Helix Native - Linux installation instructions

digitalscream

Since I've been dragged back to sort out modmin-related issues, and a bunch of people elsewhere have been asking me for this, here are the instructions for installing and using Helix Native on Linux (the process works with Ubuntu 17.10, but also 18.04 and hopefully later versions), specifically with the Windows version of Reaper:

# Fire up a terminal

# Install KXStudio repositories

# Install required dependencies if needed

sudo apt-get install apt-transport-https software-properties-common wget

# Download package file

wget https://launchpad.net/~kxstudio-debian/+archive/kxstudio/+files/kxstudio-repos_9.5.1~kxstudio3_all.deb

# Install it

sudo dpkg -i kxstudio-repos_9.5.1~kxstudio3_all.deb

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

# Install wine-rt, wineasio, cadence and any dependencies (this will install jackd as well)

sudo apt-get install wine-rt wineasio cadence winetricks linux-image-lowlatency linux-headers-lowlatency

# Install libpng12.so from Ubuntu Xenial - WINE needs the i386 version to install Native and you won't get icons in Helix Native without the AMD64 version

wget http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/main/libp/libpng/libpng12-0_1.2.54-1ubuntu1.1_amd64.deb

sudo dpkg -i libpng12-0_1.2.54-1ubuntu1.1_amd64.deb

wget http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/main/libp/libpng/libpng12-0_1.2.54-1ubuntu1.1_i386.deb

sudo dpkg -i libpng12-0_1.2.54-1ubuntu1.1_i386.deb

# Add your user to the audio group - *really important, nothing after this will work otherwise*

sudo usermod -a -G audio <your_username_here>

# LOG OUT AND LOG BACK IN - OTHERWISE NOTHING WILL WORK

# Install a bunch of Windows DLLs needed to make Native work

winetricks vcrun2013 gdiplus wininet

# Now we can get started with the apps!

# Just download the latest Reaper and Helix Native installers and run them! It's easiest with the VST3 version of Native, so select that during the installation process.

Once that's done, reboot (to get the lowlatency kernel running) and run Cadence; you'll need to configure your interface (usually just click Configure, select the interface from the dropdown, then set the number of inputs and outputs and configure the buffer for your desired sample rate and buffer size - it's all in there).

Fire up Reaper and open the Tools -> Preferences dialog, select Device in the left hand side, and select WineASIO as the driver, then select the inputs/outputs you want as you would if this was running in Windows.

Create a track, open the FX dialog, choose Helix Native and you're off!

This is also the start of the process for getting it to work with natively Linux-based DAWs, but that's going to have to wait for another day.

digitalscream

Also, for the benefit of @Emp_Fab - yes, you could do all of this with the point-and-click approach, but a) it'd take twice as long, and b) it'd require me to post endless screenshots or make a video, neither of which I can be bothered with

notanon

Neat post thanks @digitalscream appreciated.

guitartango

Great post @digitalscream , has anyone used the Linux version of Reaper rather than the Windows version under Wine ?. How will does it work with vst's ? 

digitalscream

guitartango said:

Great post @digitalscream , has anyone used the Linux version of Reaper rather than the Windows version under Wine ?. How will does it work with vst's ? 

Yes, I've done exactly that - Reaper itself works brilliantly, when you stick to Linux LV2 or LADSPA plugins. I've used Helix Native with Linux Reaper using lin-vst as the wrapper, and it's just fine - except that it can use a lot of resources and is quite slow to fire up. In use, there's not a massive difference (in fact, it's slightly more responsive natively than running Reaper under WINE and there's less in the way of xruns), but the extra couple of seconds it takes to get the Helix Native GUI up can interrupt your workflow a bit.

I'm currently running Reaper under WINE, and if I'm honest there's not a massive difference. However, some other plugins don't like lin-vst, hence doing it that way.

guitartango

Thanks @digitalscream, might have to fire up the old konsole

digitalscream

Small (but fairly important) update: I've got Native running with the native Linux version of Reaper, but properly within the Reaper effects windows rather than a standalone window. I'll admit I didn't really do much, except use the latest version of linvst, so that developer needs some props for a job well done.

Instructions to follow later this weekend...