X-Git-Url: https://main.carlh.net/gitweb/?a=blobdiff_plain;f=manual%2Fxml%2Fmidi_configuration.xml;h=32eb2c71d1d88d6c5a7932180f4954abb2f8e8cc;hb=78bafce752582126f232be45e03d7ba5540ec79d;hp=13dc0392736270d9487cc8be188ae5a176145628;hpb=56e384349b1c64b56e4c26faa6df788358d511e1;p=ardour.git diff --git a/manual/xml/midi_configuration.xml b/manual/xml/midi_configuration.xml index 13dc039273..32eb2c71d1 100644 --- a/manual/xml/midi_configuration.xml +++ b/manual/xml/midi_configuration.xml @@ -5,278 +5,295 @@ ]>
- Midi Configuration - - Although at this time Ardour does not support - MIDI sequencing, it does support a - fairly rich set of interactions via MIDI with other devices. In particular: - - - - - - Ardour can function as MIDI Time Code (MTC) master or slave - - - - - Ardour can control or be controlled by other devices using MIDI Machine - Control (MMC) - - - - - Ardour can bind all gain faders, panners, mute/solo/rec-enable buttons and - all plugin parameters to be controlled by MIDI Continuous Controller (CC) - or Note On/Off messages. - - - - - Ardour can send MIDI "feedback" whenever gain, pan or plugin state - changes, so that external motorized control surfaces can reflect parameter - changes caused by automation etc. - - - - -
- Specifying MIDI ports - - Ardour does not attempt to discover what MIDI ports exist on your system. - This is a complex issue, and on systems like Linux and OS X that permit - virtual ports to be created at any time, it is not trivial to get right - (although future versions of Ardour may try). - - - - Instead, the MIDI ports that are available for Ardour to use are defined in - your ardour.rc file. These port definitions are not - session specific, on the assumption that your system's MIDI hardware - probably doesn't change much from session to session. The default version - of this file contains a single port that can be used for inter-application - MIDI routing as well as MIDI I/O to whatever physical MIDI ports might be - available on your computer. In many cases, you will not need to change - them. - - - - When you first use Ardour, the + Midi Configuration + + Although at this time Ardour does not support + MIDI sequencing, it does + support a fairly rich set of interactions via MIDI with other devices. + In particular: + + + + + + Ardour can function as MIDI Time Code (MTC) master or slave + + + + + + Ardour can control or be controlled by other devices using MIDI + Machine Control (MMC) + + + + + + Ardour can bind all gain faders, panners, mute/solo/rec-enable + buttons and all plugin parameters to be controlled by MIDI + Continuous Controller (CC) or Note On/Off messages. + + + + + + Ardour can send MIDI "feedback" whenever gain, pan or plugin state + changes, so that external motorized control surfaces can reflect + parameter changes caused by automation etc. + + + + +
+ Specifying MIDI ports + + Ardour does not attempt to discover what MIDI ports exist on your + system. This is a complex issue, and on systems like Linux and OS X + that permit virtual ports to be created at any time, it is not trivial + to get right (although future versions of Ardour may try). + + + + Instead, the MIDI ports that are available for Ardour to use are + defined in your ardour.rc file. These port + definitions are not session specific, on the assumption that your + system's MIDI hardware probably doesn't change much from session to + session. The default version of this file contains a single port that + can be used for inter-application MIDI routing as well as MIDI I/O to + whatever physical MIDI ports might be available on your computer. In + many cases, you will not need to change them. + + + + When you first use Ardour, the - ardour.rc file that you will have contains a single - port definition. It defines a port that is almost guaranteed to be usable - on your system ((Linux/ALSA users may need to ensure that the - snd-seq kernel module gets loaded - many distributions - do not do this by default)). This port is a "virtual port" it isn't - actually a hardware MIDI port, but instead is a software port that can be - connected to other software ports or to whatever hardware MIDI ports you - have (see ). - -
+ ardour.rc file that you will have contains a + single port definition. It defines a port that is almost guaranteed to + be usable on your system ((Linux/ALSA users may need to ensure that + the snd-seq kernel module gets loaded - many + distributions do not do this by default)). This port is a "virtual + port" it isn't actually a hardware MIDI port, but instead is a + software port that can be connected to other software ports or to + whatever hardware MIDI ports you have (see + ). + +
-
- Defining additional MIDI ports - - To define additional ports, find the line in ardour.rc - that looks roughly like this: - +
+ Defining additional MIDI ports + + To define additional ports, find the line in + ardour.rc that looks roughly like this: + <MIDI-port tag="hw:0" device="/dev/snd/midiC1D0" type="alsa/raw" mode="duplex"/> - - On OSX/CoreMIDI it would look more like: - + + On OSX/CoreMIDI it would look more like: + <MIDI-port tag="coremidi" device="ardour" type="coremidi" mode="duplex"/> - - You can then add another line right after it that looks similar but - contains a different port definition. - - - - You will see there are 4 pieces of information required to define a MIDI - port for use within Ardour. Your port definition - - -
- Tag - - This is just a name of your own choosing. It is how the port will be - referred to within Ardour. You could use a name that describes what is - plugged into the port (e.g. "1600x", "Novation"), or a name that describes - the computer device/system that provides the port (e.g. "HDSP", - "Sequencer"), or a whimsical name of your own choice (e.g. "bowtie", - "merlin"). - -
- -
- Type - - This is an operating system specific identifier that defines what kind of - port this is. It can be set to one of three values: - - - - - - alsa/raw - the port corresponds to a physical MIDI - port that is accessed directly without involving the ALSA MIDI routing - subsystem. - - - - - alsa/sequencer - the port is a virtual port that can - send and receive MIDI data via the ALSA MIDI routing subsystem. - - - - - coremidi - the port is a virtual port that can send - and receive MIDI data via the CoreMidi inter-application MIDI routing - subsystem. - - - -
- -
- Device - - This is an operating specific and MIDI subsystem-specific name that - actually identifies the device to be used for MIDI I/O. - - - - - - for a raw ALSA hardware port, it is the name of the device file - corresponding to the hardware MIDI port. A typical value might be - /dev/snd/midiC0D0/. - - - - - for an ALSA sequencer port, it is an arbitrary name for the port that - will appear as part of the ALSA MIDI routing system - - - - - for a CoreMIDI port, it is an arbitrary name for the port that will - appear as in any CoreMIDI port selection dialogs. - - - -
- -
- Mode - - This specifies whether the port is available for input, output or both: - - - - - - read - the port is available for input only - - - - - write - the port is available for output only - - - - - duplex - the port is available for input and output - - - - - - You should probably always use duplex here. It is rare to need to open a - port for unidirectional communication only. - -
-
- -
- Removing Midi Ports - - To remove a MIDI port, simply delete the line in your - ardour.rc file that defines it. - -
- -
- Making Connections - - If you use actual physical hardware MIDI ports, then establishing - connections to other MIDI equipment is simply a matter of connecting cables - correctly. However, if you use "virtual ports" such as those offered by the - ALSA router/sequencer or CoreMIDI, making connections is slightly more - involved. - - - - Ardour does not come with any way of establishing MIDI connections from/to - other software MIDI ports. This is a difficult task to get right, and - Ardour may offer something in the future. For now, you need to use an - external tool that is dedicated to this purpose, much the same way you - would use a patchbay (audio/MIDI) with physical equipment. - - -
- Linux/ALSA - - qjackctl (the same program that is recommended - for controlling JACK) also includes an excellent MIDI connection manager. - You could also use command line tools such as - aconnect. - -
- -
- OSX/CoreMIDI - - On OSX/CoreMIDI you need to connect the MIDI ports with a patchbay tool - such as the excellent MIDI Patchbay from - Pete Yandell - -
-
- -
- Using MIDI ports - - Each port that is defined in ardour.rc can be used for - any of the following functions: - - - - - - MTC input and output - - - - - MMC input and output - - - - - MIDI CC/Note input and output - - - -
+ + You can then add another line right after it that looks similar but + contains a different port definition. + + + + You will see there are 4 pieces of information required to define a + MIDI port for use within Ardour. Your port definition + + +
+ Tag + + This is just a name of your own choosing. It is how the port will be + referred to within Ardour. You could use a name that describes what + is plugged into the port (e.g. "1600x", "Novation"), or a name that + describes the computer device/system that provides the port (e.g. + "HDSP", "Sequencer"), or a whimsical name of your own choice (e.g. + "bowtie", "merlin"). + +
+ +
+ Type + + This is an operating system specific identifier that defines what + kind of port this is. It can be set to one of three values: + + + + + + alsa/raw - the port corresponds to a physical + MIDI port that is accessed directly without involving the ALSA + MIDI routing subsystem. + + + + + + alsa/sequencer - the port is a virtual port + that can send and receive MIDI data via the ALSA MIDI routing + subsystem. + + + + + + coremidi - the port is a virtual port that + can send and receive MIDI data via the CoreMidi + inter-application MIDI routing subsystem. + + + +
+ +
+ Device + + This is an operating specific and MIDI subsystem-specific name that + actually identifies the device to be used for MIDI I/O. + + + + + + for a raw ALSA hardware port, it is the name of the device file + corresponding to the hardware MIDI port. A typical value might + be /dev/snd/midiC0D0/. + + + + + + for an ALSA sequencer port, it is an arbitrary name for the port + that will appear as part of the ALSA MIDI routing system + + + + + + for a CoreMIDI port, it is an arbitrary name for the port that + will appear as in any CoreMIDI port selection dialogs. + + + +
+ +
+ Mode + + This specifies whether the port is available for input, output or + both: + + + + + + read - the port is available for input only + + + + + + write - the port is available for output only + + + + + + duplex - the port is available for input and + output + + + + + + You should probably always use duplex here. It is + rare to need to open a port for unidirectional communication only. + +
+
+ +
+ Removing Midi Ports + + To remove a MIDI port, simply delete the line in your + ardour.rc file that defines it. + +
+ +
+ Making Connections + + If you use actual physical hardware MIDI ports, then establishing + connections to other MIDI equipment is simply a matter of connecting + cables correctly. However, if you use "virtual ports" such as those + offered by the ALSA router/sequencer or CoreMIDI, making connections + is slightly more involved. + + + + Ardour does not come with any way of establishing MIDI connections + from/to other software MIDI ports. This is a difficult task to get + right, and Ardour may offer something in the future. For now, you need + to use an external tool that is dedicated to this purpose, much the + same way you would use a patchbay (audio/MIDI) with physical + equipment. + + +
+ Linux/ALSA + + qjackctl (the same program that is + recommended for controlling JACK) also includes an excellent MIDI + connection manager. You could also use command line tools such as + aconnect. + +
+ +
+ OSX/CoreMIDI + + On OSX/CoreMIDI you need to connect the MIDI ports with a patchbay + tool such as the excellent MIDI Patchbay from + Pete Yandell + +
+
+ +
+ Using MIDI ports + + Each port that is defined in ardour.rc can be + used for any of the following functions: + + + + + + MTC input and output + + + + + + MMC input and output + + + + + + MIDI CC/Note input and output + + + +