Zebra 2 Brain Overload

[chk071]

It doesn't matter what you think of Linus and Charlie Brown, what it's used for or how good it is.

TBH, i don't even get that. No home distro EVER gave me the stability and bugless-ness i have encountered in both Windows and Mac OS, and i used those (Linux Mint, Ubuntu, OpenSUSE, Fedora) on half a dozen of computers, with different hardware. So yeah, not sure what the fook the Linux peeps always talk about. It isn't "better". Rather worse in my experience. Probably also why i just don't get the appeal, if it isn't for the gift horse appeal. But, even then, if the gift horse won't give you a good ride, then why not just use the paid hrose you already have in your stable. That's my opinion. Especially when it isn't even a paid horse, but, you rather got the Windows 10 update for free for Windows 7 and 8.1, and, also considering that Mac OS upgrades are free as well by now.

[mevla]

I couldn't care less about this whole commercial vs. open source thing. I just want an OS that doesn't restart on me when I leave it on overnight, making me lose all progress in music as well as documents, webpages, and anything else I had open, just so it can update to its newest spyware. That's how much I hate Windows 10, that I'd be willing to switch to Linux almost immediately once Bitwig/Reaper has a way to easily use Windows VSTs in Linux.

I work in software development. On Linux. As many people do. Although when I come home and want to do music, I do not want to fiddle with software. I can do a bit of configuration, but that's it. It has to run to create music. This is why I haven't got into suing Windows VST for a long time. Too many people reporting workarounds, endless config tricks, all kind of tedious fiddling. Only recently did I want to give it a try and for that, have chosen what looks like the easiest solution: wine-staging and linvst.

The principle is simple: for each Windows dll plugin there's a Linux object file of the same name. Bitwig/Mixbus/Ardour sees the Linux object file and loads it. In turn that object file loads the wine Windows bridge.

Mind you, I do not have any Windows plugins from a Windows installation that I have to run. as such, I run Windows plugins as they happen to be compatible and am very satisfied with that. Got enough plugins to learn and explore for the coming 1.5 years. All Voxengo, Melda Production, Rob Papen, Tone2, some Image Line, Sugar Bytes, Sonic Charge, Phonec2, Synthmaster2.

Coming from background where I learned (and still learning !) how to mix with much less plugins - only the ones that would run natively inb Linux - this is now like an Eldorado and I can clearly see what some people mean by having too many plugins. I think that learning how to mix with so many plugins is counter-productive to learnign good mixing chops. But that's another matter.

Why would I run Linux to run (some) Windows plugins ? There are many reasons, one being the fact that Linux has a much simpler path to configuration: simple text files. No need to navigate through 3, 5, 7 layers of GUI dialog boxes in order to configure something. Just edit a text file. In both cases you need to know what you're doing anyways, but the text file is easier to make sense of, to keep records and to maintain.

Another reason is that I'm already using Linux, at work and at home. So it's nice to be able to make music with it. And there are other reasons like you can customize the system down to the desktop manager you want, you have multiple screens which keeps things tidy, etc...

[zvenx]

Since I like links

https://www.zdnet.com/article/linux-tot ... computers/

More to your point on speed.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/fast-fast ... computing/

and

https://www.zdnet.com/article/anonymous ... n-windows/

rsp

Thanks rsp.

Minor point, those articles are from 2012 when linux only ran 90% of the top 500 fastest supercomputers, now it runs 100%.

[mevla]

Hey guys, when I initially posted my one-line simple comment about waiting for Zebra3 for Linux, I had no idea it would generate so many replies !!

Cheers.

[mevla]

Let's get back on topic. Enough of this bull about Linux. It's the same thing every time the topic arises. Let's face it: THE VAST MAJORITY DON'T GIVE A F.. ABOUT LINUX.

The topic is Zebra3, made by u-he, and u-he, to this date, have a native Linux port of each of their plugins. And will most probably have one of Zebra3.

What topic were you imagining ?

[chk071]

Actually, the topic wasn't about Linux at all. Typical way things develop.

Let's stick to Linux though. I really can't be arsed to discuss veganism, transgender, or global warming.

[mevla]

If even a company like u-he has to "hire" (not sure if he even gets paid for it) ...

Yes, Alex bills u-he.

[mevla]

It doesn't matter what you think of Linus and Charlie Brown, what it's used for or how good it is. The only thing that matters is the reality of what the world of computers offers and doesn't offer to musicians. Linux offers very little.

It's not that bad. It's actually quite good to not have 100s of plugins while learning how to mix, how to create. So let's make a list from what I use that's solely native Linux:

DAWs: Bitwig, Harrison Mixbus32C (Mixbus has basic compression and tape saturation built-in)

Synths: All u-he synths, pianoteq, Discovery Pro/Bliss/Vertigo, Redux, Biotek, Waverazor, Zynaddsubfx.

Audio Processing: u-he's Presswerk, Satin Uhbik series and Protoverb, OvertoneDSP plugins, Tracktion plugins, all Harrison plugins.

That's frankly more than enough to learn and put into practice mixing and creative skills.

[wagtunes]

It doesn't matter what you think of Linus and Charlie Brown, what it's used for or how good it is. The only thing that matters is the reality of what the world of computers offers and doesn't offer to musicians. Linux offers very little.

It's not that bad. It's actually quite good to not have 100s of plugins while learning how to mix, how to create. So let's make a list from what I use that's solely native Linux:

DAWs: Bitwig, Harrison Mixbus32C (Mixbus has basic compression and tape saturation built-in)

Synths: All u-he synths, pianoteq, Discovery Pro/Bliss/Vertigo, Redux, Biotek, Waverazor, Zynaddsubfx.

Audio Processing: u-he's Presswerk, Satin Uhbik series and Protoverb, OvertoneDSP plugins, Tracktion plugins, all Harrison plugins.

That's frankly more than enough to learn and put into practice mixing and creative skills.

For that matter, a DAW with stock plugins is enough to do the same.

So what's your point?

[Delta Sign]

I actually always thought Zebra 2 is a pretty good learning synth, once you know the basics. Like, once you know what oscillators, envelopes, filters etc are, Zebra allows you to experiment very freely and only use what you want to use. I don't think it's very complicated at all. Sure, it offers a lot of possibilities, but you don't have to use all of them all the time.

Don't get me started on Linux

[mevla]

For that matter, a DAW with stock plugins is enough to do the same. So what's your point?

I'm afraid the answer lies in your own previous reply:

It doesn't matter what you think of Linus and Charlie Brown, what it's used for or how good it is. The only thing that matters is the reality of what the world of computers offers and doesn't offer to musicians. Linux offers very little.

I think it's called replying to a statement.

[martinjuenke]

It doesn't matter what you think of Linus and Charlie Brown, what it's used for or how good it is. The only thing that matters is the reality of what the world of computers offers and doesn't offer to musicians. Linux offers very little.

It's not that bad. It's actually quite good to not have 100s of plugins while learning how to mix, how to create. So let's make a list from what I use that's solely native Linux:

DAWs: Bitwig, Harrison Mixbus32C (Mixbus has basic compression and tape saturation built-in)

Synths: All u-he synths, pianoteq, Discovery Pro/Bliss/Vertigo, Redux, Biotek, Waverazor, Zynaddsubfx.

Audio Processing: u-he's Presswerk, Satin Uhbik series and Protoverb, OvertoneDSP plugins, Tracktion plugins, all Harrison plugins.

That's frankly more than enough to learn and put into practice mixing and creative skills.

What a poor and limited selection!

[mevla]

What a poor and limited selection!

That's exactly the point to learn about mixing. Get the fluff out to learn the chops.

One also has to look at the background from where a comment is issued. In your productions, which sounds good BTW, you are using a lot of effects. You rely on a good choice of various plugins to achieve what you do in your productions. As such, it is completely normal that you issue a reply about the list of native Linux tools being a poor and limited selection. 1 plus 1 equals 2.

The 'Summer Theme' in the signature below was made exclusively with that 'poor and limited selection'. But then, it's not the same genre. The following piece as played by soundcloud is also made in the same way.

I would also mention that having all u-he synths at one's disposition, plus a good choice of 3rd party soundsets, is not exactly a 'poor and limited selection', don't you think ?

Here's another piece done exclusively with native Linux DAWs (Bitwig for creation, Mixbus32C for mixing) and native Linux plugins:

https://soundcloud.com/nominal6/collage-1

[wagtunes]

What a poor and limited selection!

That's exactly the point to learn about mixing. Get the fluff out to learn the chops.

Great. So after you've so called "learned the chops" what are you supposed to do with this stuff? Make professional recordings and have everything that you'll need, for any genre, to do that?

So since "learning" is as far as this limited selection is going to get you, again, what's the point? You're still going to have to move to an industry supported OS in order to DO YOUR JOB.

Sometimes I think it's pointless even getting involved in these asinine debates.

[Etienne1973]

What a poor and limited selection!

That's exactly the point to learn about mixing. Get the fluff out to learn the chops.

Good strategy. Less options = more focus. I made the same experience concerning mixing. I'm not on Linux.