Windows Audio Plugins on Linux

Because why not

Picture this, your starting to get in to audio, you’ve been working as a production assistant and you want to learn more at home. Sure you could buy a MacBook install ProTools and waves like a normal person, but you’ve been using linux for as long as you have computers and your not switching now. That my dear reader, is what the situation I found myself in and I wanted to build the a no (or at least minimal) compromises Linux audio setup, here’s how I took care of the plugins.

So let’s talk system, I’m running Debian Linux on an old server (so I have a plenty of CPU and RAM headroom), my instructions will apply to Debian based systems, if your using something else it should be easy to look up the steps. I’m using a Universal Audio Volt, it was totally plug and play and it sounds amazing. I personally use Reaper but in theory any VST compatible DAW should work.

Ok let’s Jump to the part where you’ve installed your DAW and LSP (Linux Studio Plugins) you got your jack settings dialed in, but you want more, you want the pro experience and tools.

Let’s get Windows plugins working on Linux.

First you’ll have to install wine, well actually wine-staging (a more recent version then what we’ll be in most repositories), you’ll need to follow the instructions here. once you got that installed you’ll need to install yabridge from here. Once you’ve done that let’s make yabridge an actual command (so you don’t have to type the full path every time)

echo '' >> ~/.bash_aliasesecho '# Audio: yabridge path' >> ~/.bash_aliasesecho 'export PATH="$PATH:$HOME/.local/share/yabridge"' >> ~/.bash_aliases. ~/.bash_aliases

Now create the Windows VST paths and add them to yabridge

mkdir -p "$HOME/.wine/drive_c/Program Files/Steinberg/VstPlugins"

mkdir -p "$HOME/.wine/drive_c/Program Files/Common Files/VST2"

mkdir -p "$HOME/.wine/drive_c/Program Files/Common Files/VST3"

yabridgectl add "$HOME/.wine/drive_c/Program Files/Steinberg/VstPlugins"

yabridgectl add "$HOME/.wine/drive_c/Program Files/Common Files/VST2"

yabridgectl add "$HOME/.wine/drive_c/Program Files/Common Files/VST3"

and there it is! yabridge in installed! Now go download and install windows plugins.

to get the plugins to appear in Linux programs simply run yabridge sync after every plugin install.

You should be set! of course there’s a whole myriad of bug and issues to run in to, and I may make a post on installing Waves, because that is an entire adventure in it of itself. Until then happy hacking! (and mixing!)