[linux-audio-dev] Which sequencer framework for a simple MIDI drum looper ?

[_ langagemachine]

Hello.

I write hoping that some nice LADs might enlighten me ?

I've been feeling a recent itch to write a simple step-sequencer,
which outputs MIDI messages to the ALSA seq ; it is intended to drive
a drum machine. My ideal app is provided with a graphical UI which
includes HUGE buttons (to give you an idea, the GUI in FL Studio comes
to mind).

It may seem silly at this point, but I could not find an existing app
which exactly suits me.
But anyway, I think it will be a piece of fun trying to write
something myself...

I shamefully admit being no good at C/C++ programming, but I could
write some GUI code in Python/Java, which would communicate with the
sequencer engine, over OSC for example.

Regarding said sequencing engine, I have found 3 possibilities so far :

- Chuck
http://chuck.cs.princeton.edu/

- Midishare (can be driven in Java, Lisp, ...)  *provided that I can
get it to compile on my Gentoo box ...
http://midishare.sourceforge.net/

- Milk (Python MIDI engine for ALSA)
http://www.quitte.de/milk.html:

The former two seem slightly more complete ; in particular, I very
much liked Breakage, which uses Chuck :
http://www.blackholeprojector.com/
(Actually, this app would have been a very good fit, but it is
Windows/Mac only :-o)


I'll finally make my point : which framework would - in your
experience - be the most practical to use ? Or the most interesting to
learn ?

Many thanks for your attention.

NB : I am aware that Hydrogen is one fine app ;-), and probably a step
sequencer can be written as a Pd patch in seconds, but that is not
what I am after at the moment ; I insist on the user interacting with
big, Playschool-like BLOCKS :-)