Can somebody please explain to me how to use Ubuntu Studio?

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treehouse
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Can somebody please explain to me how to use Ubuntu Studio?

Post by treehouse »

On Windows, it's something like:
1. Launch FL Studio, Ableton, whatever
2. Everything is contained within one app which scans for and manages all of the compatible applications (plugins)

On Ubuntu Studio, I am presented with a plethora of self-contained apps, but without any real explanation of how I am supposed to use them together, they really need Clippy. I suppose I need a JACK server running and some kind of patchbay, is that what Carla is for? If so, I don't see some big red "Start JACK" button, or any of my audio devices in the patchbay, which must mean I do not have a JACK server running, right?
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LAM
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Re: Can somebody please explain to me how to use Ubuntu Studio?

Post by LAM »

Hi @treehouse,
you are probably looking for a DAW.

A "not complete" list of DAWs to try (I will suggest only FOSS ones):
Ardour - http://ardour.org/
LMMS - https://lmms.io/
Qtractor - https://www.qtractor.org/
MusE - https://muse-sequencer.github.io/
Zrythm (alpha) - https://www.zrythm.org/en/index.html

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Re: Can somebody please explain to me how to use Ubuntu Studio?

Post by folderol »

A sort of partial DAW is Rosegarden - and it's good enough for me :)
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treehouse
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Re: Can somebody please explain to me how to use Ubuntu Studio?

Post by treehouse »

Right on dudes. So if I understand correctly, I can just use those DAWs, without a JACK server? Or the DAWs will create and manage the JACK server for me and manage all of the other applications?
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Re: Can somebody please explain to me how to use Ubuntu Studio?

Post by LAM »

treehouse wrote: Thu Oct 28, 2021 7:46 pm Right on dudes. So if I understand correctly, I can just use those DAWs, without a JACK server? Or the DAWs will create and manage the JACK server for me and manage all of the other applications?
Both... some of them can just use plain ALSA so you'll not need to start JACK unless you need to do some routing "outside" the DAW.

in mix, nobody can hear your screen

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Re: Can somebody please explain to me how to use Ubuntu Studio?

Post by tavasti »

treehouse wrote: Thu Oct 28, 2021 5:30 pm On Windows, it's something like:
1. Launch FL Studio, Ableton, whatever
2. Everything is contained within one app which scans for and manages all of the compatible applications (plugins)

On Ubuntu Studio, I am presented with a plethora of self-contained apps, but without any real explanation of how I am supposed to use them together, they really need Clippy. I suppose I need a JACK server running and some kind of patchbay, is that what Carla is for? If so, I don't see some big red "Start JACK" button, or any of my audio devices in the patchbay, which must mean I do not have a JACK server running, right?
Ubuntu Studio is like Windows, but it also has plenty of other things you definitely don't have in Windows.

If you want same experience as windows ($$) and Ableton ($$$) together, you can get Renoise ($$) or Bitwig ($$$) for your Ubuntu Studio. And maybe someone can tell is Reaper ($$) on such level in Linux, it might provide same kind of experience.

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Re: Can somebody please explain to me how to use Ubuntu Studio?

Post by Toejam76 »

Hi there!
My current UbuntuStudio setup has the same functionality like my previous Win7 setup.
Click on the shiny icon and start the DAW (Reaper in my case with ALSA)
Directly launch Linux and Windows plugins(LV2 for native, Windows VST2/3 via Wine/Yabridge or Carla)

Pros:
low latency (~2.9ms) and very low memory footprint and imho better performance than Windows and Mac.
KDE dances circles around the Windows desktop and is snappy and rock solid.
Linux as community driven software gets better with time, Windows and Mac as a product seems to get worse.

Cons:
Deep diving into some technical and cryptic rabbit holes, but all the information you need is right here on this board and people are generally helpful.
Some very specific things might not work properly or not at all with Wine (yet).

Be diligent, because you don't want to go back if you manage to set everything up and good luck :)
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Re: Can somebody please explain to me how to use Ubuntu Studio?

Post by treehouse »

Thanks all, will give it a shot this weekend
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Re: Can somebody please explain to me how to use Ubuntu Studio?

Post by Fozzy »

treehouse wrote: Thu Oct 28, 2021 5:30 pm On Windows, it's something like:
1. Launch FL Studio, Ableton, whatever
2. Everything is contained within one app which scans for and manages all of the compatible applications (plugins)

On Ubuntu Studio, I am presented with a plethora of self-contained apps, but without any real explanation of how I am supposed to use them together, they really need Clippy. I suppose I need a JACK server running and some kind of patchbay, is that what Carla is for? If so, I don't see some big red "Start JACK" button, or any of my audio devices in the patchbay, which must mean I do not have a JACK server running, right?
To see an overview of your Ubuntu Studio audio settings, including the status of JACK, launch Studio Controls (formerly 'Ubuntu Studio Controls'). Here, you can start and stop JACK. But JACK should run right out of the box when you first boot up in the latest versions of Ubuntu Studio (20.04 or 21.10). Then try either Qtractor or Ardour DAWs. Also the audio editor Audacity. Check in Studio Controls to see that JACK is running and then in the DAW settings to see if JACK is selected and, if not, select it. I think Ardour can only run on JACK since the same man created both.

Good luck and welcome to Ubuntu Studio! You may also get help from the volunteer Ubuntu Studio team in their Matrix channel. Get the Element app (Android) and search for 'Ubuntu Studio Support' channel. But bear in mind that they are volunteers, not paid workers, and it may take time for them to respond.
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Re: Can somebody please explain to me how to use Ubuntu Studio?

Post by milo »

Fozzy wrote: Sat Oct 30, 2021 8:53 am I think Ardour can only run on JACK since the same man created both.
Nope. Ardour can run on ALSA: https://manual.ardour.org/sessions-trac ... idi-setup/

Works pretty well without JACK, in my experience.
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Re: Can somebody please explain to me how to use Ubuntu Studio?

Post by Gps »

LAM wrote: Thu Oct 28, 2021 7:48 pm
treehouse wrote: Thu Oct 28, 2021 7:46 pm Right on dudes. So if I understand correctly, I can just use those DAWs, without a JACK server? Or the DAWs will create and manage the JACK server for me and manage all of the other applications?
Both... some of them can just use plain ALSA so you'll not need to start JACK unless you need to do some routing "outside" the DAW.
I can confirm LMMS will work with and without jack.
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Re: Can somebody please explain to me how to use Ubuntu Studio?

Post by Linuxmusician01 »

treehouse wrote: Thu Oct 28, 2021 7:46 pm Right on dudes. So if I understand correctly, I can just use those DAWs, without a JACK server? Or the DAWs will create and manage the JACK server for me and manage all of the other applications?
I read here that you have trouble starting Jack Audio. You can try this:

Code: Select all

jackd -d alsa --device hw:0
Done. (if you have more than one audio device/audio card you might try hw:1 instead of hw:0)
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