Re: [linux-audio-user] Connecting a MIDI keyboard

Hi,

Mon, 4 Sep 2006 21:39:11 -0400
lanas <lanas@email-addr-hidden> ha scritto:
> Folks,
>
> What looked simple is not. I have this Yamaha Psr-260 keyboard. I
> want to use it to play the ZynAddSubFX synth (one of these days I'll
> know how to write that name I guess, if only by multiple repeated
> tries).
>
> So I start a MIDI cable from the OUT of the keyboard and connect it
> to the IN MIDI jack of the M-Audio 1010LT card. So far so good I
> guess.

This is only an hard guess. The first time I've connected the midi
cable to my keyboard I took some time to discover that the INPUT plug
had to be plugged in the MIDI-OUTPUT keybord port, and the OUTPUT plug
to the MIDI-INPUT port on the keyboard.

>
> Then I start jack using Qjackctl, and press the green button. I
> also start the ZynSubAddFX synth (looks like a Polish name, guess
> that was the spiritual connection) and it shows up in the jack
> connect dialog box, which looks like this:
>
> Readable Clients / Output Ports
>
> + 14LMidi Through
> - 16:M Audio Delta 1010LT MIDI
> 0:M Audio Delta 1010LT MIDI
>
> Writable Clients / Input Ports
>
> - 129:ZynSubAddFX
> 0: ZynAddSubFX
>
> So I connect the last two entries together. The Zyn synth panel
> shows MIDI channel 1 selected. Jack uses the ALSA driver.

From the panel window you should see a moving graph-bar if you were
sending midi notes on some channel, even if you can hear the sound only
if the corresponding channel is activated (via the check box).

> I play a few notes on the keyboard and only the built-in Yamaha
> sounds are resounding, no Zyn. If I use the Zyn virtual keyboard, I
> can hear the software synth all right.
>
> The mic input of the 1010LT works fine, as well as the rendering
> of sounds made by Zyn and Hydrogen. So I presume the card is OK.
> Maybe the MIDI cable is not, so I changed it. To no avail.
>
> Systems are Fedora 5 CCRMA and Studio64.
>
> Is there something else to be done in order to use a MIDI keyboard
> to trigger sounds created by the Linux box ? Or should I start to
> think that the keyboard itself is somehow damaged ?

There is anything special to do. Check if your keyboard is actually
sending some midi note through the cable.

My 0.02 € cents.

Cheers,

  ~ Antonio
Received on Tue Sep 5 16:15:11 2006