[PD-dev] pd041-test6 auto(connect) feedbacks MIDI.

[Winfried Ritsch]

Hello,

I just forgot one Problem which I have with starting more PD-Instances and/or 
Ports is the naming. Just now its 

...
   sprintf(portname,"Pure Data Midi-In %d",i+1);
...
   sprintf(portname,"Pure Data Midi-Out %d",i+1);
...
   snd_seq_client_info_set_name(alsainfo,"Pure Data");
...

so in the MIDI Patchbay its named like this. It would be good 
to specifiy another base name like "Pure Data" for the Instance so in a 
template you can just discriminate between PD instances. (Maybe thats the 
optional argument for -alsamidi instead of number of ports mentioned in my 
previous mail).

...
  char *alsamidiname = "Pure Data"
  (here option overwrites alsamidiname)
...
   sprintf(portname,"%s Midi-In %d",alsamidiname,i+1);
...
   sprintf(portname,"%s Midi-Out %d",alsamidiname,i+1);
...
   snd_seq_client_info_set_name(alsainfo,alsamidiname);
...
   
mfg winfried

>
> > I think alsa-MIDI is only included since very recently (I got it from
> > soneone else, I forget who) so it shouldn't be a problem to change the
> > behavior.
> >
> > Do you think the correct thing would be just to open one MIDI input and
> > output device?
>
> Ok I try a draft for a solution:
>
> In ALSA-MIDI can be seen as a patchbay, each program opens as many
> MIDI-Ports it needs to connect to other MIDI-Ports dedicated to devices on
> the system. Since modern Computer can ave a lot of virtual MIDI devices
> (one of them is ALSA MIDIThrough by default nowadays on new ALSA-Driver) or
> sequencer, synthis and external MIDI-Connection, its not that easy anymore
> to decide which is the right one to connect to. So in my opinion no
> connection should be made by default to do not risk feedback loud sound or
> something else on startup of patch.
>
> OSS-MIDI is easier (especial for PD), but is not properiate for modern
> system where a lot of integration between apps and environment has to be
> done, and some devices have no OSS driver at all.
>
> Three solution I see:
>
>  a) just open external devices, but maybe there are more than one, which
> can be run by different PD-Instances, so not optimal.
>
>  b) having a commandline (and maybe a GUI) to connect to other devices,
> like we had to choose one device on OSS-MIDI.
>
>  c) let beautiful ;-) ALSA-Tools do the job. Eg.: in qjackcontrol, you can
> make templates so each puredata Port is connected automatically to defined
> group of MIDI-Ports.
>
> The fast solution for now is just make a commandline switch which enables
> the automatic connection like it does now and default is none like in
> previous PD-versions:
>
> in s_midi_alsa.c set
>
>       int autoconnect = 1; -> int autoconnect = 0;
>
>
> My Proposal is:
>
>   lets use correctly the command line switches:
> .
> -midiindev ...   -- midi in device list; e.g., "1,3" for first and third
> -midioutdev ...  -- midi out device list, same format
> -mididev ...      -- specify -midioutdev and -midiindev together
>
> They should connect to the specific MIDI-Device but they doesnt, instead
> the number of args means how much ports pd-creates and (funny) if you have
> more than one port it does no autoconnect to all.
>
> PD needs an extra command line or better use the commandline arg -alsamidi
> <num> to define the number of ports to create, of course there can be
> different numbers of inputs and outputs so maybe:
>
> -alsamidi [num[,numinputs]]
> where  num...number of ports
>              numins... if number of inputs if it should be different to
> number of ouputs
> if no number is given at least one MIDI-port is opened, this is different
> to now, where -alsamidi doesnt create an MIDI-Port only -mididev... does.
>
> (comment: I dont know why we need more than one MIDI-Port if there is an
> alsapatchbay, but who knows...)
>
> The other thing is, I used is the object [aconnect], where you can patch
> from pd, but aconnect ist not that comfortable, since it operates on
> numbers not on names, so maybe we should enhance it.
>
> mfg winfried
>
> > Anyway, OSS MIDI is much better API than ALSA, I don't know why anyone
> > uses the latter :)
> >
> > M
> >
> > On Thu, Sep 06, 2007 at 04:44:03PM +0200, Winfried Ritsch wrote:
> > > Hello !
> > >
> > > Since pure data just connects alle MIDI-ins and MIDI-outs to his
> > > instance under alsamidi also the MIDI-Through is connected which in
> > > fact is a feedback a therefore dangerous and bad.
> > >
> > > If this behaviour is changes all old patches using MIDI (I used
> > > aconnect to connect) doesnt work anymore.
> > >
> > > Is there a reason for this behaviour ?
> > >
> > > I think on alsa midi the philosophy is that connection should be done
> > > by alsa tools. There are templates and so on so that automatically the
> > > right devices are connected, no need for pd to do this (as for other
> > > programms which doesnt respect this).
> > >
> > > mfg winfried ritsch
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > --
> > > - ao.Univ.Prof. DI Winfried Ritsch
> > > - ritsch at iem.at - http://iem.at/ritsch
> > > - Institut fuer Elektronische Musik und Akustik
> > > - University of Music and Dramatic Art Graz
> > > - Tel. ++43-316-389-3510 (3170) Fax ++43-316-389-3171
> > > - PGP-ID 69617A69 (see keyserver http://wwwkeys.eu.gpg.net/)
> > > --
> > >
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> >
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-- 
--
- ao.Univ.Prof. DI Winfried Ritsch 
- ritsch at iem.at - http://iem.at/ritsch
- Institut fuer Elektronische Musik und Akustik
- University of Music and Dramatic Art Graz
- Tel. ++43-316-389-3510 (3170) Fax ++43-316-389-3171 
- PGP-ID 69617A69 (see keyserver http://wwwkeys.eu.gpg.net/)
--