Accueil > Informatique [computer science] > Linux > Music under Linux
Music under Linux
How to connect a Yamaha CS1X synthesizer to Linux
dimanche 28 avril 2013, par
My Yamaha CS1X, a synthesizer released in 1996, is linked to an old Ensoniq ES1371 AudioPCI soundcard, via a MIDI cable. This cable has two DIN connectors : the DIN In ("in the soundcard") must be put in the Out Midi port of the CS1X and the DIN Out in the In Midi port.
Concerning the software
launch qjackctl, without starting the Jack server,
launch qmidiroute,
In the connection window of qjackctl, connect (by selecting these ports and pressing "Connect") the Ensoniq port on the left panel (the CS1X in fact) to qmidiroute In on the right.
Notes played on the CS1X should appear in qmidiroute.
Launch fluidsynth using the following command : fluidsynth -C no -R no -l -s -a jack -j -r 44100 -g 1 -o audio.periods=2 /usr/share/sounds/sf2/FluidR3_GM.sf2
In qjackctl, connect the Ensoniq port on the left to fluidsynth on the right panel.
Play music !
You can use zynaddsubfx the same way, using the command : zynaddsubfx -a
USB/MIDI interface
I have just bought for 38 € a E-MU Xmidi 2x2 USB/MIDI interface to connect my old Yamaha CS1X synthesizer and can report that it works out of the box with Linux Kubuntu 13.04. Note that it comes with a USB cable and a protective cover but without MIDI cables. My decision was based on this page.
This is how it appears in my system :
~$ amidi -l
Dir Device Name
IO hw:1,0,0 E-MU Xmidi 2x2 MIDI 1
IO hw:1,0,1 E-MU Xmidi 2x2 MIDI 2~$ lsusb
Bus 002 Device 003: ID 041e:3f0f Creative Technology, Ltd A cheap USB Master Keyboard
If you have no synthesizer, the Miditech Midistart 3 is a cheap (58 €) master keyboard with 49 keys that is plug&play under Linux (tested with Ubuntu 14.10). You have just to plug the USB cable and to use QJackCtl to connect it to a synth software.
No name appears in the USB list :
~$ lsusb
Bus 001 Device 005: ID 2702:2702 But in QJackCtl it appears as "Hua Xing".
Other interesting commands and softwares
cat /proc/asound/cards : list all your audio cards.
aplay -l : list all soundcards and digital audio devices.
vkeybd : a simple virtual keyboard.
timidity : "TiMidity is a MIDI to WAVE converter that uses Gravis Ultrasound-compatible patch files and/or AoundFonts to generate digital audio data from General MIDI files."
gmidimonitor
amidi -l : list all hardware ports
amidi --dump : print received Midi data as hexadecimal bytes
aplaymidi -l : list all possible output Midi ports
aconnect
LMMS (Linux MultiMedia Studio)
Rosegarden : a MIDI/audio sequencer with score editing.
pyo (Python digital signal processing module)
midiutil (a Python interface for writing multi-track MIDI Files)
Sites
Ted’s Linux MIDI Guide
Linux MAO, la ressource collaborative francophone sur tout ce qui touche à la Musique Assistée par Ordinateur en Logiciels Libres.
LinuxMusicians - creating music freely : a forum, in english, where you can find help.
JOHN MARTIN UNGAR, MAKING MUSIC - Connecting a MIDI keyboard to your Linux system, Linux Magazine, no. 88, pp. 51-55, march 2008.
A list of USB Midi devices linux friendly : http://alsa.opensrc.org/USBMidiDevices
MIDI File Format
How to vocode with audacity : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSNWoJcYARM
