Damn, *which* USB interfaces actually work with KXStudio/Ubuntu????

Talk about your MIDI interfaces, microphones, keyboards...

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JTMusicVA
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Damn, *which* USB interfaces actually work with KXStudio/Ubuntu????

Post by JTMusicVA »

:(
So, yeah, I'm new to Ubuntu and all, but have otherwise been doing music on computers for decades....
Just got a new job where I need to become familiar with Linux, so, installed KXStudio on a laptop.
Going OK so far, however, none of my USB MIDI and Audio+MIDI interfaces are working. (M-Audio MIDISport 4x4 & Tascam US-144 MKii.) Been researching how to get those working, with not much luck.
Seeing lots of complaints about various interfaces not working :?
My question is, are there any interfaces that are pretty much just easily plug-and-play with Ubuntu??? :?:
Please let me know, and I look forward to getting you all's recommendations.
Thank you

JT
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Linuxmusician01
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Re: Damn, *which* USB interfaces actually work with KXStudio/Ubuntu????

Post by Linuxmusician01 »

Welcome to Linux and welcome to making music on Linux. :)

An audio interface is something completely different than a Midi interface. However, they might be combined into one single device (just like an electric battery and a combustion engine in a car). If you're unlucky you need a driver for one or both if the interface is not class compliant. Printers combined w/ a scanner, for instance, are notoriously irritating in that way in Linux. The printer part might not need a separate driver because it is "automatically" supported by Linux while the scanner might not work at all (no Linux driver available)

First let me concentrate on the M-Audio MIDISport 4x4. I do not know exactly what that is. It looks like a 5-pin DIN Midi IN and OUT device. Am I right? There is an USB port there but I don't know if its for power only or if the device supports Midi over USB too. I'll guess that it supports Midi over DIN as well as over USB.

Now, M-Audio's website says that this device is class compliant. No drivers needed in MacOS or Windows. That's a very good sign! In my opinion it should absolutely work in Linux. Let's try to "find" your device first. Type the following command in a terminal twice (use copy/paste): once without- and once with the M-Audio connected. You should notice a difference because the second time the M-Audio "is in there somewhere" in the list of devices:

Code: Select all

 
lsusb

(it means: list usb devices)

After this we'll continue.

P.S. There's also this Linuxmusicians topic on the M-Audio Midisport 4x4. Cannot determine if it works or not in Linux though...



(the Tascam is another story all together: it appears to be non-class compliant (which is unforgivable)) and it needs a driver for Windows and MacOS. I think you can forget about the Tascam.
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Re: Damn, *which* USB interfaces actually work with KXStudio/Ubuntu????

Post by Luc »

JTMusicVA wrote::(
So, yeah, I'm new to Ubuntu and all, but have otherwise been doing music on computers for decades....
Just got a new job where I need to become familiar with Linux, so, installed KXStudio on a laptop.
Going OK so far, however, none of my USB MIDI and Audio+MIDI interfaces are working. (M-Audio MIDISport 4x4 & Tascam US-144 MKii.) Been researching how to get those working, with not much luck.
Seeing lots of complaints about various interfaces not working :?
My question is, are there any interfaces that are pretty much just easily plug-and-play with Ubuntu??? :?:
Please let me know, and I look forward to getting you all's recommendations.
Thank you

JT
Welcome to Linux. I see you're going through your baptism. :)

I ran a search on the Tascam and found this:

https://autostatic.com/2016/01/28/using ... d-audio-2/

Sounds like a bit of a nightmare, but it may work... to some extent. Other search results tell me that it's not easy or perhaps not even possible.

There is something you need to understand: Linux is absolutely great, but it has very little support from vendors. They figure not a lot of people use it, so they don't bother supporting it. Some even fear or loathe Linux and may even go out of their way to introduce obstacles, such as proprietary standards that ensure that their piece of shit/kit only works in specific environments. We can't blame Linux for that. Linux does the exact opposite, it struggles to make sure that everything is usable by the largest possible number of people, and it does a stellar job at that. Tons of hardware is supported with absolutely no help from the original vendors, sometimes even better than with vendor-provided drivers. A very large part of the Linux experience is something pretty close to a miracle.

That said, a linuxer should soon learn to go where these miracles manifest themselves. In other words, don't buy anything until you can confirm that it runs on Linux -- whether the original vendor agrees with that or not. You already bought those two devices because you've been a Windows or Mac user and the devices worked on those. Fine. That's normal. But from now on, you had better check if your purchases will work on Linux. Even if you go back to whatever OS you were using before, you never know what is going to happen tomorrow. Why buy something that restricts your choices when you can buy something that gives you freedom? Non-compliant hardware should be punished, not rewarded. They don't deserve your money.

There are many audio interfaces that work on Linux. Not all of them, and I suspect not even most of them. But they do exist. Google them + Linux and you shall find them. Or at least have a look at these two pages, they should be helpful:

https://wiki.linuxaudio.org/wiki/hardware_matrix
https://wiki.linuxaudio.org/wiki/hardware_support

Stick around.
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Re: Damn, *which* USB interfaces actually work with KXStudio/Ubuntu????

Post by GuntherT »

An audio interface that is listed as "USB Class Compliant" will function on Linux. If it works with an iPad or requires no drivers on OSX, those are signs the device is class compliant.
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Re: Damn, *which* USB interfaces actually work with KXStudio/Ubuntu????

Post by asbak »

JTMusicVA wrote::(
So, yeah, I'm new to Ubuntu and all, but have otherwise been doing music on computers for decades....
Just got a new job where I need to become familiar with Linux, so, installed KXStudio on a laptop.
Going OK so far, however, none of my USB MIDI and Audio+MIDI interfaces are working. (M-Audio MIDISport 4x4
You are presumably using an older version of the MIDISport. I have a newer model 2x2 which works straight out of the box.
I think that for the older model you need to load a firmware, there should be plenty of information in ALSA pages showing what needs to be done.

On Debian type Linux, for starters:

apt-cache search midisport
Some Focal / 20.04 audio packages and resources https://midistudio.groups.io/g/linuxaudio
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Re: Damn, *which* USB interfaces actually work with KXStudio/Ubuntu????

Post by Michael Willis »

I've had great results with Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 1st gen, no trouble getting my JACK server to use it for audio and midi. I've read reports from others that have also easily gotten other Scarlett models to work, such as 2i2, 2i4 2nd gen, etc.
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Re: Damn, *which* USB interfaces actually work with KXStudio/Ubuntu????

Post by Linuxmusician01 »

Michael Willis wrote:I've had great results with Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 1st gen, no trouble getting my JACK server to use it for audio and midi. I've read reports from others that have also easily gotten other Scarlett models to work, such as 2i2, 2i4 2nd gen, etc.
The topic starter was talking about Midi devices. Not per se about audio interfaces. This confused me in the first place too.
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Re: Damn, *which* USB interfaces actually work with KXStudio/Ubuntu????

Post by Michael Willis »

Linuxmusician01 wrote:The topic starter was talking about Midi devices. Not per se about audio interfaces. This confused me in the first place too.
The 2i4 is a midi interface, in addition to audio. I'm using it for both.

For what it's worth, before I bought the 2i4, I was using this midi interface without any trouble:

https://www.amazon.com/CREATIVE-EMU-XMI ... B000JLU26W
cftech
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Re: Damn, *which* USB interfaces actually work with KXStudio/Ubuntu????

Post by cftech »

Just for the record. The E-MU 0404 USB works perfectly (both AUDIO and MIDI) and great value for the money too.
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Re: Damn, *which* USB interfaces actually work with KXStudio/Ubuntu????

Post by stanlea »

Audient ID4 is perfect. No need for drivers, nor control software.

Motu Ultralite AVB also, with control through your browser.
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Re: Damn, *which* USB interfaces actually work with KXStudio/Ubuntu????

Post by shreeswifty »

my Akai MPK 25 works perfectly
Notes, Arpegiator, picth and mod wheel + Program changes
TheVybe
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Re: Damn, *which* USB interfaces actually work with KXStudio/Ubuntu????

Post by TheVybe »

I have the Tascam 4x4 and I don't have issues getting audio out to my monitors. What I am having issues with is getting mic input through the phantom power. I am using ubuntu 19.10 with Jackctl. I also have the pulseaudio jack control setup. I've been using that setup for a few years and I know that configuration is fine. I am thinking this could be driver/firmware related. The other linux wiki with the list of confirmed hardware support has this interface as confirmed compatible but it's not quite specific as to what features are compatible. Does anyone have suggestions?

Here's the troubleshooting I tried:
- Different XLR cable; still no go
- Different mic; still no go
- Verified I can get audio out
- Verified that my interface is seen; both for output and for input through ALSA and the pulseaudio software interface
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Re: Damn, *which* USB interfaces actually work with KXStudio/Ubuntu????

Post by Linuxmusician01 »

TheVybe wrote:I have the Tascam 4x4 and I don't have issues getting audio out to my monitors. What I am having issues with is getting mic input through the phantom power. I am using ubuntu 19.10 with Jackctl. I also have the pulseaudio jack control setup. I've been using that setup for a few years and I know that configuration is fine. I am thinking this could be driver/firmware related. The other linux wiki with the list of confirmed hardware support has this interface as confirmed compatible but it's not quite specific as to what features are compatible. Does anyone have suggestions?

Here's the troubleshooting I tried:
- Different XLR cable; still no go
- Different mic; still no go
- Verified I can get audio out
- Verified that my interface is seen; both for output and for input through ALSA and the pulseaudio software interface
1. You might want to start a separate topic about this for future reference.

2. You say that you know that the configuration is fine. Do you mean that it has ever worked in Linux?

3. This interface does not appear to need a driver in MacOS (usually secret speak for "it's class compliant") but it does come with software for Mac/Win. Have you tried said software?
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Re: Damn, *which* USB interfaces actually work with KXStudio/Ubuntu????

Post by TygerTung »

I have a Midisport UNO and it works out of the box with linux, no drivers requires, so I would have thought that a 4x4 would work too?
I use a Lexicon Alpha with absolutely no problems, I bought it second hand for $3 as it had crackly pots, but that was soon cleaned up with contact cleaner.
They are not too dear new, but I am on a tight budget, and gear is a bit more expensive in New Zealand.

I bought a cheap MBOX2, but I have had issues with it. I will try again later.
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