Paul, first of all, let me thank you for the great software you’re developed. As a long time JACK user, Can you point me to a more detailed write up on why it is overkill?
But look - most people don't actually want to connect multiple applications together to make music. Most people don't actually want to move audio between applications at all. As we get more and more (reasonably) good plugins available on Linux, the "monolithic" approach - do it all inside one program (e.g. a DAW or something a bit like it) is easier for most people (no complex state management) and closer to their pre-existing mental models.
If you do need/want to connect multiple applications together, then sure, JACK is great and better than more or less any other possible alternative for that purpose.
But most people don't want to do that, and increasingly do not need to either.
> do it all inside one program (e.g. a DAW or something a bit like it) is easier for most people (no complex state management) and closer to their pre-existing mental models.
This may be a generational thing. As someone who learned recording in traditional analogue studios, I find a modular approach using JACK to be much closer to my own mental model.
With the greatest of respect, maybe, going forward, it would be best for clarity to include a caveat along with your "JACK is probably overkill" statements that you are taking about users who don't require (or might be interested in it) inter-app audio/MIDI/CV routing?
But look - most people don't actually want to connect multiple applications together to make music. Most people don't actually want to move audio between applications at all. As we get more and more (reasonably) good plugins available on Linux, the "monolithic" approach - do it all inside one program (e.g. a DAW or something a bit like it) is easier for most people (no complex state management) and closer to their pre-existing mental models.
If you do need/want to connect multiple applications together, then sure, JACK is great and better than more or less any other possible alternative for that purpose.
But most people don't want to do that, and increasingly do not need to either.