The End of my Free Software journey

Anything that doesn't fit into other topics goes here!
...I don't want to leave.

My parents said that if I didn't pull together $10000 by the year 2020, I'd be kicked out of the house, with no resources whatsoever.
Additionally, they said they'd force me to get a job doing manual labor if I don't start pulling in money by next summer.

I LOVE making music. I can't stop making music. If I get a job, then layered on top of school and my 8800 square foot garden that my dad insists must be perfect, I'd barely even have time to sleep, let alone make music.

Up until this point, I've never even looked at a piece of software that wasn't open source. I've gone over three years doing this, and at least 9000 hours on it. I think it's actually around 11000 hours.

But, now I have to leave.

I've been *so close* to becoming professional, for such a long time. But, the amount of skills I was gaining was rounding off at a logarithmic curve. If I had another two or so years, I'd make it. But, I do not have that time.

So, I'm switching to FL-Studio. I really do not want to, but I've run out of options.

I'll still be using LMMS for collaborations and such, but my main DAW will be FL-Studio. Once I become a professional, I may decide to make a song using only free software, to show the world that it can be done.

But, I still won't be a free-software composer.

If any of you out there are crazy enough, and just a bit stupid like me, you may be able to become the first professional composer to only use free software. You can do it, given enough time. Meanwhile, I'll be elsewhere.

Goodbye, everybody.

Have a nice day. :)
Good luck, but few things makes me wonder.

If I would pay for my daw, I would pick cubase or albeton.

But that might be just me.

Then the time issue, how does fruity loops fix that ? :)
Douglas wrote:
Thu Oct 05, 2017 1:25 pm
...I don't want to leave
I will send you a pm. Read it!

B.r.
Gps wrote:
Thu Oct 05, 2017 3:31 pm
Good luck, but few things makes me wonder.

If I would pay for my daw, I would pick cubase or albeton.

But that might be just me.

Then the time issue, how does fruity loops fix that ? :)
Well, I just realized something.

I have not bought FL-Studio yet, and I just got the Demo Version working today.

It... either isn't as good as people make it out to be, or I haven't spent enough time with it.

It seems to have some better effects and instruments, but I didn't see anything nearly as useful as ZynAddSubFX.

Also, its design (with composing the actual song, with the notes and stuff) sucks compared to LMMS. It looks AMAZING, but it doesn't work amazing. I've done a lot of research to make sure that I wasn't missing some feature or something, but it turns out LMMS is actually better designed in that respect.

Imagine ONLY having B/B Editors and Automation tracks, that's it. That's FL-Studio.

...and CPU usage is UNBEARABLE. I can barely have two instruments loaded without the program freaking out.

Makes me wonder how it's so popular, and why more people aren't using LMMS.

Or I'm missing something major. I watched an hour tutorial, I don't think I'm missing anything...

I only tried FL-Studio because people told me it was similar to LMMS. I think I'll test out Ableton, I've heard that's drastically different.

Anyway, I'd just like to say to the LMMS developers: You did a pretty dang FANTASTIC job!
I hope your dream will come true.

Regarding FL, I was also rather disappointed. But I think it's normal, LMMS is not FL, and vice versa. Each DAW has its own specificities, strengths and weaknesses.

Personally, with FL, I'm disappointed with:
- lack of attack in volume envelopes,
- the impossibility of adding effects directly to synths,
- and therefore the impossibility to save synth presets with their effects (it is necessary to save the preset of synth + save the preset of the channel of the mixer containing the effects ...),
- the hard limit at the output of the drumpad / drumaxx (which requires to use a compressor or a designer designer to have attacks of great amplitude),
- the spectrum of several synths is limited (eg, Harmless and Harmor do not rise above 17kHz),
- some synths only work in the 32bit version (eg WASP XT, Fruity Soundfont Player)
- etc.

But the music I do on FL is unfeasible on LMMS ... and vice versa.
And strangely enough, what takes me forever on LMMS can go very fast on FL ... and vice versa :lol:

Anyway, I think I can say that the forum is there, and that you are welcome!
Oh man. You were so close to your goal.
But after reading your post and understanding the situation you're going through, I can kinda see
why in your mind, you think you need to switch to a paid DAW.

Also, don't get too caught up, in what people/musicians categorize as "professional." ;)
It's a very broad, all over the place multi-directional term. And can mean many uniquely different things. :)
And don't let it distract you, from your musical creativity either.

Regarding the ZynAddSubFX plugin, that is one of the cool things, that makes Lmms so special.

And yes, all DAW's are different. None work or function, exactly the same way as another.

I wish you best of luck.
And another thing, feel free to stop by on the forums, whenever you have time. :)
brandystarbrite wrote:
Fri Oct 06, 2017 3:55 am
Oh man. You were so close to your goal.
But after reading your post and understanding the situation you're going through, I can kinda see
why in your mind, you think you need to switch to a paid DAW.

Also, don't get too caught up, in what people/musicians categorize as "professional." ;)
It's a very broad, all over the place multi-directional term. And can mean many uniquely different things. :)
And don't let it distract you, from your musical creativity either.

Regarding the ZynAddSubFX plugin, that is one of the cool things, that makes Lmms so special.

And yes, all DAW's are different. None work or function, exactly the same way as another.

I wish you best of luck.
And another thing, feel free to stop by on the forums, whenever you have time. :)
...I might not actually be leaving...

I mean, I just don't like FL-Studio. I can't see why it's good. There are five major things I really don't like about it:

- No ZynAddSubFX replacement
- While FL's effects are slightly higher in quality, LMMS has many more of them, and LMMS's are much more creative. I've really been digging that Comb Filter lately, and I'd be using it much more often if its frequency could go above 640 Hz... and same with its other effects, they're just completely generic, not unique in any way. I'm not really a fan of that.
- With FL-Studio, I can barely have two synthesizers playing without my CPU meter combusting.
- With FL-Studio, everything is a B/B track.
- With the effects, they value ease-of-use over functionality.

Those are the cons of FL-Studio. Then there are the pros...
- FL's effects are a bit higher quality, or at least easier to use in some cases.
- It looks pretty.

...yeah, that's about it.

I don't think the problem is with LMMS, I think there's just something I haven't figured out yet... I have no idea what I'm missing, though. The only musical weaknesses I have that I'm aware of is the composition, but there are plenty of professional songs out there that have no melody whatsoever paired with a completely generic song structure.

Do any of you know what I'm missing? I have no idea what I'm supposed to be improving upon...
http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/v ... 015-remix/

http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/v ... -compared/

Thought these graphs would be relevant considering you are trying to make certain amounts of money through music
Well you could add to your list of pros that FL Studio, like most DAWs, can use just about any VST/VSTi available which adds many hundreds to the list of possible synths and effects, even if you only count free ones. That's the reason that LMMS is no longer my main DAW though FL Studio wasn't my choice either as it really doesn't suit how I work.

BTW the latest ZynAddSubFX version is available as a VSTi, and it's good - http://zynaddsubfx.sourceforge.net/index.html

Steve
Douglas, from what I understand, LMMS is the only DAW you know very thoroughly.

Therefore, it seems normal to me that, whatever the DAW you test, you are a little disappointed.

Maybe your current reluctance is related to the fact that you do not master FL as you master LMMS.

As all commercial DAWs are more developed than LMMS, you will have to relearn your job for each one.
To know all the options of FL (or other DAW), all the shortcuts, the different ways of doing the same, the subtleties of each effect, the potentialities of each synth, etc. you will necessarily have to spend time, days, weeks, months.

It's only when you'll know it very thoroughly that you will be able to fully compare it with LMMS (if this still has any interest).

To say what I think more explicitly, I think that the use of another DAW will allow you to go further, to discover new horizons, to gain experience, to learn new things, to approach the music differently, etc. but this in the long term. If your time is limited, it seems to be a more risky option.

Finally, you are not alone! Maybe other people near you are in an emergency situation: by associating yourself with two or more people, you could move faster, more efficiently (?). Why not ?

A direct way to confront the field is to present your work publicly (a DJ set of your tracks? To burn a few CDs and to sell them after your set ? To contact a local radio station? To play your tracks on the street ?). If you do not have the material to present your tracks in public, you can find a job in parallel and dedicate a part of your economy in hardware and software, etc ...

Although the idea of spending money is not in line with your objective (to become pro with free, without spending one dollar), part of this objective must be readjusted because it is contradicted by reality (someone pays the electricity bill that allows you to run LMMS, etc.).

So, with all my respect, courage dude, move your ass.