I am updating this thread as I get closer to completion.

Hi everyone,

I am currently working on a Professional level DAW for Ubuntu Linux.

My hardware:
RME HDSP MADI Completed
SSL Alpha Converter Completed
MOTU MIDI Timpiece AV | has been replaced by (MIDIMAN MidiSport) Completed
Mackie Control Universal (MIDI Version)

Computers:
Main DAW Completed
Midi Computer
VST sever | (No Longer Relevant unless people are interested.)
Storage Server

Software:
Ubuntu 9.10 64 Bit with RT Kernel | (Updated: Ubuntu 10.04.1 LTS 32 bit w/ RT kernel 2.6.31.11) Completed |Currently testing 2.6.38 Preempt
ALSA Sound Architecture
VMware ESX
Ubuntu Server 9.10 with Cloud Enterprise | (No longer relevant for this project)
Windows XP (Virtual Instance for VST) | (No longer wanted as of now)
Ardour (Linux DAW Software) Completed
LMMS (Open source FL Studio clone) (Far to simplistic to be a replacement for FL Studio. I will post tutorial on getting FL Studio 9 to work) Completed
Muse (MIDI Editor)
Jack (Linux low latency API) Completed
JackNet (Same as above over ethernet)
WINE (WINE is not an Emulator) Completed

Outboard Gear:
Soundcraft Spirit Studio 24
3 Neutrik Patchbays
SCA N72s (2)
SCA DI
Lexicon MX400
NS10s
DBX 163X - 463X

This project is just me, by myself so far. I hope to get more people on board to help develop this into a very stable and usable DAW that is easy for engineers to utilize and of course a hell of a lot cheaper to attain. I hope that the troubles I run into by creating this system will help others to be able to use this easily.

Ben

Nice to see somebody doing this.

I have been experimenting with this as well.

Hardware:

RME 9632
ADA8000 ( this could be replaced with something a bit higher end that supports adat )

Software:

Ubuntu 9.10 with standard kernel at the moment.
ALSA sound.
Ardour ... hopeing they release mixbuss for linux soon.

So far very stable and learning ardour's ins and outs. Driver support for rme hardware seems to be pretty good, cards that is, firewire stuff seems to be out.

Thanks for chiming in Signit. Have you had any problems with 9.10. The only reason I am running 8.04 LTS is because some people were saying it was much more stable for audio.

ubuntu 9.10 seems to be quite stable here.

I have been trying to get a linux audio setup working for a long time, but so far have not been 100% successful. I've gotten close though. My biggest issue is that I have a phonic firewire 24mkII firewire mixer, and it is tough to get working. I had it working once, but not since. It works fine in Puppy Linux, in which you run as root, so it must be a permission thing, but I really haven't had the time to dive into it and really fix it. when I'm done with my current round of projects I am going to do it. I use reaper right now (and was doing so in puppy linux) but when mixbus comes out for linux I am going to get going on that, so maybe that will be my motivation to get the firewire audio going. I have tracked into ardour successfully before, with the phonic mixer, but it was a regular ubuntu setup and was a little spotty, with an optimized, more current computer I know it will work. However, I hate mixing in ardour as it currently stands. My understanding is that 3.0 is going to address a lot of workflow issues, along the lines of mixbus, but mixbus really looks like the workflow I want. I'm onboard to collaborate soon if you want, PM me here.

long time lurker, 1st time poster.
I've been experimenting with linux for the first time this month.

I'm not sure if you are aware of these DAW-distros (or if that's relevant, if you desire to create your own).

Home | Ubuntu Studio
and
64 Studio | Have GNU/Linux your way!

and here's a site regarding firewire drivers:
ffado.org | Free Firewire Audio Drivers

I'm actually downloading the Ubuntu Studio live cd right now (Which is why this thread was too coincidental to pass up), if anyone's curious i can post thoughts later.

Cheers

Thanks Mikey, I already knew about them. I just like DIY stuff where I have control over what is installed. I'm honored that your first post is in here. Welcome to gearslutz!

UPDATE!

I've Been lazy with the MIDI computer so I decided to say GOODBYE to Windows and destroy my last computer with windows on it. I installed Ubuntu 9.10 64 bit on a Terabyte Raid 5 array. I also installed the newest Ardour distro which is also fully 64 bit.

I got the RME card to crank up, but I won't be able to hear anything until my Fiber cable gets here from Cali.

Here are some screenies of Ardour with 25 tracks listed, The digital patchbay and my Jack API setiings. Next problem to solve is getting the Jack API to run in an 88200kHz sample rate. Wish me luck!

(I'm sorry, I do not know how to resize the images in this forum)

I don't know if it will help, but when I was going through the steps to setup my sound architecture, this site had information about getting firewire to work.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Ub...dioPreparation

Thank you for that link!!!! I know it is a permissions thing, I am going to reinstall ubuntustudio to my extra laptop and see if it works, if it does, then my main music laptop will be getting ubuntustudio-ized. I forgot how to give permission to the raw1394 and couldn't find that file. Guess I know what I'm doing tonight.

Today I will be working on getting the networks straightened out between the Audio computer and the MIDI computer. I will also be working out how to get the JACK API to function in 88.2kHz mode.

Update:

It seems I got the card to function in 88.kHz by adjusting the settings for the card in alsamixer I'll know for sure when my cable fiber cable comes and I can hear it. Now on to getting it to sync to an external clock.

I know that it works because when I switched the sample rate to 88.2 the amount of channels that you see in the digital patchbay picture in the above post went from 64 to 32. I'm excited!

I got impatient waiting for the fiber cable to get here, so I turn on the on-board sound card in the BIOS and ran that with the JACK API. I imported a song that I recorded played it inside Ardour. Sounds good, no pops, clicks, or unnecessary digital distortions. However, this on-board sound card sounds horrible compared to my Pro setup lol. Sounds dead and crumbly.

The on-board sound is a 5.1 setup so somehow Jack saw 8 outputs. So if you're wanting to record and mix 8 channels and you don't want to spend the dough on a good soundcard, this will do it.

Anyway, I ran some tests, and patchage, the digital patch bay, seemlessly routes audio anywhere without loud pops or clicks when changing outputs. I might hook up a guitar to the inputs and see how that works out. I ran some other programs with ardour such as firefox and some CPU instensive video, no dropouts or buffer overuns at ALL. Using a 128 sample buffer.

I did, however run into some problems importing an MP3 file into Ardour. Basically, it doesn't. So, I had to install an MP3 2 wav converter called soundKonverter. It was one more step in the process but it worked great.

STILL can't get Jack to start...I know there is probably one small thing I am missing. I got my mixer to work fine with puppy linux, in which you run as root. I'd really prefer to get ti working in ubuntu studio though.

Go to the terminal and type lshw.

This will show you everything attached to your computer. See if you see the firewire device there. If so, its a matter of getting Jack set right.

Also in the terminal type alsamixer to see if you can control your card there.

So far the incentives to do this are ridiculously awesome! There is some software called meterbridge that I can run and measure any output anywhere. Also there is this SSH tunneling, that is a command line version of remote desktop. I can use this to remotely control programs anywhere in the world. So I can have the API running on my computer and edit at a friends house on a laptop! Alternatively I can run a virtual output from the soundcard and send the audio over the internet so that someone else on the Internet can hear my mix!

Things left to do:

1. Recieve Fiber cable and build dsub snakes for the SSL Alpha

2. Get the MOTU MIDI functioning.

3. Figure out a way to get the SSL 4000 plugins to work under linux. Shouldn't be too hard.

4. Get the Drum Kit From Hell VST Instrument functioning.

Here is the meter bridge running on multiple desktops.

PepsiFX357

Hi,

I was about to start a thread about running a virtual hypervisor (VMware ESX) to run multiple DAWs in a cloud environment and thought maybe i should ask here considering you have already done so.

a few questions if i may pick ur brain?

VMware ESX .. how is it to work with? security wise can you set up permissions for all OSes? ESXi is a no go here simply because there is no access to the shell.

Which OS is ur host? Ubuntu 9.10 enterprise cloud or 9.10 with the RT kernel?

How are you finding running WinXP as a guest OS and any turbulence setting that up as your VST host?

cheers keep up the good work
(i tried doing all this 4 years ago but dependency hell kept me from pushing it as far as you have gotten...things have gotten alil better in that sense and looking to make another go of it).

Count me in

I've got two Ubuntu 9.10s, one desktop and one laptop.

With Fireface 800 I might be waiting a long time, because ffado.org | Free Firewire Audio Drivers hasn't finished it, and really, I'm not feeling the momentum.

Are there Linux versions of ASIO4All to use the existing, in both cases Realtek onboards? For the digital part, even now I can run onboard SPDIF out to the Fireface, but you can't do the fun stuff.

Thanks. I got farther without updating here- I got everything to run fine with the built in firewire on my dell latitude d505, but not with the coolgear TI chipset pcmcia card I have, and that didn't work on my t60 either. I'm going to try my firewire hard drive on there tonight, if it doesn't recognize that then for soem reason the card is not working with the new kernel, even though when I typed lspci in the terminal it was listed.
I'm going to see if I can get a hold of another firewire card or two and see if another brand or chipset might be better for this. weird.

I love ubuntu, but audio-stuff just isn't meant for ubuntu. WAY too much hazzle and wanking

Sorry for my slow response, been kinda busy lately.

VMware ESX - I used an older version of 2.5.1 ( I think). It's 32bit version because my server is only 32 bit. Windows XP ran without any problems. However getting a soundcard to function under VMware is nearly impossible sense it uses emulation. So, audio over ethernet to your DAW from the Virtual computer is a must. As far as FXTeleport and plugins, they are all software and not dependent on hardware, so you shouldn't have any problems setting it up with no sound card at all using FXteleport.

If you have a 64 bit capable machine, which you probably do, you can download the newest VMware for free from their site. Yes FRREEEE. And remember as soon as the VMware machine is up and the network is set correctly you have to use another computer connected to it, to access the hypervisor and install OSes on it. You cannot do it from the VMware machine. After that, if running on windows, you download a VMware client and run the OS that you have installed on the VMware machine from the client.

Permission? You'll have to explain, I don't quite understand your question with that.

I am Running Ubuntu Desktop 9.10 with RT kernel. The Ubuntu Cloud is in it's brainstorming stage. I need to understand how it works first.

It's really the stability and capabilities of Linux that I am after. For me, it is worth the trouble. Because when I'm done, thats it for a LOOONNNGGG time.

I feel for ya man. Thats why I had to get rid of my MOTU HD192s. I spent a crap load of money on those, to have to turn around and spend another $2400 on a new setup. But my hopes are that the end justifies the means. The Jack API works for most onboard sound cards with LOW latency. Much like coreaudio with onboard apple sound cards. And yes I have heard of ASIO ported to linux, haven't tried it yet.

Did Ubuntu Studio work out for you?

My setup is now working on my IBM t60, coolgear firewire card included. I needed to add ohci1394 to the udev rules file, along wiht raw1394. It runs great. Now to really learn ardour. I am used to the speed of reaper, but i understand ardour 3.0 is going to address a lot of workflow issues. I am impatiently waiting for mixbus though...!

I use Linux for everything but my DAW machine and I'm also hoping to be able to change that when Mixbus comes out for Linux. I'd love to be able to ditch Windoze completely!

I hear that, I hope it is soon. They are trying to figure out how to distribute it from what I understand. I don't have enough of an understanding to know the issues with putting it out for different distributions, but hopefully that can figure it out and release it soon because it looks like exactly what I need. I wish there was a demo for mac, I'd download it and try it on a firend's mac just to get a feel for it. Hopefully soon!!

Mixbuss is just a prettier version of Ardour isn't it. Ardour 3 is supposed to come out soon. It's free.

Update:

I finally got my fiber cable tonight, havent finished the Dsub snakes but I want to at least see output leds light up on the SSL Alpha. So far I've hooked them up and got the word clock and MADI hooked up. They see eachother but the sample rates are running at half rate on the RME and it seems that the sample rate signal can't get to the SSL. SO, I've got some configurations to go through to get this to work. It would probably help if I had a windows machine to see how it is supposed to function, but that will be a last resort.

P.S. The SSL Alpha manual is not very thorough