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

[Richard Shann]

On Sat, 2014-01-18 at 21:49 +1100, Philip Rhoades wrote:
> 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?

It will almost certainly be a plain vanilla build. No JACK, which is
good news for what you want to do (JACK requiring more things to be set
up, and Denemo not being well tested for the JACK enabled build).


> 
> 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"? 

In the Edit->Change Preference->Audio/MIDI tab under MIDI Backend, Input
Device. The MIDI backend should be PortMidi and you device should appear
under the drop down menu for Input Device.

I think this is the first thing to establish - is your device showing up
in that drop down menu? (Clean, freshly booted machine with device
plugged in).
All, the rest, about Audio out, is probably irrelevant - I guess Denemo
plays back ok anyway straight out of the box. (Sorry I brought it up, I
shouldn't have mentioned it as you didn't say you could get playback
working).

Richard

>  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.