Re: [Denemo-devel] Newbie getting MIDI K/B to work with ALSA and qjackctl

[Philip Rhoades]

Richard,


On 2014-01-18 20:28, Richard Shann wrote:
> On Sat, 2014-01-18 at 02:48 +1100, Philip Rhoades wrote:
> > People,
> >
> > Googling found some previous posts trying to get this to work with
> > earlier versions of Denemo but they were no help for me so I hope it 
> > is
> > OK to request help here.
>
> this is the right place to ask.


Good!


> >   Prior to this exercise I have been able to set
> > timidity up as a daemon and play sounds and record stuff from the MIDI
> > K/B but qjackctl won't run with timidity running in daemon mode.
> ? this is independent of running denemo?


Yes, just to show that I have had some midi things running.


> >  So
> > this is what I have now:
> >
> > "aconnect -i -o" gives:
> >
> > client 0: 'System' [type=kernel]
> >      0 'Timer           '
> >      1 'Announce        '
> > client 14: 'Midi Through' [type=kernel]
> >      0 'Midi Through Port-0'
> > client 20: 'AXIS-49 2A' [type=kernel]
> >      0 'AXIS-49 2A MIDI 1'
> > client 130: 'denemo' [type=user]
> >      0 'midi_in         '
> >      1 'midi_out        '
> >
> > In Denemo Preferences - Audio/MIDI I have:
>
> Have you built Denemo with JACK enabled, or is qjackctl being used
> purely to manipulate the alsa connections (which is, I believe quite
> ok)? What version of Denemo?


I haven't built anything in this case - Fedora RPMs:

denemo-fonts-common-1.0.0-0.fc19.noarch
denemo-music-fonts-1.0.0-0.fc19.noarch
denemo-emmentaler-fonts-1.0.0-0.fc19.noarch
denemo-feta-fonts-1.0.0-0.fc19.noarch
denemo-1.1.0-47.1.x86_64

- I presume JACK is enabled?

qjackctl was just a last attempt when I couldn't get any result with the 
CLI stuff.


> > Audio Backend - Portaudio
> >
> > Output device - ALSA: HDA Intel: 92HD73E1X5 Digital (hw:0,1)
> >
> > MIDI Backend - ALSA
> >
> > Rhythm entry for MIDI - checked
> >
> > In the qjackctl connections dialog there are:
> >
> > - System entries under the Audio tab
> >
> > - No entries under the MIDI tab
> >
> > - All the stuff that aconnect listed above under the ALSA tab
> >
> > But:
> >
> > - I still can't select "MIDI Input" from the Input menu
>
> Do you have a MIDI controller connected?
>
> > - From the qjackctl connection dialog I can connect the "AXIS-49 2A 
> > MIDI
> > out" to the "Denemo MIDI in" - but nothing shows up in Denemo when
> > hitting the keys
>
> Ah, yes, I see the AXIS-49 2A is MIDI controller.
>
> > - If I try and select "MIDI Input" from the Input menu again - it
> > disconnects the  link in the qjackctl dialog box
> >
> > I've run out of ideas . . suggestions?
>
> What is it that you want to do?


Just to be able to enter music into Denemo via the keyboard - it is an 
exercise more than anything else, I don't have an immediate demand for 
the facility - but it would be good to get it working . .


> The only thing well attested is the
> default out-of-the-box thing: no running of qjackctl, acconect etc.
> Denemo (via PortMidi) scans for MIDI controllers and you choose the one
> you have (it should be connected and switched on before starting Denemo
> for simplest start up).


OK, I have rebooted - I have always had a lot of trouble with sound apps 
interfering with each other PulseAudio always seemed to complicate 
matters, so it just plain ALSA now - PortMidi was already installed - 
after starting Denemo again:  the AXIS-49 2A does not show up anywhere - 
where do I "choose the one I have"?  Could it be a USB problem? - those 
other utilities can see that the keyboard is USB.


> On some installations the Audio out also needs
> selecting (again Denemo - via PortAudio scans for audio devices and
> offers a list in the Edit->Change Preferences->Audio/MIDI tab).


There is a long list of ALSA devices - I have left it on:

  ALSA: HDA Intel: 92HD73E1X5 Analog (hw:0,0)

That allows Denemo to play the notes but I have also tried:

  ALSA: HDA Intel: 92HD73E1X5 Digital (hw:0,1)

which doesn't allow Denemo to play notes but neither allows me to select 
MIDI Input.


> Something else I have seen: if another program is running using the
> audio output then Denemo will not make sounds, and conversely if I try
> and start a movie while Denemo is still open then it will wait until
> Denemo is shut down before it starts to play. Similar things might
> happen for MIDI input, but I have no experience of running other
> programs that use MIDI input simultaneously with Denemo.


No other sound things are running at the moment - unless you count the 
Google+ Chat I just had with someone? - I have had issues with 
conflicting sound things in the past eg watching a video on YouTube in 
Chrome would interefere with other proper sound apps - but that seems to 
be resolved now and it has nothing to do with MIDI anyway . .

Thanks,

Phil.
--
Philip Rhoades

GPO Box 3411
Sydney NSW      2001
Australia
E-mail:  address@hidden