Best LTS Distro for Audio

[Patrick Kox]

The last time I checked the latest RT patch was for the 4.4 kernel.

Well, my I compiled my last kernel a few weeks ago, and I think it's 4.4.9.
I just checked and they now have 4.6 patch, but that's for the RC7 release not the stable one.

4.6 should bring some speed and power improvements so I'll need to keep an I at kernel.org

[allank]

Thanks for the responses guys. I did try Ubuntu Studio last night but the latest is on the 4.4 kernel which is bad for me. They moved FFADO module to kernel (Alsa) in the 4.x series and that is too early on! My Mackie onyx doesn't work on that kernel and FFADO doesn't work either.

I had same issue on Fedora with PlanetCCRMA where I had to update to the 4.6 rawhide kernel or drop below 4.x Thus why I think older, LTS distro like CentOS 7. Kernel won't change for years.

I like the new features of ALSA frontending my mixer. That makes life easier. But I've also noticed some odd noise with playback on Mixbus that wasn't there before. I'd really like to rule out updates as being the issue forever! But I like to stay secure, so security updates are A-OK as long as kernel and libraries stay same. I like to have net plugged in to backup sessions to cloud. Keeps me from thrashing my system and being sad like you were!

UbuntuStudio is based on an LTS release, so I was hoping this would give me best of both worlds. Maybe I use the older LTS UbuntuStudio? I only want Mixbus, Hydrogen and plugins like Calf. Also KXStudio utilities like Catia.

You can blacklist the kernel modules and then FFADO will work well.
KXStudio works on 3.x and works well with firewire..
(I'm an A&H Zed R16 user)

---

Just read about qiana studio, which is kxstudio repos, built into Mint 17.3 ..

[billparcells]

Thanks for the responses guys. I did try Ubuntu Studio last night but the latest is on the 4.4 kernel which is bad for me. They moved FFADO module to kernel (Alsa) in the 4.x series and that is too early on! My Mackie onyx doesn't work on that kernel and FFADO doesn't work either.

I had same issue on Fedora with PlanetCCRMA where I had to update to the 4.6 rawhide kernel or drop below 4.x Thus why I think older, LTS distro like CentOS 7. Kernel won't change for years.

I like the new features of ALSA frontending my mixer. That makes life easier. But I've also noticed some odd noise with playback on Mixbus that wasn't there before. I'd really like to rule out updates as being the issue forever! But I like to stay secure, so security updates are A-OK as long as kernel and libraries stay same. I like to have net plugged in to backup sessions to cloud. Keeps me from thrashing my system and being sad like you were!

UbuntuStudio is based on an LTS release, so I was hoping this would give me best of both worlds. Maybe I use the older LTS UbuntuStudio? I only want Mixbus, Hydrogen and plugins like Calf. Also KXStudio utilities like Catia.

You can blacklist the kernel modules and then FFADO will work well.
KXStudio works on 3.x and works well with firewire..
(I'm an A&H Zed R16 user)

---

Just read about qiana studio, which is kxstudio repos, built into Mint 17.3 ..

Hrm, interesting. It seems most of the firewire audio stack is moving into ALSA itself. I get some nicer features out of ALSA when I use it. The Mackie hardware is dice:
http://www.alsa-project.org/main/index.p...wire_stack

Where does your A&H land there?

[chalee]

Check QStudio64 - which is based on Ubuntu 14.04, Linux Mint 17.3 and KXStudio:

http://qianastudio.tumblr.com

Everything you need for A/V-production is inside and you gets updates untill april 2019!

Maybe everything runs more stable for you - maybe not!?
(Some users reported us, that QS is running more stable with their machines than Ubuntu Studio or KXStudio- which is more than a compliment to the Linux Mint/Mate-platform!)

Qiana Studio comes with lowlatency-kernel 3.19.0-32, but you are free to try a newer 4.x-Kernel- IF your hardware is NOT supported!

IF all your hardware is supported and your system is running stable and well, there is NO need or reason to try another kernel!

In fact your system could be getting unstable with the new kernel!

But: studying by trying is mostly recommend for advanced users:

If something went wrong with the new kernel- you are able to boot the old (and stable) one easy.

HAVE FUN- BE CREATIVE!

chalee

[darrel_jw]

The problem I kept fighting with QStudio64 was trying to get the live system to come in English! I don't speak nor understand German, and it was just a losing battle for me.

Darrel

Check QStudio64 - which is based on Ubuntu 14.04, Linux Mint 17.3 and KXStudio:

http://qianastudio.tumblr.com

Everything you need for A/V-production is inside and you gets updates untill april 2019!

Maybe everything runs more stable for you - maybe not!?
(Some users reported us, that QS is running more stable with their machines than Ubuntu Studio or KXStudio- which is more than a compliment to the Linux Mint/Mate-platform!)

Qiana Studio comes with lowlatency-kernel 3.19.0-32, but you are free to try a newer 4.x-Kernel- IF your hardware is NOT supported!

IF all your hardware is supported and your system is running stable and well, there is NO need or reason to try another kernel!

In fact your system could be getting unstable with the new kernel!

But: studying by trying is mostly recommend for advanced users:

If something went wrong with the new kernel- you are able to boot the old (and stable) one easy.

HAVE FUN- BE CREATIVE!

chalee

[jabney]

The problem I kept fighting with QStudio64 was trying to get the live system to come in English! I don't speak nor understand German, and it was just a losing battle for me.

Darrel

I see your point. German vocabulary in real use is different from the fake-German used in English/American comedy. Turns out that "Stoppen der Programen" doesn't end a program after all.

best, john

[allank]

Thanks for the responses guys. I did try Ubuntu Studio last night but the latest is on the 4.4 kernel which is bad for me. They moved FFADO module to kernel (Alsa) in the 4.x series and that is too early on! My Mackie onyx doesn't work on that kernel and FFADO doesn't work either.

I had same issue on Fedora with PlanetCCRMA where I had to update to the 4.6 rawhide kernel or drop below 4.x Thus why I think older, LTS distro like CentOS 7. Kernel won't change for years.

I like the new features of ALSA frontending my mixer. That makes life easier. But I've also noticed some odd noise with playback on Mixbus that wasn't there before. I'd really like to rule out updates as being the issue forever! But I like to stay secure, so security updates are A-OK as long as kernel and libraries stay same. I like to have net plugged in to backup sessions to cloud. Keeps me from thrashing my system and being sad like you were!

UbuntuStudio is based on an LTS release, so I was hoping this would give me best of both worlds. Maybe I use the older LTS UbuntuStudio? I only want Mixbus, Hydrogen and plugins like Calf. Also KXStudio utilities like Catia.

You can blacklist the kernel modules and then FFADO will work well.
KXStudio works on 3.x and works well with firewire..
(I'm an A&H Zed R16 user)

---

Just read about qiana studio, which is kxstudio repos, built into Mint 17.3 ..

Hrm, interesting. It seems most of the firewire audio stack is moving into ALSA itself. I get some nicer features out of ALSA when I use it. The Mackie hardware is dice:
http://www.alsa-project.org/main/index.p...wire_stack

Where does your A&H land there?

Sorry for the late reply.. We have a baby 4 weeks ago

Also snd-dice.. Howvever it appears as 2 separate devices, 1 for the 16 channels, then another for the ADAT and the main 2 - So I'd need to create a composite device in asound.conf

It also limits the latency to a low of only 256 periods, I usually work in 64 periods..Not really necessary for mixing, but for tapping out drum parts with a pad controller, the lower the better.

Aside from not requiring a2jmidid I'm not sure what advantages ALSA gives over FFADO.
As I use the kxstudio tools, (especially claudia for saving session routing for MIDI), this is all done under the hood anyway..

FFADO have said they will continue to support dice devices, until the latency issue is resolved (which it doesn't look like it will be) .. There is a hack to fix it, but the lead developer for snd-dice doesn't want to reduce the limits.

When I get some time I might create the composite device and also try and find details of the hack.. As you can imagin with a new baby, that's not likely to happen in a hurry. (although she is in th studio with me right now)

---

The last time I checked the latest RT patch was for the 4.4 kernel.

Well, my I compiled my last kernel a few weeks ago, and I think it's 4.4.9.
I just checked and they now have 4.6 patch, but that's for the RC7 release not the stable one.

4.6 should bring some speed and power improvements so I'll need to keep an I at kernel.org

I'm using 4.6.2, on Gentoo, there is an ebuild for it (and yes I have blacklisted the ALSA firewire drivers and am using FFADO)

[PBuryk]

I would really to run straight CentOS or Debian Stable but am not sure how doable that is long-term for Mixbus with updates to both....

I am running CentOS 7 and haven't had an issue with Mixbus 3 after the first interim release. The first MB 3 release had some issues. I also have MB 2.5 installed and it works fine. But I'm not using it for really low latency work right now, either.

The nice thing about an LTS distribution like Debian Stable or CentOS (or any other RHEL rebuild) is that once you get it set up it's not likely to change much through its lifecycle. The worst thing about an LTS distribution like Debian Stable or CentOS (or any other RHEL rebuild) is that once you get it set up it's not likely to change much through its lifecycle, too.

I haven't tried anything yet with C7 that requires really low latency, as most of my work is mixdown work at the moment. The last really low latency work I did was long enough ago to where I would have to figure out how to make it work right from scratch all over again, as some of it predates Mixbus 1.0 (tracked with Ardour 2.x on Fedora 11 or so), and some was done with MB 1.x on OS X.

Iowen -
Would you please send me direct email if/when you get a couple minutes?
I'd like to talk to you about your Dell Precision.

Thanks !!!!!

Patrick
pburyk@gmail.com

[Zibnab]

I am Running KXstudio which is based on Ubuntu 14.04. It works flawlessly and it looks really nice. It even makes many things that I could not get to work in Ubuntu Studio run out of the box. Really amazing distro. Give it a go if you can.

[chalee]

Yes, KXStudio is really great!

It's one essentiell part of QStudio64 too.

So QS64 is more a modified Linux Mint with KXStudio and own improvements than a really autonom distribution!


Ubuntu Studio=Ubuntu based, XFCE-desk
KXStudio= Ubuntu based, KDE-desk
Tango Studio= Debian based, MATE-desk
Maya-/Qiana Studio=Linux Mint based, MATE-desk

On Ubuntu Studio i don't like that it uses Pulseaudio.

No matter, anyway: so everybody can choose his/her favorite A/V-distro...

this is really nice!

@Darrel:
To apply your language systemwide you have to reboot the system.
It's normal that live-systems don't save settings!

Maybe it's little late but there is an easy way to change the language of a live-system:

Burn it on an usb-stick or bootable sd-card WITH a persistence volume of min. 2GB to safe settings!

After this you can switch languages and running updates like a "normal" system too!

Don't forget to reboot! ;-)

But hey: your "problem" was inspiring us to made the last release of QStudio64 in English ;-)

Also we have some hundreds users from all over the world and maybe english as the default language is really better for most users to check the live system!

BTW, we fixed "Dirty Cow" and other security-issues with patched Kernel 4.4.0-57 lowlatency and put newest bitwig demo (+8track) inside.

It's really pure, stable and thebest of all our releases!

We call it: "25y-Linux-Jubilee "Black Edition"

You can check it on: http://qianastudio.tumblr.com/

greetings,

chalee