Why I switched to Linux for Audio/Music Production

Summary

In this video, Francesco introduces his series on audio production using Linux. He shares his personal journey of transitioning from Windows to Linux for music production, highlighting the advantages such as better control over system resources and the use of free, open-source tools. He explains how compatibility layers like Wine and VST bridges allow users to run Windows plugins on Linux. Francesco also recommends various DAWs and plugins, such as Ardour and Reaper, and provides insights into synthesizers like ZynAddSubFX. The video aims to show why Linux is a viable option for professional audio production.

Takeaways

• 🎵 Francesco introduces his new video series on audio production using Linux.
• 🎶 He switched to Linux for music production due to performance issues with Windows on his old laptop.
• 💻 Linux uses less RAM compared to Windows, making it ideal for heavy plugin usage in music production.
• 🧩 Wine and VST bridges allow Linux users to run Windows plugins without issues.
• 🎧 Francesco highlights professional DAWs like Bitwig and Reaper that are available on Linux.
• 🛠️ He recommends Ardour, a free and open-source DAW, which has improved significantly over the years.
• 🎹 He mentions various Linux-compatible plugins like ZynAddSubFX, LV2, and LADSPA for audio work.
• 🎻 VSCO Orchestra offers high-quality instrument samples that work well with both proprietary and free software.
• 🔧 Calf plugins are a suite of tools for audio mastering and mixing, widely used in Linux audio production.
• 🎼 Audio production on Linux has improved dramatically, with more tools, plugins, and commercial support.

Q & A

What is the main topic of Francesco's video series?

Francesco's video series focuses on audio production, specifically using Linux as the main operating system for producing music.

Why did Francesco initially switch to Linux for music production?

Francesco switched to Linux out of necessity when his cheap laptop running Windows 10 became too slow for music production. Linux allowed him to unlock the potential of his hardware by using fewer system resources.

What advantages does Linux offer for audio production compared to Windows?

Linux uses less RAM compared to Windows, which helps when loading many plugins and heavy virtual instruments (VSTs). It gives users more control over hardware, allowing them to optimize performance for audio production.

What challenges did Francesco face when switching to Linux for music production?

One major challenge Francesco faced was the lack of professional audio software on Linux, as many companies don't provide Linux versions of their plugins. He had to find alternatives, such as using Wine and VST bridges to run Windows plugins on Linux.

What is Wine, and how does it help with running audio plugins on Linux?

Wine is a program that allows Linux users to run Windows applications on Linux. Francesco used Wine and VST bridges as a compatibility layer to run Windows plugins on Linux.

What digital audio workstations (DAWs) does Francesco recommend for Linux users?

Francesco mentions several DAWs for Linux, including Bitwig, Reaper, and Ardour. He highlights Ardour as a good free and open-source DAW that has improved significantly in recent years.

What types of audio plugins are available for Linux, and how do they compare to those on other platforms?

Linux has its own native plugins, such as LV2 and LADSPA. Francesco also recommends ZynAddSubFX (a synthesizer), as well as CALF plugins, which offer a variety of audio mastering and mixing tools. While Linux plugins may be less widely known than proprietary ones, there are many high-quality free and open-source options.

How does Francesco address concerns about the complexity of Linux plugins like ZynAddSubFX?

Francesco acknowledges that tools like ZynAddSubFX might seem intimidating at first due to their complexity, but with experience, they become easier to use. He compares it to simpler tools like Helm and encourages users to explore the possibilities offered by advanced plugins.

What open-source music resources and sample libraries does Francesco recommend?

Francesco recommends using SoundFonts and mentions specific resources like the VSCO orchestra for high-quality instrument samples. He also highlights repositories where Linux users can find many plugins and tools for free.

How has audio production on Linux improved over the years, according to Francesco?

Francesco believes that audio production on Linux has significantly improved due to the development of more tools, better DAWs, and increasing support from commercial software. He mentions projects like Ardour and PianoTeq, which now support Linux natively, making the platform more viable for professional audio production.

Outlines

00:00

🎶 Introduction to Linux for Audio Production

Francesco introduces himself and the video series focused on audio production on Linux. He shares his journey of switching to Linux for music production, explaining how he started using it out of necessity when his old laptop became too slow with Windows 10. Francesco highlights the advantages of Linux, such as better control over hardware and less RAM usage, especially useful for running plugins and VSTs (Virtual Studio Technology). Despite the initial challenge of limited professional software, Francesco discusses the workaround using Wine and VST bridges to run Windows plugins on Linux.

05:02

🔧 Free and Open-Source DAWs and Tools

Francesco introduces several Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) and tools available for Linux, both commercial and open-source. He discusses popular options like Bitwig and Reaper for professional use, as well as Ardour, an open-source DAW. He also mentions other emerging DAWs such as LMMS and Zrythm, emphasizing the growing support for audio production on Linux. Additionally, Francesco highlights the wide range of free plugins available, including Linux-native VSTs (LV2 and LADSPA) and synthesizers like ZynAddSubFX, which offer powerful sound design capabilities for Linux users.

10:05

🎛️ Exploring Plugins and Synthesizers on Linux

Francesco gives an in-depth look at various plugins and synthesizers available on Linux, showcasing ZynAddSubFX and demonstrating its interface, oscillators, and sound manipulation features. He explains how users can modify voices, apply effects, and shape sounds using different parameters like LFO and filters. Francesco recommends other plugins such as the Calf plugin suite for mastering and mixing, and also points to valuable resources like GitHub repositories where users can find additional Linux-compatible plugins. He emphasizes the versatility of Linux for audio production, noting the continued improvement of tools and support for the platform.

🎹 Final Thoughts and Encouragement to Switch to Linux

Francesco concludes by reaffirming that Linux is a viable option for audio production, with numerous DAWs, plugins, and tools now available. He highlights Yabridge as a great VST bridge for running Windows plugins on Linux and encourages viewers to give Linux a try, noting the flexibility and extensive resources the platform offers. Francesco invites viewers to check out future videos for more tips and insights on audio production on Linux, and he shares links to his music and other resources in the description for those interested in exploring further.

Keywords

💡Linux

Linux is an open-source operating system that the video creator advocates for audio production. The speaker describes their journey of switching from Windows to Linux out of necessity, emphasizing Linux's efficiency in handling hardware resources, especially on low-performance devices. In the video, Linux is positioned as a viable alternative for musicians looking to reduce resource consumption and take control of their system.

💡Audio Production

Audio production refers to the process of recording, editing, mixing, and mastering sound. The video's central theme revolves around producing music using Linux and various tools and plugins available in the open-source ecosystem. The creator highlights how Linux, despite its challenges, provides the necessary environment for professional audio work, including recording soundtracks and music composition.

💡VST Bridge

A VST bridge is a tool that allows users to run Windows-specific VST (Virtual Studio Technology) plugins on Linux systems. The speaker mentions that these bridges, such as Yabridge, enable compatibility between Windows software and Linux, making it possible to run audio plugins inside a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). This is crucial for those transitioning to Linux but still relying on Windows-only plugins.

💡Wine

Wine is a program that allows Linux users to run Windows applications by creating a compatibility layer. In the context of the video, Wine plays a significant role in enabling the use of professional audio plugins that are not natively available for Linux. The speaker mentions using Wine for running Windows-specific plugins and describes it as an essential tool in their transition from Windows to Linux.

💡Digital Audio Workstation (DAW)

A Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) is software used for recording, editing, and producing audio files. The speaker discusses several DAWs, such as Bitwig and Reaper, that run on Linux, and also mentions Ardour as a free and open-source alternative. DAWs are central to the video’s theme, as they are the platforms where musicians perform most of their audio production tasks.

💡RAM Efficiency

RAM efficiency refers to how efficiently an operating system uses a computer's Random Access Memory (RAM). In the video, the creator points out that Linux uses less RAM compared to Windows, making it ideal for audio production on computers with limited resources. This efficiency is crucial for running memory-intensive audio plugins and VSTs, allowing more resources to be dedicated to the creative process.

💡Open Source Tools

Open source tools are software solutions whose source code is freely available for modification and distribution. The speaker emphasizes the importance of open-source tools in the Linux audio production ecosystem, mentioning programs like Ardour and plugins like ZynAddSubFX. These tools allow musicians and producers to create professional-quality music without the cost associated with proprietary software.

💡Ardour

Ardour is a free, open-source DAW for Linux that the speaker mentions as a key tool for audio production. It allows users to record, edit, and mix music. Ardour is recommended for users who prefer an open-source approach to music production, and the speaker highlights its improvements over the years, making it a strong competitor to other commercial DAWs.

💡ZynAddSubFX

ZynAddSubFX is an open-source software synthesizer used for creating various sound effects. In the video, the speaker demonstrates the capabilities of this synthesizer, showcasing how it can produce a wide range of sounds. The mention of ZynAddSubFX underlines the variety of free tools available for musicians working on Linux and its flexibility in shaping unique sounds.

💡Reaper

Reaper is a professional DAW that is available on multiple operating systems, including Linux. The speaker notes that Reaper is a commercial DAW but highlights its accessibility for Linux users. Reaper is mentioned as an alternative to other more resource-heavy DAWs, allowing users to create high-quality audio on Linux systems while remaining lightweight.

Highlights

Francesco introduces the topic of the video series on audio production and mentions the use of Linux as a primary operating system for producing music.

Francesco discusses his personal experience switching to Linux due to necessity, specifically for unlocking the potential of his old, slow laptop for music production.

Linux uses less RAM compared to Windows, making it more efficient for loading heavy plugins and VSTs in audio production environments.

Wine, a program that allows Windows applications to run on Linux, is crucial for using Windows-specific plugins on Linux during audio production.

VST bridges, which facilitate the use of Windows plugins on Linux, are now easy to set up and function smoothly for both audio production and gaming.

Bitwig is mentioned as a professional DAW available on Linux, though it's proprietary software and was too heavy for Francesco's older laptop.

Reaper is another professional DAW available on Linux, adding to the range of commercial audio production tools for the platform.

Ardour, an open-source DAW for Linux, has significantly improved in recent years, offering a viable alternative for musicians looking for a free option.

Francesco highlights the availability of several free tools and plugins on Linux, such as LMMS, Zrythm, and LV2 plugins, which enhance the audio production experience.

ZynAddSubFX is presented as a powerful synthesizer available on Linux, offering a rich set of features for sound design and synthesis.

Francesco demonstrates ZynAddSubFX’s interface, showcasing its various features like multiple oscillators, LFO, and voice control for detailed sound shaping.

Francesco discusses using free soundfonts and sample libraries like VSCO Orchestra to access high-quality instrument samples for music production on Linux.

Calf Plugins, a suite of open-source plugins for Linux, offer essential tools like EQs, compressors, and effects for mixing and mastering.

Francesco mentions the GitHub repository where users can find a wide variety of Linux plugins and DAWs to enhance their audio production setup.

Commercial tools like PianoTeq are now available in native Linux formats, further expanding the professional audio production ecosystem on Linux.

Transcripts

hello everyone and welcome to my channel

my name is francesco

and this is the first video of a series

of videos where i will talk about

audio production

have ever wondered about switching to

linux as your main os

and producing music on linux well i've

asked

this thing myself years ago and now i

can show you

why is not only possible but you

should switch linux to produce audio

nowadays the idea for this video came

after the mini debian conference

2020 where i talked about free tools

and open source tools that we can use

for audio production in linux

so i'm a musician and i'm a music

composer i compose

game soundtracks and i will tell you why

i switched to linux and i use linux as

my main events

i have some experience in recording

studios and i never

met someone that used linux to produce

music

i actually started to produce musical

linux on my old laptop

i bought this cheap laptop that after a

while just broke

i switched it to linux from windows 10

on that laptop because

otherwise it would have been too slow to

use

for music production so that was my

first attempt

as using linux as my main os to produce

music and actually i've used that cheap

laptop

to record some tracks and some of my

studio

tracks that are part of my new album too

so i switch it because of necessity i

need linux to unlock the potential

of that laptop i needed linux to have

the control over my computer

now i have three different computers all

running linux

and i've also my workstation here

running linux2

depending on which distro you wanted to

use linux can use

a little bit of ram compared to windows

because windows can just take

one or two gigs of ram out of nowhere

just starting the system

and that's a problem when you have a

workstation you want to produce

audio and you want to use a lot of ram

to load

many different plugins and many heavy

vsts that you have your heavy library

will take a lot of ram if you have that

run locked by windows because

it's used it is used for something else

that's a problem you want to

have the control over your hardware the

thing that

scared me when i was switching to linux

was the lack of professional software on

linux itself

problem is many companies don't support

linux and they don't have linux version

of their plugins

so we have something called wine wine is

a program that allows you to

run windows programs on linux and

luckily enough we have vst bridges

bst bridges are programs that allow you

to use wine

as a compatibility layer and you can run

the plugins that you run usually on

windows you can run them

on linux just fine inside your though or

outside if you want

so this thing really helped me a lot

because

during the transition i used many many

plugins that

were only available on windows and

that's why i switched to linux without

problems at all

also vst bridges nowadays are very easy

to set up and

are not so complicated why it's just

working well

and it's doing great also in video games

because wine is so good right now you

can start windows game

or linux without problems at all or at

least most of them

so after i found that i could run

windows plugins linux now i had to find

some gudu that can run on linux

so my eyes were on bitwig bidwig is a

cool dough

made in germany and that is not a

free and open source dough at all you

can run the demo but that's property

software

and this though it's very nice it's very

i like that

a lot but it was too heavy for my cheap

laptop

i discovered the reaper that's also

available

on linux but those are two professional

programs and commercial programs that

are available and that's

great by the way there is another though

that

attracted me and its name is ardhru

arthur is a very cool though and

it's false software and i think that

they're improving

a lot though now it's much better

comparing that to years ago now we are

at

6.5 version and i was surprised when

i found this though because actually

yeah you have to pay

to download the latest version but you

have to

donate something to have the dough there

are many three other

those available linux like lmms or

z written zender readme is newer

they're developing it and it's really

fresh and new so

you should try it if you were just

coming to linux right now and you want

to try some new dough

because either it's a little bit like

traditional those

talking about free tools and open source

tools that we have

available on linux right now there are

many many plugins that you can find and

that

your though can run without problems we

usually refer to linux plugins as

lx est or linux vst or lv2

there are also lads ba plugins that are

just

lb one if you want to to call them like

that

because lb2 is just the successor to

la dspa so i mostly use free tools and

open source

plugins and there are many that are

very very good for example there is zine

ad

sub fx that is a cool synthesizer

that you can download and it's not free

but you can compile that if you know how

to do that

okay now i want you to show a little bit

of the

xenapp subfx interface

so we have uh

some weird note here going on

so um this is cool like you can see

you have many many options you can add

fx to to your oscillators

you have many effects you you can

select different oscillator actually you

can use

up to eight voices here

so for example you can still stack um

so on a square or sign or a triangle

[Music]

right now we have just two waves

and we can see old voices here on voice

list

we can set the volume here

the second oscillator is just a noise

oscillator

as you can hear and this first one is

just

a so we can

modify the single voices for example

this is the first one okay

this is the volume we can change

cut off you can change all parameters

we have lfo here you have everything you

need

to create your scene to to shape your

scene

like you want

at first glance you can be uh scared by

by this because it's not so

straightforward like

helm for example that's very simple to

use

but once you start using that it becomes

really easy

to understand where are all the things

all the parameters that you need to

shape your synthesizer

cool things that is capable of doing

anything

anything really so that's that's really

cool i

recommend it and there is elus that is a

good and very very well done organ pipe

simulator

there are many some fonts that

you can run with property software or

non-proprietary software

and free software you can run sfd

format and you basically have many

samples of

a huge variety of instruments for

example i can suggest you a

vsco orchestra that has many many good

samples that you can use in your trucks

we have also called plugins

i use calf plugins a lot there are many

many plugins that you can use

it's it's like a suite of plugins there

are a cues compressors

there is everything you need to do audio

mastering

mixing there is everything and

it's just gorgeous there are also many

other plugins that you can find

in this github repository here

here you can find many many linux

programs and linux plugins

also you can find those and this is a

cool

github repository if you need something

there is everything you need here

link in the description below we can say

that

audio linux is really improving you have

many

projects under development there are

commercial tools that now support

linux 2 for example piano tech plugins

you basically can have a professional

piano

plug-in on linux without problems

running in

native lv2 format and or linux vst

you can use windows plugins using

yabrige that's a cool vst bridge that

you can use

and you can find the link in the

description below

and i think that in general triangle

linux as your main eyes for audio

production

it's worth a try you now have many

choices

you have many of those you have many

plugins

and if you don't have them you can just

use

wine you can use bridges and you can run

them without problems at all

i will make more videos about this topic

so if you liked the video please leave a

comment and subscribe

and if you're just curious about my

music and what i do

you can just check it out in the link in

the description below

and you can tell me what you think about

that

so thank you for watching and goodbye