Introduction to MIDI programming in Linux

1. Prelimaries

2. MIDI output

• Section 1: How to send MIDI bytes to an external synthesizer from Linux
  • Code Example 1: writing raw bytes to /dev/midi devices.
  • Code Example 2: writing raw byte packets to the /dev/sequencer device.
  
  
• Section 2: How to choose a MIDI output device
  
  
• Section 3: Example applications for playing MIDI notes from computer on an external synthesizer.
  • Code Example 4: playing notes to a synthesizer.
  • Code Example 5: changing selected instrument on a synthesizer.
  • Code Example 6: generates a random walk of MIDI notes.

3. MIDI input

• Section 1: Raw MIDI input
  • Code Example 1: Super-simple MIDI input
  • Code Example 2: Incorporating Threads into the previous example.
  
  
• Section 2: Interpreting and Timing MIDI input
  • Code Example 3: Adding a MIDI message interpreter to the previous examples.
  
  
• Section 3: Example using MIDI input in C++
  • Code Example 4: MIDI input recorder to screen/file written in C++

4. MIDI I/O

• Code Example 1: Echo MIDI input to MIDI output with constant transposition.

5. A MIDI I/O interface in C++

• Code Example 1: Header file for Sequencer class.
• Code Example 2: Source file for Sequencer class.
• Code Example 3: display of available MIDI input and output devices.
• Code Example 4: playing midi notes with dynamic selection of MIDI output port.

6. Further Info

7. ALSA 1.0 RawMIDI Example Programs

8. Apple OS X CoreMIDI Example Programs