[LAU] frustration - connecting applications

[Josh Lawrence]

Hello everyone,

Last night, I was successfully able to get a jack midi sequencer,
non-sequencer, working with non-jack midi applications using a2jmidid.
 I was thrilled!  That is, right up until I looked at what it took to
get this setup going:

Start jack, start a2jmidid, start non-sequencer, start whysynth,
connect and record, disconnect, start another synth, connect,
etc...Throw Hydrogen into the mix, and now I have to set bpm for all
applications.  If I don't use Hydrogen, then I need to start
jack_metro and connect it to jack.

Yikes!

I know the "one tool for one job" philosophy, so I am perfectly OK
with using this many apps.  There's just GOT to be a better way (i.e.,
less time-consuming, more efficient) of connecting these applications.
 Has anyone encountered this frustration, and have you found a
solution?  I notice that there are some command-line applications for
connecting jack (jack plumbing?), I have a sense that the gui is
slowing me down, and maybe scripting all of this might be better;
alas, I am horrible at scripting.  :)

Any and all suggestions would be very, very much appreciated!  I'm
sooooo close to making this all work...

-- 
Josh Lawrence
http://hardbop200.blogspot.com