Ambient/Drone composition Using Linux/FOSS

[innerspaceboy]

I'm looking for some input about hardware for creating minimal ambient drone pads and soundscapes in a Linux environment. I'll preface this request stating my understanding that a mere 2.86% of computer users use Linux, and a smaller fraction still of that percent are electronic music composers, so I am aware this may be a lost cause. But I'll proceed just in case a member or two of this community have some keen insights to impart.

I've researched and compiled over 20 pages of notes from forums and resources around the web for electronic music composition in Linux, from ambient VSTs to generative synthesis. I installed Ubuntu Studio and experimented with creating drone loops from classical waveform samples but I have a limited comprehension of compositional  terminology, so I'm wondering whether or not a dedicated controller and interface are necessary to start creating ambient pads.

From what I've read I'm considering investing in an M-Audio Oxygen Pro Mini – 32 Key USB MIDI Keyboard Controller With Beat Pads, MIDI assignable Knobs, Buttons & Faders (https://a.co/d/2cbBadB) and an M-Audio AIR 192x6 USB C MIDI Audio Interface for Recording, Podcasting, Streaming, Studio Quality Sound, 2 XLR in (https://a.co/d/iKoBBSB).

It looks like the official M-Audio website provides Linux drivers for the interface. A clerk at Guitar Center explained that the keyboard is non-returnable as the bundled Windows/Mac software is single-user-licensed and the software doesn't support Linux.

USB MIDI is universal so Linux is not an issue, however from M-Audio's bundled software, described on their info site
(https://support.m-audio.com/en/support/solutions/articles/69000810614-m-audio-oxygen-pro-series-frequently-asked-questions#OS) I see that the M-Audio proprietary software applications, (Pro Tools, MPC Beats, Ableton Live Lite, AIR Virtual Instruments, MPC Sound Packs, Skoove, and Melodics) are strictly for Windows and Mac users.

So I explored the Ubuntu Studio OS as a software solution. According to their official site (https://ubuntustudio.org/tour/audio/) Ubuntu Studio audio tools include Jack, Ardour, Carla, Audacity, Qtractor, Hydrogen, Yoshimi, Rakarrack, Guitarix, and puredata, with additional support for supercollider, csound and chuck.

I'm hoping that the library of available tools from Ubuntu Studio will be sufficient for ambient pads and long-form drone soundscapes.

UPDATE: I spoke with an electronic music producer friend who invested over $10,000 into recording software plugins, and he expressed that while he respects my commitment to Linux, that he is concerned that there are next to no free and OSS software applications in this space. Very, very little. His concern is that I am charting a course that is artificially harder than it has to be.

His other noteworthy remark was that synthesizers are a more expensive way to reach an end that could be reached with heavy investment in soft synths. He said they're a fraction of the cost and often better, at least for while you're learning.

What do you think? Should I hang up this project until I reach a point where I can re-enter the closed-source proprietary software universe?

Thanks.

[innerspaceboy]

Tagging @Mrs. Waffles just in case she has any input here. (It's okay if you don't.)

[Lexi Darling]

Tagging @Mrs. Waffles just in case she has any input here. (It's okay if you don't.)

I'm about to head home from work, I'll make a detailed post later. 

[Lexi Darling]

Okay, there are a good few variables in your situation, so please bear with me as I'm gonna have to pick your brain a bit.

On the whole your friend is correct, soft synths are a great option for entering this hobby and can produce similar results as hardware for a fraction of the cost. I have only sparingly used them myself, as I prefer improvised live performance to meticulously crafting pieces in a DAW. Having a tactile machine with an intuitive layout of easily accessible controls is a huge plus for that. I don't like worrying about MIDI mapping, automation, storing VST patches, etc. Plus I love playing live shows, which is one area where hardware still rules supreme in my humble opinion.

So with that I guess my questions revolve around what kind of method you wish to use to create this music. What kind of textures interest you? Analog synth tones? Granular sampling? Acoustic instrument samples? And will you be performing on the keys in real time? Will there be any live element at all, or will it be strictly arranged and composed via a DAW and/or sequencer? How important is a tactile control interface? Just a few things to think about before I can recommend products, methods and tips. I'm not totally sure on your level of familiarity with the terminology and process of electronic music creation, so again you'll just have to bear with me while I assess your goals with this project.

For context, the style of electronic music I mostly have worked in is psychedelic synth soundscapes similar to classic Tangerine Dream or Klaus Schulze, lots of short polymetric rhythmic sequences and melodic improvised lead solos performed in real time, you probably know what that sounds like. But there are a million and one ways to create electronic music.

The one area where I will be of little help is Linux. I know next to nothing about it. My programmer fiance does, but he knows nothing about electronic music. Such a dilemma, haha. Specific VSTs, especially sound design environments like Pure Data, are also largely outside my wheelhouse at the current moment.

So sadly there are some gaps in what knowledge I can impart that aligns with your current setup. But do let me know a bit more about your ideas for this project. Thank you!

[innerspaceboy]

Okay, there are a good few variables in your situation, so please bear with me as I'm gonna have to pick your brain a bit...

Thanks so much for taking the time to read and respond to my inquiry! I appreciate your insight!

I absolutely hear what you're saying about your preference for tactile real-time controls, which is especially critical for the live performance space. That makes perfect sense.

My approach would be the opposite. I would be creating minimal organic drone tone poems like Klaus Wiese and his 1970s-era contemporaries, with a dash of modern drone synthesis. Harold Budd was an idol of mine, though I am by no means as proficient as he on the piano.

I kept a journal while compiling my thoughts on ambient music composition and found this in my early notes:

Initial brainstorming provided a rough framework of elements I'd like to experiment with. I'd enjoy creating openly structured longform drone soundscapes constructed from field recordings, like the collaborative Polar Sequences by Biosphere and The Higher Intelligence Agency. If possible I would like to introduce minimally-employed heavily-sustained marimba (a la the droning shoegaze songforms of American Analog Set's Set Free LP), and the warm tones of a Fender Rhodes (reminiscent of Air's 1997 debut EP, Premiers Symptômes) channeled through a Stereo Vibe preamp into the mix. I'd similarly consider utilizing a Hohner Clavinet D6 with tone and damper controls for some more uptempo bluesy jazzy licks if I can find a sample bank that feels right for the task, or perhaps the drones of a tambura. I picked up a 100-track 16 LP rip archive of deep cut fusion albums showcasing the Rhodes which may prove useful for plundering.

I quickly compiled educational resources for constructing a digital audio workstation and built one of my own. I don't know what will come of it - this is entirely new territory for me, but I believe the long-term project will do me well through the winter and regardless of the outcome I think the journey is the key.

To address your other questions, my focus would be on engineering soundscapes in the studio rather than on live performance. It would be a dream to master the technicalities of generative synthesis for Algorithmic Composition using Pure Data, but I'm not nearly proficient enough with coding to do that yet. There would likely be no live element to my work - it would instead be strictly arranged and composed via a DAW. And as such, tactile control interfaces are not a priority.

I would definitely be willing to explore soft synth VST drone synthesis, especially if I can do it inexpensively. For example, I remember reading several articles about people building custom VSTs to emulate the sound of Boards of Canada. That could be fun to explore.

One Redditor wisely remarked:

"Pretty much any analog style synth will do the job. The 2 key components of their sound are noise alongside the oscillator, plus a slow LFO on the pitch. Wavetable synths are good (like Serum or Vital) because you can add imperfections to the waveforms which is a good way to add character.

Once you've got a basic sound with noise and a pitch LFO you'll probably be able to do alot of work with a lofi plugin like RC20 or the one from Arturia. You can add alot of character and destabilisation to the sound with that."

I have all 1,300+ Hearts of Space transmissions, well over 400 Brian Eno albums, and 298 Tangerine Dream albums, along with 167 by Steve Roach. But most of what I'm envisioning would center around waveform manipulation and to steer away from sequencer-based work, as much as I love Klaus Schulze and vintage moog recordings.

I found an old web query where I'd posted looking for new sounds to explore, which mirrors much of the sound I'm eager to produce if I can. There I said:

"Looking for more non-sequencer based, beatless ambient minimal tone poems such as Indo-Tibetan music for meditation, generative soundscapes, etc. I enjoy veteran minimalists like Harold Budd, Steve Roach, and Robert Rich who are regularly featured on transmissions of Hearts of Space. I have a complete HOS archive, as well as all the essential artist discographies, from Popol Vuh to Klaus Wiese, and their contemporaries like Music For Sleep and Stars of the Lid. I also have complete vinyl and digital archives of foundational ambient kosmische musik discographies such as those of Cluster and Harmonia and other forebearers of the genre. Looking for quality catalogs beyond the common threads. Neo-classical composers like Max Richter are welcome as well. The ambient portion of my library clocks in at over 60,000 recordings, but I'm always interested in new discoveries. Ideally looking for soundscapes for work and sleep to quiet an overactive mind."

I hope that info helps. I understand you don't know much about Linux, and that's okay. I just appreciate any other thoughts you might have to share!

[Guybrush]

I don't have much time for a lengthy reply, but I too have an acoustically treated home recording studio above our garage. However, I generally record acoustic instruments and don't know my way around synths, soft or otherwise. I have a bunch of soft synths, but I don't use them much.

I do use my midi controller keyboard now and then and my recommendation for that is to get as many keys as you have room for. To me, bigger is definitely better, especially because many VSTs have controls in the lower octaves and it's nice to be able to reach them easily. 32 sounds too small, I think, although it's still very nice to have if that's all you have space for.

Edit:

If you're gonna record acoustic instruments, I'd recommend being able to record with two mics (stereo left/right).

[innerspaceboy]

Sharing recent developments relevant to my old thread so I thought I'd share them here for anyone who cares.

I was visited thrice by some of my dearest friends from a neighboring city and am so grateful for their encouragement and compassion through my difficult trials in life at present. Next weekend they're coming out again to explore a recently-renovated art gallery with me.

They encouraged me to revisit my desire to compose my own ambient drone music in Linux and took me to a Guitar Center store to see if they had the MIDI keyboard I'd been eyeing on Amazon in an effort to jump-start the hobby. They professed that it would do wonders for my PTSD and they're probably right.

I reached out to a network of local musicians I'm friends with here in town and they generously offered their insight. They explained that, for the kind of music I'm interested in, a MIDI keyboard is not necessary. One 25-year electronic music veteran remarked:

"I would say that the keyboard is probably not necessary- for getting started with tinkering, you'd be fine just sequencing notes. Especially if you're starting with ambient, drone, and field recordings, there is nothing a keyboard can do to create the sound of a rustling meadow, and even for the musical parts, you definitely don't need to involve a keyboard to write out 'play this G for 16 bars, then this A for 16 bars.'

For starters you are going to want to just get one of those soft synths and sequence a long held note into it (something like 8 bars of A) and start exploring ADSR envelopes and LFOs that map modulation to parameters like the filter, warping, syncing, fm'ing, etc. That alone will give you months of stuff to play with."

So at least I now know that the physical keyboard would be moot. But I'm a bit anxious about the steep learning curve that is the barrier of entry to this musical world. At least my musician friends are offering to help when I get stuck.

I have 21 pages of notes I compiled back in 2021 when I was troubleshooting Jack/PulseAudio and gathering resource documentation on FOSS VSTs and such. I just wish I could have someone drop by my studio and teach me first-hand. One of the members of that community is a music professor. Maybe she can help me out.

I just need to overcome the anxiety I have about getting started. It could be really good for me. For now I'm just spending my free time in bed with my kitten listening to field recordings and the ECM libraries in my best headphones. That's a joy in and of itself. I'm actually on a mission to compile a digital library of the extended ECM catalog. (Does anyone have such a collection?)

I welcome anyone's thoughts on the matter. Thanks.