Guitar Gear Forum

So I have recently started using Linux Mint 16 for an OS as I am starting to really hate Windows. It seems like with all the updates, my computer gets slower and slower! The downside to not using Windows or OSX is the lack of really good software and hardware support. Well today, I finally got a DAW that works in Linux that actually does a great job. Tracktion released the version 5 for Linux today and I was able to setup my Focusrite 18i8 to utilize all inputs and outputs. The only downside now, is that there seems to be little to offer in plugins. I was looking for some LADSPA or VST for Linux plugins, and while I can see they are available, I have no idea how to implement/install them on my computer (I am a Linux noob). Do any of you know some good plugins for Linux or even an impulse loader would be great?

You Linux guys you should check out Tracktion 5! http://www.tracktion.com/linux/

Cole

Before you get too hooked on Mint and Traction, have you ever tried Ubuntu Studio? Dedicated audio/video/publishing. Lots more support and plugins there. You can also use Wine to install and run Reaper!

Try it as a live DVD first, but anything you install won't be there the next time until you install it to your HDD.

RustyMetal wrote:Before you get too hooked on Mint and Traction, have you ever tried Ubuntu Studio? Dedicated audio/video/publishing. Lots more support and plugins there. You can also use Wine to install and run Reaper!

Try it as a live DVD first, but anything you install won't be there the next time until you install it to your HDD.

I have used Reaper for a number of years, and I like it just fine, however Tracktion seems more intuitive to me. I was using Tracktion on Windows too. I heard Ubunto Studio was cool, but I found out about it after I installed Linux Mint on my PC. I might have to just make a Live DVD and give it a whirl! I am really liking Mint as an OS in general, SOOO much better than Windows, minus the lack of software and hardware support.

Cole

Ubuntu Studio was always a mixed bag for me. When I first started using it they were proclaiming the virtues of their "real time" kernel that was built to minimize latency for certain things, ie, music recording. As it turned out, unless you had a single core system it didn't actually even run properly heh.

I gave up on US around 2010 I think and went to regular Ubuntu then installed the ubuntu studio packages on top (you should be able to do this with Mint too BTW - probably just need to add the ubuntustudio repository). Last rebuild I switched from Ubuntu to Mint (Cinnamon) because I can't quite get into Gnome3 or Unity, they both suck IMO. I should probably upgrade to Mint 16 one of these days I guess... although the 17 release is probably closer now so maybe I'll just wait.

Reaper supposedly works well under WINE, I hate recording or I'd have a better answer for you heh.

A quick search on the software manager brought up this project for LADSPA/VSTi stuff: http://breakfastquay.com/dssi-vst/ (or just search for "VST" in the software manager). http://www.linux-vst.com/
might have some more plugins.

I really should get more into this stuff, I always just end up frustrated with software or my shitty guitar playing when I start messing around with it though. Good to know the Focusrite stuff is plug & play now though - I was just looking at the little 2i2 USB interface the other day - might pick one of those up.

Sure. Ubuntu is about the most popular Linux OS right and has more support than most of the others. Studio also has over 200 plugins available for free like you were asking about. Along with a shit ton of other stuff. I recommend Debian Unbuntu to anybody making the move to Linux. Knoppix and many other system administrator bundles (live cd/dvd) are built on it, so it has huge support. You can install Tracktion on it. But the best thing about uStudio is that it has all that extra advanced audio stuff.

Here, I screwed up the previous link I posted: http://ubuntustudio.org/tour/audio/

Mint has been #1 for the last two years or so (right hand side on distrowatch.com). Both Ubuntu and Mint are Debian-based, meaning that anything that works on Debian should work on Ubuntu or Mint too (although Canonical/Ubuntu are trying to break off into their own proprietary thing). There's nothing on Ubuntustudio AFAIK that's proprietary and *only* on ubuntustudio - you can put all its pieces on a debian or generic ubuntu build no problem. Ardour, Guitarix, Rakarrak, will all install no problem.

Yes, Ubuntu and all the stuff is open software. Distrowatch is not a good site to keep up to date. I've used it, but lots of outdated info. I like uStudio because all the stuff is already setup which is real handy. Especially when running from a Live DVD.

RustyMetal wrote:Yes, Ubuntu and all the stuff is open software. Distrowatch is not a good site to keep up to date. I've used it, but lots of outdated info. I like uStudio because all the stuff is already setup which is real handy. Especially when running from a Live DVD.

All they do is aggregate the various distributions' press releases... of course there's old stuff on there

Harvest wrote:All they do is aggregate the various distributions' press releases... of course there's old stuff on there

Good point. I wished I would've said that.

Harrison makes a specialized port of the DAW software Ardour.
Harrison Mixbus
It is freekin amazing AND accepts LV2 plugins
(also runs on OSX and Windows if you need to port over.)

Also, BitWig is coming out this month and is supposed to be Linux friendly as well.
Really awesome combo of straight DAW and Ableton-like clip launching.
It's going to shake things up a bit
BitWig Studio

I tried Ubuntu Studio, Pure:dyne, and KXStudio.
KXStudio was (and is?) quite a well set up package.
With MixBus and/or Bitwig on top of that you'd be in fine shape

manysounds wrote:Harrison makes a specialized port of the DAW software Ardour.
Harrison Mixbus
It is freekin amazing AND accepts LV2 plugins
(also runs on OSX and Windows if you need to port over.)

Also, BitWig is coming out this month and is supposed to be Linux friendly as well.
Really awesome combo of straight DAW and Ableton-like clip launching.
It's going to shake things up a bit
BitWig Studio

I tried Ubuntu Studio, Pure:dyne, and KXStudio.
KXStudio was (and is?) quite a well set up package.
With MixBus and/or Bitwig on top of that you'd be in fine shape

Thanks for the post! That BitWig looks like some great software! I don't think I will be able to swing the price tag it comes with though. I am very happy with Tracktion 5 right now, it is easy to use and works great! The only thing I am running into is the amount of plugins that are available. I have tried looking for speicific types and they are very limited, it seems like the ones that I don't need are what is available. I have been trying to figure out how to get Tracktion 5 to recognize my Windows VST files. If I could that resolved, I would be absolutely happy with my setup.

Cole