MIDI Issue in T6 on Ubuntu Linux

[Lava]

Having a bit of trouble with MIDI in Tracktion 6.3.1 on Ubuntu Linux 14.04. I have an Edirol UA-25 USB audio/MIDI interface.

The problem: I can't play my external hardware synths through/with Tracktion.

Jack is running. In the Jack setup settings tab, I have the audio driver set to Alsa and the MIDI Driver set to raw. Audio plays and records fine.

In Tracktion, I select the UA-25 MIDI input, and enable it for recording. I click on the track and set the MIDI output to UA-25. The MIDI meter shows MIDI input from my midi controller, but it does not pass through to my external synths as I don't hear them. I can even record MIDI data into tracktion and see the notes on the screen, but when I play that back via the UA-25 MIDI output, the synths don't make a sound.

I know all my audio and MIDI cables are correct as just prior to attempting this with my laptop, I had my Android plugged into the UA-25 via an OTG adapter and was playing/hearing my synths no problem via a MIDI THRU app.

What am I missing here? I swear I feel like it's something really dumb. I tried specifying a MIDI channel in the MIDI Input field, didn't help. MIDI data is recorded regardless of whether a number is in that field or not. I also tried various permutations of the "MIDI Through" input/output by itself and in combination with the UA-25 MIDI I/O. No dice.

Any ideas? Do I have the Jack settings wrong?

[Peter Widdicombe]

Have you selected a MIDI output channel for the track or the clip? Tracktion is different in that the MIDI channel isn't really considered part of the recorded MIDI; so on output it has to be "appended" if you use an external MIDI synth.

[Lava]

Have you selected a MIDI output channel for the track or the clip? Tracktion is different in that the MIDI channel isn't really considered part of the recorded MIDI; so on output it has to be "appended" if you use an external MIDI synth.

How do I do that?

The only place I see where a MIDI channel can be selected is to click on the MIDI input to the left of the track, then go to the bottom and type in a channel number in the field marked "channel" between the MIDI filter and program fields. But that's at the input, not the output so that doesn't sound like what you're referring to? I don't see a channel field for the output anywhere.

EDIT: I do see the MIDI chanel assign for MIDI clips, but not for the track.

[Peter Widdicombe]

Huh. The output channel either doesn't work for me, or I had accidentally selected a MIDI channel for clip properties and that overrides. Plus, it seemed to default to channel 15, which is beyond the default for the VFX of 1-12.

Try selecting the MIDI channel in clip and select your MIDI device for output - that works for me.

[Lava]

I found this link:
http://manual.ardour.org/setting-up-you ... -on-linux/

Maybe this is all because I'm using Alsa midi and not a2jmidid. I'll give it a try when I get home from work.

[Lava]

Ok, so I got everything working right by doing the following:

1. Implementing the instructions on this page: http://manual.ardour.org/setting-up-you ... -on-linux/

2. Opening up Jack, Connect button -> MIDI tab, and making the following connections:



MIDI is working great in Tracktion now, using the "a2jmidid" MIDI I/O. To get those Jack connections to persist so that I don't have to redo them every time I turn on my machine, I had to go into the Jack patchbay, make the connections again, save the xml config file, then go into settings and activate patchbay persistence with the name of the xml file in the field next to the check box.

Hope this helps somebody else in the future (or even me after my next reinstall)!

[Peter Widdicombe]

Yeah, I have the same issue. I almost always use just .vst's these days, and the rare occasions I try to use external MIDI gear, I'm scratching my head and have to relearn.