Linux 5.7 Picking Up Support For A High-End USB-C Audio Interface

[lowlands]

Ok, thanks. I might have to give something a try here. I am certainly going to learn more about what they have.

Maybe 2nd gen Focusrite Scarlett: https://focusrite.com/en/usb-audio-i...t/scarlett-2i2

[skeevy420]

Why not just run a line from what ever electronics you have the electric plugged into into the line in on your sound card? Audio interfaces only make sense when you are recording microphones or multiple instruments at once.

Average Joe recording some sweet licks? Perfect.

Davie504? Nope.

[puleglot]

Why not just run a line from what ever electronics you have the electric plugged into into the line in on your sound card? Audio interfaces only make sense when you are recording microphones or multiple instruments at once.

For electric guitar you need Hi-Z input on the audio interface or separate DI-box. If you connect high impendance source like guitar to line input, you'll lose high frequencies.

[puleglot]

I know this is just asking for an opinion, but I'm looking for a decent interface (nothing fancy, just good support, and standards compliant) to plug a single electric guitar into a computer to do some recording, effects, etc. I just looked up the Behringer stuff based on your post. I may work in both Windows and Linux - do you recommend this brand? Thanks.

I currently have Roland Rubix24 and MOTU M4. The first one have average specs (in terms of audio quality), but it's ideal for linux as every feature of this device is controlled via physical knobs/buttons/switches, and it's fully UAC2 compliant and doesn't have any quirks in the kernel. The second one is one of the best in its price range in terms of audio quality, also fully controllable via physical knobs and buttons, also UAC2 compliant, but it's required two quirks to work properly + there is still poor support for devices with implicit feedback in snd-usb-audio.

I do recommend you start with Behringer.

Behringer sucks.

[Grinness]

Ok, thanks. I might have to give something a try here. I am certainly going to learn more about what they have.

Hi ,

I have moved recently from OSX to Linux (Arch) for music production.

In terms of interface I am currently using an old Focusrite iTrack Solo (USB, 2 inputs + hardware monitor -- precursor of the Scarlet 2i2 ) with good results and no issues.
I also have at disposal a Focusrite Pro 14, firewire -- i am waiting to get my firewire pcie interface to get it to work in linux, supported via the FFADAO:

http://ffado.org/

I use Cadence to run Jack2 and integrate with alsa midi sequencer and pulseaudio with great performance (i6600k and 16gb ram, less than 5% DSP utilization in ~5 tracks mix with 3 to 4 effects each). I use the Arch ZEN kernel for realtime with no xruns (looking forward to pipewire!)

As DAW, I tested most of the available ones, personally I find Reaper very good and thanks to Carla bridges I can use all the ladspa and lv2 plugins.
Just to name 1 plugin that is great (and free):

https://x42-plugins.com/x42/x42-avldrums

great drumkits to start and have fun in composing and recording.

If you want a list of supported cards (not exhaustive -- my old iTrack Solo is not listed, but just works :

https://www.alsa-project.org/wiki/Matrix:Main

G.


EDIT:
I Just checked on a master mix with 12 tracks, DSP load is 5%.
If you curious, the song is on sound cloud:

https://soundcloud.com/user-441260556/parade

[madscientist159]

I've been using a M-Audio Fast Track Ultra 8R paired with one of my POWER desktops for audio work. It's been quite stable and gives high quality output, but you do need to get rid of pulseaudio since it has some obscure bug with multi-channel capture.

[muncrief]

One of the primary reasons I use Linux is its superior audio workstation capabilities. No, it doesn't run Pro Tools, but compared to what it does run Pro Tools is obsolete.

The problem with Windows audio recording programs is that they're limited to one instrument at a time, and the latency is terrible.

With Linux I can mix and match as many different real and virtual instruments as I want, and play them simultaneously with very low latency. It's difficult to do, and requires compiling parts of KXStudio, installing wine with wineasio and Reaper (or you could just use Ardour or some other native program), and configuring Jack to work with Pulseaudio, but the end result is nothing less than stunning.

Really, a properly constructed Linux audio workstation simply leaves Windows in the dust. It's just a shame that you not only have to be a musician, but also a software engineer, to be able to do it.

Here's a simple picture of Claudia with Reaper connected to my 18 channel Behringer XR18 mixer. I can add any number of instruments and equipment, with any number of inputs and outputs, and route them via Jack and Pulseaudio any way I want. And like I said, latency is so low that it's almost always imperceptible. And as you can see from the picture a lot of it is drag and drop, I can actually click on any of the connections you see and route them anywhere like a good old fashioned telephone patch board!

[GraysonPeddie]

Behringer sucks.

And same as Focusrite and Presonus since DSP is completely useless in high-end audio interface. Plus, the plugins that came with audio interfaces these days are useless under Linux unless there's a way that can work in Wine. The more you give nonconstructive criticism, the higher the chance I will ignore you for good. Each of us has own own experiences.

[archsway]

With Linux I can mix and match as many different real and virtual instruments as I want, and play them simultaneously with very low latency. It's difficult to do, and requires compiling parts of KXStudio, installing wine with wineasio and Reaper (or you could just use Ardour or some other native program), and configuring Jack to work with Pulseaudio, but the end result is nothing less than stunning.

Is there any reason you aren't using a Linux build of Reaper?

[muncrief]

Is there any reason you aren't using a Linux build of Reaper?

Because I use EZdrummer, EZmix, and Tone2 Electra2 and could never find any suitable Linux alternatives. However they and Reaper work great in wine, and are far more flexible running under Linux than Windows. The only thing I have to run under actual Windows now is Band in a Box, which is quite a pain. However I spent many man-months since 2016 trying to get Band in a Box to run in wine and the best I could ever get was a partially functioning, sometimes crashing, installation.

I also spent quite a bit of time trying to use Linux Reaper with the Windows programs via KXStudio but was never successful. However I haven't tried since shortly after Linux Reaper was released, so I really should give it another try, and will.

The truth is that I need a lot of help from automated programs because I'm just a lazy vocalist and composer, and the only reason anyone ever let me into their bands was because I won the genetic lottery on vocals and naturally have a unique voice that most people like, and am also a prolific song writer. But just as with engineering, I really am very lazy and refuse to do things unless I want to, or have to.

So I flunked out of college three times because I hate math, and know very little of it, but that didn't stop me from becoming a highly sought after hardware/firmware/software designer because digital logic is built-in to my head. Similarly I know almost nothing about music, and would literally "doo da thrum thrum" songs into mini tape recorders to communicate original compositions to bandmates. I also refused to do "cover" songs because I consider it a cop out and am simply not interested. But now that I'm in my 60s and don't want to do covers of Beatles songs I can't find any human bandmates, and have to rely heavily on automated computer programs to fill in.

And I must admit, it's really very difficult and I haven't been able to accomplish anything good for years. I'm great if I'm surrounded by talented musicians and can just stand up and gently serenade or loudly wail, but on my own I suck big time.