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In recent years the world of audio on Linux has grown tremendously, so much so that even the “home” guitarist can build a complete rig, credible and totally open source. Whether it's playing with headphones in the evening, record some demos or prepare an idea on the fly, today very little is enough: a cheap USB sound card, a distro like Debian or Ubuntu Studio and a well-chosen set of plugins. I have collected those that I consider essential for those who want to get started without wasting time on useless configurations.

Amp and distortion simulations

The heart of sound, for a guitarist, it's the amplifier. On Linux the reference remains Guitarix, which in addition to the standalone application provides a series of LV2 plugins that are excellent as preamps, distortions and cabinet simulator. Guitarix's "tube" saturations are still among the best open source productions today: dynamics, natural and always manageable. The plugins in the series are also excellent DIE in Distrho, more modern and experimental.

Modulations

The classic choruses, flanger and phaser are covered very well by the plugins Calf Studio Gear. They are light, They have a simple interface and integrate well with both Guitarix and Ardor. For cleaner, more modern sounds, ZAM plugins are worth a look (specifically ZamPhaser and ZamDelay), which have a more hi-fi and less "pedal" feel.

Delays and reverbs

If you play ambient, post-rock or you simply want to give some air to your sound, the plugins of the series Dragonfly Reverb I'm a free little pearl. They have a very low CPU and a surprisingly musical performance. For more adventurous or lo-fi delays, Deteriorate plugins (DIE plugins) offer creative solutions.

Equalization and dynamics

Once you find the right sound, you have to shape it. Calf's graphic equalizer and x42 EQ are reliable tools for cleaning resonances, highlight certain frequencies or give more presence to the recorded guitar. The x42 compressor is also an excellent choice: transparent, predictable, very useful for clean or funky shots.

IR chargers and cabinet simulation

If you want to use a real simulated cabinet, with professional IR, the plugin LSP Impulse Reverb it is the most practical choice. Upload free IR files like Seacow Cabs, God’s Cab o i sample free di Ownhammer, usually of excellent quality. Good kick IR can completely change the character of your sound, especially if you work with headphones.

Fundamental utilities

In addition to plugins, the guitarist also needs side instruments: a Tuner LSP reliable, a noise gate (the Guitarix one is excellent), and a host like Carla, which allows you to build complex rigs and save them as recallable presets. It's the easiest way to go from a clean sound to a lead, without having to reopen individual apps.

Create backing tracks and accompaniments

To practice on your own, one of the most underrated programs is JJazzLab, which generates customizable backing tracks starting from simple chord progressions. It's perfect for studying, improvise and prepare quick drafts. I talked about it in a couple of dedicated articles because it deserves much more attention than is usually given to it.

• Here's the easy explanation
• Here is the intermediate explanation

With these plugins you have pretty much everything you need to build a modern rig on Linux, with the possibility of saving everything in recallable sessions so as not to waste time every time. Once the chain is in place, playing and recording becomes a game.