Problems with the midi output in Frescobaldi 2.17.12

[The Doctor (Michael)]

I am having difficulty using midi with frescobaldi. I am using Ubuntu 14.10 and Frescobaldi 2.17.12. I have downloaded Timidity and as far as I can tell it works fine (I can play a midi file via the terminal just fine). However when I try to use the built-in midi player on the same file in Frescobaldi, it fails. When I look at Edit -> Preferences and Refresh midi ports: nothing happens. Ugh!!! Help please, and thanks in advance!

-MD

[Peter Bjuhr]

On 2015-04-12 14:23, The Doctor (Michael) wrote:

I am having difficulty using midi with frescobaldi. I am using Ubuntu 14.10 and Frescobaldi 2.17.12. I have downloaded Timidity and as far as I can tell it works fine (I can play a midi file via the terminal just fine). However when I try to use the built-in midi player on the same file in Frescobaldi, it fails. When I look at Edit -> Preferences and Refresh midi ports: nothing happens. Ugh!!! Help please, and thanks in advance!

-MD

I'm no expert on this, but maybe the answer to this could give further clues: How did you install Timidity (ubuntu software center, apt-get, something else)?

You could try to enter Timidity for midi in Helper Applications (in the Preferences).

Best
Peter

[Federico Bruni]

It seems that Frescobaldi can't find timidity.

A common problem I used to have with timidity was that the timidity "server" stopped running for some reason..

Check if timidity is running before and after launching frescobaldi. Any of these two commands is fine:

$ ps aux | grep timidity
$ sudo service timidity status

[The Doctor (Michael)]

When I type those commands, the result is that:

* timidity is not running

But I know that I installed it via the software center. Hmmm.

[Federico Bruni]

Type on the command line:

sudo service timidity start

And try again Frescobaldi.

Are you using Pulse Audio? Read this discussion:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/timidity/+bug/210472

[Michael Dykes]

Now its "playing" but I hear nothing, if that makes sense.

--
Frescobaldi homepage: http://www.frescobaldi.org/
Mailing list: http://groups.google.com/group/frescobaldi
Issue tracker: https://github.com/wbsoft/frescobaldi/issues

[Federico Bruni]

Probably you didn't specify the sound fonts?
Open /etc/timidity/timidity.cfg and control the last lines. This is what I have (in debian):

# By default, try to use the instrument patches from freepats:
source /etc/timidity/freepats.cfg

# alternatively, you can use the fluid-soundfont:
#source /etc/timidity/fluidr3_gm.cfg
#source /etc/timidity/fluidr3_gs.cfg

I have freepats installed.

[Michael Dykes]

Forgive my ignorance, but don't I do that my typing:

nano/etc/timidity/timidity.cfg

If so, I get the following:

command not found

[Federico Bruni]

there's a space missing between the command and the path

and you should run it with sudo privilege

sudo nano /etc/timidity/timidity.cfg

[Michael Dykes]

Okay. I checked that and still no go.

[Federico Bruni]

I'm afraid that if you don't give more information and put some effort on solving the problem, nobody will be able to help you. This is not a problem in Frescobaldi but in your system audio configuration. Perhaps you'd better ask on some ubuntu help place.

[Michael Dykes]

I was using not freepats but eawpatches, and then I deleted the line in the timidity source file just a minute ago that referenced that to see if that would help but it did not. Perhaps that was a mistake? And perhaps that is part of the issue here?

[Federico Bruni]

you need a source line, in your case:

source /etc/timidity/eawpatches.cfg

read this tutorial:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Midi/SoftwareSynthesisHowTo#Install_TiMidity.2B-.2B-

[Michael Dykes]

I replace that line in the source file and now I can (according to the instructions on that website) play a sample midi file via the terminal, but whenever I try to play it with the built in player in frescobaldi even though the "indicator" is advancing, I hear no sound. So, is it now (as you had said) time to go to an ubuntu forum for help?

[Federico Bruni]

No, I think that it's time to go to the Frescobaldi preferences, refresh the ports and choose the right one.

If you can play midi with timidity in a terminal and not in Frescobaldi, there's something wrong in Frescobaldi configuration.

[Michael Dykes]

Hmm, when I refresh the ports - as best as I can explain, the button turns peach colored and nothing happens, i.e. as far as I can tell they don't get refreshed. I did that a few minutes ago, and the button is still that peach color. I am not sure what is going on - seems really strange to me. Thanks, by the way for all your help and especially for all your patience with me!

[Federico Bruni]

I never experienced that, I can't help, sorry.

I can only suggest to run frescobaldi from terminal to see if you get more information while you try changing the MIDI preferences.

And then check that timidity is still running:

sudo service timidity status

[Wilbert Berendsen]

Can you play a MIDI file using the running Midi synthesizer?

Try on a terminal:

aplaymidi -l

to get a list of possible output ports. Please show the list of ports
in a message to this list, and try playing a MIDI file with aplaymidi.
If that works, it should also work from within Frescobaldi, by setting
one of the output ports (or the first letters) on the Frescobaldi
preferences.



--
Wilbert Berendsen
(http://www.wilbertberendsen.nl)

[cstr...@gmail.com]

I joined the fray in person. After some research, I discovered that Timidity wasn't starting as a service, so I set it up to do so on boot (update-rc.d timidity defaults). I also ended up at this post: https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=121189 , and set up "timidity -iA" to start when he logs in.

For reference, Pulseaudio is his audio server.

[The Doctor (Michael)]

Now that that works, I feel that I should report that I am still experiencing the following:

I have all 4 of my voices set to string ensemble 1, but yet they all sound as thought the are coming out out a piano? Very curious. Any thoughts? The configuration (from lilypond) is as below:

\score {
  \new ChoirStaff <<
    \new Staff \with {
      midiInstrument = " string ensemble 1 "
      instrumentName = \markup \center-column { "S" "A"}
    } <<
      \new Voice = "soprano" { \voiceOne \soprano }
      \new Voice = "alto" { \voiceTwo \alto }
    >>
    \new Lyrics \lyricsto "soprano" \verse
    \new Staff \with {
      midiInstrument = " string ensemble 1 "
      instrumentName = \markup \center-column { "T" "B" }
    } <<
      \clef bass
      \new Voice = "tenor" { \voiceOne \tenor }
      \new Voice = "bass" { \voiceTwo \bass }
    >>
  >>
  \layout {
    ragged-last=##t
    #(layout-set-staff-size 22)
    \context {
      \Lyrics
      \override VerticalAxisGroup #'staff-affinity = ##f
      \override VerticalAxisGroup #'staff-staff-spacing =
        #'((basic-distance . 0)
       (minimum-distance . 2)
       (padding . 2))
    }
    \context {
      \Staff
      \override VerticalAxisGroup #'staff-staff-spacing =
        #'((basic-distance . 0)
       (minimum-distance . 2)
       (padding . 2))
    }
  }
  \midi {
    \context {
      \Score
      tempoWholesPerMinute = #(ly:make-moment 145 4)      
      }
    }
  }

Thanks,

MD

[Peter Bjuhr]

On 2015-04-18 16:36, The Doctor (Michael) wrote:
> I have all 4 of my voices set to string ensemble 1, but yet they all
> sound as thought the are coming out out a piano? Very curious. Any
> thoughts?

Timidity's default soundfont is limited and doesn't cover all sounds in
general midi. You need to complement with another soundfont.

Best
Peter

[The Doctor (Michael)]

Sorry for sounding like a complete beginner, but how do I accomplish this Peter?

MD

On Sunday, April 12, 2015 at 8:23:18 AM UTC-4, The Doctor (Michael) wrote:

[Peter Bjuhr]

On 2015-04-19 09:09, Peter Bjuhr wrote:
>> I have all 4 of my voices set to string ensemble 1, but yet they all
>> sound as thought the are coming out out a piano? Very curious. Any
>> thoughts?
>
> Timidity's default soundfont is limited and doesn't cover all sounds
> in general midi. You need to complement with another soundfont.

> Sorry for sounding like a complete beginner, but how do I accomplish
> this Peter?

Others may have better suggestions but reading this:
http://www.rosegardenmusic.com/wiki/setting_up_the_fluidr3_gm.sf2_for_timidity
I hope at least will give you enough for getting a representation of all
sounds.

Best
Peter