[LAU] MIDI connections (BCF2000 <--> ardour)

[Kevin Cosgrove]

Hi,

I'm having trouble with communication between Ardour and my
Behringer BCF2000 control surface.  I don't think this is an
Ardour issue, which is why I'm posting here.

With ardour version 2.0rc1 these lines in my ardour.rc file get
everything to work great:

<MIDI-port tag="mcu" device="/dev/snd/midiC3D0" type="alsa/raw" mode="duplex"/>
<Option name="mackie-emulation" value="bcf"/>

Ardour version 2.0.2 alters my ardour.rc file to this:

<MIDI-port tag="mcu" device="ardour" type="alsa/sequencer" mode="duplex"/>

This was on the ardour mailing list:

> the default port name "mcu" is now an ALSA sequencer port and
> will need to be explicitly connected to the hardware port where
> your BCF2000 is plugged in. you can use qjackctl's MIDI tab in
> its connect dialog to do this.

Qjackctl shows these (and more) ports in its MIDI tab:

BCF2000:BCF2000 MIDI 1
BCF2000:BCF2000 MIDI 2
ardour::mcu

The ardour list also recommends:

> You need to connect one of these two:
>   BCF2000:BCF2000 MIDI 1
>   BCF2000:BCF2000 MIDI 2
> to this:
>   ardour::mcu

Well, I tried every combination of inputs and outputs I could
think of, but it didn't work.  I was further coached on the
ardour list:

> the first thing to check is that MIDI messages are getting through.
> 
> Windows->Options Editor->MIDI->trace input (for the mcu port)
> 
> then move the faders, and check in the terminal window where
> you started ardour.

When I try that test, then there is nothing in the xterm where I
started ardour.  When I try ardour version 2.0rc1 with the card
specific device in ardour.rc, then I get quite a bit of trace
information in the xterm.

At long last to my question; how can I further debug my MIDI
connection between the BCF2000 and ardour?  I'd really like to
keep pace with releases of ardour, but until I fix my system that
seems impossible.

Thanks much folks!

--
Kevin