Linux Mint recommended software

What other apps and distros do you use to round out your studio?

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muzicandi
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Linux Mint recommended software

Post by muzicandi »

Hi

I am completely new beginner, and looking to start creating music on Linux Mint 21.1.

I saw Bitwig was a recommended software but it's a bit outside my price range at the moment : (

Does anybody use or have any other recommendation (including paid) that are reliable and can be used as such to create music?

Thank you so much!

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Re: Linux Mint recommended software

Post by MattKingUSA »

I personally like Qtractor. There are some others available as well. Ardrour is a good DAW that many people use. There are also some others like Audacity. Although I personally only use Audacity for editing audio files. I prefer LMMS for midi. Others here on the board surely have many great recommendations as well. :D

-Matt :D

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Re: Linux Mint recommended software

Post by slangbein »

Usually you have to setup your sound system first. Linux Mint comes with Alsa/ Pulseaudio. If you use just one sound card, USB-Audio or MIDI input, this is enough. If you want to combine more external devices look for Jack or Pipewire.
I am happy with the DAW Reaper on Linux Mint. Its around 70 bucks, but you can try for free.
If you like Linux you might try Reaper, because no other tool can be so adapted to your workflow. For instruments and effect plugins:
https://github.com/nodiscc/awesome-linuxaudio

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Re: Linux Mint recommended software

Post by Linuxmusician01 »

DAW: Qtractor or Reaper. Qtractor because it's Linux native, can be very easily installed on any Linux system and has a user interface in which you can choose to show very little distracting stuff. Reaper because it has native versions for Linux, Apple and Windows. With Reaper you can share your projects with anybody on any platform.

As for the rest: depends on what you want to do. Wanna use hardware synths? Guitars? VSTs (i.e. virtual instruments)? If you buy a hardware synth make sure it does NOT need a driver (drivers are usually a sign it only works in Windows).

USB audio interface: buy a class compliant one. Which are class compliant? Hard to tell, but if they do not need a driver in MacOS they probably are. But beware! Some Behringer interfaces (e.g. UMC404HD) are USB class compliant but they've had a revision recently and they only work with the latest Linux kernels.

Welcome and happy holidays. 🎄

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Re: Linux Mint recommended software

Post by Impostor »

As has been said: depends on what you want and what you like.

-Like fooling around with trackers? Schism Tracker (free) is an Impulse Tracker clone. IT was famous in the nineties. Want to do a lot more than you can accomplish with Schism? Then there's Renoise (paid).

-Or, if you come from Windows and are already familiar with Fruity Loops, then LMMS (free) is an obvious choice.

-On the other hand, I personally dislike editing in LMMS and very much prefer MusE (free) for midi sequencing. MusE reminds me of old-school Cubase a lot, and is my preferred music creation tool.

-Then there's Ardour (free?), which is more suitable if you record live instruments a lot, and don't do much with midi.

-Or if you compose in notation, there's Rosegarden (free?).

-Specifically for sequencing drums, we have Hydrogen (free) as an option.

And then there are the (free and paid) plugins: synths, effects, studio tools, you name it. Take a look around on kx.studio for some cool free plugins. And check out U-he for both free and paid synths, ZynaddSubFX (free) synth, Pianoteq (paid) piano-and-more emulator.

And let's not forget a wave editor: I still use the wonderful vintage Cool Edit (with wine), but if you are so unlucky to not have a copy, then there's the linux native Audacity.

Last edited by Impostor on Fri Dec 30, 2022 5:11 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Linux Mint recommended software

Post by ForrestH »

+1 on REAPER, but you'll probably want to find the right theme for it ASAP.
I recommend Beatwing.

There's also Waveform, although that is activationware so you'll lose it if the company ever pulls a Voyetra.

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Re: Linux Mint recommended software

Post by mk1967 »

Impostor wrote: Fri Dec 30, 2022 4:53 pm

-Then there's Ardour (free?)

As far as I know yes, as soon as you install it from Linux sources. My favourite DAW for professional radio work - and I suppose it should work for podcast production, too.

Long ago that I played a bit with Linux mint - but it might be the same like with the debian-based distributions I use: When it comes to work with JACK I definitely recommend to work with Cadence.
Using this, JACK on my UbuntuStudio did work for the very first time. (I made bad experiences with QJackCtl, let alone UbuntuStudio Controls which didn't work at all.)

As for free plugins, my favourite audio distribution LibraZiK Studio https://librazik.tuxfamily.org/base-sit ... nglish.php has the largest and newest collection of them.

Michael

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Re: Linux Mint recommended software

Post by muzicandi »

slangbein wrote: Fri Dec 30, 2022 9:04 am

Usually you have to setup your sound system first. Linux Mint comes with Alsa/ Pulseaudio. If you use just one sound card, USB-Audio or MIDI input, this is enough. If you want to combine more external devices look for Jack or Pipewire.
I am happy with the DAW Reaper on Linux Mint. Its around 70 bucks, but you can try for free.
If you like Linux you might try Reaper, because no other tool can be so adapted to your workflow. For instruments and effect plugins:
https://github.com/nodiscc/awesome-linuxaudio

Thx a lot ! Yep i got Pulseaudio and only one Sound card, thx for tips!

muzicandi
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Re: Linux Mint recommended software

Post by muzicandi »

ForrestH wrote: Fri Dec 30, 2022 4:55 pm

+1 on REAPER, but you'll probably want to find the right theme for it ASAP.
I recommend Beatwing.

There's also Waveform, although that is activationware so you'll lose it if the company ever pulls a Voyetra.

Thx for Reaper, i have seen it mentioned in other parts of the forum as well, and on Reddit i think.
Seems like a good alternative to Bitwig (as for price wise for me personally for now being out of reach).

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Re: Linux Mint recommended software

Post by muzicandi »

mk1967 wrote: Fri Dec 30, 2022 10:07 pm
Impostor wrote: Fri Dec 30, 2022 4:53 pm

-Then there's Ardour (free?)

As far as I know yes, as soon as you install it from Linux sources. My favourite DAW for professional radio work - and I suppose it should work for podcast production, too.

Long ago that I played a bit with Linux mint - but it might be the same like with the debian-based distributions I use: When it comes to work with JACK I definitely recommend to work with Cadence.
Using this, JACK on my UbuntuStudio did work for the very first time. (I made bad experiences with QJackCtl, let alone UbuntuStudio Controls which didn't work at all.)

As for free plugins, my favourite audio distribution LibraZiK Studio https://librazik.tuxfamily.org/base-sit ... nglish.php has the largest and newest collection of them.

Michael

I am looking to create music from scratch, sorry for not mentioning this at the beginning of my post.

I am not a musician, but love music and wanna create tracks from scratch as a passion, something that maybe can develop into more in the future. But basically create sound tracks from scratch, music from scratch using paid or open source audio tracks.

As I am looking to only use digital one, i.e. not recording anything myself, then I guess I could use Ardour + library from LibraZiK Studio + other open source or paid audio sounds?

Thank you!

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Re: Linux Mint recommended software

Post by mk1967 »

Yes I think I would try to do so. (I must admit that I have no experience with scratch music - am an old-fashioned bassman :wink: )... It's comfortable that all that Ardour and LibraZiK stuff is free: You can check it out without taking any risk 8) .

Michael

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Re: Linux Mint recommended software

Post by Linuxmusician01 »

muzicandi wrote: Sat Dec 31, 2022 4:36 am

I am looking to create music from scratch, sorry for not mentioning this at the beginning of my post.

I am not a musician, but love music and wanna create tracks from scratch as a passion, something that maybe can develop into more in the future. But basically create sound tracks from scratch, music from scratch using paid or open source audio tracks.

As I am looking to only use digital one, i.e. not recording anything myself, then I guess I could use Ardour + library from LibraZiK Studio + other open source or paid audio sounds?

Thank you!

I think that you want/need to use VST's (virtual instruments) then (link1, link2). Or immediately jump to LMMS: contains a lot of instruments out of the box. Do you know yet what VST's are? Search the internet/Youtube. When your favorite VST is a Windows one you need to "bridge" it to Linux. Many people nowadays use "Yabridge" for that. It's developer is active on this forum.

Linux-audio is not for the faint of heart, good luck! :)

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Re: Linux Mint recommended software

Post by Impostor »

mk1967 wrote: Fri Dec 30, 2022 10:07 pm

Long ago that I played a bit with Linux mint - but it might be the same like with the debian-based distributions I use: When it comes to work with JACK I definitely recommend to work with Cadence.
Using this, JACK on my UbuntuStudio did work for the very first time. (I made bad experiences with QJackCtl, let alone UbuntuStudio Controls which didn't work at all.)

I'm running Linux Mint, and Qjackctl from its appimage, and have never had any problems with Jack. YMMV

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Re: Linux Mint recommended software

Post by Impostor »

Linuxmusician01 wrote: Sat Dec 31, 2022 10:07 am

Or immediately jump to LMMS: contains a lot of instruments out of the box.

That I agree with: LMMS may be the easiest daw to get up and running for a newcomer to music creation.

@muzicandi: Now matter what daw* you end up with, be sure to get a midi keyboard even if you can't play. It's so much more fun and creative to create melodies with, than by clicking with your mouse/kb.

*except maybe for trackers: there your pc keyboard may be all you need.

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Re: Linux Mint recommended software

Post by lmaudio »

QStudio64 21.1 is basing on Linux Mint 21.1 Mate 64bit and includes KXStudio-Repositories! It comes with a lowlatency-kernel, works together with Bitwig Studio and uses ALSA, JACK (via Cadence) WITHOUT pulseaudio!

If you write us a mail we send you an official licence serial for Bitwig Studio 8Tracks-version.

more informations:
https://qstudio64.tumblr.com

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