My KVR 'What stops you switching to Linux' thread

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danboid
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My KVR 'What stops you switching to Linux' thread

Post by danboid »

Seeing as I believe the main reason many hobby musicians aren't switching to LInux is due to the lack of quality plugins, I'm posting this link under Plugins and Effects:

http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic ... 4&t=413038
Drumfix
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Re: My KVR 'What stops you switching to Linux' thread

Post by Drumfix »

Harrison is also a commercial Linux plugin vendor.
Btw, i recently wrote a wrapper that lets one use the mixbus channelstrip/bus/master as ladspa plugins in any ladspa plugin host.
See my screenshot here http://recording.de/uploads/newbb/fb1ed ... b76b86.png
And mixbus is currently available for $19.95 from rspeaudio.com.
Walnutcracker
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Re: My KVR 'What stops you switching to Linux' thread

Post by Walnutcracker »

Drumfix wrote:Harrison is also a commercial Linux plugin vendor.
Btw, i recently wrote a wrapper that lets one use the mixbus channelstrip/bus/master as ladspa plugins in any ladspa plugin host.
See my screenshot here http://recording.de/uploads/newbb/fb1ed ... b76b86.png
And mixbus is currently available for $19.95 from rspeaudio.com.
Do you have plans to release the wrapper?
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Re: My KVR 'What stops you switching to Linux' thread

Post by Drumfix »

Sure, sometime the coming weekend.
ssj71
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Re: My KVR 'What stops you switching to Linux' thread

Post by ssj71 »

Interesting to read some of the responses. Ironically I could see similar things being written by linux users in a "why not switch to windows" thread. :) Most of the replies so far amount to, "I'm not open to the idea."

EDIT:
Also, danboid, as a plugin creator I frequently want to know what plugins people are missing. So very often people say "there should be X" then the next reply is someone saying "There is! link to X." See https://www.linuxmusicians.com/viewtopi ... =44&t=7526 Any specific gripes about missing plugins or features/quality in plugins you'd like to call out? I'm not trying to say things can't be improved, but more, what specifically do you need that I might be able to fix (my guess is instruments).

As a sidenote, I'm unconvinced that we need a ton of commercial developers. a few good plugins is worth much more than 100 people trying to make a buck off a little dsp. LinuxDSP has all the basics covered.
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Re: My KVR 'What stops you switching to Linux' thread

Post by danboid »

I've been quite disappointed with the responses so far. I was hoping for more 'I can't do x or get y plugin' styles responses when instead, like ssj71 has already observed, its been more like "I don't like Linux" / "Linux is too hard" / "Linux scares me" style responses.

I'd like to see more powerful synth and instrument plugins personally. I like Noizemaker and Tunefish but Aspect is the only synth plugin that meets all my needs that has a native Linux version. Maybe I should give DiscoDSP another chance but when I last tried their synths a couple of years ago I found so many showstopping bugs in the first few minutes of me using them my expectations are rock bottom and I'm really not expecting to find a world of change.

The U-he dev (creators of the popular Zebra synth) has said he'll consider a Linux port but isn't making any promises.
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Re: My KVR 'What stops you switching to Linux' thread

Post by Drumfix »

I don't see that many "I don't like linux" answers.

I see the usual:

I use hardware xyz, that is not supported under linux
I use sequencer xyz that is not available natively under linux
I use plugin xyz that is not available natively under linux
I'm familiar with win/osx and have everything i need there, why bother with linux.

All valid points.

Well, i use linux and to date i don't bother anymore with anything that will not run natively under linux.
And that me being one of the authores of wineasio and quite a number of patches to the wine midi implementation. :)
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Re: My KVR 'What stops you switching to Linux' thread

Post by bluebell »

Don't forget that there's the type of musician who isn't able to compose and arrange a whole song AND doesn't have others who are. Those people tend to buy tools that help them, like electronic guitarists or drummers. Not available for Linux.

Then you need a reason for switching. If you're happy with Windows or MacOS then why should you switch and solve all problems again? I use Linux because I hate it beeing fooled and watched by the system. I don't like dongles, license servers and hardware-coupled license keys - much more as I don't like it not having the source code. I am not against paying for software but I don't feel like being a slave to the software provider.

I switched to Linux about 1995 and it was clear that I don't install a Closed Source OS with its totalitarian structure when I decided to use my computers to make music.

There ARE reasons to switch to Linux. But not just for making music.

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Re: My KVR 'What stops you switching to Linux' thread

Post by Rapstam »

The usual black / white discussion.

Somethings are cool in the Linux sound system, somethings are just tedious.

I think the entire JACK-ecosystem is extremely flexible and powerful. For recordings the current linux software is powerful. All the hardware I've used have been supported.

What linux needs are some stable native plugins, which sounds good and are easy to use. It does not need to have tons of controls, if you can rock your world by turning one button you're all set. That's what it all boils down to, getting cool sounds out of your computer, I don't want to spend my Friday evening programming AMS to get a wobble-bass - I prefer turning on the computer and press a button and start playing. I really like Yoshimi/Zyn, but trying to make your own sounds is just painful. Having said so, the Yoshimi/Zyn soundbanks are just awesome.

Automation:
Patternbased / loopbased automation for pure electronic music is to my knowledge only really available in LMMS. JACK based pattern/loop automation (plugin?) is much needed. HarmonySeq-alike midisequencing with pattern-automation in JACK is on my wishlist.

Somethings are just tedious on linux other things are just fun:
Plugin your guitar and rock or connect qmidiarp to yoshimi and add some effects - easy, fun and entertaining.

Just my 0.05$
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Re: My KVR 'What stops you switching to Linux' thread

Post by ssj71 »

falkTX wrote: Can they blame linux for this though?
I think the answer is clearly no, but the fact remains regardless of the cause of the situation.

These answers of what things people miss seem pretty on par with things I've read previously. I agree there could be improvements in these areas.
Rapstam wrote: HarmonySeq-alike midisequencing with pattern-automation in JACK is on my wishlist.
Would seq24 in song mode work? I'd really like to see seq24 ported/reimplemented as an LV2 plugin.
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My plugins are Infamous! http://ssj71.github.io/infamousPlugins
I just want to get back to making music!
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Re: My KVR 'What stops you switching to Linux' thread

Post by bazsound »

I use linux on a daily basis for audio and even in my job as a live sound engineer. Ive used it to EQ terrible systems that dont have any outboard by running it through my laptop and it worked fine. though i wouldnt do this regularly it was a get out of jail solution.

ive been a linux user for about 7 years now full time, no windows, not even dual booting dont even have windows installed in a VM.

I agree that thee is a slight lack of plugins but given time more will come. But the basics are there.

Plenty of FX to choose from
Decent parametric and graphic EQ's
Choice of single band and multi band compression
Gates


If you run an audio distro like kx studio or av linux or ubuntu studio, you will find that there is actualy hundreds of plugins to choise from, admitedly some of them are not great, guis make it hard to navigate (the generic guis i find make using a plugin 10 times as slow as one with a well though out gui) they dont sound particularly good or they dont work.

but there are a host of calf plguins all excelent, as well as invada , linux dsp, harrison mix bus does some amazing plugins.

I have a whole bunch of stuff done complelty with linux all using free plugins. And ive heard some very impressive stuff that youw ould have thought came out of a proffessional recording studio running protools.

If you know what your doing and have an ear for it, you can get the best out of the tools you have, just like a talented guitarist (or any musicition) can plug in x piece of equipemtn and maybe its not there usuall sound but they will get a good sound.

Linux is a hands on OS it steps away from the baby approach of windows where users dont need to understand or know whats going on underneath, your kind of handed stuff to you.

ofcoarse if you need to get stuff done and are on a deadline then yes windows or mac is going to be more productive. But on those instances money is usually availible ot get the job done.

If you are getting paid to do what you do, then obviously you are going to want something that is going to do it with minimal fuss and messing around.
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Re: My KVR 'What stops you switching to Linux' thread

Post by Eino »

I have been using Linux for everything, I have found the plugins with LMMS, are more that sufficient for my needs. But mostly I do MIDI work with a portable grand piano. I do mostly classical music. I have added some custom stuff to LMMS just to make things easier. I have dumped Windows altogether now. Why take the drive space with something I don't use.
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Re: My KVR 'What stops you switching to Linux' thread

Post by AlexTheBassist »

First of all, for me the main problem is that Ardour 3 isn't really stable. It crashes all the time when doing basic operations, especially when editing or saving MIDI. The second problem is absence of samplers which support common formats other than GIG/SF2/SFZ. The third big problem is some plugins' sound quality and/or instability. For instance, Guitarix's GxAmplifier is pretty good already, but still lacks some features, has problems with GUI (it freezes Ardour's interface for a couple of secs when opening) and the models it uses aren't comparable to commercial ones. Also, there's no good bass amp simulation. Guitarix does the job, but it still feels like a guitar plugin, thus requires additional tweaks and tricks to make for the right sound. And the last: I personally lack drumkits for DrumGizmo. Three of them isn't enough. But despite all mentioned problems things aren't that bad. I use Linux in my workflow just because I don't wanna spend my time on having sex with Windows. There are girls for that.
Being creative does not imply being lazy, stupid, or illiterate.

Working in Harrison Mixbus and Ardour on KDE Neon + KXStudio.
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Re: My KVR 'What stops you switching to Linux' thread

Post by lazyklimm »

>First of all, for me the main problem is that Ardour 3 isn't really stable. It crashes all the time when doing basic operations, especially when editing or saving MIDI.

Works for me

>The second problem is absence of samplers which support common formats other than GIG/SF2/SFZ.

Kontakt :), it is the main problem for me

>The third big problem is some plugins' sound quality and/or instability. For instance, Guitarix's GxAmplifier is pretty good already, but still lacks some features, has problems with GUI (it freezes Ardour's interface for a couple of secs when opening) and the models it uses aren't comparable to commercial ones.

I prefer hardware

>And the last: I personally lack drumkits for DrumGizmo. Three of them isn't enough.

Isn't enough for what?
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Re: My KVR 'What stops you switching to Linux' thread

Post by AlexTheBassist »

lazyklimm wrote:Isn't enough for what?
For my needs. Those drumkits are good, but they still lack tambourines, cowbells, splash cymbals and other cool stuff. Using other samples isn't a solution since it's not that easy to make different recordings sound the same.
lazyklimm wrote:Works for me
This didn't make Ardour stable enough on my PC.
lazyklimm wrote:I prefer hardware
Cool. Me too, but can you offer me $50000 to make me stop doing software reamping via purchasing all the necessary gear? The answer is no, obviously. So neither I have such a bunch of money. Paying every time for a full-equipped rehearsal place or studio just to record two riffs and practice some scales sounds weird. Buying 15-watt Chinese piece of you-know-what isn't a solution, too. Don't think than if you don't need something then nobody needs it. If you've got all the hardware and proper sound insulation right at your bedroom, then you're the lucky one. Remember that not everyone has a good stack near the bed.
Being creative does not imply being lazy, stupid, or illiterate.

Working in Harrison Mixbus and Ardour on KDE Neon + KXStudio.
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