Linux Audio Plugin Development (LAPD)
Amadeus Paulussen
Linux musician interview with Amadeus Paulussen
Can you tell us a bit about how you got into making music?
I learned to play the violin with my mother, Esther, at a very young age. In the early '90s, I discovered techno through my sister, Lilian. I was utterly fascinated by this futuristic and alien-seeming music. And super eager to learn how techno was made.
I first immersed myself in the world of synthesizers and only discovered the computer as a digital audio workstation years later.
My first DAW was Cakewalk. I ran it on a 486 DX2. I could only use one audio track. Everything else was pure MIDI.
I was completely consumed by this new world and spent all my free time making music. 🥳
What was your setup like when you started making music?
After a few years of making music, I started to work for clients — which allowed me to buy more equipment — my arsenal consisted of an Akai S1100, a Korg Prophecy, a Roland JV-90 with 3 expansion boards, a Roland TB-303, a Roland JX-3P, a Yamaha QS300, and a 24-channel analog Mackie mixer.
What DAWs have you used over the years?
As said, it all started with Cakewalk. I then switched to Mac and discovered Emagic's Logic (now Apple's Logic). It wasn't until Bitwig was released that I left Logic behind. I have been a Bitwig fan ever since. 🤓
Why did you decide to make music with Linux?
The longer, the more I didn't want to be a part of the way Apple and the world of big tech companies in general were developing. And since I'm generally always thinking about how the world could be improved, I've always loved the idea that everything, not just software, could or, in my opinion, should be freely accessible and open source.
In 2019, I took the plunge and installed Manjaro Linux on an SSD and started to get to grips with Linux Audio on my (then) Mac Pro and MacBook Pro.
I was thrilled to feel so deeply connected and involved (bug reports, donations, feature requests, etc.) in the software I use every day, and soon couldn't imagine doing anything else but making music (and everything else computer-based) with Linux. 😎
What are the biggest problems you've experienced because of your switch to Linux?
On the one hand, even though I was a nerd in my Mac days already, I had a lot to learn, and I also broke my system a few times in the process. 🫣 But the ArchWiki always helped me to understand even more complex issues relatively quickly.
Apart from that, I was in the fortunate position of owning an RME Fireface UFX audio interface that is fully Linux compatible in USB class compliant mode (CC mode). It can also be controlled directly on the device without any additional software.
And I was already using Bitwig Studio which was available for Linux right from the start.
I think the biggest issue, if you can call it that, was that my favorite plugins were not available for Linux and I did not want to use Windows plugins via yabridge.
And so I started my career as a professional “ask for Linux support guy”. 😇
What are the biggest rewards you've experienced since switching to Linux?
I think I understand my computer better than ever before. I feel integrated with it, with Linux. I feel good about using Linux and being part of the open source movement. 😇 And especially so today, that Linux is rapidly evolving and technologies like Wayland and PipeWire are getting better and better with every release. I feel pretty euphoric to be a Linux musician at this point in time. 🙂
And in the end, as perplexing as it may sound, I've also benefited from being limited to using only a few Linux native plugins which fueled my creativity in an entirely different way. ☺️
What does your Linux-based setup for making music look like?
I have built a desktop computer, especially for making music with Linux. With an amazing ASUS ProArt X570-Creator Wi-Fi motherboard, Ryzen 9 3900X CPU, and two Radeon Pro WX 7100 GPUs. I absolutely love that machine.
Nowadays I also use Arch, by the way. 😂
The Fireface UFX audio interface is still the centerpiece of my studio. Connected to it is a Dangerous Music Source. And for monitoring, I use a vintage Klein+Hummel O 110d system with a KH 750 DSP subwoofer from Neumann (who bought Klein+Hummel a couple of years ago).
I also own an Avalon Bassline (because I can't get enough of that 303 sound), a few effect pedals, a Nord Drum 3P (which is amazing) and a hand full of microphones and acoustic instruments such as a Gubal and a flute. I have a list of all my gear (software included) on my website and update it regularly.
How did you come up with the idea for LAPD and how well is it received?
Over the years, I have communicated quite a bit with various vendors, nagging them about Linux support. 😉 And while most of them politely refused, some of them actually jumped at the chance and sent me test builds that I then debugged with them. Subsequently many of them started offering their plugins for Linux, for example AudioThing, Sinevibes or Kazrog.
After a while, I also started doing interviews with vendors who support Linux when the idea of making something bigger (aka LAPD) out of all of this emerged. 😎
I would say that the response has been consistently very positive so far. I am confident that it will gradually develop into a great resource for vendors/developers and that, in consequence, even more great software will come to Linux. 🥳
Plus, I have hope that, moreover, some proprietary offerings will themselves become open source over time, thanks to the positive influence of Linux and the open-source movement. 😇
Do you collaborate with other musicians who also use Linux?
Not working together on projects yet, but I am in close contact with quite a few Linux musicians. ☺️
What does your prognosis for the future of Linux Audio look like and how do you see the evolution so far?
I think that Linux as a basis for music production will become more popular, and that more and more vendors will support Linux.
I hope that there will also be positive developments in terms of hardware support from the manufacturers.
On the operating system side, I'm not worried at all. Linux has been developing rapidly ever since I started using it and is becoming more and more polished by the day.
What do you like about making music in general?
It's the easiest thing I know to completely forget myself and the world and just feel blissful. Reproducible. 😇
And when you think about making music, what do you find less great about it?
That I often lack the space and time to fully focus on it. 🤔
Can you name 5 things that are important to you in connection with music?
- A decent monitoring system and listening environment (converter, playback device, loudspeakers, or headphones and acoustic treatment).
- Infinite potential for discovery (genres, authors, tracks).
- Healing frequencies (both ethereal and simply instinctive, e.g., feeling grounded through deep bass or like flying through harmonies).
- Sharing the joy and emotions experienced through music with others.
- Immersion in emotional worlds through music, uplifting as well as consciousness raising and expanding.
Can you also tell us about your current favorite pieces of music production gear?
Oh, not easy. 😜
- Linux as a DAW
- Bitwig's Bitwig Studio
- Abstrakt Instrument's Avalon Bassline
- PANArt's Gubal
- The amazing Nob controller
- My plugin collection
Are there things you would like to have, but haven't yet, or that might not even exist yet?
- I would really love to have a room with great acoustics.
- And I've been wanting a really well-made MIDI keyboard for a long time as well. Something made of metal and wood, or at least not just plastic. Something that I would like to look at and touch. With MPE.
- I also wish Sugar Bytes would bring their plugins to Linux. I also miss d16, GForce Software, Safari Pedals, Soundtoys, among others, quite often on Linux.
- I would also like to have The Ones (8361) from Genelec.
- And I wouldn't turn down The Composer from Austrian Audio either.
- And yes, I would also really love a modular Arthur F48 Modular Console from Shertler.
- Then, Black System III from Erica Synths.
- A Minimoog Model-D from Moog, yes, very much.
- Osmose by Expressive-E, oh yes, madness.
- Super Gemini from UDO, maybe?
OK, enough. 🫣🤣
Can you tell us what inspires you to make music?
I would say the longing for a better world. A world without suffering. When I make music, I feel like there are no problems. 🥰
Apart from that, the sounds I constantly make with my mouth, sounds or acoustic conditions in all kinds of places, other music, experienced joy, shared joy. Actually, an incredible amount of things, if not almost everything, can inspire me to make music. 😜
My brain also immediately translates colors, shapes, temperatures, touch, smell, etc. into sounds.
Can you make a living from making music?
Not yet. But I am convinced that this will be the case at some point.
What should people listen to if they would like to get to know your music?
You can download all my music for free (or pay what it's worth) on my Bandcamp.
I think you should start with album 2 and then continue with album 1.
I am happy that even after several years, there are only a handful of songs on both albums that I no longer enjoy listening to. I still feel well represented musically by most of them and love listening to them. 🥰
How can people support you and your work?
On the one hand, just enjoy life and be a nice person 😉, on the other hand, donations are of course also welcome if you want to support me in my work to strengthen Linux as a platform for making music. Not only monetarily, but also with contributions, of course. 🤓
Did you ever consider working at an audio development company?
I would love to work for an audio development company such as u-he, TAL Software, Sugar Bytes, Soundtoys, GForce Software or the like, if only part-time. But so far, it hasn't worked out. 😇