So I have been using Linux for about 2 years now (permanently on Linux since November 2024) and for the most part, I have loved it & do not want to use windows in my personal life. The only thing in my life that windows is absolutely nessesary, is with my music production. I currently use FL Studios & Cubase to produce & edit my music, but wanted to try to “hack” one of these programs onto Linux. Cubase does not work at all, due to the face that you are required to use a physical USB key to access the program, which left me with only FL.
I downloaded FL studios, ran it under Wine, along with some other small things, and I got it to run. Unfortunately, the program often freezes, stutters, and occasionally shutters. I am not well versed in the art of Linux (more specifically, Debian), but I wanted to see if there was any help that I could get to help me get this program working.
P.S. - I have already ran these programs virtualized in windows & for the most part, they work. My main issue is that with the amount of USB ports I use to connect my equipment doesn’t always get passed through to the VM properly.
Given you’re talking about audio applications and make no mention of your audio setup it’s hard to chime in. I run Reaper myself and have zero issues with Win based VST’s but FooBar2000 is pure dumpster fire under Wine. I’ve never used FL to know if it’s happy with pulse/jackd/poopwire (Yes I’m 12 and I hate Pipewire) but there is also always Ardour though I’d never say its workflow was good for me.
So to double back, audio interface? Audio SubSystem? 2 year old Mint would have me guess Pipewire. I’d spitball given I have no clue about your audio interface and subsystem, nuke the pipewire and go back to a traditional jackd setup and see if it behaves with that. It would also help if you tossed in some term output to see are things dying because of the actual audio backend tripping up or some draw call for GUI. Before Reaper was Linux native you’d have to disable / change a few things in the UI to make it behave under Wine.
You say your LinuxFu is not master level yet…just know Linux is like a Main Battle Tank…it’s kicks serious as_, crushes, booms and bangs better than anything else…but parking for groceries it’s not so good at. Which is a cheeky way of saying Linux pretty much destroys in every category -EXCEPT- audio. Audio is definitely the weak link. It doesn’t mean it can’t do it. Just like the tank will take driving over a few parking barriers and taking up 3 spots, Linux can do audio…it will just take some dirty fingernails and a few cuts and bruises to get there.
It’s sad to hear CuBoop is still using that garbage USB dongle copy protection. I remember back when you were lucky to have 2 USB ports on a machine and your DAW required one of those idiotic dongles and then every other VST also had it’s own dongle and it was a _hit show. You’d dump thousands into fancy UA and SSL plugins and at best you could only use one per project. Mind you the CPU couldn’t handle much more back then but still…anything that requires a Dongle is BS. Paying customer gets the shaft…
…And lastly Welcome to the forums.
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You can always have a dedicated VM for Fruity Loops…