Is Linux Still The Music Platform For Masochists?

Is Linux Still The Music Platform For Masochists?

The Renoise Team has announced the first ever public Renoise demo for Linux.

As a Linux user you may appreciate Renoise’s hands-on and fundamental approach to music production. For those on other platforms, now is the chance to experience Renoise on the operating system that has become famous for its flexibility and stability.

It’s great to see developers supporting another platform alternative to Windows – but last I checked, it seemed like Linux was the music platform for masochists.

Any Linux music users have thoughts on that? Has Linux improved as a music platform in the last few years? Is it worth the extra hassle over OS X?

9 thoughts on “Is Linux Still The Music Platform For Masochists?

  1. I will install this on my linux box to satisfy my curiosity for this program. There have been very VERY crude music production programs for linux in the past, but this one looks promising. I doubt that I will ditch Logic and Reason for this. =)

    I do think it’s a little late for linux to become a player in music production. Mac and Windows software are way ahead of the game.

    Linux has come a LONG way from the days of the command line. Before I “converted” to Mac, I was a hardcore linux user. I ditched Windows about five years ago, and have appreciated the effort that is being put into linux systems.

  2. You can forget about doing anything interesting with music on Linux. Nobody is doing music commercially with Linux because you’d be asking for a lot of problems that you don’t need.

    Everybody is moving to OS X because it works and it’s become the industry standard.

    I can’t imagine wanting to waste my time trying to create music on a platform that’s really meant for use as a server.

  3. Linux is a crapshoot of an OS to use heavy programs that emulate trackers, synths, plugins and other stuff that people enjoy. Yet it is a great way go get into understanding how a computer works and have fun with it. There are great languages for linux ie… super collider, c sound, chuck, pure data, clm (common lisp music) and many others that make it a great platform for sound designers who don’t mind a non graphical interface and just care about the product not the process. one more thing F the industry have fun with your shit if you think it’s wasting your time cause the studio doesn’t run it … it eventually will… essentially the projections for linux are going through the roof on sales for dell systems and people who own pc’s unhappy with vista. Just some food for thought… not everyone has to have a mac with pro tools to be a master of sound.
    LATE

  4. Actually, Linux isn’t just for servers anymore. Major leaps and bounds in user interface as well as applications have taken place over the past few years.

    I do agree that Linux really isn’t the right platform for music production. Why waste time on something that hasn’t been proven and isn’t the industry standard.

    I will still install this program though, mostly because I’m a true nerd or geek at heart I guess. 😉

  5. Linux works just fine for producing music. I use a Roland Fantom X6 for MIDI in and as an audio interface at the moment. Things work fine when I can use all of my tools (Hydrogen, Ardour, Rosegarden) running over JACK. Keep (music) apps separate yet dedicated and running in sync: that is the linux motif.

    The industry doesn’t matter as long as an artist knows his DAW and interfaces well.

  6. Yes – Vinnie, Wayne, David and I are in the same camp on this.

    There are a couple of problematic things to the comments and blog entry itself – what are the standards/benchmarks you're using to say what is good (Linux or otherwise)? To which Linux distrobution are you referring? People use the term "Linux" like they use the term "Africa": There are many countries in Africa, yet many North Americans simply refer to a Kenyan or Egyptian as an "African". Same with Linux – there are a million different Linux OS's.

    Most people who blow off Linux don't use Linux or have passing experience with it. Because it is created by and maintained by communities of users rather than a single corporation, Linux distrobutions simply can't buy the publicity that Apple/Microsoft can.

    Have the critics tried the Linux Os's (Ubuntu Studio leaps to mind) specifically designed for music production?

    Until users like Alliah can provide specific reasons why Linux shouldn't be taken seriously for music production and editing, it's easy to blow it off as standard issue Apple fanboy garbage.
    Matt

  7. Fact is you can geek out all you want at home with linux and get your tracks done. However, if you are serious about music production we all know that using an industry standard DAW and an industry standard OS (be it mac or windows) it's the only way to get the best results, with the least amount of headaches. If you want to get a job in the music industry, you HAVE to know industry standard equipment and software. You can geek out all you want , but the engineer & the musician don't give a flying fuck about your linux skills kids. COME AT ME BRO!.

  8. Fact is you can geek out all you want at home with linux and get your tracks done. However, if you are serious about music production we all know that using an industry standard DAW and an industry standard OS (be it mac or windows) it's the only way to get the best results, with the least amount of headaches. If you want to get a job in the music industry, you HAVE to know industry standard equipment and software. You can geek out all you want , but the engineer & the musician don't give a flying fuck about your linux skills!

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