Date: Sat, 19 Feb 2011 18:47:28 +0100 From: Hans Petter Selasky <hselasky@c2i.net> To: freebsd-multimedia@freebsd.org Cc: Zahemszky =?iso-8859-2?q?G=E1bor?= <Gabor@zahemszky.hu> Subject: Re: Midi and FreeBSD Message-ID: <201102191847.28112.hselasky@c2i.net> In-Reply-To: <20110219182233.3cfdbbbc@Picasso.Zahemszky.HU> References: <20110219153731.3473.qmail@origmail.integrity.hu> <201102191756.28268.hselasky@c2i.net> <20110219182233.3cfdbbbc@Picasso.Zahemszky.HU>
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On Saturday 19 February 2011 18:22:33 Zahemszky G=E1bor wrote:
> Hi!
>=20
> > > If I buy a "MIDI-USB" communication cable to connect it to my
>=20
> (*)
>=20
Hi,
> > > PC, will it possible to use it?=20
Most USB MIDI cables use the same protocol. Should be compatible with USB M=
IDI=20
spec. v 1.0. Good sign: Works on Mac and no drivers requires.
> > > Do I need to buy a special cable
> > > (made-by-XYZ), are there any specific drivers, or programs, with
> > > what I can play with it. I've seen eg OpenBSD's midish CLI program,
> > > but it isn't ported to FreeBSD (yet).
> > >=20
> > > (I use FreeBSD8 on both i386 and Amd64.)
> >=20
> > Hi,
> >=20
> > Yes, there exists plenty of USB MIDI software for FreeBSD, but not
> > all is in ports. The USB MIDI solution in FreeBSD is part of
> > snd_uaudio. Do you see any devices like /dev/umidiX.Y ?
>=20
> As I've written in my first mail (*), I haven't got the USB-MIDI cable
> yet (as I don't know, do I have to buy some specific, or any of them
> will be good.)
>=20
> So if I understand you correctly, after buying that cable, I
> only have to "kldload snd_uaudio", connect the drum-machine to the
> PC with that cable, and I'll see (OK, I have to) /dev/umidiX.Y
> devices?=20
Depending on how many ports your device has, you'll see /dev/umidi0.{0..15}
> It'll be great. (I think one of the umidi device - eg.
> umidi0.0 - will be the MIDI-OUT/PASSTHROUGH and the other - umidi0.1
> will be MIDI-IN?)=20
umidi0.0 is read+write. RAW MIDI.
> Or if not, are there any documentation about it as I
> hadn't find it in man snd_uaudio. By the way, nowhere in "man -k midi".
> Does this snd_uaudio driver will give us the original
> Linux-like /dev/sequencer OSS-device?=20
No, this device does not exist for USB MIDI adapters. You'll need to use a=
=20
program called jack_umidi, which convert the /dev/umidiX.Y instance into a=
=20
TCP-based jack instance, which is a more popular choice.
> Or how can I use these /dev/umidi
> devices?
Loopback:
dd if=3D/dev/umidi0.0 of=3D/dev/umidi0.0 bs=3D1
Read+write like any other file.
>=20
> And where are those "plenty of MIDI software"? (I hope, I can
> download and install them by hand, but of course, I'd like better them
> from ports.)
Currently what I use is:
/usr/ports/audio/{rosegarden,zynaddsubfx,fluidsynth,jack-keyboard,jack}
zynaddsubfx and fluidsynth should be compiled from GIT/SVN. I have some=20
patches for these software packages to improve usability. fluidsynth is mos=
t=20
suitable for drums.
Then there is libumidi20, midipp (depends on QT4.x from ports) and the=20
recently added jack_umidi:
svn --username anonsvn --password anonsvn \
checkout svn://svn.turbocat.net/i4b/trunk/libumidi20
svn --username anonsvn --password anonsvn \
checkout svn://svn.turbocat.net/i4b/trunk/midipp
svn --username anonsvn --password anonsvn \
checkout svn://svn.turbocat.net/i4b/trunk/jack_umidi
And I also have some scripts to set the correct permissions on the MIDI-
adapters as you plug them.
=2D-HPS
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