Linux Audio Development (LAD)
Steffen Langenfeld
Linux Audio developer interview with Steffen Langenfeld
Linux port, MT-PowerDrumKit by Manda Audio
This interview was conducted by Amadeus Paulussen in 2026.
Dear Steffen,
Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with me about Linux Audio and for sharing your experience with the community! 🙌
Do you personally use Linux for music production, or what motivated you to attempt to port MT-PowerDrumKit to Linux?
I use Linux on a daily basis for development and security-related tasks, and over time I’ve become increasingly convinced that the platform is technically mature enough for serious audio work. Unfortunately, many plugins are still only available via Wine. While that works reasonably well, it can sometimes feel like a bit of a hack, especially when you just want to focus on making music and a fluent workflow.
Since there was no native version of MT-PowerDrumKit available, and I saw the port as an exciting challenge and decided to take on the project.
Could you tell us a bit about your background and how you became interested in—and skilled at—audio software development?
I studied computer science and worked as a software developer for quite some time before transitioning into IT security. MT-PowerDrumKit was essentially my first project in audio software development, so I wouldn’t consider myself "skilled" in that area just yet :).
That said, since I enjoy making music and also have a passion for development, working on this project felt like a natural fit, as it combines both worlds.
If you make music yourself, can you share a few links where we can listen to some of your work?
Yes, I also make a bit of music myself whenever I find the time: https://soundcloud.com/stephenandre_music
That’s actually how Daniel (editor's note: CEO, managing director and sound designer at Manda Audio) and I first met over 20 years ago, we used to play together in a band. I’m not sure if any audio of that is still available.
I really love your story about porting Manda Audio’s MT-PowerDrumKit to Linux, and I would actually want to see more examples like this in the industry. Unfortunately, many proprietary software vendors seem to struggle with external contributions—whether offered for free or commercially. Perhaps they are afraid to have to explain their code to third parties? I don't know! Could you tell us how the collaboration with Manda Audio came about in your case?
Yes, that’s true, and it can certainly be a potential hurdle when it comes to releasing intellectual property, especially even if you’ve invested in copy protection and similar measures. Since Daniel and I have known each other for a long time, this wasn’t an issue for us. He had already been planning to release a Linux version for quite some time and had received several requests for it. When he told me about it, I offered to take on the task.
Was the porting process itself a lot of work? How did you approach it and were there any particular challenges or interesting aspects you would like to highlight?
Yes, the porting process did involve quite a bit of work. For example, frameworks like JUCE—which typically make cross-platform development much easier, were not used.
Instead, the project was built directly on Steinberg’s VST3 SDK and VSTGUI.
The biggest challenge was definitely the UI implementation and updating the VSTGUI interfaces to a newer version in order to enable Linux compatibility. I spent quite a few hours debugging, and when it came to VST-specific details, I also received some helpful support from Thomas (the main developer of MT-PowerDrumKit), who is very experienced in the audio software space.
Another particularly interesting aspect was ensuring compatibility across different DAWs. That’s where my reverse engineering skills actually came in handy from time to time.
Do you think your story could serve as a model for other developers—for example, by offering proprietary vendors help with porting their plugins or audio software to Linux?
I think it can definitely serve as an example, especially in showing that these kinds of collaborations are possible and can work out well for both sides. There are still many proprietary audio tools that don’t have native Linux support, even though the platform itself has matured significantly in recent years.
That said, I wouldn’t necessarily call it a one-size-fits-all model. A lot depends on trust, communication, and the willingness of the original developers to open up their codebase. In my case, having a long-standing personal connection made that part much easier.
And, do you think funding Linux ports through bounties—essentially paying indie developers for porting work through contributions from the Linux Audio community—could be a viable strategy to encourage more projects like this?
I think bounties can definitely be a viable approach, especially for smaller projects where resources are limited. Community-driven funding can help reduce the financial risk for vendors and make it more attractive to invest time into a Linux port.
You may have heard about the work of Geoffrey D. Bennett on implementing hardware support for various Focusrite audio interfaces on Linux. To me, his a similarly encouraging story.
I haven’t come across his work yet, but it definitely sounds very interesting. I can imagine the challenges there are even greater, especially when it comes to hardware support and low-level integration on Linux.
In your opinion, what are the main reasons why many plugin and audio software vendors in the pro-audio space still hesitate to support Linux?
From my perspective, the main reason why large vendors don’t currently see Linux as an attractive platform is the still relatively limited user base, and the corresponding lack of financial incentive.
That said, I’m convinced this will change over time and the Linux Audio community is definitely growing :).
Are there any common myths about Linux Audio that you would like to debunk?
I think one myth is actually that Linux simply isn’t suitable for professional audio work. While that may have been true to some extent in the past, the situation has improved significantly. Today, with tools like PipeWire and a broad selection of modern DAWs (I love Bitwig :D), you can achieve very low latency and stable performance.
While Linux is certainly capable of serving as a professional DAW platform, what do you think is still needed for it to become a viable choice for the majority of music creators?
I think the biggest issue is still that many well-known and widely used plugins, like software instruments from Native Instruments are not available natively on Linux. That’s often the reason why I sometimes switch back to Windows.
While it might be possible to get things working through Wine, when I’m making music, I really just want everything to work seamlessly so I can focus on my workflow.
There’s already a solid selection of DAWs available that allow you to work comfortably and professionally. However, from my perspective, what’s still missing are the major players in the plugin ecosystem.
And, what do you see as the biggest hurdles—or even risks—Linux Audio faces on the way to getting there?
I think one of the biggest hurdles is still fragmentation both on the technical side and in terms of the ecosystem. Different distributions, varying setups, and inconsistencies between audio systems can make it harder for developers to target Linux as a platform in a reliable and predictable way.
That said, I still think it’s a challenge that can absolutely be overcome, you just have to start somewhere :).
Do you know whether Manda Audio has ever considered releasing MT-PowerDrumKit as Open Source?
As far as I know, there were no plans to make it Open Source.
Could you tell us a bit about the hardware and software setup you use with your computer-based work?
In general, I run Ubuntu with Xfce as the desktop environment on my notebook. I also have a desktop machine that runs Windows only.
For recording, I use a Steinberg UR22 mk II interface on both Windows and Linux, and I’m really happy with it. I mainly use Bitwig Studio on both Linux and Windows, and occasionally an older version of Cubase on Windows for mastering.
Are you planning to port other plugins or audio software in the future, or perhaps even develop something of your own?
I’m actually currently working on a mastering plugin, although it’s still at a fairly early stage. Of course, it’s planned to support Linux as well :).
Beyond the purely technical aspects, what do you think is important for making a plugin or audio software product successful?
People often say “you listen with your eyes,” and from my perspective, usability is one of the most important factors in making an audio product successful.
As a non-professional musician, I also think it should be affordable of course.
What are your thoughts on subscriptions and copy-protection systems in the audio software industry?
I think both subscriptions and copy-protection systems are understandable from a business perspective, but they can also be a bit of a double-edged sword.
Subscriptions can lower the entry barrier and make professional tools more accessible at first, but over time they can become quite expensive, especially for hobbyists. Personally, I tend to prefer one-time purchases, as they give you a clearer sense of ownership.
When it comes to copy protection, I understand the need to protect intellectual property, but overly intrusive systems can negatively impact the user experience. If protection mechanisms get in the way of actually using the software smoothly, it can be frustrating in a creative workflow where you just want things to work.
In the end, I think it’s about finding a good balance: protecting the product (we all know that these are only hurdles for script kiddies, there is no real protection) while still keeping things simple, reliable, and user-friendly.
Finally, is there anything else you would like to share with the Linux Audio community?
I think it’s great to see that more and more people are able to use Linux as an audio production platform, and I hope that in the future, larger vendors will also open up to it in order to further increase its adoption.