The ultimate question of all Win Daw users is: VST support?

 

Yes.. Steinberg Open Sourced the SDK a few years ago, which resulted in a huge explosion of VST plugins for Linux... Sadly NI continue to be difficult and refuse to recompile for linux, they even use QT FFS... unless of course it involves their own hardware like Machine+ which is running Linux..

 

The prejudices against Linux seem to be rather resilient, so for the sake of a more balanced perspective...

I would be happy with Windows 10 as an OS for music production, and still occasionally (dual) boot into it, but its Orwellian nature gives me creeps. I don't have such concerns with Linux, and the concept of open source/donationware/libre software just feels good, positive. So much about feelings.

Currently on Manjaro, tweaked mostly with the help of Unfa's guide on youtube, but over the past 5-6 years I've also used Ubuntu Studio and the excellent AV Linux turnkey solution. I own Reaper, Waveform 10 and old versions of Mixbus/32c (up to v4), and I'm familiar with Ardour and Bitwig.

I haven't noticed any functional difference between Linux and Windows versions of these DAWs, apart from somewhat lower latency and CPU load on Linux. Reaper is still my main DAW, but Bitwig will be my next purchase, being better suited to the type of music I do now. Both perform flawlessly on my Linux installs. I like Ardour and especially Mixbus (sounds so sweet), but they are not really MIDI-friendly yet. Waveform just wouldn't work under same conditions (v10, 11).

Approaching Linux requesting that all your favourite software works just like it does on Windows/Mac, is a non-starter. Although a lot of Windows plugins are functional under Wine, there's always one or five that aren't, and then you start trying others, looking for substitutes, fiddling with the OS. And that's frustrating. Been there. I don't use that many Windows plugins anymore.

In my view, Linux is the most rewarding if taken as a (partly) fresh start. A reduced set of tools rarely hurts creativity, but presently available native Linux versions of DAWs and plugins are more than enough for a top-level production.

At any rate, it takes half an hour to create a bootable AV Linux flash drive and boot into live mode. In no time you are playing with Reaper or Ardour or Mixbus 32c (demo), on a system fully optimised for audio. You may not like it, but you'll probably see how far off mark some of the remarks in this thread are.

 

Since 2017, I use Linux, the most convenient system in my opinion , but at first I will have to bother with the configuration and atk with the configuration of applications.

 

I use Linux occasionally for music creation, when I do it's mostly LMMS and Reaper. I was originally an FL-Studio user on but have been trying to get away as of late since they've changed up the DAW too much since version 9 and the devs have been pretty rude in the forums whenever someone questions their decisions, I've been sticking with 9 during all these years but I can't keep hanging on to that forever.

LMMS is almost good enough since it's pretty close to FL but there's some issues I'm having. Samples clicking at the start and end points of samples, I find the sample looping weird in LMMS compared to what I'm used to, lacking proper midi-support and the fact that you can only use one monitor for the program.

Reaper is a completely different beast and it takes some getting used to, the problem I have with it is that I use a lot of samples to build my drum patterns and while I could use the plugin for this it's not as quick since it requires some setting up, it lacking a step sequencer also makes it harder. What I like about reaper (compared to FL) is that they never seem to remove features, they just keep adding features instead and making everything an option instead, this means that if I find a good workflow I can stick with it forever instead of being forced to do things differently all of a sudden.

I would love to go over fully to Linux when it comes to audio production but as of now I dual boot into windows.

 

there is a bitwig studio for linux, here we have compiled a list https://audiosex.pro/threads/little-known-daws.63172/
here are the DAWS that work on linux
Stargate DAW, ReNoise, Zrythm, Tracktion WAVEFORM PRO, Ardour, qtractor, MusE Sequencer, Rosegarden, Bespoke DAW, Schism Tracker.

 

I've been tested Reaper on Linux Mint, and I am positively surprised

 

I am aware and have tested most of these DAWs, I was just describing my issues I had with those that I stuck with, I'm working on getting used to Reaper and LMMS while I still use FL9 on the side. I don't wanna be DAW-hopping too much.

 

tried to put a skin from Fl studio on the reaper, maybe it will be a little easier?
https://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=229919

 

Thanks for trying but it's fine, honestly, I'll manage. I'm following this guy called Reaper Mania on youtube and looking at his videos has helped me get over a lot of hurdles, I'm confident that it'll work for me in the end.

By the way, I was checking out the latest changes to the nightly builds of LMMS and it seems like they've added support for MIDI CC events, gonna have to download the nightly release and check it out, maybe I can finally use my hardware synths properly with it.

 

https://ubuntustudio.org/ used it?

 

Last edited by a moderator: Feb 16, 2022

I'm absolutely using it (Debian 11 now, I'm always on "stable" and I recommend it) and loving it. So much less to worry about the OS (is it going to break after this "update"?) and focus on the work. I use the same Debian with Mate DE I installed in 2013. I believe it was 9. Just upgraded it over time. sudo apt --full-upgrade when you feel like it's time to upgrade. Can it be more simple?

My creativity has bloomed and I don't post as much on forums since I have so much fun using the plugins I have rather than testing and upgrading a zillion of them all the time. The thing is I generally used the same plugins on Windows and I miss only a few on Linux. It's mostly u-he, TAL and Audio Damage I use, plus a ton of others I picked up along the way. I figured at some point that I can do everything I want in Linux and just stopped booting into Windows 7 on another HD. I also hated the direction Microsoft went after very successful, nice and simple to use XP. W7 is as customisable as a brick. Laters Windows even less so. I like the ability of Linux to look and function precisely the way you like it. Love it!

I'm using Linux native plugins only. I don't bother with Wine, Yabridge, or LinVST. But you might and it works most of the time. If you have a dozen of Windoz plugs you can't live without this is the way to use them. Start with LinVST as it is the simplest to work with.

One important thing though is you do have to optimise it for audio. Like installing RT kernel and Jack. Pipewire is still too fresh IMO and you could stumble upon hard to resolve problems, so yes I still use the dreaded Pulseaudio for Firefox exclusively. PA sink and everything else goes out through Jack, It takes only about an hour or so when you know what to do. There is a thread here that tells you precisely what you have to do and I don't find it complicated at all.

Keep in mind that when you do that you are good for years to come! I honestly find it hard to remember what I had to do... so I have it documented! :P , but I used to remember it very well on Windows, who knows why?

Cheers!

 

Last edited: Feb 12, 2023

I’ve been a Linux user since the 90s. I use it on my work laptops (Debian and Kali), but never considered audio production in Linux. I bought into the Ableton workflow with the push, and until Ableton support Linux natively I’m sticking with Windows for audio