remember it doesn't have to be this way. Rosegarden proves it: it has a notation editor but also lets you tweak the MIDI characteristics of the notes, and supports having MIDI and audio tracks side-by-side.
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