LMMS

LMMS (Linux MultiMedia Studio) is an open source and cross-platform project designed to act as a free alternative to those popular, yet commercial and closed-source music creation applications found on Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, such as FruityLoops, Logic, and Cubase.

State-of-the-art features

Key features include a song editor for composing audio tracks, a beat and bassline editor for generating beats and basslines, an easy-to-use piano roll for editing melodies and patterns, as well as complete computer-controlled automation sources and user-defined track-based automation.

The application has been designed from the ground up to allow users to effortlessly produce professional music under an open source GNU/Linux operating system, simply by creating and synthesizing sounds, playing live with the keyboard, and arranging samples.

A wide range of powerful effects and instruments are built into the application, allowing for unlimited audio mixing possibilities. In addition, it features a FX mixer with 64 FX channels, and support for well known standards, such as VST(i), LADSPA, MIDI, SoundFont2, and GUS patches.

Create music with ease!

It is also possible to import any MIDI file, as well as project files from the Hydrogen and FL Studio applications. Supported operating systems include GNU/Linux, FreeBSD and Microsoft Windows.

Thanks to its modern and user-friendly graphical interface, the application helps users to be extremely creative. You can easily create remixes, beats, melodies, arrange samples, and synthesizing sounds.

It also comes with a wide range of ready-to-use audio effects, samples, instruments, and presets. A comprehensive online documentation will help anyone to learn how to use the application and create tracks in minutes.

Bottom line

In conclusion, LMMS is a powerful and sophisticated music creation software with state-of-the-art features. It also provides users with a music sharing platform called LMMS Sharing Platform (LSP), where anyone can make their audio masterpieces publicly available.

What is new in this release:

• New FX Mixer:
• New chainable FX channels
• Unlimited FX channels
• Better labeling of dummy effects
• Improved performance
• New temposyncable delay FX plugin
• New Instruments:
• Nescaline - Nintendo Entertainment System(R) sound emulator
• Watsyn - Advanced wavetable synth
• Monstro - Advanced triple oscillator synth
• Carla - Audio plugin host (Linux only)
• Instrument Enhancements:
• AudioFileProcessor - Adjustable loop points
• Kicker - Temposyncable envelope, higher max; distortion enhancements
• LB302 - Fix note sticking, playback bugs
• Demos/Presets:
• Cleaned up dated demo tracks
• Updated ZynAddSubFX instrument presets from Zyn team
• Added, removed and updated presets for TripleOsc, LB302, Organic and SID, Monstro, Watsyn, BitInvader
• UI Improvements:
• Piano Roll:
• Ctrl + Left/Right Arrow keys now moves selected notes by one bar
• Shift + Up/Down now moves selected notes by one semitone
• Fixed theme artifacts caused by improper uninstall/upgrade
• Added /Volumes to sidebar and open dialog for Mac
• Added Chinese/Japanese, updated Italian and German translations
• Enabled toggling of knob scale in context menu (Linear/Logarithmic)
• Added ability to record automations
• Added support for undo/redo in Piano Roll
• Bug Fixes:
• Fixed various memory leaks
• Misc branding fixes
• Autosave/save prompt fixes
• Better cursor positioning (hand, automation tracks, loop markers)
• Fixed soundfont chorus/reverb settings
• Fixed a bug that caused the pitch range being ignored on project load
• Minor UI fixes
• Added build support for OSX 10.7 "Lion"

What is new in version 1.0.0:

• Completely redesigned default theme and UI style
• New Name, Splash Screen and logo
• Improved project icons: *buntu, Windows
• New Plugins: Dynamics Processor, Sfxr, OpulenZ (an FM synth for LMMS), Waveshaper, Dual filter, Vocoder LADSPA plugin
• AudioFileProcessor: Added stutter playback mode
• Added time display widget
• Added support for vector-based automations with various interplation methods
• Added config option to enable waveform display by default
• Added more controls to Peak Controller
• Added standard paths to file open/save dialog
• LFO controller: added support for custom waveforms
• New file dialogs allowing for project versioning
• Added pitch range support for instruments
• Vestige: Path to VST plugins stored as relative, if opened from default VST plugin path
• Song, SongEditor, BB-Editor, Piano-Roll: correction of play button problems
• Default MIDI velocity to 63 for volume=100%
• Fixed various MIDI-related issues
• Knob code improvements: exponential response curve for smoothing operation
• Default to SDL for Audio playback on Windows
• File dialog: Common places added to left pane
• Native Amplifier plugin
• Added support for loading 32-bit samples
• Timeline: allow right click + shift to move left loop point
• Atomically write project files via overwrite-by-rename to prevent data loss upon disk failures
• Fixed various build issues related to ZynAddSubFX, VST support etc
• Added option for unlinking all controls to context menu of controls
• Improved overall performance by switching off FX processing if input is silent - you might need to tweak the FX decay knobs
• Timeline: allow right click + shift to move left loop point
• Hide contents of envelope/LFO tab and display info about single-streamed instruments instead
• Use Kicker as default instrument in B+B-Editor
• Added optional drawing of note names in Piano Roll
• Add support for upgrading presets
• Fixed envelope sustain response
• Save solo states for tracks
• Display key presses in Piano Roll
• Fixed oversampling and other problems in export

What is new in version 0.4.15:

• Core:
• Windows: Fixed exporting to files with non-ASCII characters in name
• AutomationPattern: initialize with current value of first object
• Chords: fixed major pentatonic
• Properly cancel file export if opening output file failed
• InstrumentTrack: fix freeze when forwarding MIDI events to instrument
• Plugins:
• Sf2Player: preserve custom track name when loading settings
• AudioFileProcessor: make playback cursor configurable
• AudioFileProcessor: fix crash with reversed samples
• Misc/Build related:
• Updated PortAudio DLL and added custom fix for crash on some Win7 systems
• Updated GCC and Qt

What is new in version 0.4.8:

• Core:
• CMakeLists.txt: explicitely search for pthread and link against it
• CMakeLists: print warning about missing Mallets instrument instead of Stk
• InstrumentTrack: do not try to load "libconnection.so" in compat code
• MeterModel: clear global automation patterns in reset()
• MidiEvent: added read method for type property
• SampleBuffer: try OGG Vorbis decoder first when loading OGG files
• Song: reset global models in clearProject()
• Use proper path seperator for LADSPA_PATH
• GUI:
• ControllerRackView: do not lose focus when adding controller
• Default theme: improved tooltip appearence
• EffectView: fixed artifacts with semitransparent widget shadow
• InstrumentTrackWindow: correctly disconnect from track's signals - fixes more and more increasing loading time for presets
• PianoRoll: fixed messed up editing modes when pressing Ctrl
• PianoRoll: allow chaning volume and panning of step notes
• PianoRoll: respect stacking order of notes when editing
• PianoView: send NoteOff MIDI events for all keys on focus out
• SampleTrack: fixed non-functional solo and mute buttons
• TrackContainerView: fixed dragged presets into BB Editor
• Plugins:
• CALF LADSPA plugins: resynced with Git repository
• VstPlugin: fix crash when re-opening instrument track window
• VstEffectControlDialog: workaround for invisible GUI on Linux
• SID: improved artwork + logo by mikobuntu
• ZynAddSubFX: save and restore settings of new knobs
• ZynAddSubFX/QtXmlWrapper: fixed loading of oddly formatted presets
• ZynAddSubFX: forward all MIDI events but NoteOn if muted
• ZynAddSubFX: added LED checkbox to disable forwarding of MIDI CC events
• ZynAddSubFX: properly load preset data if knobs are automated/controlled
• ZynAddSubFX: fixed identifier for filter resonance controller
• ZynAddSubFX: save which controllers were modified and restore them
• ZynAddSubFX: only re-instantiate ZASF if m_hasGUI has changed
• Misc:
• Manpage: fixed duplicate help item and updated program description

What is new in version 0.4.4:

• PeakController: always check for m_peakEffect != NULL before using it (closes #2616486)
• Fixed file mode for files that were executable although they shouldn't be
• NotePlayHandle: call instrumentTrack::deleteNotePluginData() before invalidating itself in instrumentTrack's m_notes array - fixes recording with instruments like Kicker
• MidiImport: show an information message if no default soundfont has been set (closes #2660545)
• MidiImport: per default use bank 0 instead of 128
• PatternView: if volume of a step is 95 it was not possible to increase it to 100 by scrolling up (closes #2656024)
• TrackContainerView: when dragging a preset file into TrackContainerView load complete track settings - fixes an issue where the track name was not loaded from the dragged preset
• PeakControllerEffect: corrected calculation for RMS and moved loops out of if-branches
• MidiPort: properly emit portChanged signals when loading settings - fixes MidiPortMenu showing devices not checked although actually connected
• MIDI subsystem: fixed misspelled "writeable" into "writable", minor coding style fixes
• AutomationPattern: save and restore length of AutomationPattern to avoid confusions with the previous auto-resize behaviour
• Various fixes for better OpenBSD compatibility (thanks to Jacob Meuser)
• FX-Fader: added accessibleName property for FX faders for not displaying an empty titlebar in context-menu
• MidiPortMenu: minor coding style fixes
• MidiAlsaSeq: fixed typo which made output ports not work at all
• MidiPort: subscribe writable rather than readable port when settings
• Fixed various types to be suffixed with "_t".
• Sf2Player: truncated LOG440 constant
• AutomationPatternView: fixed painting of automation data
• Vibed: fixed legacy code in NineButtonSelector
• MidiImport: fixed mistransposed notes
• LadspaEffect: fixed controller connections on samplerate changes
• Oscillator: fixed samplerate dependence of FM/PM
• ControllerConnection: export symbols for win32 build
• RemoteVstPlugin: use SplittedThreading model for MDA plugins
• Oscillator: reverted recent fix for PM
• VstEffect: set displayName property at initialization
• LVSL: track samplerate/tempo changes in VstPlugin base class
• panning.h: fixed compiler warning
• 3rdparty/libsamplerate: updated to version 0.1.7
• SongEditor: fixed horizontal scrollbar with Qt 4.5
• AudioJack: fixed lockup when getting zombified
• RemoteVstPlugin: use std::vector rather than std::list
• InstrumentTrack::masterKey(): fixed miscalculation
• German localization: fixed typo
• RemoteVstPlugin: fix issues with uniqueID
• RemoteVstPlugin: removed obsolete warning
• VstBase/CMakeLists.txt: do not fail with broken wineg++
• InstrumentTrack: fixed calculation in midiPitch()
• Plugin: try to load all shared libraries first
• FileBrowser: added file type VstPluginFile
• VeSTige: added support for d'n'd DLL files onto VeSTige instrument
• RemotePlugin: never lock up if remote plugin died
• PianoView/PianoRoll: fixed keycodes for OS X
• PianoRoll: do not make notes disappear under certain circumstances
• ZynAddSubFX: integrated into stable-0.4 series
• ZynAddSubFX: properly load/save instrument presets
• ZynAddSubFX: made MIDI pitch bend work
• RemotePlugin: made lock() and unlock() methods public
• ZynAddSubFX: do not subclass RemotePlugin
• RemotePlugin: allow waitForInitDone() without busy waiting
• ZynAddSubFX: do not lock up after rendering project
• InstrumentTrackView: save and restore last position of window
• ZynAddSubFX: added support for d'n'd XIZ files onto ZASF plugin
• InstrumentTrackWindow: clear focus on closeEvent
• EffectView: always check whether effect has a control dialog
• VstPlugin: added hasEditor() method
• VstEffect: check whether VST effect has an editor
• LadspaControl: set name property for tempoSyncKnobModel
• Added universal codebase for dragging plugin-specific presets
• README: Synced with master branch
• ZynAddSubFX: added preset collection by Will Godfrey
• Pass main window as parent for progress dialog when loading project

What is new in version 0.4.3:

• Core:
• fixed various bugs regarding MIDI recording and record accompany
• do not lockup when freezing pattern
• sampleBuffer: fixed small bug in usage of libsamplerate API which caused lots of zero samples at the end of various samples (e.g. in AudioFileProcessor)
• sampleBuffer: do not load samples bigger than 100 MB
• integrated latest libsamplerate which is both faster and more reliable
• various fixes to allow compilation with upcoming GCC 4.4
• simplified formulas for calculating envelope and LFO data resulting in about 3x performance when changing envelope or LFO parameter frequently (e.g. by automation)
• audio mixer: heavily improved organization of worker-threads resulting in much better performance and stability (especially with Hyperthreading-enabled CPUs)
• GUI:
• update patternView after freezing
• fixed painting of frozen patterns
• make space always play song when in Song-Editor regardless of last button pressed
• rewrote timing of fading animation for not postponing updates of hidden fadeButton until it becomes visible
• disable output monitor per default and show a hint on how to enable
• small cosmetic improvements
• Piano-Roll: fixed bug that alloed to move notes past the beginning via shift+left
• fixed unquantized BB-objects dragging in Song-Editor, use Alt modified instead Ctrl
• fixed cloning of Beat/Bassline track
• fixed infinite recursion in mouse-event-handling of knob on Mac OSX
• Plugins:
• Sf2Player: update patch after loading settings (i.e. project or preset)
• FLP import: properly initialize isMuted member - fixes muted FX channels when importing older FL files

What is new in version 0.4.1:

• heavily improved Piano-Roll:
• support for editing panning for individual notes
• easy selection of notes
• easy move of selected notes
• rewritten FLP import filter which now works properly and imports about 70% of settings in an FLP file:
• support projects from FL Studio 3 to 8
• import volume, panning, pitch and FX channel for instrument tracks
• import various settings (such as reversed sample) into AudioFileProcessor
• import FX mixer settings and effects
• import automation data
• import channel- and pattern names
• import volume and panning settings of individual notes
• copy patterns from layer master to all layer children
• map more instruments to various LMMS instruments
• fixed importing steps/dots
• fixed scaling factor of various controls
• rewrote wide parts of LVSL (LMMS VST Support Layer) backend:
• win32: fixed crash when using VST plugins which do not have a GUI
• support more VST plugins (Linux+win32) thanks to a new threading model
• suppress warning message when loading KarmaSynth VST
• try more symbol names for entry procedure
• in TripleOscillator per default set sub-octaves for Osc2 & Osc3
• minimal step of volume and panning knobs now is 0.1 instead of 1.0
• added Japanese localization files
• added STK support to win32 version
• various GUI performance tunings

What is new in version 0.4.0 RC3:

• Core:
• fixed crash when removing tracks
• do not lockup LMMS if remote-plugin (e.g. VST plugins or ZynAddSubFX) crashed
• mixer: use ordered memory semantics for atomic int - fixes random crashes on multicore systems
• mixer: lock mixer while adjusting lengths of notePlayHandles after tempo change
• mixer: removed fine-granular locking of various playHandle-vectors - fixes various deadlocks (e.g. when previewing samples in file browser)
• mixer: use one static jobqueue
• effectLib: improved for not being based on virtual-functions rather than direct function-inlining via template parameter
• fixed volume-scaling for IPH-based but not MIDI-based instruments
• removed obsolete instrument-parallelization support as this is handled much better by worker threads and adds unneccessary complexity
• UI:
• rewrote about dialog
• when renaming a track initially select whole string so it can be overwritten easily
• display instrument icon on track label button rather than printing instrument name
• file browser: added filter feature allowing quick file access
• file browser: allow browsing drives in "My computer" tab on win32
• file browser: heavily improved performance when opening directories with lots of items in
• test piano: keep keyboard focus when changing knobs in the same subwindow
• fixed dragging presets and instruments onto track label button
• piano roll: do not crash when pressing right mouse button while moving a note with left mouse button
• piano roll: play preview notes also while playing pattern
• move position marker line even if autoscrolling is disabled
• automation editor: in erase-mode do not remove values without clicking
• do not show splash if environment variable NOSPLASH is set
• do not crash when opening controller connection dialog and using a non-sequenced (raw) MIDI-client
• Plugins:
• improved VST GUI embedding
• sf2player: fixed crash when opening patch dialog the 2nd time
• LADSPA controls: fixed lost automation relations when switching samplerate
• LADSPA effect hoster: fetch pointer to LADSPA port descriptor once outside the inner loops - improves performance of loops by 400%
• LADSPA effects: properly build on OS X
• sf2player: use notePlayHandle::getMidiVelocty() rather than notePlayHandle::getVolume() for allowing less bright sounds by decreasing instrument-track's volume (if soundfont supports it)
• removed broken LiveTool plugin
• Misc:
• updated localization files
• fixed a bunch warnings and remarks issued by Intel Compiler
• various tunings for GCC 4.4
• win32-build with latest Qt 4.4.4 snapshot
• ship a version of libvorbis-0.dll compiled with GCC 4.2 as GCC 4.3 miscompiles it

What is new in version 0.4.0 RC2:

• Core:
• fixed various crashes when previewing samples or presets
• don't mis-initialize random number generator with default value - fixes misbehaviour and crashes in large projects with lot of automation
• fixed cloning automation-patterns
• allow dropping automation patterns onto existing automation patterns
• disabled undo/redo of track/TCO operations (add/remove) as not mature yet
• fixed misbehaviour of automation pattern where new value was not set for control if it was on a tact boundary
• fixed crashes when exporting as OGG and output file can't be created
• UI:
• improved visual appearence of timeline
• Song-Editor: added a vertical position line
• added support for user-configurable backgound artwork
• do not show messages about missing plugins when previewing presets
• keep loop markers from being in same position
• Piano-Roll: added new shortcuts for change Q and note length
• Piano-Roll: added "Note lock" mode to keep Q equal to note length
• Piano-Roll: fixed quantization when moving selected notes
• added setting for default soundfont which is used when importing MIDI files
• removed obsolete track icons
• display instrument name on track button
• hide pitch knob in instrument track window if instrument doesn't support pitch bend
• refactored MIDI tab in instrumentTrackWindow which now also allows setting arbitrary fixed velocity and defining a program for MIDI output
• controller selection dialog: automatically enable auto-detect LED when selecting a MIDI device
• Audio/MIDI:
• WinMM MIDI backend: added support for MIDI out
• ALSA Sequencer MIDI backend: fixed subscription of output ports
• PortAudio backend: fixed segfault when other app uses and blocks the audio device
• SDL audio backend: fixed deadlock after exporting project (fixes freeze on Windows on export)
• rewrote MIDI import filter to be Portsmf-based and much more versatile
• Plugins:
• PAPU-plugin: don't crash on 64 bit machines
• Sf2Player: fixed crash when re-opening a soundfont after all other instances of it were closed before
• LB302: removed useless inverted-saw waveform; added Sine, Noise, and Exponential waveform; use buttons instead of a knob
• BitInvader: added support for pitch bend and improved user interface
• Mallets: added support for pitch bend
• added a selection of nice SWH LADSPA plugins
• added CMT LADSPA plugins
• package ZynAddSubFX plugin into win32 build
• Misc:
• changed preset's extension from "*.cs.xml" to "*.xpf"
• improved detection of Qt4 translation directory and included Qt4 translations into win32 build
• fixed paths when starting with no configuration file or having an invalid old one
• win32 version built against latest Qt 4.4.3 snapshot