LinuxSampler vs Redux

LinuxSampler is free, open-source audio sampler software for loading and playing sampled instruments. Its engine runs as a separate backend process from its user interfaces, and the project describes it as streaming-capable. It supports GigaStudio/GigaSampler, SoundFont, and SFZ formats, and can run on Linux, Windows, and Mac OS X. Users can operate it standalone or as a plugin in sequencers and DAWs including Cubase, Logic, Ardour, QTractor, and Reaper.

Supported plugin formats include VSTi, Audio Units, DSSI, and LV2. Listed audio and MIDI drivers include ALSA, JACK, CoreMIDI, MidiShare, MME, ASIO, CoreAudio, and audio over Ethernet. The engine can be controlled through a native C++ API or LSCP, an ASCII network interface; frontends can also connect remotely. Gigedit can create and edit GigaStudio/Gigasampler instruments, with changes audible during playback. QSampler lacks some engine features, including instruments-database support, while JSampler supports all currently available engine features. Commercial use of the source, libraries, or applications in hardware or software requires prior written authorization.

Redux is a sample-based instrument that combines a phrase sequencer with MIDI implementation. Its tracker notation lets users enter notes and control sample playback precisely, while the sequencer creates phrases using notes and program-change events. Redux can send MIDI note events to its host so the tracker interface can trigger instruments in a DAW. Effects and a quasi-modular system let devices modulate one another. The waveform editor can adjust volume, remove leading or trailing silence, apply effects, and slice samples; those edits are saved with the preset. A built-in recorder and draw tool support sample creation, and drag-and-drop import accepts common audio formats, including SFZ multisamples. Users can save and recall presets by section, add content libraries by dragging and dropping, and connect eight global macro controls to multiple parameters and functions. Redux is a plugin, not a standalone app, and runs in a DAW that supports VST3 or Audio Unit. It is available for Linux, macOS, and Windows. The demo is otherwise fully functional but generates a subtle hiss. A Redux license costs $5,600 as a one-time purchase and covers versions 1.4.4 to 2.4.4.