JACK midi input (using joy2midi) not working

beckdac · June 18, 2017, 9:44pm

I’m trying to use joy2midi (see at end of message).

When I run it, I can see it generating MIDI messages, but I don’t see them appearing with aseqdump. When I use midisnoop to monitor the JACK midi, I can see the messages, but they never make it to ALSA to get played. What don’t I understand about the JACK and ALSA configuration? And, how can I make MIDI messages sent to JACK play? Thanks!

github.com

jessecrossen/hautmidi/blob/master/joy2midi/README.md

# joy2midi

This is a simple utility for Linux to map joystick events to MIDI events
in [JACK](http://www.jackaudio.org/). Install it like this on Ubuntu:

```
$ sudo apt-get install build-essential libjack-jackd2-dev
$ git clone https://github.com/jessecrossen/hautmidi.git
$ cd ./hautmidi/joy2midi/
$ make && sudo make install
```

Since there's no standardized mapping from joysticks to MIDI devices, 
you'll need to make one up. This program supports a fairly flexible
format for map files. Joysticks have buttons (which are on or off) 
and axes (which go more continuously from -32767 to 32767). MIDI has 
numbered notes, pitch bends, and control changes. Each line in the map file will 
map one of the things in the first list to one of the things in the 
second list, like this:

This file has been truncated. show original

wyleu · June 18, 2017, 10:05pm

This post should really be on Encoders via GPIO and/or via USB . . .

Are we looking at an interface abstraction?
4 controllers that respond to up & down & press?

Drive it from MIDI, USB , playstation, anything really . . .

I’d like to be able to use 4 knobs and the push buttons on a Nord Modular 2 control a zynthian over MIDI controllers. . .

beckdac · June 19, 2017, 3:46pm

I think I’m just trying to understand how the JACK and ALSA MIDI systems interact. More simply, how can I send MIDI messages to JACK and have them get handled.

lod · June 19, 2017, 6:00pm

Mhhh maybe this article descibes how to conenct JACK and Alsa MIDI.

beckdac · June 20, 2017, 3:10am

Thanks!

OK, I’ve sussed it. This is probably obvious to MIDI fans out there, but you need to make connections between the MIDI ins and outs. Yeah, that’s how basic my question was. I know that Zynthian has its own MIDI auto connector, e.g. for USB, but it doesn’t auto connect the joy2midi devices. I’ll look into understanding why or maybe @jofemodo has an idea.

Anyway, in the end, I used qjackctl to connect my joy2midi out to whatever the synth engine I wanted to use in. See the image below. Now I can play “air drums” using the accelerometers in my wiimotes! Fun! The kids absolutely love this.

jofemodo · June 26, 2017, 12:42pm

A small video demo will be really nice