Midi with the SBLive!

**slicksps** · 11-12-2003, 10:15 AM

Well I've got to hand it to microsoft, as I'm slowly being turned back towards windows, I've lately realised how bleeding awkward it is to install files, getting mixed up with RPMS, DEB's, Tar.gz's. and getting lost in an endless maze of dependancies.

Someone please help me so I can stick with linux and laugh in Bill's face.

I have an SBLive soundcard, Knoppix recognises it as thus, and installs some working frivers for it, I have the front and rear speakers working, Haven't tried CD's yet, but then I tend to rip all my cd's and leave them to gather dust in the corner.

I tried to play a midi file, and use Jazz++ but neither works, Jazz is muted and can't be unmuted. Can someone walk me step by step (with explanations if you have the patience of each step) to getting my midis working. and I mean make it simple, I tried and failed with the Alsa drivers, got totally confused with what I needed etc.

Much apreciated.

Keep Smiling

**Edix** · 11-12-2003, 10:41 AM

I am about to start trying to setup a midi/recording linux based system here myself perhaps we can share our findings? I will begin with apparently midi support isnt in the alsa-autoconfig that knoppix is using from what I can tell of course once hd installed it basiclly becomes debian anyway so I am thinking it can be added? I may be way off, midi may be being detected else where or even perhaps in that script but I dont think so? anyway in most of the better audio production linux kits I have looked at they seem to require (RT?) optimizations to the kernel anyway so a complete sound rebuild is probablly in my near future

If however all your looking for is midi playback from applications like jazz I think they have a application that will allow you to route the midi to another application like timidity for play back just can't remeber what it was called may be -Jack- ? not sure ?
Hope this helps

**slicksps** · 11-13-2003, 02:02 AM

Good idea Edix.

My dream machine would be a knoppix style boot disk that has simple office/network/internet programs, one almighty mother of a midi/audio sequencer, a cubase/cakewalk clone, a sample based step sequencer like fruityloops, and a few wave chopping and recording facilities.

If any linux programmers out there fancy a challenge, please go for it.

I'm surprised there isn't a linux distro dedicated to music production. I guess there are heavy music programmers and heavy linux programmers, but the two don't seem mix.

Edix, I have tried cheesetracker. It's a start, I found it pretty painless to install and comes with all the features you need in a tracker. Best windows equivilent is Modplug tracker. www.modplug.com although I still favour the windows version as it allows you to pick an individual sample from a soundfont, and being primarily midi based, I like to keep organized with soundfonts.

Jazz++ looks like it has a lot of potential, I believe it's anstalled properly, again I didn't need too many dependants to get it working.Unfortunately there is that small case of no midi to worry about.

I'm pretty much limited to two standards, I don't exactly understand them but I'm working on it. I can install .deb (who can't?) I'm having trouble with .rpms... I also can install any tar.gz file that follows a nice simple rule of thumb: ./configure make make install.

If this doesn't work, I add the tar.gz to that special collection folder knoppix supplies us with.... Trash bin.

I wish I had the time to spend reading through manual after manual, but I just don't... hence I'm here.

Anyways, going to bed now, am typing from windows.... I managed two whole days without it lol. Considering I rely heavily on my pc, that's not bad.

Keep Smiling

**albi** · 11-20-2003, 03:49 PM

My impression of Jazz++ is that development has stopped. You should take a look at Rosegarden4 and Muse to start with. There's also http://dynebolic.org/ which is focused on multimedia, and i know there are more linux-distro's focused on multimedia. Apart from that, there's also BeOS which can still be downloaded and installed, although sometimes a bit harder to install than Linux. Here's an URL with music-info for Linux : http://linuxresource.com/Audio-Video/index.php ... happy linuxing!

**slicksps** · 11-20-2003, 04:33 PM

I've found MusE, it looks perfect, installing it is another matter, too many dependencies. I'm now trying on *dare I say it* Redhat 9, while slightly easier, I'm having to update the configure file, I'm learning more than I want to about the internal workings of linux, i just wanna use it, that's all *sniffle*

Still trying on HDinstalled knoppix too.

I'll keep you posted.

Medialinux looks like a good variation of knoppix, has rosegarden and others installed. It defaults to italian however, and it seems a bit buggy so I don't know. Will keep you posted on this too.

Keep Smiling

**aay** · 11-20-2003, 09:03 PM

Originally Posted by slicksps

I've found MusE, it looks perfect, installing it is another matter, too many dependencies. I'm now trying on *dare I say it* Redhat 9, while slightly easier, I'm having to update the configure file, I'm learning more than I want to about the internal workings of linux, i just wanna use it, that's all *sniffle*

Still trying on HDinstalled knoppix too.

I'll keep you posted.

Medialinux looks like a good variation of knoppix, has rosegarden and others installed. It defaults to italian however, and it seems a bit buggy so I don't know. Will keep you posted on this too.

Keep Smiling

To install either Muse or Rosegarden4 on a hard drive installed version of Knoppix (or any version of Debian) do this:

apt-get -t unstable install muse

or

apt-get -t unstable install rosegarden4