Linux DAW: Help Linux musicians to quickly and easily find the tools they need

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Raspberry Pi / ARM Compatibility

  • Some expect few DAWs/plugins to run on Raspberry Pi due to lack of ARM binaries; others report that “pretty much everything” in Linux audio works on ARM if it’s open source.
  • KXStudio and Zynthian are suggested as RPi-focused ecosystems listing many compatible engines and plugins.
  • Consensus: open-source tools usually run on RPi/ARM; proprietary plugins rarely target it except a few (e.g., Pianoteq, some u-he).

Plugin UI & Knob-Based Controls

  • Strong debate over skeuomorphic knobs controlled by mouse:
    • Critics find mouse-knob interaction unintuitive, inconsistent (drag direction, rotation semantics), and sometimes inaccessible (e.g., OS magnifier conflicts).
    • Defenders value knobs for dense layouts, familiarity, quick visual scanning, and good mapping to MIDI controllers.
  • Common “good knob” expectations: linear drag, modifier keys for fine control, numerical readouts, double-click to type exact values.
  • Alternatives discussed: number boxes (less visual at-a-glance), XY pads (e.g., FabFilter-style EQ), mouse wheel, keybinds. No clear superior universal solution emerges.
  • Broader UI split: some prefer minimal, “lifeless” functional UIs; others find highly polished skeuomorphic designs creatively inspiring.

Telephony vs Music Audio

  • One view: real-time multichannel low-latency audio for musicians resembles telephony; surprising lack of shared tech.
  • Counterpoint (majority): constraints differ greatly—telephony is mono, heavily compressed, and tolerates far higher latency; music production demands many channels, full spectrum, and millisecond-level latency and sync.
  • Some note that standards like AES67 already lean on VoIP-era tech (RTP, SIP, PTP).

Linux Audio Stack & Distros

  • Several users report modern Linux audio is vastly improved, with PipeWire reducing JACK/ALSA pain and enabling low-latency workflows.
  • Others still encounter choppy UIs, resume-from-sleep issues, and the need for manual config tweaks; frustration with constant stack rewrites vs macOS’s long-stable CoreAudio.
  • Specialized distros (Ubuntu Studio, KXStudio) and PipeWire-with-JACK support are suggested over generic desktops like Mint for serious audio work.

FOSS vs Commercial Tools, UI Quality, Licensing

  • Site filters for “No charge” and “FOSS” are appreciated; some note a drop in visual polish among FOSS plugins and lament lack of designer involvement.
  • Explanation offered: many devs reserve their best-polished work for paid products; most FOSS plugins are “publish-and-move-on” with small communities, making designer collaboration hard.
  • Philosophical tension: some just want high-quality paid tools; others emphasize software freedom over convenience, criticizing proprietary DAWs/plugins for restricting user rights.
  • Wishlist for mainstream DAWs: containerized/reproducible environments, centralized license management, cloud/remote processing, and shareable projects that bypass per-user plugin licenses; several respondents doubt the economics and licensing politics.

Perceptions of LinuxDAW.org

  • Widely praised as a much-needed, well-organized, and surprisingly snappy catalog that greatly improves discoverability.
  • Filters by category (compression, saturation, etc.) and FOSS/commercial status are especially valued.
  • Criticisms: endless scrolling makes reaching the footer annoying; some initially misread it as an ad or confuse it with linuxmusicians.com.

Tool Suggestions & Gaps

  • Recommended plugins and synths include Surge XT, Vital, Dexed, ZynAddSubFX/Yoshimi, LSP plugins, and various commercial Linux ports (Toneboosters, Kazrog, u-he).
  • Some note omissions or low ranking of favorites (e.g., Helm).
  • Alternative workflows mentioned: terminal-based DAWs (e.g., ecasound frontends), live-coding tools (TidalCycles/Strudel), and non-traditional systems like Glicol.
  • Renoise is recommended as a Linux-friendly tracker-style DAW, particularly for electronic genres.