[Ardour-Users] Test: Is it possible to use ALSA MIDI ?

[jonetsu]

Only as a test, is it possible to use ALSA MIDI instead of jack ?

[Paul Davis]

Post by jonetsu
Only as a test, is it possible to use ALSA MIDI instead of jack ?

Just start Ardour with its own ALSA audio/MIDI backend., instead of JACK.

[jonetsu]

On Mon, 3 Sep 2018 22:21:41 -0400

Post by Paul Davis
Just start Ardour with its own ALSA audio/MIDI backend., instead of JACK.

I look in Preferences and Session Parameters and did not see anything
for ALSA. The first dialog box at the very beginning with the previous
sessions listed does not offer any such choice. This is Mixbus32C v5,
I do not know if it makes a difference with Ardour.

[Paul Davis]

Post by jonetsu
On Mon, 3 Sep 2018 22:21:41 -0400

Post by Paul Davis
Just start Ardour with its own ALSA audio/MIDI backend., instead of JACK.

I look in Preferences and Session Parameters and did not see anything
for ALSA. The first dialog box at the very beginning with the previous
sessions listed does not offer any such choice. This is Mixbus32C v5,
I do not know if it makes a difference with Ardour.

It is not in any of those dialogs.

If you previously ran Ardour with JACK, and JACK is already running when
you start Ardour, the Audio/MIDI setup dialog is not presented at startup
(because we assume that you've already configured JACK as you wish).

So, either:

* stop JACK before starting Ardour, and then the Audio/MIDI setup
dialog will appear when you start Ardour
OR
* Window > Audio/MIDI Setup ... to change the settings (but you
probably need to stop JACK anyway, since you likely want to use the same
audio interface)

Post by jonetsu
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[jonetsu]

On Mon, 3 Sep 2018 22:34:05 -0400

Post by Paul Davis
It is not in any of those dialogs.
If you previously ran Ardour with JACK, and JACK is already running
when you start Ardour, the Audio/MIDI setup dialog is not presented
at startup (because we assume that you've already configured JACK as
you wish).
* stop JACK before starting Ardour, and then the Audio/MIDI setup
dialog will appear when you start Ardour

Thanks, that worked.

[jonetsu]

On Mon, 3 Sep 2018 22:42:43 -0400

Post by jonetsu
On Mon, 3 Sep 2018 22:34:05 -0400

Post by Paul Davis
It is not in any of those dialogs.
If you previously ran Ardour with JACK, and JACK is already running
when you start Ardour, the Audio/MIDI setup dialog is not presented
at startup (because we assume that you've already configured JACK as
you wish).
* stop JACK before starting Ardour, and then the Audio/MIDI
setup dialog will appear when you start Ardour

Thanks, that worked.

I thought I could drop a word about this here, just in case. Maybe the
software reason for this problem is known. It's unrelated and has to
do with Bitwig.

All plugins are working well in both Mixbus32C and Bitwig. But there
are two plugins made by different companies with both offering a MIDI
note mode and a MIDI pad mode for percussion. In Mixbus32C these two
plugins are receiving MIDI data on channel 1 as it should be. For
Mixbus32C this happens with both jack and ALSA MIDI, as I juts saw
now. However in Bitwig both of the different plugins (Melda MDrummer
and IK Multimedia Sample Tank 3) are receiving on MIDI channel 2
instead.

Moreover, in ST3 any additional MIDI note played at the same time (eg.
a 3-note chord) will result in the first note received on channel 2, the
second note on channel 3, the third note on channel 4. And if there's
aftertouch pressure, it will be received on MIDI channel 1).

Both plugins are supporting multiple MIDI channel. Works fine in
Mixbus32C on channel 1 by default but in Bitwig it's channel 2 by
default. Bitwig support are baffled by this.

Maybe you have seen this kind of software behaviour elsewhere ...

[Paul Davis]

Post by jonetsu
On Mon, 3 Sep 2018 22:42:43 -0400

Post by jonetsu
On Mon, 3 Sep 2018 22:34:05 -0400

Post by Paul Davis
It is not in any of those dialogs.
If you previously ran Ardour with JACK, and JACK is already running
when you start Ardour, the Audio/MIDI setup dialog is not presented
at startup (because we assume that you've already configured JACK as
you wish).
* stop JACK before starting Ardour, and then the Audio/MIDI
setup dialog will appear when you start Ardour

Thanks, that worked.

I thought I could drop a word about this here, just in case. Maybe the
software reason for this problem is known. It's unrelated and has to
do with Bitwig.

I suggest using a MIDI monitor (e.g. gmidimon) to verify and "prove" the
nature of the incoming MIDI data.

[jonetsu]

On Mon, 3 Sep 2018 23:09:37 -0400

Post by Paul Davis
I suggest using a MIDI monitor (e.g. gmidimon) to verify and "prove"
the nature of the incoming MIDI data.

Sample Tank 3 already lights up the MIDI channel number on which it
receives data. In Mixbus32C this is a constant number 1 right from the
start, no matter how many notes are played. As any regular plugin
would behave. In Bitwig it lights up MIDI channel 2 right from the
start, even though the MIDI notes are clearly configured as belonging
to channel 1 in Bitwig's editor. And Bitwig support do claim they are
sending on MIDI channel 1.

I will try gmidimonitor although I have to find a way to send the
Bitwig MIDI notes to it. I will try to find a Windows free VST MIDI
monitor that can simply be dropped in lieu of the ST3 plugin.