Midi not working on Mepis 6.0
Posts: 15
My midi isn't working. Here's what I've done so far:
I tried to use Kmidi to test midi, but I get this error message: "Could not open /dev/sequencer. Prbably there is another program using it." I navagate to /dev under the root user and don't find sequencer. (I'm not sure there should be a sequencer there or not. If your midi works, navigate there and tell me if you see it.)
I went to KDE System Configurations (Settings)- Sound & Multimedia - Sound System - General and pushed the Test Midi button... nothing. I then went to the Hardware tab and found that there was no MIDI device to choose from the drop down menu. I would use the "Use MIDI mapper" checkbox if I knew how to do it. (While I'm not really new to Linux and not new to making music, I really don't know how to use the mapper. That may be it!)
Next, I fire up the JACK Audio Connection Kit (qjackctl) and get the following error: "Could not open ALSA sequencer as a client. MIDI patchbay will be not available." Figuring that there might be a problem with ALSA, I download just about everything associated with ALSA on Synaptic and install. Running qjackctl again, I get the same error, but there still might be a problem with ALSA. (In case you're wondering, I need ALSA to run Fluidsynth in Rosegarden, but I doubt that is what is really the problem since the rest of the sound system is working.)
And now, I write this. Hopefully someone out there can help me. I usually use Windows to do music production, but I REALLY would like to change that. I have used Rosegarden successfully on this computer, though I can't remember what Linux distro I was using.
Speaking of this computer, it is a Gateway 450 series laptop with a Sigma Tel C Major Allegro (integrated) soundcard wich is MIDI capable. Since I'm working in Japan now and don't have access to another computer (unless someone sends me about $900 to get another with a better sound card!) I really would like to solve this problem.
Thank you in advance!
Jeckyll
P.S. Yes, I have Timidity and Freepats installed. Doesn't seem to do much for me.
Midi
Posts: 2280
Do a search on Google for "linux midi howto" i think you will find more than you wanted to know about midi in linux. Definately more reading than i was ready for. Good luck!
jim
Got it!
Posts: 15
After a long day on Google and getting a little frustrated with Mepis, I downloaded a bootable disk version of Musix. After finding the English translation in the OS, I found I was having the same problem with MIDI not playing, but since Musix is geared more toward music production it was a little nicer about it. All it said was:
1. Log in as root (or su in the command line)
2. Enter this in the Konsole - modprobe snd-seq-midi
After doing just that, MIDI was working nice and fine... well, at least for me. I'm not sure what application Roadrash was using in Windows with the Yamaha, but after a little time in the Rosegarden handbook and some fooling around with the MIDI instruments, I was able to use Fluidsynth (with the Qsynth interface and some soundfont from the internet), JACK (qjackctl), and an existing MIDI to make music. I have to admit that Kmidi still isn't playing sound though I'm sure I just have figure out how to asign a soft synth for it to do so.
Now my only problem is with this crappy notebook soundcard, I doubt I'll be able to do some hard disk recording from MIDI, so I guess I have to wait until I'm back in the states in June.
Actually, are there any USB sound cards that Mepis can support? I'd love to share more of my music with the community. I have some system sounds up on KDE-look.org (titled Angelic) but would love to make some more. If someone has some experience with laptop recording in Linux, let me know. Your help would be greatly appreciated!
Oh, and in case you're wondering, Musix wasn't that bad of a distro, but since I don't speak Portugese (sp?) I didn't really like it that much. Still, you might want to keep an eye on the distro if you are heavily into music production and want a Linux distro just for that. In all other aspects I think Mepis stands head and shoulders above Musix.
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On the sixth day, God created the platypus. Then God said: let's see the evolutionists try and figure this one out.
Thanks for the info, I'm
Posts: 171
Thanks for the info, I'm downloading it now..
jeckyll Hope you have it
Posts: 1
jeckyll
Hope you have it working in Mepis now. Just in case it helps anyone else.....
I used your suggestions and those of http://susewiki.org/index.php?title=Using_MIDI, and
http://www.geocities.jp/midi_organ_net/timidity/ (Note
different folders/directories
for Mepis vs Suse), to get timidity working and for Rosegarden to recognise that a sequencer exists.
to be brief, I did , as root
# modprobe snd-seq-midi [as you detailed]
downloaded a sf2 file as suggested on the suse wiki , altered the configfile for timidity to read the soundfont file [this step might not be necessary, if
the freepats provide what you need], then started (as user) the timidity sequencer using
$ timidity -iA &
[there are other options but I havent explored the man files to discover if they relate better to my needs]
Starting rosegarden then starts properly, and recognises the sequencer. I am not reliably getting sound
out of it yet however, and I'm hoping some of the other timidity sequencer options may help.
In fact further work suggests that I need JACK running to get sound out. The Rosegarden site suggests
$ timidity -iA -Oj -B2,8 which as far as I can work out means start Timidity as the sequencer for other programmes[-iA], use jack as the output [-Oj] and "-B2,8" tweaks the way the computer puts together fragments (no - you're right, I dont understand exactly)
This fails saying that there is no connection to jack.
Starting the jack daemon is as simple as
$ jackd -d alsa
Re-running the timidity line , I dont get the console back and Rosegarden refuses to start (again). I'm going to try a few other things and will follow up if I get anywhere.
I should also point out that timidity worked fine without the modprobe command,
I hadn't previously tested kmidi.
A sequencer (2 in fact) appeared in the /dev/ folder following initiating timidity as an alsa server ((timidity -iA &) but this command failed with errors before
modprobe snd-seq-midi
K
I would like to know how to
Posts: 171
I would like to know how to play MIDI files as well. I used to play MIDI files with windows through a MIDI interface connected to the joystick port which was then hooked up to a Yamaha General MIDI keyboard. Ever since moving to linux I havent been able to play them.