On the topic of inexpensive onramps for JackTrip, my current recommendation (if you don’t already own a Mac or Windows computer) would be to use a Linux laptop. JackTrip requires VERY few system resources, and modern Linux distributions such as Ubuntu and Fedora provide beautiful user interfaces that are relatively easy to use, and use fast and modern audio backends like Pipewire. Pipewire is essentially the successor to JACK, which is the original backend and namesake used by JackTrip.
The old JackTrip bridge devices were simply a Raspberry Pi 4b computer running Linux, so you can expect to see similar performance out of a low-cost Linux laptop. JackTrip requires very little memory, so when looking at potential hardware candidates, the most significant thing is CPU performance. The 4b has a Broadcom BCM2711, Quad core Cortex-A72 (ARM v8) 64-bit SoC @ 1.8GHz (and 3 of those cores are basically not used). Because tech moves so fast, the cost to meet any fixed requirements drops dramatically over time. It’s easy to find low cost laptops available these days that should work just as well, and provide you with a nice interface for video, etc to boot! I commonly test JackTrip’s Desktop app on my own Linux laptop, and it performs excellently.
Chromebooks have also been exploding in popularity since 2020, and are expected to continue. In theory, these should be the ultimate low-cost device for JackTrip. Unfortunately, Google has not prioritized audio in Chrome OS and as hard as I’ve tried, I haven’t been able to even get the most basic apps to work well, let alone JackTrip. I hope that one day they will come around and embrace Pipewire like the rest of the Linux-based distros, but until then I think JackTrip in Chrome OS is a dead end. Note however that you can convert most Chromebooks into proper Linux laptops (I mean by replacing the built-in Chrome OS, not just installing the emulator) but it’s not for everyone. Some people seem to do this and resell them on eBay, so that may be another option. Disclaimer: I haven’t tried this myself. But it seems to me that when you can buy a laptop with enough horsepower to run JackTrip for under $100 (USD), it’s hard to recommend or invest a lot of effort into any form of specialized device.
that may be a bit too tech savvy for many musicians who are not familiar with LINUX.
A majority of users may still be more at home with windows and what they need to know is which audio interface they have to buy to make JackTrip sessions a pleasant experience without spending too much money.
Sweetwater seems to be a reference in the US. In Europe that would be more likely Thomann.
Many of the interfaces in the JT list are rather expensive. It would be good if the list could be updated to include cheaper interfaces that work well including brands that are more likely to be distributed in Europe. Perhaps the JT community could contribute to that list.
Furthermore : are there any minimum requirements for windows computers or does any PC running windows 10 or 11 do the job?
Same question for Mac computers.
all very good questions @wollethom Thom, thank you! I will offer a few tips and maybe Mike will have more.
First, it is important to consider the computer’s processor speed as well as the operating system; two separate things. A 64-bit dual-core computer with processor speed of at least 2.4 GHz is the minimum for a smooth experience (quad-core is even better).
The minimum for Windows 10 is version 1809 or later. Windows 11 should be fine all around.
Having stable wired ethernet is the bedrock of a stable JackTrip session.
The JackTrip Knowledge Base and this Forum are great places to find answers to some of these questions and more.
Also, I have notice that Google AI answers are getting better and better. However, at this time it is a good idea to confirm any information AI provides.
You’ve given me a few ideas to consider as I’d completely forgotten about the availability of the JackTrip app on Linux.
I used Ubuntu (from its first release) on a daily basis for my embedded systems design work on Intel based desktops and then later as virtual machines on my various MacOS machines until my retirement a couple of years ago.
Back in the days of dial up modems in the UK I led a local community wide intranet project using Wi-Max & WiFi technologies with donated computers repurposed as thin clients. These were made available free or charge to anyone who attended local IT awareness classes which were also free of charge. This was based on the Linux Terminal Server Project (LTSP) using Ubuntu running on servers which had leased line connections to the internet. When users switched on at their homes they were ‘booted’ (over community wide WiFi) into Ubuntu, giving them access to a number of target desktop applications such as Open Office, web browsers etc. and a community intranet but little else. The important point is that the users didn’t know that they were using Linux, nor did they have to be concerned about software updates, device drivers or any other stuff ‘under the hood’. The project helped a number of local folks (around 200) to take their first steps into the online world.
My point here is that a low cost ‘JackTrip appliance’ could be a very useful approach. I guess it would be possible to generate a bootable image (CD or USB memory stick) to invoke the JackTrip app, showing the available set of Virtual Studios available to the user. This could then be used with any existing hardware (if up to spec) or with dedicated low cost alternatives - the JackTrip App(liance) above.
I see that the Raspberry Pi 4 and the Raspberry Pi 400 have both been certified for the latest version of Ubuntu so I might give the JackTrip app a whirl on these with my available audio interfaces to see how these perform.
Note to the above - I seem to recall reading that the JackTrip app on Linux is only available on the Intel platform - it that still the case?
JackTrip is open source and pretty easy to build on any platform. See build instructions here. It’s available as a Flatpak for both Intel and arm64 on FlatHub. I wouldn’t mess with armv7/armhf today – everything new is arm64 (v8). Note that all of the software that was built into bridge devices is also open source.