REAPER is absolutely one of the best pieces of software out there. I’ve been using it too since maybe 2009, though not so much in the last few years (not moved to an alternative, I’m just not doing so much audio these days).

I love the business model, the development cycle, etc. and even though it’s not open source it kinda has a similar community feeling. Every bit as feature-filled and capable as any of the industry standards.

“Since 2022” - not a headline-worthy comparison imo

For me it’s Irish traditional music. Aside from having an interesting history, the style often takes a very high level of musicianship to play well. A single monophonic instrument can play a tune and the fast-moving stream of notes can simultaneously spell out melody, counterpoint/call-and-response, and harmony, as well as providing a strong rhythmic pulse (it is music to dance to, after all).

I have had issues before with the 2i2 on Linux, where it seemed that no matter the setting in software, the hardware would always sample at a set 44.1kHz. So, with software thinking it was sampling at one rate, the playback would always be at the wrong speed. Doesnt sound like the the same as your issue of distorted audio, but yes, clearly there is something lacking in the kernel drivers for the 2i2!

Wish I could offer a fix but I have used it so sporadically thay I just tolerated my single choice for sample rate.