Linux Audio Quality, Low Latency, and Benchmarks
A knowledge hub for production audio workflows on Linux. Coverage of ALSA, JACK, PipeWire, low-latency tuning, open source tooling, community notes, and performance benchmarking for real studio work.
Primary Topics
Audio Quality
Linux audio foundations, ALSA, JACK, and PipeWire roles in quality tuning.
LAD
Linux Audio Developers and Users: community hub, lists, resources, and archives.
Low Latency
Latency tuning guides, kernel options, scheduler behavior, and benchmark traces.
Benchmarks
HDRBench, latency graphs, and reference test data for system comparison.
Events
Conference notes, ZKM meeting archives, presentation slides, and recordings.
Maia
Experimental synthesis, audio engine design, and Audiality engine notes.
Latest Notes
Ubuntu Studio 26.04 LTS Pro Audio Setup: New Audio Configuration Tool, PipeWire Buffers, and Low Latency Boot Tweaks
Ubuntu Studio 26.04 LTS ships with a reworked audio configuration tool and PipeWire as the default. Here is how to set it up for serious low latency audio production from a fresh install.
PipeWire Tuningpw-top Walkthrough: Diagnosing XRuns, CPU Spikes, and Bad Nodes in Live Sessions (2026 Edition)
pw-top tells you exactly what is happening inside PipeWire's processing graph. Here is how to read it, what the columns mean, and how to find the node that is causing your XRuns.
Low LatencyPipeWire Real Time Scheduling in 2026: RTKit, Portal Realtime, and rlimits for Musicians Who Just Want Low Latency
Three ways PipeWire gets real-time scheduling on Linux. RTKit, portal realtime, and traditional rlimits - which one your system is actually using and whether it is enough for serious audio work.
PipeWire TuningWirePlumber Pro Audio Profile Explained: What It Changes, When It Helps, and When It Makes Things Worse (2026)
The WirePlumber pro-audio profile is not a magic switch. This is what it actually changes in PipeWire session management, when it helps, and when it makes audio routing worse.
PipeWire TuningPipeWire Quantum in 2026: Choosing 64, 128, 256, or 512 Without XRuns (A Repeatable Test Method)
Stop guessing your PipeWire quantum. Here is a repeatable test method for finding the lowest stable buffer size on your specific hardware, measured under real audio workloads.