MIDI-and-Sound

• JACK is a started a terminal window by issuing one the following commands depending on the sample rate:

  jackstart -d alsa -d hw -r 44100

  jackstart -d alsa -d hw -r 22050

  
  

  Please see the JACK section for an explanation and the options in the jackstart command.

  In the case of a real-time situation like a concert situation, you can give JACK priority with the following options in the jackstart command:

  jackstart –realtime –driver=alsa

  
  

  When you are done with your audio or sound job make sure quit quit or stop the JACK process by issuing the: C-c [control-c] sequence

• PD

  Please see the Composition Environments section.

• playmidi
  is a curses and X11-based MIDI file player for Linux. It supports playback to any OSS-supported synth device including external MIDI.

  To play a MIDI file through a external synthesizer you should type something like:

  
             playmidi -e /zap/test.mid        
  
  
  

• Timidity

  Timidity is a software synthesizer that can play MIDI files by converting them into PCM waveform data.
  

  Timidity is a MIDI to WAVE converter and player that uses Gravis Ultrasound(*)-compatible patch files to generate digital audio data from general MIDI files. The audio data can be played through any sound device or stored on disk. On a fast machine, music can be played in real time. Type,

  
           timidity /zap/test.midi         
  
  
  to hear a synthesized version for your MIDI file or to run timidity as a background process.
  

  
            timidity -iA &        
  
  
  As being designed with “general MIDI” and with ALSA, Timidity can play in real time with more elaborate sounds and options as follows:
  

  
            timidity -Os -A130 -p3 -Ei5 -module=2 -q20 -T140 test.midi        
  
  
  The options in this case mean:
  • -Os , use Alsa
  • -A100, , scale amplitude by factor(100)
  • -p3 , 3 voice polyphony
  • -Ei4 , sound (patch) 4
  • -module=2 , Roland 88 behaviour
  • -q20 , audio buffer size of 20/100 default 5/100
  • -T140 , tempo of 140 bps

• muse
  

  is a MIDI/Audio sequencer with recording and editing capabilities and the following features:

  1. standard midifile (smf) import-/export
  2. organizes songs in tracks and parts which you can arrange with the part editor
  3. midi editors: pianoroll, drum, list, controller
  4. score editor with high quality postscript printer output
  5. realtime: editing while playing
  6. unlimited number of open editors
  7. unlimited undo/redo
  8. realtime and step-recording
  9. multiple midi devices
  10. unlimited number of tracks
  11. audio tracks, LADSPA host for master effects
  12. multithreaded
  13. uses raw midi devices (ALSA, OSS & serial ports)
  14. XML project file
  15. project file contains complete app state (session data)
  16. Application spanning Cut/Paste Drag/Drop
  17. C++
  18. QT2 GUI Library
  19. STL

  Note: If you don't have a synthesizer on hand at your workstation you can take advantage of TiMidity to listen your MIDI file in the MusE time-line or track window. For this you need to have timidity as a background process as described above and while in MusE go to the “config” menu and select the “MIDI ports” command. A new window will appear and in any of the ports you will notice that if you select the device name pull down menu, there are two options for ports of timidity. Once selected just play your MIDI sequence and listen with your favorite TiMidity sound.