LMMS aims to be a free alternative to popular (but commercial and closed-source) programs like FL Studio, Cubase and Logic. It offers you the ability of producing music with your computer by creating/synthesizing sounds, arranging samples, playing live with your keyboard.
LMMS combines the features of a sequencer-program (pattern-/channel-/sample-/song-/effect-management) and those of powerful synthesizers and samplers in a modern, user-friendly and easy to use graphical user-interface.
LMMS consists of several windows. The song editor is the heart of the program, where you arrange the various parts of your composition along the time axis. Instruments, samples and synthesizer sounds are shown in different tracks.
LMMS transparently supports VST plugins, both instruments and effects, through Wine (a compatibility layer for running Windows programs).
Key Features
- Song-Editor for arranging the song.
- Creating beats and basslines using the Beat-/Bassline-Editor.
- Easy-to-use piano-roll for editing patterns and melodies.
- Instrument- and effect-plugins.
- Support for hosting VST(i)- and LADSPA-plugins (instruments/effects).
- FX mixer with 64 FX channels and arbitrary number of effects allow unlimited mixing possibilities.
- Automation-editor.
- Full MIDI-support.
- Also compatible with many standards such as SoundFont2, VST(i), LADSPA, GUS Patches, and MIDI.
- Import of MIDI and FLP (Fruityloops Project) files.
Website: lmms.io
Support: Manual
Developer: Tobias Doerffel, Danny McRae, Javier Serrano Polo, and others
License: GNU GPL v2
LMMS is written in C++. Learn C++ with our recommended free books and free tutorials.
Related Software
| Digital Audio Workstations | |
|---|---|
| Ardour | Record, edit and mix with this digital audio workstation |
| MusE | Full featured MIDI and audio sequencer with recording and editing |
| Bespoke | Software modular synthesizer with a large range of modules |
| Zrythm | Automated and intuitive digital audio workstation |
| Rosegarden | Sophisticated MIDI (and audio) sequencer and notation editor |
| Qtractor | Audio/MIDI multi-track sequencer |
| Radium | Music editor sporting a sleek interface |
| LMMS | Digital audio workstation |
| Helio | Music sequencer for desktop and mobile platforms |
| Seq66 | MIDI sequencer and live-looper |
| Stargate | All-in-one DAW and plugin suite |
| tek | Colorful music making program |
Read our verdict in the software roundup.
| Audio Samplers | |
|---|---|
| LinuxSampler | Professional grade software audio sampler |
| samplv1 | Old-school polyphonic sampler |
| LMMS | Produce music with your computer |
| SooperLooper | Live looping sampler capable of immediate loop recording, and more |
| Qsampler | Official GUI frontend for LinuxSampler |
Read our verdict in the software roundup.
 Explore our comprehensive directory of recommended free and open source software. Our carefully curated collection spans every major software category.This directory is part of our ongoing series of informative articles for Linux enthusiasts. It features hundreds of detailed reviews, along with open source alternatives to proprietary solutions from major corporations such as Google, Microsoft, Apple, Adobe, IBM, Cisco, Oracle, and Autodesk. You’ll also find interesting projects to try, hardware coverage, free programming books and tutorials, and much more. Discovered a useful open source Linux program that we haven’t covered yet? Let us know by completing this form. |