[linux-audio-dev] Best-performing Linux-friendly MIDI interfaces?

[Clemens Ladisch]

Jay Vaughan wrote:
> i'd like to ask members of LAD to report on their experiences with
> using professional MIDI interfaces, such as (for example) the Motu
> MTP AV, Digidesign MIDEX-8, etc?
>
> what is the 'easiest' MIDI interface to get working under the average
> Linux kernel?

The 8x8 interfaces from ESI (Miditerminal M8U), Edirol (UM-880),
M-Audio (Midisport 8x8), and Emagic (Unitor8, AMT8) work with ALSA;
the Emagic ones require the new ALSA 1.0.9.  The Midisport is the only
one that isn't easy because it needs a separate firmware loader to be
installed manually.

> for me so far, MidiShare seems to offer the most direct and usable
> approach .. while ALSA is wraught with complexity and dependencies
> which often seem out of control.

Under Linux, MidiShare depends on ALSA anyway ...  :-)

The problem is more that ALSA isn't very well documented.
Have a look at the programs in alsa-utils/seq/.


Regards,
Clemens