[ubuntu-studio-users] Keyboard is seen but won't connect

[Ralf Mardorf]

An example seems to work on my machine:

  $ amidi -l
  Dir Device    Name
  IO  hw:0,0    HDSPMx579bcc MIDI 1
  IO  hw:3,0,0  nanoKONTROL MIDI 1

  $ pkill -9 jack; pkill a2j

  $ jackd -Xalsarawmidi -dalsa -r48000 -p256 & a2jmidid -e‬ & qjackctl

In QjackCtl's ALSA tab the device names are the same as displayed by
the above amidi command, but in the MIDI tab the names are

  system                  system
    midi_capture_1          midi_playback_1
    midi_capture_2          midi_playback_2

Qtractor only appears in the ALSA tab. While connecting HDSPM and
nanoKONTROL doesn't work directly in the ALSA tab, connecting MIDI
Through with Qtractor works. It requires some trail and error, I don't
remember how to use it at the moment. It's a long time ago I used Linux
for MIDI. However, IIRC a2j... is only needed if

- you are using jack2 with external synth and you want to reduce MIDI
  jitter by using -Xalsarawmidi

- you are not necessarily using -Xalsarawmidi, but you are using Linux
  apps, that only support jack MIDI and not ALSA MIDI, while other apps
  only support ALSA MIDI and you want to connect jack and ALSA MIDI apps

If you only want to use ALSA MIDI, no -Xalsarawmidi and no jack MIDI
apps, simply run

  $ pkill -9 jack; pkill a2j
  $ jackd -dalsa -r48000 -p256 & qjackctl

then you should be able to connect everything by the ALSA tab without
issues.

I'm sorry, I even don't understand it at the meoment, by takiong a look
at old ja-snapshot files.

[rocketmouse at archlinux ~]$ grep -i MIDI -B8 -A8 /home/music/arch2014.1/.tmp.03.01.ajs 
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<alsa>
  <client name="System">
    <port id="0" />
    <port id="1" />
  </client>
  <client name="Midi Through">
    <port id="0" />
  </client>
  <client name="RME AIO_579bcc">
    <port id="0" />
  </client>
  <client name="nanoKONTROL">
    <port id="0" />
  </client>
  <client name="a2jmidid" />
  <client name="Qtractor">
    <port id="0" />
  </client>
  <client name="Client-130" />
  <client name="Client-131" />
</alsa>
<jack>
  <client name="system">
--
      <connection port="Qtractor:_Insert_5/in_2" />
    </port>
    <port name="capture_9" />
    <port name="capture_10" />
    <port name="capture_11" />
    <port name="capture_12" />
    <port name="capture_13" />
    <port name="capture_14" />
    <port name="midi_capture_1">
      <connection port="a2j:Qtractor [129] (playback): Master" />
    </port>
    <port name="midi_capture_2" />
  </client>
  <client name="a2j">
    <port name="Midi Through [14] (capture): Midi Through Port-0" />
  </client>
  <client name="at1_left">
    <port name="out">
      <connection port="Qtractor:Sub_rev_Out_Insert/in_1" />
    </port>
  </client>
  <client name="at1_right">
    <port name="out">
[rocketmouse at archlinux ~]$ grep -i MIDI -B8 -A8 /home/music/arch2014.1/.tmp.0
.tmp.01.05.ajs  .tmp.02.00.ajs  .tmp.02.01.ajs  .tmp.02.02.ajs  .tmp.02.03.ajs  .tmp.03.00.ajs  .tmp.03.01.ajs
[rocketmouse at archlinux ~]$ grep -i MIDI -B8 -A8 /home/music/arch2014.1/.tmp.01.05.ajs 
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<alsa>
  <client name="System">
    <port id="0" />
    <port id="1" />
  </client>
  <client name="Midi Through">
    <port id="0" />
  </client>
  <client name="RME AIO_579bcc">
    <port id="0" />
  </client>
  <client name="nanoKONTROL">
    <port id="0" />
  </client>
  <client name="a2jmidid" />
  <client name="Qtractor">
    <port id="0" />
  </client>
  <client name="Client-130" />
  <client name="Client-131" />
</alsa>
<jack>
  <client name="system">
--
      <connection port="Qtractor:_Insert_4/in_2" />
    </port>
    <port name="capture_9" />
    <port name="capture_10" />
    <port name="capture_11" />
    <port name="capture_12" />
    <port name="capture_13" />
    <port name="capture_14" />
    <port name="midi_capture_1" />
    <port name="midi_capture_2" />
  </client>
  <client name="a2j">
    <port name="Midi Through [14] (capture): Midi Through Port-0" />
  </client>
  <client name="jellyfish">
    <port name="monitor_1" />
    <port name="monitor_2" />
  </client>
  <client name="at1_left">
    <port name="out">
      <connection port="Qtractor:Sub_rev_Out_Insert/in_1" />
[rocketmouse at archlinux ~]$