Please share your gnu/linux music production setup

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Re: Please share your gnu/linux music production setup

Post by milo »

WforWoollyMammoth wrote:The reverbs available for Linux aren't that great though and I've used WINE for the reverbs so far =/
Have you tried Dragonfly Reverb?

Here is a demo and review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnriLuJXTW0
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Re: Please share your gnu/linux music production setup

Post by WforWoollyMammoth »

Openmastering wrote:Nice setup @WforWoollyMammoth

I also have a Babyface Pro (among other RME soundcards) and I'm quite happy with it. Software monitoring works fine for me if I ever need to overdub.

I don't agree with you about free audio software being subpar. Setting up the a-compressor from ardour is as easy as setting up my hardware compressors. Calf plugins give you enough visuals. LSP plugins enough flexibility if you need to ask yourself if you need a linear phase filter or not. I use impulse response for my reverbs and it's not lacking anything. I can't say about algorithmic reverbs as I hardly use them. Except some plates for vocals but they never sound "real" anyway.

I bought all the DAWs and plugins you listed, (except Presswerk which is a dream compressor, I agree) and I went back to using exclusively free software (and diy hardware) for mastering. It's enough to get the job done.

Sorry if I come aggressive, it's definitely not meant this way. There are good reasons to use commercial softwares, I just went the route from free software because it's free(beer) to commercial software because I wanted to support the credibility of Linux as an audio platform, and back to free software because they are good enough to get a pro job done while being ethically on par with my beliefs.
Hi,

thank you for the compliment you that you start your reply with it... and also the criticism!

I do not consider the "free as speech" / "free as beer" software available for Linux "subpar" in the sense that a lot of it wouldn't be good. For example, my favourite delay plugin is still SWH stero delay and my favourite phase is Calf Phaser. I just personally consider especially compression and reverb to be the the type of effects that should be easy to set up and the result should generate the "this sounds like a record" type of impression with minimal amount of tweaking. In that regard, I find the commercial plugins to do that job in most cases well with the least amount of hassle (U-he Presswerk is a great example of this, as it just sounds good with most settings).

IRs are an option for reverb, of course. Personally, I just don't like how they force you to keep trying out different files for different delay lengths and so on. The workflow with algorithmic reverbs is what I prefer. In general, I like reverbs quite low in the mix and I'm not one looking for the most "hifi" ones in that regard, but I am really picky about how they work in a mix. I like the way they push the mix "further away from the listener", even if in general I do like rather dry mixes. Little amounts of tweaking make a lot of difference and that's why I'm picky with reverbs. I like Valhalla Room and Fabfilter Pro-R the most, as far as plugin reverbs are considered, and wish native Linux versions were available.

I do not want to derail this thread too much. This thread is about people telling about their setups. Looking forward to you challenging my views on other threads in any case. I'm currently really interested in reverbs (I've done a lot of A/B'ing and reading on algorithms), so maybe you'd like to write replies to some of my comments on other threads.
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Re: Please share your gnu/linux music production setup

Post by WforWoollyMammoth »

milo wrote:
WforWoollyMammoth wrote:The reverbs available for Linux aren't that great though and I've used WINE for the reverbs so far =/
Have you tried Dragonfly Reverb?

Here is a demo and review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnriLuJXTW0
Yes, I have. I sort of like it, but I should still subject it to more testing.

However, I'm under the impression that the "hall" version of it is just zita reverb with a different early reflections algo? Correct if I'm wrong with that description.

I've always really liked the zita reverb (I use it as a "monitoring reverb" for keyboards and DI guitars), but it's not something I'd recommend as the "main reverb" in the typical "send" approach for mixes. It's a bit thin sounding in that context. I'm not sure if the early reflections model that's used for DR instead is that much of an improvement in that regard. Again, please correct me if I'm spreading misinformation here.

Just like there are "glue compressors", there are "glue reverbs". The "feedback delay network" type of reverbs do not accomplish that as well as the products that employ a bit more sophisticated approach for it. They can sound really, really nice solo'ed, but in a full mix the results tend to be a bit flat to my ears.
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Re: Please share your gnu/linux music production setup

Post by Michael Willis »

WforWoollyMammoth wrote:However, I'm under the impression that the "hall" version of it is just zita reverb with a different early reflections algo? Correct if I'm wrong with that description.
Dragonfly Hall can be considered a descendant of Zita with a few additional features that make quite a difference:

* The chorus parameters (mod, spin, and wander) give an effect of multiple reverb tails moving around.
* The crossover and multiplier dials give you the capability of defining three different frequency bands that have different decay times.
* Like you mentioned, it includes an implementation of Moorer's early reflection model, and you can select a percentage of the early reflections to feed into the late reverb. As far as I'm aware, Zita has no early reflection algorithm at all.

Depending on what you mean by "thin sounding", you can trying lengthening out the decay time of the low frequencies (dial up the Low Mult, and experiment with Low Cross), or you can try exaggerating the stereo width a bit higher than 100%.
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Re: Please share your gnu/linux music production setup

Post by WforWoollyMammoth »

Michael Willis wrote:
WforWoollyMammoth wrote:However, I'm under the impression that the "hall" version of it is just zita reverb with a different early reflections algo? Correct if I'm wrong with that description.
Dragonfly Hall can be considered a descendant of Zita with a few additional features that make quite a difference:

* The chorus parameters (mod, spin, and wander) give an effect of multiple reverb tails moving around.
* The crossover and multiplier dials give you the capability of defining three different frequency bands that have different decay times.
* Like you mentioned, it includes an implementation of Moorer's early reflection model, and you can select a percentage of the early reflections to feed into the late reverb. As far as I'm aware, Zita has no early reflection algorithm at all.

Depending on what you mean by "thin sounding", you can trying lengthening out the decay time of the low frequencies (dial up the Low Mult, and experiment with Low Cross), or you can try exaggerating the stereo width a bit higher than 100%.
Thank you for your comments. I like the amount of control your plugin offers compared to other free-as-in-beer / free-as-in-speech Linux reverbs.

Zita-reverb is thin-sounding to my ears, but it's my favourite reverb available for Linux in any case. The LV2 version is constantly "on" in my JACK setup for my keyboards and DI'd guitar and provides all the reverb I need when jamming alone. It's just not something I'd use as a send reverb that combines different elements of a mix. It tends to sound thin, because it sounds the best with the brighter tones to me. Your modifications seem to allow getting darker reverb tones in a more convenient manner.

On the early reflections:

On the original author's site is stated: "the early reflections are different for the L and R inputs, but do not correspond to any real room. They have been tuned to match left and right sources to some extent."

https://kokkinizita.linuxaudio.org/linu ... guide.html), zita-rev1

I've also looked at the block diagram: https://www.dsprelated.com/josimages_ne ... img897.png

I just always assumed the ERs are "the second block".
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Re: Please share your gnu/linux music production setup

Post by Michael Willis »

WforWoollyMammoth wrote:On the early reflections:

On the original author's site is stated: "the early reflections are different for the L and R inputs, but do not correspond to any real room. They have been tuned to match left and right sources to some extent."

https://kokkinizita.linuxaudio.org/linu ... guide.html), zita-rev1

I've also looked at the block diagram: https://www.dsprelated.com/josimages_ne ... img897.png

I just always assumed the ERs are "the second block".
Heh, you're right. For more context, Dragonfly Hall Reverb is mostly just Hibiki reverb in a nicer plugin (well, that's a bit oversimplified, but good enough for this conversation). Hibiki uses a modified Zita as the late reflection algorithm.
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Re: Please share your gnu/linux music production setup

Post by TAERSH »

Name: Rainer
Usage: Composing & Live Recording/Performance
Hardware 1: ASRock B450 Pro, AMD Ryzen 5 Six Core Processor, 16 GB Ram
Hardware 2: Gigabyte F2A88XM-DS2, AMD A6-6400K Two Core Processor, 4 GB RAM
Operating System: LazY Puppy ArtStudio 32bit/64bit (my own creations using WoofCE, the Puppy Linux Builder) using real time kernels to avoid XRUNS and to have MIDI and Audio still synchronized in songs length of 30 minutes and beyond
Audio: Audacity, MhWaveEdit, OcenAudio, ReZound, SpecMorph, Sweep, Traverso, WaveBreaker, WaveCleaner, WaveSurfer
Sequencer: Ardour (3 & 5), Beast, Composite, Hydrogen, LMMS, MusE (2 & 3), ProTrekkr, Qtractor, Reborn, Rosegarden, SunVox
Synthesizer/Sampler: ADLPlug, Aeolus, ALSA Modular Synth, AmSynth, Bristol Synthesizers, Carla, Drumkv1, Fluajho, Foo-YC20, Freebirth, GmOrgan, Helm, Hexter, Horgand, JSampler, Mx44, Nekobee, OPNPlug, Padthv1, Petri-Foo, PhaseX, QSynth, QSampler, VCV Rack, RtSynth, Samplv1, Sineshaper, SetBFree, Specimen, Synthv1, Yoshimi, ZynAddSubFx
PlugIns DSSI: AmSynth, FluidSynth, Hexter, Nekobee, WhySynth, WSynth, XSynth, ZynAddSubFx
PlugIns LV2: ADLPlug, AmSynth, AviDrums, Calf FluidSynth, Carla, Drumkv1, Foo-YC20, GmSynth, Helm, LinuxSampler,
Nekobi, Obxd, OPNPlug, Padthv1, Samplv1, Synthv1, Triceratops, Vex, Wolpertinger, Yoshimi, ZynAddSubFx
PlugIns VST 1: ADLPlug, AmSynth, AviDrums, Dexed, Digits, Drumkv1, Helm, HyperCyclic, LinuxSampler, Nekobi, Obxd, OPNPlug, OxeFM, Padthv1, RaveGenerator, Sitala, ToneSpace, TuneFish, Vex, Wolpertinger, Xhip
PlugIns VST 2 (U-HE): Podolski, Repro, TripleCheese, TyrellN6, Zebralette

After using Atari ST/Cubase first, later Windows/Micro Logic/Cubase for some years I switched to GNU/Linux in 2012 developing my own remasters and later WoofCE builds of Puppy Linux. I'm now a full time GNU/Linux user and I'm totally happy with my LazY Puppy ArtStudios, which are used on 4 different computers (2 x 64bit, 2 x 32bit).
Last edited by TAERSH on Wed Feb 05, 2020 7:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Please share your gnu/linux music production setup

Post by adam »

Perfect. :D
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Re: Please share your gnu/linux music production setup

Post by TAERSH »

adam wrote:Perfect. :D
Thanks!

Though, I know it's a lot more than I may ever use.
For some time I downloaded everything I could find to give it a shot.
Those what's working I installed into a adrv.sfs which is loaded at boot automatically.
Got four of almost equal setup systems. One ist 64bit the other 32bit.

Mainly I'm using the 64bit version by the use of Qtractor, Hydrogen, Yoshimi (standalone), ZynAddSubFx (standalone) plus some of the U-HE PlugIns. I also like Tunefish4's sound 'Pad 3'. In Hydrogen I'm using my own creation of drum samples recorded from a huge Sonor Force 3007 Kit (21 Drums, 24 Cymbals, 6 Pedals). Here's some links: https://linuxmusicians.com/viewtopic.ph ... 21#p114521

I have developed my own JACK Project/Session Management (QTR-Suite), so when starting a project all Synthesizers will start automatically with its sounds/banks used already loaded. I choose a new project from templates, choose the synthesizers to use within that project and hit 'create'. That's all. The sequencer (Qtractor) is executed at last, so all connections are there, or will be created automatically at first run after a new project has been created.

Really comfortable. :D
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Re: Please share your gnu/linux music production setup

Post by bluebell »

TAERSH wrote:In Hydrogen I'm using my own creation of drum samples recorded from a huge Sonor Force 3007 Kit (21 Drums, 24 Cymbals, 6 Pedals).
Are you willing to share your Hydrogen drumkit?

Linux – MOTU UltraLite AVB – Qtractor – http://suedwestlicht.saar.de/

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Re: Please share your gnu/linux music production setup

Post by TAERSH »

bluebell wrote:Are you willing to share your Hydrogen drumkit?
I shared it already in the end of the days of the old Hydrogen page/forum. But this was only for 0.9.6, I think, and I don't know if they still have it on their new page. So I packaged two versions into one .tar.gz file. It's either for 0.9.6 (maybe also 0.9.7, didn't check that) and for the 1.0.0 which I compiled and uploaded to datafilehost. Link is in 'Sequencers' section of this forum.

I uploaded those two drum kits to my google drive: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1mxMmi ... aWK-0n4RvX

Of course, it's NOT a General MIDI Kit, as it has three Bass Drums, 4 Snare Drums, 4 Hi-Hats etc.pp.

And also of course, it doesn't contain everything from the current setup.
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Re: Please share your gnu/linux music production setup

Post by bluebell »

TAERSH wrote:
bluebell wrote:Are you willing to share your Hydrogen drumkit?
I shared it already in the end of the days of the old Hydrogen page/forum. But this was only for 0.9.6, I think, and I don't know if they still have it on their new page. So I packaged two versions into one .tar.gz file. It's either for 0.9.6 (maybe also 0.9.7, didn't check that) and for the 1.0.0 which I compiled and uploaded to datafilehost. Link is in 'Sequencers' section of this forum.

I uploaded those two drum kits to my google drive: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1mxMmi ... aWK-0n4RvX

Of course, it's NOT a General MIDI Kit, as it has three Bass Drums, 4 Snare Drums, 4 Hi-Hats etc.pp.

And also of course, it doesn't contain everything from the current setup.
Thanks. I don't mind if it's not GM.

But why oh why did they change the format with hydrogen 1.0? For me it's a no-go to make things backward-incompatible.

Linux – MOTU UltraLite AVB – Qtractor – http://suedwestlicht.saar.de/

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Re: Please share your gnu/linux music production setup

Post by TAERSH »

Between 0.9.7 and 1.0.0 they made some additions like to have muted/choked Cymbals etc. and changed also something on the 'auto-stop-note' functions. As far as I could see/understand, these additions affect only 'standalone' use. I don't know why they don't include the use combined to a sequencer in their developments. Probably they changed it meanwhile?

What ever they truly did, it results in all Cymbals sounding like muted/choked Cymbals. At least on my side. No matter of the length of the MIDI-note. On older Songs trying to load it crashes constantly.

However: I solved this by having both versions existing in a sub-directory, each one with its own drum kits to be used, being able to choose which one to use from within my QTR-Suite. As long as the default.h2song file is from the dependent Hydrogen everything seems to work fine. Though, mostly I'm still using 0.9.6 (beta3?).

May I ask: what OS is you using?
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Re: Please share your gnu/linux music production setup

Post by tripomatic »

tripomatic wrote:Name: Stijn
Usage: home recording
Hardware: assembly Intel i5 3.30 GHz, 16 Gb RAM, Asus motherboard. RME Multiface2+behringer ADA8000. M-audio Axiom 49 keyboardcontroller and Behringer BCF2000 daw controller.
Synth: MFB-522, Korg-Er1, x0xb0x, Roland JP-8080, Microkorg, Novation KS5, Novation Bass station rack, Novation Drumstation v2,
Software used from Debian testing/unstable and self compiled : Ardour 3 Beta, DrMr lv2, Invada lv2, Distrho Pack plugins, Linuxdsp de-esser(will buy other plugins too in future), Yoshimi, swh-lv2,so-synth-lv2, Hydrogen, Bristol,...
Issues with the system: None, everything is running smooth and stable at 2.8ms latency.
8 years later and my setup has changed.

Still homerecording
Hardware: assembly AMD Ryzen 7 1700, 16gb ram, ssd, asus mobo, still RME Multiface2+ADA8000. and axiom 49 Controller. Switch the BCF2000 for Icon platform M+ and X+. Neutrik Pathbay
Yamaha hs8m monitor speakers

Hardware synth: Roland Tr8s, mfb 522, Korg er-1, Novation drumstation v2, Novation Bas station rack, Korg Monologue, Behringer model D, Mam Mb33, Novation KS5(broken, need to fix it), 2x Xoxbox, Roland JP-8080. Probably going to sell bass station & drumstation.

Software: Debian testing/unstable Bitwig, Mixbus32C, U-he diva, hive, Ace, repro, beatzille, tyrelln6, presswerk, twangstrom,colourcopy, Helm, Distrho pack , obxd, Lufs Meter, linuxdsp, linuxDSP PEQ-2A, Dyn500, Audioblast Acidbox,
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Re: Please share your gnu/linux music production setup

Post by Gps »

Update from previous post.

I am these days on a new pc.

AMD ryzen 5 , 16 gig ram. Rx 570, with 4 gig of ram.

Opensuse Tumbleweed, and LMMS, ( appimage version )

I also bought this, a simple midi controller:
https://www.bax-shop.nl/midi-keyboards/ ... gKHzPD_BwE

For LMMS this harware is probably a bit of an overkill, but I am also a bit of a gamer.

On the todo list, is getting Carla to show up in LMMS.
Will probably have to compile Carla myself.

LMMS is as stable as a rock for me, after I disabled plugin embed in the settings.
Thanks to and3md

https://github.com/LMMS/lmms/issues/5104

For others using LMMS, you probably want to turn of embed in the setting.
I reported this issue, but already know of people on Ubuntu and Mint experiencing the same issue.
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