These facts (and their options) remain:
1. Native Apps are the best first choice when using Linux -- ALWAYS
2. Linux is an awesome operating system that works great these days for those who are willing to put in the work learning it.
3. As awesome as Linux is, there are some big holes/gaps in what is available natively on Linux--especially when it comes to acoustic/real libraries.
4. To get around those holes (or gaps) in what audio software is available, there are some options:
4A. Learn to deal with not using the software that isn't available, and use what IS available natively in Linux.
4B. Find alternatives from the Windows realm and use alternatives that are known to work properly and easily in WINE.
4C. Go the virtual machine route with an actual copy of Windows on the same machine as Linux using one of the following options:
4C1. Audiogridder
4C2. Blue Cat Audio's Patchworks & Connector
4C3. Using an AES67 compatible virtual audio to network sound card in Windows and patch in to the AES67 compatible Pipewire input.
4D. Use an additional Windows computer, using one of the following connection methods:
4D1. Audiogridder
4D2. Blue Cat Audio's Patchworks & Connector
4D3. Using an 4in/4out + midi audio interface on both your Linux and your additional Windows machine like you would as if it were an external hardware synth or sampler.
5E. Go back to using Windows for audio work. This can be through dual booting or using Windows exclusively.
As for me personally, I accept that there are gaps in things that I want and need. I especially want high quality guitars of all types: Acoustic, electric, six string, twelve string, all sorts of different models and pickups, including bass guitars. The quality of what I want simply doesn't exist on Linux. I have the best of what is available to my knowledge, which includes some average Decent Sampler libraries in Decent Sampler format. I also have some average libraries in SFZ format that can be used in Sfizz or LinuxSampler, but I prefer to have an interface on my libraries that I can configure, so Decent Sampler is currently the best that Linux has for libraries as far as interfaces go.
The next level up in instrument quality is SFZ files and Sforzando. There is no native version of Sforzando, so it has to be used with WINE and yabridge. The best SFZ libraries for guitar come from Karoryfer and Unreal's guitars, and the legacy Shreddage guitar and bass SFZ packages which I purchased years ago.
Then next level up from that involves using actual virtual guitar plugins. I, personally, have ruled out anything to do with Native Instruments, specifically because of the Native Access 2 incompatibilities, so that leaves me with non-native access libraries such as Musiclab's Real guitar series, Toontrack's bass libraries, Pfundstein's bass libraries, AmpleSound's guitar libraries, and maybe.....just maybe Sound Magic's libraries. There are likely more that don't use Native Access, but by far, the lion's share of guitar libraries are Kontakt based, unfortunately. Luckily, I like a lot of what I hear from these libraries, and if they work sufficiently, I'll be just fine. I've already done some initial research, and most of these that I listed supposedly work without problems on Linux in WINE. I'll have to do more research before I do any purchasing.
If using alternatives don't work, then I have to consider my other options from the outline of options I listed above. I have no intention of going back to windows, although I have considered using a second computer with Windows on it and using it like an external piece of hardware equipment -- like a sampler, a rompler, or a synth. My Linux laptop is limited in performance CPU/RAM power anyway, so an external piece of equipment would offload some of that processor usage. But then again, that takes away from my mobility of using my laptop for music making. I am really hoping it doesn't come to that......
But as you can see. There are some compromises and decisions that have to be made, and if a particular piece of software doesn't exist natively in Linux, and it doesn't run well in WINE, there are some tough decisions to be made. Some people are better off sticking with Windows in some cases. Things are getting better for Linux all the time, and doors are opening left and right constantly in front of our eyes, but for some people, this is the reality, if they are unable to find an alternative software package for the one that they really want to use from the Windows world.
1. Native Apps are the best first choice when using Linux -- ALWAYS
2. Linux is an awesome operating system that works great these days for those who are willing to put in the work learning it.
3. As awesome as Linux is, there are some big holes/gaps in what is available natively on Linux--especially when it comes to acoustic/real libraries.
4. To get around those holes (or gaps) in what audio software is available, there are some options:
4A. Learn to deal with not using the software that isn't available, and use what IS available natively in Linux.
4B. Find alternatives from the Windows realm and use alternatives that are known to work properly and easily in WINE.
4C. Go the virtual machine route with an actual copy of Windows on the same machine as Linux using one of the following options:
4C1. Audiogridder
4C2. Blue Cat Audio's Patchworks & Connector
4C3. Using an AES67 compatible virtual audio to network sound card in Windows and patch in to the AES67 compatible Pipewire input.
4D. Use an additional Windows computer, using one of the following connection methods:
4D1. Audiogridder
4D2. Blue Cat Audio's Patchworks & Connector
4D3. Using an 4in/4out + midi audio interface on both your Linux and your additional Windows machine like you would as if it were an external hardware synth or sampler.
5E. Go back to using Windows for audio work. This can be through dual booting or using Windows exclusively.
As for me personally, I accept that there are gaps in things that I want and need. I especially want high quality guitars of all types: Acoustic, electric, six string, twelve string, all sorts of different models and pickups, including bass guitars. The quality of what I want simply doesn't exist on Linux. I have the best of what is available to my knowledge, which includes some average Decent Sampler libraries in Decent Sampler format. I also have some average libraries in SFZ format that can be used in Sfizz or LinuxSampler, but I prefer to have an interface on my libraries that I can configure, so Decent Sampler is currently the best that Linux has for libraries as far as interfaces go.
The next level up in instrument quality is SFZ files and Sforzando. There is no native version of Sforzando, so it has to be used with WINE and yabridge. The best SFZ libraries for guitar come from Karoryfer and Unreal's guitars, and the legacy Shreddage guitar and bass SFZ packages which I purchased years ago.
Then next level up from that involves using actual virtual guitar plugins. I, personally, have ruled out anything to do with Native Instruments, specifically because of the Native Access 2 incompatibilities, so that leaves me with non-native access libraries such as Musiclab's Real guitar series, Toontrack's bass libraries, Pfundstein's bass libraries, AmpleSound's guitar libraries, and maybe.....just maybe Sound Magic's libraries. There are likely more that don't use Native Access, but by far, the lion's share of guitar libraries are Kontakt based, unfortunately. Luckily, I like a lot of what I hear from these libraries, and if they work sufficiently, I'll be just fine. I've already done some initial research, and most of these that I listed supposedly work without problems on Linux in WINE. I'll have to do more research before I do any purchasing.
If using alternatives don't work, then I have to consider my other options from the outline of options I listed above. I have no intention of going back to windows, although I have considered using a second computer with Windows on it and using it like an external piece of hardware equipment -- like a sampler, a rompler, or a synth. My Linux laptop is limited in performance CPU/RAM power anyway, so an external piece of equipment would offload some of that processor usage. But then again, that takes away from my mobility of using my laptop for music making. I am really hoping it doesn't come to that......
But as you can see. There are some compromises and decisions that have to be made, and if a particular piece of software doesn't exist natively in Linux, and it doesn't run well in WINE, there are some tough decisions to be made. Some people are better off sticking with Windows in some cases. Things are getting better for Linux all the time, and doors are opening left and right constantly in front of our eyes, but for some people, this is the reality, if they are unable to find an alternative software package for the one that they really want to use from the Windows world.
Statistics: Posted by audiojunkie — Tue Oct 01, 2024 11:57 pm