MIDI

Using Yoshimi Software Synthesizer on the Raspberry Pi 3B

The RaspberryPi 3B is an amazingly powerful computer for the price. It provides quad-core computing power for just $35. This makes it more than capable for music experimentation and learning, and experimenting with Software Synthesizers is a fun way to learn about sound.
 

Yoshimi Software Synthesizer running on the Raspberry Pi 3B


This article gives some hints for setting up a Software Synthesizer on your Raspberry Pi. We’ll talk about installing and configuring Yoshimi. Of course, this “software synth” works great with McLaren Labs rtpmidi, so you can experiment with a network of Raspberry Pi synthesizers too.
Read More »Using Yoshimi Software Synthesizer on the Raspberry Pi 3B

Using rtpmidi from the Command Line

Did you know you can use rptmidi directly from the command line in a terminal?  When used this way, the GUI (graphical user interface) is not used, and Bonjour is skipped as well.  Instead, each invocation of the rtpmidi program creates a new Session that can be a Session Listener or Session Initiator.  Working at this level you can connect if you know the hostname or IP-Address of each computer, as well as the port the RTP-MIDI session is listening on.

Command line mode can also come in handy if you are developing a “headless” embedded computer application like the Zynthian Raspberry Pi Synthesizer.
Read on for detailed examples and explanations.
Read More »Using rtpmidi from the Command Line

Linux MIDI Command Line Cheatsheet

USB MIDI controllers and keyboards have come way down in price the last few years.  We really like the Akai MPK Mini mkII, and we’ve really enjoyed using the Numark Orbit because it has an accelerometer in it for sensing tilt and motion, and it is easy to send MIDI messages for changing its colors.

Use the command line to control the MIDI system


If you’re experimenting with a Raspberry Pi using USB MIDI input devices, you’ll probably get to the point where you are wondering if it is working correctly and if the MIDI information is getting into your Raspberry Pi.  This article lists some of the command line tools you can use to examine the information coming from these devices.
Read More »Linux MIDI Command Line Cheatsheet