[linux-audio-user] I'm tired of being a moron

[John Check]

On Monday 09 August 2004 12:04 pm, Robert Jonsson wrote:
> Hi Mark,
>
> Your days as a moron are over!! ;-P
>
> On Monday 09 August 2004 17.17, Mark Wilson wrote:
> > I'm relatively new to the audio on Linux scene, and
> > admittedly don't have near the best equipment to do
> > anything serious, but I'd at least like to hear some
> > sounds of out of the synth and/or MIDI sequencing
> > software on my Agnula distro.  I don't have an
> > external keyboard, so I'm limited to writing the score
> > with rosegarden or lilypond.  I'd like to edit the
> > MIDI sequences I produce with something like muse, but
> > I can't figure out how to hear what changes I make
> > *from within muse*.  I don't have an on-board
> > sequencer (/dev/sequencer is never recognized or
> > accessible, which is no surprise, really) on my card.
>
> Ok, this might require some explaining.
> /dev/sequencer is the sequencer interface for OSS. MusE and Rosegarden do
> not support this interface. If AGNULA has ALSA you should instead have the
> alsa sequencer interface. I think this should have been loaded even if your
> soundcard does not have any midi features (I could be wrong about this
> though).
> Since you don't have any external keyboard and do not plan on using any
> outboard gear at the moment the features of your soundcard should not
> matter. Whether the alsa-sequencer really exists is easiest to check by
> doing 'lsmod' as root and checking if the module snd-seq has been loaded.
> (I think there is a device somewhere also but I forget..)
>
> I guess AGNULA has MusE 0.6.3 ? With the config you are suggesting this
> should work fine, stability wise 0.7 would be better but it requires jack
> at the moment which is another obstacle to overcome.
>

I gave agnula a spin a couple days ago. It's pretty much "point and shoot" 
once it's installed. it has ALSA and it includes MusE 6.3.
If I understand how agGNUla works 0.7 MusE will filter down from Debian 
testing. 0.7 hasn't hit Debian unstable yet.


> The real question here is whether MusE outputs any errors?
>
> If not you should be able to get some of the internal synths to output
> enough beeps to make you happy for a few seconds atleast ;)
> Under the config menu select the "Midi ports / Softsynth" and instantiate
> the organ synth and connect it to a midi port in the "Midi connections"
> view. After this you can connect it to the midi track you've done by
> clicking in the O-port column in the arranger.

He didn't say what kind of soundcard, so the organ softsynth is a good 
recommendation. 
If he has a supported wavetable on his card or wants to use fluidsynth,
of course patches will need to be loaded.


>
> After you get this to work it should be no problem stepping to more
> advanced grounds, other synths etc.
>
> > I thought I'd try using timidity with the -iA option,
> > and when I do that, then try to play a midi file from
> > within muse, muse crashes.
>
> If this persists after you tested the above I need to know some more, like
> if there are any printed errors in the terminal?
>
> > I just wanna' figure out how to do two things:
> > 1) tweak my midi sequences for timing, rubato,

There is no facility for "groove templates" or swing, if thats what you're 
after.
Weak quantize and hand editing will do the job. 
MusE has available excellent tick per quarter-note resolution

> > expression, using somethink like muse or rosegarden,
> > and be able to hear what I've done by clicking the
> > play button(s) provided
>
> Should be no problem with either.
>
> > 2) create my own timbres using some of the
> > cool-looking synth software, that I can't figure out
> > how to hear whether I've made any changes or created
> > any new patches.
> >

Pretty sure the fine folks at Agnula have the mixer volumes up by default,
but you may want to check on that if you haven't.
Synth software is outputting PCM streams either to /dev/dsp or to jack
ports, for the latter case you may have to connect the ports "by hand"

> > The subject line says it all, really. ;-)
> > Thanks for any help you can give the clueless...
> > Mark
> >
> > =====
> > --
> > Seek professional help!  Ask a librarian.
>
> /Robert