Windows VS Linux

  • Thread starter Thread starter Vinnydude
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Vinnydude

Vinnydude

Clunge Monster
As of last week, i got sick of all the firewire problems that come with windows. So, i wiped the lot and decided to go down the Ubuntu road. Yeah its complicated, but hey, if the outcome is that i can a stable recording rig that i can take somewhere and actually trust it to do what i tell it to then its going to be more than worth it!!!

So, i'm starting this thread just to log my progress really and maybe open a few peoples eye's to this operating system.

If anyone has done this already, please get in touch so we can share experiences.
 
Vinnydude said:
As of last week, i got sick of all the firewire problems that come with windows. So, i wiped the lot and decided to go down the Ubuntu road. Yeah its complicated, but hey, if the outcome is that i can a stable recording rig that i can take somewhere and actually trust it to do what i tell it to then its going to be more than worth it!!!

So, i'm starting this thread just to log my progress really and maybe open a few peoples eye's to this operating system.

If anyone has done this already, please get in touch so we can share experiences.
Click to expand...

Just out of curiousity, what firewire problems are you having? And what DAW/interface are you using?
 
Hey Vinny,

I use Ubuntu. But I record vocals & guitar on a standalone digital recorder.
I use mma (musical midi accompaniment) to make backing tracks, timidity to render midi's to wav, and audacity to mix down with.

Rosegarden is a fine midi editor. Hydrogen (drum program) I had problems getting it to behave, but must try it again after upgrading Ubuntu to 10.04.
There's also Ardour, but I found it overkill for what I do compared to Audacity.

Linux as an OS is a different paradigm to that other operating system, and the learning curve is steep. But well worth it in the long run. I've been using it for about 10 years now.

Amanda
 
It is going to be well worth it.

I'm very nearly there with having my setup working, and considering that Motu has gone out of their way to make their products linux hostile, i think i'm doing a bloody good job! With help from many a forum too of course! But putting all the info together and i'm slowly building my own solid platform to work with.

I think that Linux needs a lot more support from manufacturers. As linux is pretty much non-profit though, its going to be difficult to convince companies that it needs to be done! lol

I haven't yet gone into the depths of getting vst plugins to work yet, i think that will be a rather large challenge!!!

My aim in general is to have a studio of my own up and running in the next 2 years, and i would really like to get it all running on Linux, that would be amazing if i can pull that off :D
 
Vinny,

VST's generally don't work on Linux, although.......
I did see mention of something very recently (can't remember where) of some sort of interface/abstraction layer. If I find it again I'll post it.
 
I have REAPER running in Wine on Ubuntu 10.04 on my netbook. I use it to mess around with song ideas when I'm on trips. I don't have an external interface, but I know there's WineASIO that can help get interfaces working. That might be a route you want to take.


I'm using UNR with a regular gnome session (I can't stand that cluttered default netbook desktop..)
 
more power to you!!

for further research, I suggest you get an acre Aspire One 751h - 11.6": http://tinyurl.com/yzlx79e
and see what happens and how well it behaves when you install something like ubuntu studio or your favorite linux OS with your favorite editing software.
and then after the test, you can sell me the laptop. ;) :)
 
But my lovely amd dual core with 3gb of ram, 2 hard drives, 17inch screen urinates all over that dwarf!!!

As the old phrase goes, mine is bigger than yours!!! :D
 
I love Ubuntu. I have been running it for the last 3 years. But it isn't worth the hassle IMO to use it for a DAW. If you are having Firewire problems just get a Belkin card...or something else with a TI chipset.

I am all for cheering on someone who wants to make the switch when using it as a personal computer, but anyone who has multimedia needs should just consider dual booting.
 
I have it dual boot at the moment, but when i get the laptop side of it setup, i think i'll just go all out Ubuntu. Its looking VERY promising at the moment. I'm having to work with a few people backwards engineering the drivers for my motu units to get them all talking correctly.

But yea, good news is, I have 2xMotu 8pre's daisy chained together, working like a fricking charm, well chuffed :D

Only thing is, the headphone side of it isn't working yet! lol!
 
I've had enough problems with linux that I'd be wary of trying to configure it for something as hardware-intensive as a recording rig. But if that's the way you want to go, more power to ya!

I mostly just use VMWare linux machines in a Windows environment to get access to all the sweet command-line and server tools that Windows is no good at.
 
I love Linux for certain things although not music production

I do find the whole premise of the thread quite amusing though


the OP states that in Windows FW doesn't play nice with MOTO so he's going to an operating system that requires hours of time on forums to get it to work, hours to reverse engineering drivers to work with Linux (not there yet but getting close), VSTs don't work (but may be able to be reverse engineered or patched (maybe)) and the DAW software isn't supported (but with some work might work properly), but loves the simplicity and the potential vs Windows. I love projects but........


Sign me up sounds like I'd get a lot of music prooduction done :laughings:
 
Oh if only you knew my full life story between me and windows!!! :D

I have 2 rigs anyway, i mixing rig, and a recording rig. Its the recording side which is important at the moment cause other wise i'd have nothing to mix!!! But I find windows so bloody tempramental that i can't trust it enough to book in a recording session to turn up and it decide that its not working again, which has happened!!!

And secretly deep down, I enjoy the challenge too of doing things that aren't supposed to be done :D
 
Vinnydude said:
Oh if only you knew my full life story between me and windows!!! :D

I have 2 rigs anyway, i mixing rig, and a recording rig. Its the recording side which is important at the moment cause other wise i'd have nothing to mix!!! But I find windows so bloody tempramental that i can't trust it enough to book in a recording session to turn up and it decide that its not working again, which has happened!!!

And secretly deep down, I enjoy the challenge too of doing things that aren't supposed to be done :D
Click to expand...

Temperamental? My build is rock solid. Windows 7 is fantastic, just as XP was before it. I skipped Vista but a good programmer friend and fellow linux user has no issues with that one either.

I doubt windows is the problem....usually is cheap components. You buy pre-built computer for for cheap, you get cheap parts. That or the company is to blame for the drivers....at which point Linux is only an answer if you can create your own driver. Relying on other people to do that...what do you do when no one is around?

Seriously... problems with Windows Firewire are less work to fix that even installing Linux for the first time, let alone learning to use it. And if you can't fix a Firewire problem with Windows, you won't be fixing anything in Linux. A google search goes a long way with Linux, but you will be doing them all day long of the foreseeable future while you learn a new OS.
 
Well, i'm still sticking to my guns mate :D

Oh, and my computers haven't come from a shop, been custom building them nearly my whole life.

This thread wasn't meant to be a 'which is best', its mearly to share my experiences with what i'm doing.
 
Outlaws said:
Temperamental? My build is rock solid. Windows 7 is fantastic, just as XP was before it. I skipped Vista but a good programmer friend and fellow linux user has no issues with that one either.

I doubt windows is the problem....usually is cheap components. You buy pre-built computer for for cheap, you get cheap parts.
Click to expand...

I agree with this.
 
I had thought about trying out a linux Rig for a while just to have an excuse to play with Ubuntu, but it's just such a huge pain to get everything working, and that's assuming every thing can be made to work. So, I said F-that until then.

However if your having problems with windows I feel for you as I am one of those people who has never had a issue caused by Windows it's self, and I use Vista at that. It's always been Crappy drivers from the part manufacturer, overheating, bad PSU, to much porn, or forgetting to pay the power bill.

Also one thing you should know, but might not. Not all Firewire cards are created equal. I have read about many compatibility issues between firewire cards, and audio interfaces generally caused by the firewire cards chip set. If I could remember where the hell I read it I'd post a link but it's been so long now I forget. I'm a PCI person my self.


Either way Ubuntu is still interesting, just wish they would make it easier to get up and running for a DAW. Not to mention the lack of native VST support.
 
So here is the update!

After working in conjunction with the developers of FFADO (the people who make drivers for firewire audio) for the past fortnight, I know have both my Motu 8pre's daisy chained and recording without a glitch, or loosing sync in sight anywhere!!!!!

SOLID AS A ROCK!

So, there you have it people. It can be done, and i'm going to be continuing to use linux to record with for the simple reason that i know that when i boot it up now, its going to work EVERY time!
 
never had a problem with xp or vista to tell the truth...i turn it on, the DAW runs....
 
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