elevenrackLINUX
OPEN SOURCE · EXPERIMENTAL BETA

Eleven Rack
on Linux

Experimental Linux support for the Digidesign Eleven Rack. This project combines a patch for the ALSA USB audio driver with Eleven Rack Control and a separate rig editor.

Downloads & installation ↓
8 IN / 6 OUT Audio via ALSACONTROL Clock, routing & monitoringEDITOR Rigs, presets & tuner
PROJECT OVERVIEW

Driver and applications

The driver adds Eleven Rack support to the existing ALSA USB audio driver. PipeWire and WirePlumber handle desktop audio and routing. Two applications provide access to interface settings and your rigs. The driver, Control and Editor all support multiple connected Eleven Racks.

Linux driver

A device-specific patch for snd-usb-audio, with 8 capture channels, 6 playback channels and USB MIDI per rack.

Eleven Rack Control

Clock source, sample rate, Rig Input, hardware or DAW monitoring, and PipeWire buffer settings in one panel.

Eleven Rack Editor

A separate Linux editor with an effect chain, rig browser, preset transfers and a tuner with an adjustable reference.

APPLICATIONS

Control and Editor

Audio interface settings and rig editing are handled by two separate applications.

Eleven Rack Control

Included with the driver

For configuring the connection between the rack and your Linux audio system.

  • Clock source and status: Internal, AES and S/PDIF.
  • Select the internal sample rate and Rig Input.
  • Choose hardware monitoring or DAW Only.
  • View input and output channels and adjust the PipeWire buffer size.

Stop audio applications before changing the hardware clock or sample rate. The PipeWire buffer setting applies to the shared audio session.

Launch from a terminaleleven-rack-control gui

Eleven Rack Editor

Separate, optional package

Linux port of Eleven Edit, using an ALSA MIDI bridge.

  • View the current rig and its effect chain.
  • Browse presets and transfer rigs.
  • Tuner with live note display and an adjustable reference frequency.
  • Connect through the Eleven Rack Rig MIDI ports.

Validation varies by feature. Concurrent use of Control and Editor has not yet been validated. Close other editor instances before launching.

Launch from a terminaleleven-rack-editor-linux

Audio channels

The patched driver provides 8 capture channels and 6 playback channels per device. WirePlumber assigns useful channel names; applications opening ALSA directly may show channel numbers.

Audio interface channel mapping per Eleven Rack
ChannelsCapturePlayback
1–2Guitar In / Mic InMain Out L/R
3–4Eleven Rig L/RRe-Amp L/R
5–6Digital In L/RDigital Out L/R
7–8Line In L/R—
PACKAGES & DOCUMENTATION

Download and installation

Choose your Linux distribution to download the driver and editor and follow the installation steps below. Packages are provided for x86_64 systems. The driver includes Eleven Rack Control; the editor is optional.

Before installing

The DKMS driver replaces snd-usb-audio, which also handles other USB audio devices. Check the package’s kernel and PipeWire targets before installing. A driver installation requires a reboot.

Choose your Linux distribution

Ubuntu 24.04 and newerDEB · amd64 / x86_64

The driver includes Eleven Rack Control and rebuilds through DKMS. The editor is optional. Matching Ubuntu kernel sources are retrieved during installation when needed; an internet connection and temporary disk space are required. Custom, mainline and OEM kernels are not validated.

Driver + Control22.7 MBEditor82.8 MBChecksums297 bytes

Version v0.1.2-beta12 · Published 2026-10-13

  1. Download and verify

    Save both packages and the checksum file in a separate folder for this distribution. Open a terminal in that folder. Every downloaded package must report OK; stop if verification fails.

    Verify downloaded packages
    sha256sum --check --ignore-missing SHA256SUMS-ubuntu

  2. Prepare your system

    Save your work and close audio and MIDI applications.

    Check or install system requirements
    sudo apt update
sudo apt install "linux-headers-$(uname -r)"

  3. Install the packages

    The command installs the driver and the optional editor. For the driver only, omit the editor filename.

    Install driver and editor
    sudo apt install ./eleven-rack-driver_0.1.2.beta12_all.deb ./eleven-rack-editor-linux_0.1.2.beta12_amd64.deb
    Check the DKMS build
    dkms status

    Continue only after the DKMS build has succeeded. With Secure Boot, complete any required signing-key enrollment before using the module.

  4. Restart

    Reboot to load the installed driver.

    Reboot your computer
    sudo reboot

The universal Ubuntu package builds its PipeWire backend locally. PipeWire versions outside its bundled source catalog require an updated package.

Fedora 43RPM · x86_64

Use the Fedora 43 packages below. The running kernel and PipeWire version must match the package targets. Install the full kernel module packages as well as the development files.

Driver + Control2.5 MBEditor78.1 MBChecksums242 bytes

Version v0.1.2-beta12 · Published 2026-10-13

  1. Download and verify

    Save both packages and the checksum file in a separate folder for this distribution. Open a terminal in that folder. Every downloaded package must report OK; stop if verification fails.

    Verify downloaded packages
    sha256sum --check --ignore-missing SHA256SUMS-fedora43

  2. Prepare your system

    Save your work and close audio and MIDI applications.

    Check or install system requirements
    sudo dnf install "kernel-devel-$(uname -r)" "kernel-modules-core-$(uname -r)" "kernel-modules-$(uname -r)" "kernel-modules-extra-$(uname -r)"

  3. Install the packages

    The command installs the driver and the optional editor. For the driver only, omit the editor filename.

    Install driver and editor
    sudo dnf install ./eleven-rack-driver-0.1.2.beta12-1.fc43.x86_64.rpm ./eleven-rack-editor-linux-0.1.2.beta12-1.fc43.x86_64.rpm
    Check the DKMS build
    dkms status

    Continue only after the DKMS build has succeeded. With Secure Boot, complete any required signing-key enrollment before using the module.

  4. Restart

    Reboot to load the installed driver.

    Reboot your computer
    sudo reboot

Obtain a rebuilt package set before upgrading beyond its supported kernel or PipeWire targets. The editor also needs the matching Fedora Python ABI.

Fedora 44RPM · x86_64

Use the Fedora 44 packages below. The running kernel and PipeWire version must match the package targets. Install the full kernel module packages as well as the development files.

Driver + Control2.5 MBEditor78.1 MBChecksums242 bytes

Version v0.1.2-beta12 · Published 2026-10-13

  1. Download and verify

    Save both packages and the checksum file in a separate folder for this distribution. Open a terminal in that folder. Every downloaded package must report OK; stop if verification fails.

    Verify downloaded packages
    sha256sum --check --ignore-missing SHA256SUMS-fedora44

  2. Prepare your system

    Save your work and close audio and MIDI applications.

    Check or install system requirements
    sudo dnf install "kernel-devel-$(uname -r)" "kernel-modules-core-$(uname -r)" "kernel-modules-$(uname -r)" "kernel-modules-extra-$(uname -r)"

  3. Install the packages

    The command installs the driver and the optional editor. For the driver only, omit the editor filename.

    Install driver and editor
    sudo dnf install ./eleven-rack-driver-0.1.2.beta12-1.fc44.x86_64.rpm ./eleven-rack-editor-linux-0.1.2.beta12-1.fc44.x86_64.rpm
    Check the DKMS build
    dkms status

    Continue only after the DKMS build has succeeded. With Secure Boot, complete any required signing-key enrollment before using the module.

  4. Restart

    Reboot to load the installed driver.

    Reboot your computer
    sudo reboot

Obtain a rebuilt package set before upgrading beyond its supported kernel or PipeWire targets. The editor also needs the matching Fedora Python ABI.

CentOS Stream 10RPM · x86_64

Use the CentOS Stream 10 package set. Enable CRB and EPEL, then install the running kernel’s module packages and development files. Fedora RPMs are not interchangeable with CentOS RPMs.

Driver + Control2.5 MBEditor78.2 MBChecksums242 bytes

Version v0.1.2-beta12 · Published 2026-10-13

  1. Download and verify

    Save both packages and the checksum file in a separate folder for this distribution. Open a terminal in that folder. Every downloaded package must report OK; stop if verification fails.

    Verify downloaded packages
    sha256sum --check --ignore-missing SHA256SUMS-centos-stream10

  2. Prepare your system

    Save your work and close audio and MIDI applications.

    Check or install system requirements
    sudo dnf install dnf-plugins-core
sudo dnf config-manager --set-enabled crb
sudo dnf install https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/epel/epel-release-latest-10.noarch.rpm
sudo dnf install "kernel-devel-$(uname -r)" "kernel-modules-core-$(uname -r)" "kernel-modules-$(uname -r)" "kernel-modules-extra-$(uname -r)"

  3. Install the packages

    The command installs the driver and the optional editor. For the driver only, omit the editor filename.

    Install driver and editor
    sudo dnf install ./eleven-rack-driver-0.1.2.beta12-1.el10.x86_64.rpm ./eleven-rack-editor-linux-0.1.2.beta12-1.el10.x86_64.rpm
    Check the DKMS build
    dkms status

    Continue only after the DKMS build has succeeded. With Secure Boot, complete any required signing-key enrollment before using the module.

  4. Restart

    Reboot to load the installed driver.

    Reboot your computer
    sudo reboot

The package’s recorded kernel, PipeWire and Python versions must match your installation. CentOS hardware audio validation is still pending.

Arch LinuxPKG.TAR.ZST · x86_64

Use these packages with the stock linux kernel. Check that the installed kernel, headers and PipeWire match the package targets before installing. linux-lts, custom kernels and ARM are not covered.

Driver + Control4.9 MBEditor98.9 MBChecksums246 bytes

Version v0.1.2-beta12 · Published 2026-10-13

  1. Download and verify

    Save both packages and the checksum file in a separate folder for this distribution. Open a terminal in that folder. Every downloaded package must report OK; stop if verification fails.

    Verify downloaded packages
    sha256sum --check --ignore-missing SHA256SUMS-arch

  2. Prepare your system

    Save your work and close audio and MIDI applications.

    Check or install system requirements
    uname -r
pacman -Q linux linux-headers pipewire

  3. Install the packages

    The command installs the driver and the optional editor. For the driver only, omit the editor filename.

    Install driver and editor
    sudo pacman -U ./eleven-rack-driver-0.1.2beta12-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst ./eleven-rack-editor-linux-0.1.2beta12-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst
    Check the DKMS build
    dkms status

    Continue only after the DKMS build has succeeded. With Secure Boot, complete any required signing-key enrollment before using the module.

  4. Restart

    Reboot to load the installed driver.

    Reboot your computer
    sudo reboot

These packages pin their kernel/header and PipeWire versions. Obtain a rebuilt set before updating those components. The driver already includes its backend.

After restarting

Connect and power on the Eleven Rack. Open Control and the optional Editor from the application menu. If launching from a terminal, run one application at a time; concurrent use has not yet been validated.

Open Eleven Rack Control
eleven-rack-control gui
Open Eleven Rack Editor
eleven-rack-editor-linux

Check that both capture and playback devices appear. MIDI alone does not confirm that the patched audio driver is active.

Check audio device registration
dkms status
cat /proc/asound/cards
cat /proc/asound/pcm
aplay -l
arecord -l
wpctl status

Start with Internal clock and 48 kHz, then test capture and playback in your DAW. For a JACK-compatible DAW, use PipeWire’s JACK layer to share the interface with desktop audio.

EXPERIMENTAL BETA

Test coverage varies by distribution, kernel and feature. Capture and playback at 48 kHz have been tested on hardware; this does not validate all sample rates or sustained simultaneous use.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Credits

This project builds on the work of open-source developers and the Eleven Rack community.

Koen de Boevé
Project development and Linux integration.
Paul Bender · R11 Audio
Monitoring protocol details, latency measurements, and extensive guidance on buffering, stability and hardware behavior. Paul has been a mentor throughout development and gave permission to use his artwork as the basis for the project icons.
Charles Wardick · Eleven Edit
Original Eleven Edit rig editor and librarian, and independent USB/MIDI protocol research.
Damilola Olalere · MrDees
macOS port of Eleven Edit and the Studio interface on which the Linux editor is based.
Guillaume Schmid · ElevenHack
Earlier protocol reverse engineering that informed Eleven Edit’s SysEx protocol research.
Matt Housley · Eleven Rack Driver
macOS driver used as a reference for USB audio behavior, sample rates, channel mapping and MIDI Rig Input messages.

Additional thanks to the Linux kernel and ALSA contributors, the Ubuntu kernel team, PipeWire and WirePlumber contributors, Wim Taymans, the DKMS contributors, and JxEngel’s 11Rack.Controller.App. Typography: Manrope by Mikhail Sharanda and the Manrope Project Authors, and JetBrains Mono by the JetBrains Mono Project Authors.

Original tools and Control use the MIT License; original kernel patches use GPL-2.0-or-later. Upstream components retain their own licenses and copyright notices. Fonts use the SIL Open Font License.

Full credits and references ↗Licensing details ↗

Eleven Rack is a trademark of Avid. This is an independent project, not affiliated with Avid.

Linux driver

The driver adds Eleven Rack audio support to ALSA’s existing snd-usb-audio kernel module. It uses the standard Linux audio stack rather than introducing a separate one.

What the patch provides

Desktop audio and routing

PipeWire and WirePlumber handle desktop audio and channel naming above ALSA. Applications accessing ALSA directly may show channel numbers instead of descriptive names. For a JACK-compatible DAW, PipeWire’s JACK layer lets desktop audio and the DAW share the interface.

Installation and kernel updates

The driver package includes Eleven Rack Control and audio configuration. DKMS builds a patched module for a matching kernel. This module also handles other USB audio devices on the system. Matching headers and supported kernel sources are required; reboot after installation.

Current status

This remains an experimental beta. Capture and audible playback at 48 kHz have been checked on hardware. Build success alone does not validate sustained simultaneous audio, every control, or every sample rate. Use the distribution-specific downloads and instructions on this page.

Eleven Rack Control

Control manages interface settings through ALSA and the Linux MIDI connection. It is included in the driver package and can be opened from your application menu or with eleven-rack-control gui.

Clock and sample rate

Select Internal, AES or S/PDIF clock. The status indicator shows whether the selected clock is locked; external clocking requires a valid digital input. Stop audio applications before changing clock or rate.

Sample-rate selection applies the hardware clock and shared PipeWire session rate together. At 88.2 and 96 kHz, fixed buffers of 512, 1024 and 2048 samples are offered; smaller buffers and Automatic are excluded pending validation.

Rig Input and monitoring

Rig Input selects the source feeding the rig: guitar, reamp, mic, line or digital inputs. Hardware monitoring returns monitoring control to the Rack. DAW Only suppresses direct input monitoring, so hearing live input requires monitoring through your DAW. This does not mute the Main output.

Buffer size and channel information

The buffer setting affects the shared PipeWire session, including desktop audio and DAWs using PipeWire/JACK. It does not configure a DAW opening ALSA directly. Channel lists show the eight inputs and six outputs; buffer duration is not the same as total round-trip latency.

Readback and limitations

Control refreshes device settings and verifies changes against hardware readback where supported. Monitoring suppression and restoration have been physically confirmed. Full validation still varies by control and audio scenario. A refresh reads settings without applying monitoring changes.

Eleven Rack Editor

The Linux editor is a port of Charles Wardick’s Eleven Edit, based on Damilola Olalere’s macOS fork and Studio interface. It runs separately from the audio driver and communicates through an ALSA MIDI bridge.

Rigs and presets

View the current rig and effect chain, adjust rig parameters, browse presets and transfer rigs. The interface includes amp, cabinet and microphone controls, effect sections, and rig/bank tools. Validation differs by feature; do not treat the presence of a control as confirmation of complete hardware testing.

Tuner

The tuner displays live hardware note information and a relative tuning needle when the hardware tuner is active. The needle is not calibrated in cents. Reference-frequency controls let you request a new tuning reference, with a hardware reply confirming the displayed value.

Installation and connection

Install the separate editor package for your distribution. It includes the Linux MIDI bridge; Node.js and npm are not needed for the packaged application. Open it from the application menu or run eleven-rack-editor-linux. Use the Eleven Rack Rig MIDI ports and close other editor instances before launching.

Recorded validation

Hardware checks confirmed MIDI enumeration, firmware identification, reading Rig Input and loading the current rig’s effect chain. A controlled test transferred an unmodified rig to a test slot, verified it by readback, and restored the original. This does not validate every rig import, backup/restore workflow or reconnection scenario.

Upstream credits

Original editor: Charles Wardick. macOS port and Studio UI: Damilola Olalere (MrDees). Earlier protocol research: Guillaume Schmid (ElevenHack). Linux integration: Koen de Boevé.