Multiple midi ports

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Alex
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Multiple midi ports

Post by Alex » Mon Feb 18, 2008 1:26 pm

I'm trying Linxsampler out with different configurations, and have come across a challenge.

When using LS with a Daw that has midi, the use of multiple ports is easy. Assign the port and midi channels per track.
But what happens when you use a Daw that only does audio? how do you access muiltiple ports in LS without having to manually connect and disconnect the ports in Qjackctl?
I've been searching for a standalone midi 'switcher' that can be controlled from a qwerty or midi kbd, and have yet to have any success.
Does anyone know if such a utility is available?

Alex.

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dahnielson
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Re: Multiple midi ports

Post by dahnielson » Mon Feb 18, 2008 3:28 pm

It's sound similar to what I had in mind with my midi scripting project (whenever it gets written that is...). I was thinking along the same lines having an extra (read: shitty) midi keyboard that I figured could be used to switch instruments, programs and such nifty things without leaving the master keyboard.

What you need is some kind of midi router similar to the mythical hardware beasts that once roamed the earth.

I guess the simplest thing that can possibly work would be to use a sequencer sitting between LS and your keyboard. That's what I'm doing with my Rosegarden/Ardour setup. Ardour does not support midi yet, but even if I just record straight into it (no sequencing) I use Rosegarden to select what device (i.e. port) the midi thru should be routed to (or have I just dreamed it.. must go check it out now...).
Anders Dahnielson

Ardour2, Qtractor, Linuxsampler, M-AUDIO Delta 1010, Axiom 61, Korg D12, AKAI S2000, E-MU Proteus 2k, Roland R-5, Roland HP 1300e, Zoom RFX-1000, 4GB RAM x86_64 Intel Pentium Dual 1.80GHz Gentoo Linux

Alex
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Re: Multiple midi ports

Post by Alex » Mon Feb 18, 2008 3:38 pm

Anders,
I hear you and tried that, using various programmes to fire the midi into something else.

It would indeed be highly useful to have a specialist midi router though, with kbd definable porting, and midi channel.
Hmmm, i shall keep looking.

Alex.

Alex
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Re: Multiple midi ports

Post by Alex » Mon Feb 18, 2008 3:41 pm

Anders,
Shame this is only Alsa.

http://personal.telefonica.terra.es/web ... irgui.html

But we're actually looking for a midi switcher, with the ability to set up multiple ports, and able to select them for input in real time.

Alex.

Edit: Anders, what we're actually looking for is a GUI switcher that recognises Jack midi ports as they appear in qjackctl, for instance. And then be able to assign qwerty or 2nd midi kbd Keyswitches to the ports, and save that as a template.
I will admit at this point, that nearly everything i have now is Jack midi capable, so if i can work in that format, it would be desirable.
I have a link utility for alsa, so getting the current midi kbd into jack midi isn't a problem.

Alex
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Re: Multiple midi ports

Post by Alex » Wed Feb 20, 2008 3:02 pm

Ander, a beast that's roamed the earth is right!
:mrgreen:

Ok, here's my plan, or suggestions for this:

Instead of using a sequencer to define which port and channel we select in LS, i'm trying to step back one pace from this, and use a second midi kbd to define which jack midi INPUTPORT goes to LS from a midi keyboard. I'll use 4 ports in this example....

"Keyboard"
V
V
V
V
Port 1 (into LS) C1 "Definable by Key Command, from either Qwerty, or midi keyboards."
Port 2 (into LS) D1
Port 3 (into LS) E1
Port 4 (into LS) F1


That's the inputs.
And for input only, the selection of one port automatically deselects all other input ports, so we can only input from one port at a time.



Jack MidiPort 1 (out of LS) to sequencer, or simply not used, if you only want to record LS Audio output.
Jack MidiPort 2 (out of LS) to sequencer, or simply not used, if you only want to record LS Audio output.
Jack MidiPort 3 (out of LS) to sequencer, or simply not used, if you only want to record LS Audio output.
Jack MidiPort 4 (out of LS) to sequencer, or simply not used, if you only want to record LS Audio output.


And the outputs.

I define a 'port' as carrying 16 midi channels by default.


If i can use something like this as an option to even just record the audio out of LS, and only use Key Command (including midi CC) definable multimidi ports in, i'd be ok.

Hilare,
I just had a look at Qmidiroute, and thanks for the tip. Unfortunately, i could only see one channel per port map, meaning we'd have to set up 16 maps per port (I have 18 ports so far in my orchestral template), and no means of assigning, by Key Command, to each port in the map.

But the tip is appreciated and i've installed this, as i can see it's use on other projects, so thanks!

Welcome to the forum, and keep em coming! :D


Alex.

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