Linux PC Builds for Audio Production. Recommended Hardware

[merlyn]

Avoid like the plague hardware that needs "special" drivers (especially for Midi) and/or software to configure it. Even if it's linux software.

what's wrong with such devices and software for them?

There will come a day that in a new OS your closed source proprietary driver won't work anymore (agreed: in Windows those chances are slim). And Windows drivers won't work well in Linux. Same goes for software to configure hardware. If the software don't work anymore then you can throw away your precious hardware. Music hard- and software should be strictly separated if you ask me and many others.

This seems a bit confused. Windows drivers do stop working with updates. That's a reason not to use Windows. You can't separate computer hardware and software -- hardware needs drivers. Computer hardware physically plugs into a computer through a port, slot or socket and plugs into the OS with software.

It annoys me when people talk about 'no drivers required'. Every single piece of hardware, from the mouse to the network adapter has drivers. 'No drivers required' is a stupid Windows thing. Hardware always has drivers.

Sure, class compliant is the only way a USB interface is going to work on Linux. But what about the new Linux Focusrite driver? There will be no problem with that going forward.

Also Windows drivers don't work at all in Linux.

[Kott]

Avoid like the plague hardware that needs "special" drivers (especially for Midi) and/or software to configure it. Even if it's linux software.

what's wrong with such devices and software for them?

There will come a day that in a new OS your closed source proprietary driver won't work anymore (agreed: in Windows those chances are slim). And Windows drivers won't work well in Linux. Same goes for software to configure hardware. If the software don't work anymore then you can throw away your precious hardware. Music hard- and software should be strictly separated if you ask me and many others.

Now you're talking about closed source drivers and Windows software while question was about Linux drivers and software. Your statement covers all non-class compliant devices (USB or not even) which has separate modules in the Linux kernel and has a professional standalone mixers for it, like RME, Echo, Focusrite and other.

[Linuxmusician01]

Now you're talking about closed source drivers and Windows software while question was about Linux drivers and software. Your statement covers all non-class compliant devices (USB or not even) which has separate modules in the Linux kernel and has a professional standalone mixers for it, like RME, Echo, Focusrite and other.

I also avoid like the plague music/audio hardware that needs software in Linux. Focurite is a good example of that. I know that I'm stepping on toes here because most people love Focusrite, but I hate it with a passion. I don't care that a Linux driver has been written for certain non-class compliant audio hardware. It's a lot of hassle, dependent on one single sympathetic well meaning hobbyist but the company itself doesn't give a damn. An even if they do: they won't support their hardware for ever, not even for Windows. Sorry, I personally advice my friends against stuff like that.

This seems a bit confused. Windows drivers do stop working with updates. That's a reason not to use Windows. You can't separate computer hardware and software -- hardware needs drivers. Computer hardware physically plugs into a computer through a port, slot or socket and plugs into the OS with software.

It annoys me when people talk about 'no drivers required'. Every single piece of hardware, from the mouse to the network adapter has drivers. 'No drivers required' is a stupid Windows thing. Hardware always has drivers.

Sure, class compliant is the only way a USB interface is going to work on Linux. But what about the new Linux Focusrite driver? There will be no problem with that going forward.

Also Windows drivers don't work at all in Linux.

I get what you mean. You're right of course. Everything connected to a computer needs a driver, even a mouse. But who wants to connect his synthesizer to his computer if you don't have to? A synth should not need software. Not to configure or "update" it, not for anything. An USB audio device should be class compliant and should not have a downloadable driver on the manufacturers website. The maker of your operating system (be it Windows, Linux, Android, MacOS, etc. etc.) is responsible for that and good it. And an OS maker can only make drivers for stuff that adheres to a standard or has very well defined properties (like a video card and even that's problematic in Linux sometimes). That's my opinion. But then again, I like to use 10+ year old hardware if it's my favourite. Y'all might not. No problem. Everybody his own preferred way of computing and/or making music.

I'm no Wine expert, but I thought that certain Windows drivers might work in Wine. But then again, if that's impossible then I stand corrected.

However, I do know that certain software (not drivers) to configure hardware does work in Wine. Like I said above: I advise my friends to avoid that like the plague. Has nothing to do w/ Windows or Linux. I avoid hardware that won't work standalone and needs software. Like that awful Novation Launchpad/Launchcontrol shite which are dongles for Ableton Live. Brrrrrr. I do like Novation's standalone sampler and drummachine tho.

Just my 2 cents. If the TS wants to build a PC to use w/, for instance, a Focusrite audio device then he'll find all the help he needs here. I'd spend my time looking for nice hardware that'll work without having to download drivers and/or software, but that's me.

P.S. Example of hardware that needs software to configure and what I mean in this recent topic. Hopeless imho.

[Kott]

I also avoid like the plague music/audio hardware that needs software in Linux. Focurite is a good example of that. I know that I'm stepping on toes here because most people love Focusrite, but I hate it with a passion. I don't care that a Linux driver has been written for certain non-class compliant audio hardware. It's a lot of hassle, dependent on one single sympathetic well meaning hobbyist but the company itself doesn't give a damn. An even if they do: they won't support their hardware for ever, not even for Windows. Sorry, I personally advice my friends against stuff like that.

Your personal hurt against Focusrite doesn't bother anyone, especially if you can't provide any practical experience while these devices are working and working good.

I get what you mean. You're right of course. Everything connected to a computer needs a driver, even a mouse. But who wants to connect his synthesizer to his computer if you don't have to? A synth should not need software. Not to configure or "update" it, not for anything. An USB audio device should be class compliant and should not have a downloadable driver on the manufacturers website. The maker of your operating system (be it Windows, Linux, Android, MacOS, etc. etc.) is responsible for that and good it. And an OS maker can only make drivers for stuff that adheres to a standard or has very well defined properties (like a video card and even that's problematic in Linux sometimes). That's my opinion. But then again, I like to use 10+ year old hardware if it's my favourite. Y'all might not. No problem. Everybody his own preferred way of computing and/or making music.

I'm no Wine expert, but I thought that certain Windows drivers might work in Wine. But then again, if that's impossible then I stand corrected.

However, I do know that certain software (not drivers) to configure hardware does work in Wine. Like I said above: I advise my friends to avoid that like the plague. Has nothing to do w/ Windows or Linux. I avoid hardware that won't work standalone and needs software. Like that awful Novation Launchpad/Launchcontrol shite which are dongles for Ableton Live. Brrrrrr. I do like Novation's standalone sampler and drummachine tho.

Just my 2 cents. If the TS wants to build a PC to use w/, for instance, a Focusrite audio device then he'll find all the help he needs here. I'd spend my time looking for nice hardware that'll work without having to download drivers and/or software, but that's me.

P.S. Example of hardware that needs software to configure and what I mean in this recent topic. Hopeless imho.

If you gonna say something obvious like "don't buy hardware that won't work on Linux" then say that. I have soundcard which works perfectly in Linux in decades, the company has gone ("Echo"), the standard is obsolete(PCI) but it still gives me 3ms latency and excellent dedicated mixer with the latest Linux kernel/distribution.

[tseaver]

@Linuxmusician01

I don't care that a Linux driver has been written for certain non-class compliant audio hardware. It's a lot of hassle, dependent on one single sympathetic well meaning hobbyist but the company itself doesn't give a damn. An even if they do: they won't support their hardware for ever, not even for Windows. Sorry, I personally advice my friends against stuff like that.

That particular bit is particularly ill-timed, given that Focusrite has just recently made a big effort to support @geoffrey in his work to make their hardware, including the internal mixers, well-supported on Linux (see viewtopic.php?p=160833#p160833).

[Linuxmusician01]

@Linuxmusician01

I don't care that a Linux driver has been written for certain non-class compliant audio hardware. It's a lot of hassle, dependent on one single sympathetic well meaning hobbyist but the company itself doesn't give a damn. An even if they do: they won't support their hardware for ever, not even for Windows. Sorry, I personally advice my friends against stuff like that.

That particular bit is particularly ill-timed, given that Focusrite has just recently made a big effort to support @geoffrey in his work to make their hardware, including the internal mixers, well-supported on Linux (see viewtopic.php?p=160833#p160833).

That's very good news. Then I stand corrected on that.

However, some still don't seem to - or want to - understand what I mean by drivers and software concerning music related hardware. I does not, I repeat: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT matter if we're considering Linux or Windows or whatever: I mean that (music related) hardware that needs software or drivers from a manufacturer's website should be avoided like the plague. Period. Try and read in that what you want. I think I've made myself clear enough.

I unsubscribed from the topic: no need to reply that hardware so and so and software so and so are excluded for you personally. Your prerogative. I don't take topics serious anymore in which people ask help on drivers or software for hardware other than graphics cards and printers. Be it Windows or Linux alike (again: am I clear? I think I am!). The odd WiFi and Bluetooth chip excluded maybe.

For all people considering what hardware to buy: do yourself a favour and buy class compliant hardware. Even if you're on Windows.

Bye.

[crustypants]

... and use class compliant hardware. Avoid like the plague hardware that needs "special" drivers (especially for Midi) and/or software to configure it. Even if it's linux software.

P.S. I have the biggest of problems trying to find an USB Bluetooth dongle that'll work w/ Linux. All those "Cambridge Audio" ones don't work (anymore). Do y'all use the on-board BT chip on your laptop/computer in Linux or don't you use BT at all?

I avoid everything that could make audio processing unreliable by doing something in the background or with interrupts.

No wifi, no bluetooth

Code: Select all

# for performance / less IRQ handling
blacklist bluetooth
blacklist btrtl
blacklist btintel
blacklist btbcm
blacklist btusb

blacklist uvcvideo

blacklist iwlwifi

These seem like good tips. I just tried doing a recording and disabled WIFI and Bluetooth off the Gnome top right menu. Where do those commands go, and would it help over and above just disabling off the Gnome menu?

[bluebell]

Try it out. I don't know if disabling the software part gets rid of any activity and interrupts of the bluetooth and wifi hardware.

[wjl]

I built a fairly compact (Mini-ITX) PC for myself last year in October, and documented it on my blog at https://wolfgang.lonien.de/2022/10/a-ne ... t-in-time/

A few photos are missing because I quit my Flickr Pro subscription since then, but you'll still see all the parts.

And it does have fans, and no you don't hear them at all. And my microphone doesn't as well. Playing bass and mixing some stuff most of the time, you can hear all that on https://www.wikiloops.com/backingtrack.php if you like.

[crustypants]

Try it out. I don't know if disabling the software part gets rid of any activity and interrupts of the bluetooth and wifi hardware.

Sound, but do you know if they just go on the command line, or are they for some config file or other?

[autostatic]

The "blacklist" commands could go into a config file in /etc/modprobe.d/ i.e. /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-audio.conf. Then a reboot should pick up those settings. Disabling just the software will not deactivate the drivers so they will remain active in the background.