How To Use LMMS - Tutorial For Beginners (FREE DAW)

Learn how to use LMMS, a free DAW. This LMMS tutorial for beginners will teach you the basics of the digital audio workstation. I go over the layout including the playlist/song-editor, piano roll, and mixer/fx-mixer, as well as what most things do. I also talk about setting up the DAW briefly as it is really simple and easy to use music production software. But what I do talk about is how to import your VST plugins, and get your samples and loops in the software too. Many people have said that LMMS is the closest you can get to FL Studio for free. You'll notice the two are close comparisons.

TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 - Introduction
0:54 - Settings menu
1:55 - Layout
2:21 - Toolbar/Transport bar
2:32 - zgzgzgzgzg!
3:22 - Media Browser (Samples, Sound effects, & plugins)
4:14 - Song Editor / Playlist / Sequencer
7:25 - Beat/Bassline Editor / Step-Sequencer
8:26 - Piano-Roll / MIDI Editor
9:28 - Automation-Editor
10:54 - Piano Roll (Continued)
12:20 - FX Mixer / Mixing Console / Mixer Rack
14:30 - Project Notes / Notepad
14:47 - Controller Rack

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Recommended Computer Specs:
At least 1 GHz CPU and 512 MB of RAM
2-channel soundcard
Based on what I downloaded, you'll need about 130 Mbs of hard drive space. (Yup, it's very lightweight.)

Supported Plugins:
64-bit VST instrument support with 32-bit VST bridge (64-bit Windows)
LADSPA
***

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Interested in more about the Audio Production? These are the topics we cover!

Composition, Arrangement, & Sound Design
Tips, Tricks, & Advice
DAWs & Studio
FREE Software

+ Blog Posts (That aren't videos) directly in the community tab on the channel!

#freeDAW #musicProduction #lmms

God is great! It may be hard to believe when you don't, I came from the same place. It took me a while to understand and accept God. But when I did, it changed my life more than I could have imagined and I hope yours will be changed too.

Thanks for watching, I appreciate your comments and support!

[TransverseAudio]

Hey everyone! All the information you may need is in the description (timestamps, computer specs, plugin support, etc.) One thing I will add is that you can not record live audio in this DAW but could easily use something like Audacity to compliment this DAW if you do vocals or play an instrument. Thanks for watching, let me know you stopped by and say hello! 😉

[Umcaruje]

Hi, one of the LMMS developers here. Just wanted to say this is an awesome video, you nailed a lot of stuff! Great job!

[Roxirin]

"These are for creating new projects, and opening ezgzg- - zgzgzgZGZGZGZGZGZGZG" - Thanks for not editing this out.

[comicalbanana]

yo, i know this tutorial is years old now, but i just want to personally thank you for not only being clear and concise, but INCLUDING SUBTITLES. SO many tutorials don't include subtitles and it makes it impossible for me to pay attention and absorb the info. i really really appreciate you going the extra mile here.

[Depstar]

0:54 - Settings menu

1:55 - Layout
2:21 - Toolbar/Transport bar
3:22 - Media Browser (Samples, Sound effects, & plugins)

4:14 - Song Editor / Playlist / Sequencer
7:25 - Beat/Bassline Editor / Step-Sequencer
8:26 - Piano-Roll / MIDI Editor
9:28 - Automation-Editor
10:54 - Piano Roll (Continued)
12:20 - FX Mixer / Mixing Console / Mixer Rack
14:30 - Project Notes / Notepad
14:47 - Controller Rack

[ДмитрийАлфимов-кк]

2:30 - When you trying to explain something but having a stroke for a moment.

[spekularr]

A few things I feel are worth mentioning as I watch:

If you place your samples in [LMMS Working Directory]/samples, they'll show up in the samples tab in the sidebar. The working directory can be configured in the preferences menu.

(You might even be able to symlink to your existing sample folders inside the directory, I don't recall if this works or not.)

In addition, you can place automations of different types on the same track, should you feel like it, or connect several controls to the same clip.

An unintuitive but useful song editor feature is that if you start dragging a clip and *then* hit ctrl, you can fine adjust the position.

The controller rack lists not only LFOs but also peak controllers, when they're added (via an instrument/sample track/mixer channel's effect chain).

All in all though, this is a well researched video! You bring up a lot of less obvious features that other tutorials miss :)

[neptuneseye]

What I think they should add in next version of LMMS:

1. Ghost notes
2. Audio recording and editing
3. Drag and drop a sound from desktop to Beatmaker
4. Grouping system like in Soundbridge

[thatlonzoguy]

LMMS is so under rated... especially for chiptune.

[williamtrieseverything]

Free and easy to use. This tutorial was 15 minutes long but completely taught me how to use LMMS. Thank you!

[wardrich]

I just grabbed LMMS today for the first time in probably 10+ years. It's wild how far this has come!

[borhainn]

"Legend has it
The guy still replying everyone till this day"

[pprophet]

Yooo wtf this actually looks really good, i remember when Lmms looked like trash

[oopusharma]

I am glad ...how kind this guy is ?....he took time to comment on most of the Wow

[nightlightlee]

When he started saying zgzgzgzggzgzgzzz...it sounded like that could be used as a beat 😂

EdiT: oh wth, I am funny then 🤷‍♀️ aLso I came on the 666th like, sum not right here 🤔

[cyzerraze]

I am watching the vid rn, but the overwhelminly positive like reatio and the fact that you reply to every comment clears any doubt that I had, i can already confidentely say that this video is going to be awesome

[YungCorpsey]

Man, your recommandations always make me CLICK on them
And your videos are very professional
You deserve more recognition.
Let's work together.

[elijh]

So far the only tutorial I've seen that takes it slow and doesn't require prior experience to soft design.

[noahrodriguez]

When he said: zgzgzgzgzgzgzzgz


*I felt that*

[chriss]

Thanks, this is a good UI intro to LMMS. However, as basically a "day 1 noob" who is unable to appreciate what most of these features are, or how/when to use them, I still am left like a deer in headlights. Do you have any suggestions for getting started, with the basic concepts, when they are useful, and how they work together? I'd be interested in a hand-holding through the creation of a short piece, starting from a new empty project, explaining the how/why of each step that is done until it's "finished", without assuming the watcher knows anything about it. The way these things are used in real workflow, and to see a peek at the thought process behind it, would be invaluable. Thanks!