[linux-audio-user] tse3+mandrake 9+alsa ---->finally good sound!

[Eric Robert]

Le Samedi 30 Novembre 2002 20:45, Silvan a écrit :
>  when I tse3play foo.mid:
> > tse3play seems to play something (visually) but no output!
>
> FWIW:  Debian Woody, recent TSE3, recent NoteEdit, ALSA 0.9.rc6, ens1371,
> Roland SC-33
Same card but i use mandrake 9, no synth (i have to use a softsynth, i will 
explain how below)
> When I use tse3play, it appears to be working, but nothing happens, just as
> you report.
 Yes...
> When I make use of the TSE3 functionality in NoteEdit, it works fine,
> making proper use of my external gear.

I finally managed to make it play music, following Patrick Shirkey's good 
advices:
<snip>
You should check out the timidity howto 
and the "sequencers and soft  synths" howtoot --> this one is important

Http://www.djcj.org - The Linux Audio Users guide
</snip>

The fact is that you have to redirect the output of tse3play on a port handled 
by a "virtual midi card" 

1) load the snd-virmidi module following the "sequencers and soft  synths"  
howto. Don't forget to edit your /etc/modules.conf:

Here's an excerpt of mine taken from"sequencers and soft  synths" howto :
*************************************************************************
# ALSA portion
alias char-major-116 snd
alias snd-card-0 snd-ens1371
#module options should go here

# OSS/Free portion
alias char-major-14 soundcore
alias sound-slot-0 snd-card-0
	
# card #1
alias sound-service-0-0 snd-mixer-oss
alias sound-service-0-1 snd-seq-oss
alias sound-service-0-3 snd-pcm-oss
alias sound-service-0-8 snd-seq-oss
alias sound-service-0-12 snd-pcm-oss
  
# Configure support for OSS /dev/sequencer and 
# /dev/music (aka /dev/sequencer2)
# (Takashi Iwai advises that it is unnecessary 
# to alias these services beyond the first card, i.e., card 0)
#alias sound-service-0-1 snd-seq-oss
#alias sound-service-0-8 snd-seq-oss

# Configure card 1 (second card) as a virtual MIDI card
alias sound-slot-1 snd-card-1
alias snd-card-1 snd-virmidi
***********************************************************************
Then look at the output of the following commands:
aconnect -lo
aconnect -o
aconnect -i

It should show the ports you can use to use this virtual midi card.
Then connect one port to the other
aconnect <inputport> <outputport>
On my box (Mandrake 9 ; alsa0.9rc5):
aconnect 72:0 73:0
where (i had to guess, I don't know what is /dev/midi0 for, any hint 
anybody?):
72:0 --> /dev/midi
73:0 --> /dev/midi1
So tse3play will redirect the output on /dev/midi (72:0)

Then load a softsynth that "listens" on the second port 
(connected to the first one) aka 73:0 or /dev/midi1 on my box
I use iiwusynth :
iiwusynth  -M /dev/midi1 -A /dev/dsp softs/sounfonts2/FluidR3\ GM.SF2

Remember the two ports are "aconnected" so the input is redirected to the 
softsynth and this one redirects the stream (after processing it) on the 
sound card (/dev/dsp)

So if I type (forcing the output on the /dev/midi port aka 72:0) 
tse3play -port 72:0 demos/test.mid

I can hear the delicate music of an yet  unknown artist.

Anyway all this (plus a little guessing) is on the excellent howto I already 
mentioned:
http://linux-sound.org/quick-toots/4-sequencers_and_softsynths/quick-toot-midisynth_howto.html

I have a debian box but haven't tried this on it yet...
Happy fiddling!