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Thread: The Free Studio Project - part 1 The Introduction.

  1. #1

    Default The Free Studio Project - part 1 The Introduction.

    To celebrate my return to the best O/S in the world (Debian GNU/Linux) I'll be posting a few articles on howto setup a 100% free (or as close as possible) Home Studio setup.

    In this firs article I'll be giving a list of what's needed and a list of commonly used words.So let's begin :

    1. say what ?

    - Linux : Linux is the name of the "kernel" that's used. It was and is developed by Linus Torvalds and it's based on the UNIX O/S (hence the name which is a combination of Linux and Unix).
    - Kernel : The kernel is the core of every O/S (operating System) this is what makes it possible for your hardware to "communicate" with each-other. But a kernel alone is nothing since there is no software included.
    - Distribution or Distro in short : The distro is basically the entire package of the Kernel with GNU Software. There are hundreds of distributions out there but the old and big ones are :
    -- Debian GNU/Linux
    -- RedHat (Fedora Cor)
    -- SuSE (openSUSE)
    -- Slackware
    One of the most common ones these days is Ubuntu (Ubuntu is based on Debian but geared more towards the average user and desktop use).
    I personally prefer Debian over Ubuntu but Ubuntu Studio is a good option for what we are trying to do here.There are also variations of Ubuntu (Ubuntu Studio is already mentioned above) like
    - Kubuntu (used KDE over Gnome)
    - Edubuntu (educational targeted)
    - ...GNU :
    - Gnu stands for GNU is Not UnixGnome :
    - Gnome is a DE (Desktop Environment) this determends the look & feel of the desktop. Gnome is more apple-ish
    - KDE : (the K Desktop Environment) unlike Gnome KDE is more Windows-ish
    --There are some more like Mate, XFCE, LXDE, ... but Gnome and KDE are the most common
    - GPL : Gnu Public License (this is the license that most Linux software uses). It's written by the FSF (Free Software Foundation)
    - CLI : Command-Line Interface or Terminal : This can be seen as the MS-DOS from the past, but unlike DOS the CLI is still used a lot
    - FOSS : Free and Open Source Software
    A lot of people are confused but "Free Software" is not always "at no cost", this is generally explained by saying "It's free as in Free Speach not as in Free Beer" but most Free software is also at no cost.
    - D.A.W. : Digital Audio Workstation
    - Ardour : Ardour is a popular D.A.W. for Linux and Mac.
    There is no windows version, BUT there is "Harrison Mixbus" this is based on Ardour and is available for Windows, Mac and Linux (some reviews may claim that there is no Linux version of Mixbus but that's not correct).
    Mixbus is also a commercial program so you'll need to purchase it if you want to use it, but it's similar to Ardour (but has a "better" mixer) so you might be happy with Ardour instread.
    - Root : Root is the username of the "Administrator"
    NEVER do normal work on a linux system as root !!
    Linux will assume the root user to be aware of what he/she is doing. If you on windows (for example) try to format the harddrive windows will ask you if you are sure. If you do the same on a linux system, it will NOT ask if you are shure, it will just execute the command.
    If you decide to install Ubuntu there is no problem since that distro has disabled the root account and SUDO is needed.SUDO :
    - sudo is the command to execute 1 command as root. For example "sudo apt-get update" will ask your password and then update the APT Package list.APT or APT-GET :
    - apt is the software used to remove/install software on your system (Debian and Debian-based) others like Redhat use a different system.
    Most software you'll need is already present in the apt Repo's so there is little need to search software online, unless you need some non-free or commercial software).
    - Repository or Repo : This are basically servers on the internet where your distro can download software from.

    Others might be explained in more detail in on of the other articles.
    Now let's continue with what you need.

    2. What you need :
    - A computer that can run Linux (Debian is available for a wide range on hardware so this should be no big problem)- Linux Compatible hardware, This can be tricky since not all Manufacturers provide Linux drivers or the information needed to build your own drivers. Big-brand hardware is generally better supported than some unknown brand.
    - A linux compatible audio interface (not all are supported so you might need to investigate a bit) my Yamaha Steinberg CI2+ is supported but the Propellerheads Reason interface will NOT work.
    I would advise to download the Ubuntu Studio ISO from http://ubuntustudio.org/Ubuntu Studio (as most modern distro's) uses a LiveCD/Installer combination so you can burn it to a Disk (or USB Flash drive if your computer supports it) and boot from the DVD, next you can start the LiveCD to see if your hardware works and if you want to install you just install from within the LiveCD or reboot and select install from the DVD menu.

    If you don't have an interface you can also use a build-in mic or a desktop mic connected to your PC's soundcard but in my experience that's not ideal for recording a bass guitar.

    Well that's it for now.If you have some questions about this article just reply and I'll try to answer in more detail.

    Stay tuned for part 2 (Installing Debian Stable).
    Last edited by Patrick; 09-20-2014 at 03:46 AM.
    Fender 2012 American Standard Precision Bass (Left-handed)
    Fender '59 Bassman LTD.









  2. #2

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    More good stuff from Patrick! Thanks Patrick. Do any of the implementations of Linux offer stable dual boot set-ups with Windows 7? I am sorta stuck with windows due to my gaming addiction. On the other hand, I have an older quad-core AMD based system that I could possibly convert to Linux, maybe, if I can find the time. Getting up to speed with Linux is something I have put off for far too long I guess. So little time......so much to learn.

  3. #3

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    Well Dual-Boot between Linux and windows has been possible for a long time now. The main problem is that Windows doesn't play nice.
    So from what I can remember, I'm not a fan of Dual-Boot setups, you'll need to install Windows first and Linux afterwards.
    Next is to set GRUB (GRand Unified Bootloader) in the correct location. The default one will overwrite the windows bootload and make it impossible to boot into windows.

    I think most modern distro's can do this all automatically through their installers but making a backup before doing any of this is always a good idea ;-)

    I've also found some instructions here, maybe they can help.
    Fender 2012 American Standard Precision Bass (Left-handed)
    Fender '59 Bassman LTD.









  4. #4

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    Thanks again Patrick. I worked in the IT field for a number of years about a decade ago. It just didn't pay very well for all the stress and headaches. I worked for several small local distributers and "added value" retailers, and they just don't pay much. At that time I knew a number of people using dual boot setups and they all had issues. I guess some things never change. I will look into the current situation further and perhaps de-windowfy one of my desktops and install Linux. It all just take sooooo much time. I used to enjoy fiddling with computers, but now, I just want to turn them on and have it work.

  5. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by kimgee View Post
    Thanks again Patrick. I worked in the IT field for a number of years about a decade ago. It just didn't pay very well for all the stress and headaches. I worked for several small local distributers and "added value" retailers, and they just don't pay much. At that time I knew a number of people using dual boot setups and they all had issues. I guess some things never change. I will look into the current situation further and perhaps de-windowfy one of my desktops and install Linux. It all just take sooooo much time. I used to enjoy fiddling with computers, but now, I just want to turn them on and have it work.
    I was a LindowsOS beta tester for a while (several years ago) and I used Removable Drive Trays to solve this issue, it costs a bit more than a dual-boot setup but I preferred it over dual-boot.


    I don't know if these still exist for the new SATA harddrive.
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    Fender 2012 American Standard Precision Bass (Left-handed)
    Fender '59 Bassman LTD.









  6. #6

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    We all love screenshots so here are a few.
    They were made on my Main studio system (Dell XPS8300 Workstation) running Debian Jessie (that's the codename for the upcoming stable release, the current stable release is codenames Wheezy) and I'm using the OpenBox DE over the default Gnome3 (Openbox needs less system resources so it should improve latency).

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    This is Bitwig Studio

    If you look at the right screen (2nd monitor) you'll see that the Jack Connection kit shows 0 (2) those are Xmarks (buffer underrun) you'll want these to be low as possible (or completely zero if possible) you can reduce them by increasing the buffer size but that will increase latency.

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    Harrison Mixbus 2.5

    This looks similar to Ardour (don't have a screenshot of Ardour yet) but the mixer (to the left on screen 1 and on the left and right on screen 2 are added by Harrison Consoles, so those are not available in Ardour. There are also some more GUI tweaks when you compare Mixbus with Ardour.

    And here is a screenshot of Tracktion 5 for Linux (BETA)
    To the right you'll notice the grey screen, that's basically what OpenBox looks like (since Tracktion has no dual-screen option, unless I missed it). The bar near the bottom that shows the Snaptic icon and logo is not available in OpenBox by default.

    So when you install/use OpenBox you'll only get a grey screen.
    There is NO build-in support for Desktop Backgrounds
    There is not much "eye-cabdy"
    But that should make it improve the performance.

    To get a menu in OpenBox you'll need to right-click on the desktop (to get a menu) if you want to add items to this menu you'll need to install "obmenu".
    Fender 2012 American Standard Precision Bass (Left-handed)
    Fender '59 Bassman LTD.









  7. #7

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    "I don't know if these still exist for the new SATA harddrive."

    Actually, my primary desktop, which is a thermaltake mid-tower, has one in it. It is hot swappable, but I will have to check if it is available to boot from. I should have thought of that option and looked into it sooner. Thanks for the tip.
    Last edited by kimgee; 09-17-2014 at 08:30 AM.

  8. #8

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    What do you think of Traction? I got a free copy of Tracktion 4 with my audio interface and can get 5 for $29 if I so choose. If the win and Linux version's interfaces are near identical, as I would expect, then that may be a good way to get started and then I could migrate to Linux as time allows.

  9. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by kimgee View Post
    "I don't know if these still exist for the new SATA harddrive."

    Actually, my primary desktop, which is a thermaltake mid-tower, has one in it. It is hot swappable, but I will have to check if it is available to boot from. I should have thought of that option and looked into it sooner. Thanks for the tip.
    For some reason I would not advise to use the "hot swappable" option, especially if you're going to boot from that drive.
    As for the ability to boot from it, that should be available through your BIOS settings.
    Only problem I can think of is that your BIOS might have problems with the changing harddrive and change the boot order.
    Fender 2012 American Standard Precision Bass (Left-handed)
    Fender '59 Bassman LTD.









  10. #10

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by kimgee View Post
    What do you think of Traction? I got a free copy of Tracktion 4 with my audio interface and can get 5 for $29 if I so choose. If the win and Linux version's interfaces are near identical, as I would expect, then that may be a good way to get started and then I could migrate to Linux as time allows.
    As far as I know the GUI for both the Windows and Linux version is identical.

    From what I've been reading it get's some good reviews, most are based on the fact that it has everything in 1 screen so you don't need to search a bunch of menu options or use a dual-display setup.

    But it does require some time to get used to how it actually works, it looks less intuitive to me, but I guess that's because I'm used to other D.A.W.'s

    From the list of D.A.W. I've tested (for Linux) my personal favorite is still Ardour/Mixbus (for some weird reason Ardour doesn't work on my Main machine, but Mixbus does ).

    I've also found another D.A.W. called "Renoise" it's a "tracker-like" D.A.W. so if you used stuff like FastTracker in the past it might be an option. But I don't think it's something for me (costs around $90)

    Oh, and you should be able to download a Trial version of Tracktion so you can see if it's for you before you pay for anything.
    Bitwig-Studio als has a free trial version which does everything the full version does, but it doesn't let you save your recordings
    Fender 2012 American Standard Precision Bass (Left-handed)
    Fender '59 Bassman LTD.









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