LinuxMusicians

Hi I'm quite new with making music. I use Linux Mint for my daily work and I read a lot to make also music with it. I prefer electronic music like techno or acid. Therefore I checked that maybe Ardour is a good DAW for that. Now I'm looking for a good external controller like Novation or Akai or Ableton Push, but I don't know if those are working with Ardour? Or even if Ardour is the right daw for this kind of music and for my purpose. It should be similar to Ableton Live, because I like to create live music.
Does anyone can help me?
Thanks a lot!

Mhe wrote:Hi I'm quite new with making music. I use Linux Mint for my daily work and I read a lot to make also music with it. I prefer electronic music like techno or acid. Therefore I checked that maybe Ardour is a good DAW for that. Now I'm looking for a good external controller like Novation or Akai or Ableton Push, but I don't know if those are working with Ardour? Or even if Ardour is the right daw for this kind of music and for my purpose. It should be similar to Ableton Live, because I like to create live music.
Does anyone can help me?
Thanks a lot!

I don't think Ardour is best fit for electronic music.

For controllers, most of them work with linux, regardless what DAW you are using. Sure best bet is to test particular model before getting one, or get youself something second hand, so you can sell it if it does not work for you.

See also viewtopic.php?f=1&t=19124

I use Mint and ardour as my main workstation (actually, Harrison Mixbus, but same thing) and using external step sequencer, it's great for electronic music. Not everyone agrees but I think it comes down to being willing to learn the system rather than there being a particular DAW for acid or whatever.

For a DAW controller, I use a Korg Nanokontrolstudio. It takes a bit of setting up, I wrote a custom config to make it work with all 8 channels rather than 7 channels plus master, which is the default config that comes with ardour.

It has full transport control, markers, return to start and a jog wheel, plus 5 banks of 8 channels with rec arm, solo, mute, select, pan and a sliding gain controller. And it's really quite cheap.

If you're interested, I can put the config on GitHub, but you will need access to a windows computer to configure the button modes (it may work with wine, I never tried because I have a win laptop for a Maschine Mk2 that I got cheap thinking it was standalone...sigh)

1. What (USB) audio device do you use? We Linuxers used to be just fine using the Behringer U-Phoria series. It was class compliant (read: no drivers needed!) but now there's a problem with 'm since B. changed the hardware a bit (link Bugzilla).

2. You prefer Techno. Do you have that mighty fine El-Cheapo Behringer clone of the 303?

3. You wonder if a controller like Ableton Push is something for you to use in Linux. I'm afraid not. It's not called Ableton Push for nothing: it's meant to be used with Ableton. And there's no Linux native version of Ableton.

As a matter of fact 90% of the more expensive controllers are made specific for one single DAW. I'd never buy 'm. You're stuck to their software, DAW and operating system. A few years from now who knows if it'll work in Windows 11 or 12, or MacOS 10.xx.

I'd recommend you to go to a good Music Shop, try out a controller and if you really, really like it switch to the OS and DAW that it's made for.

4. As for a nice DAW in Linux you might try out QTractor. It's Linux native and its friendly developer is active on this forum. However, most reviewers on Youtube say it's a matter of taste which DAW you choose: they're more or less all the same. Reaper runs on any platform (Linux, Windows, Apple). Choose wisely.

3. You wonder if a controller like Ableton Push is something for you to use in Linux. I'm afraid not. It's not called Ableton Push for nothing: it's meant to be used with Ableton. And there's no Linux native version of Ableton.

Oh BTW, here is Richie Hawtin live performing techno using Bitwig and a Novation Launchpad Pro and two Allen & Heath Xone:K2s. This will generally work in the same way as Ableton with a Push controller.