Linux audio guides

Browse setup instructions, audio routing, recording tools, and troubleshooting guides.

Basics

ALSA explained for musicians

ALSA can appear in your audio settings even when the desktop uses PipeWire. It provides the underlying Linux audio interfaces that software uses to work with…

Bridges

WineASIO explained for musicians

WineASIO connects a Windows application’s ASIO audio path to JACK while that application runs under Wine. Consider it when a particular Windows recording program is part…

DAWs

Your first Ardour session: record, save and export

Make your first Ardour session small enough to finish. Record one clear source, save it, reopen it and export a file you can listen to outside…

Getting Started

Choosing a Linux distribution for audio production

If you want a documented starting point for a new Linux recording machine, put Ubuntu Studio LTS on your trial list. Compare it with Fedora Jam…

Hardware

Using a USB audio interface on Linux

A USB audio interface is useful on Linux when the recording and control functions you need actually work. Start with the exact model and generation, then…

History

JackLab Audio Distribution history

JackLab Audio Distribution, usually shortened to JAD, was a Linux distribution organized around audio and multimedia work. Its first public release belongs to the openSUSE-based recording…

Latency

How to reduce audio latency on Linux

To reduce audio latency on Linux, first identify the route you are hearing. A voice monitored through the recording program follows a different path from a…

Performance

Fix Linux audio xruns by isolating the cause

When Linux audio drops out, record what was happening when the error counter changed. Use the same project, passage, interface and buffer setting to reproduce it.…

Linux low latency kernel setup: checks before changing

Before changing a Linux kernel for audio, write down the problem you want the change to solve. A delayed guitar signal, an occasional recording dropout and…

Plugins

Linux audio plugin formats explained

Choose a plugin download by checking its format, Linux build and host support separately. A file labelled VST3 can target a different operating system from the…

Using Windows VST plugins on Linux

A Windows plugin is ready for a Linux project when it loads, processes the intended material, restores its saved state and survives an export. An editor…

Recording

Best Linux DAWs for home recording

For home recording on Linux, start by trying Ardour if your main job is recording performances and editing them into a song. Put REAPER on the…

Linux audio monitoring and metering in Ardour

Before changing a gain control, identify which signal you are hearing. It could be the interface’s direct input feed, an input routed through Ardour, or material…

Set up a MIDI controller on Linux

A MIDI controller can appear in Linux and still make no sound. First confirm that its events reach the application. Then check the instrument that turns…

Reference

AV Linux manual guide

The AV Linux manual you use should match the release on your computer. A familiar PDF filename is not enough to establish that match. The project-hosted…

Routing

Install and configure JACK on Ubuntu 24.04

Install native JACK when your recording workflow specifically needs that server. A JACK-compatible application can also work through PipeWire’s JACK implementation, so the presence of a…

JACK vs PipeWire for music production

Choose between JACK and PipeWire for music production by checking the session you need to run. List the recording program, other audio applications, interface, and connections…

Linux audio signal flow

Linux audio signal flow is the route a sound follows from its source to its destination. A moving input meter tells you something reached that point.…

PipeWire pro audio setup for a recording session

Start a PipeWire recording setup by naming the physical inputs and outputs you need. A microphone input, a stereo listening output and an extra headphone feed…

Setup

Linux audio setup guide for beginners

A useful Linux audio setup starts with one short recording you can play back. Get that working before changing kernels, replacing audio servers, or adding plugins.…