Where do I begin with USB MIDI on Ubuntu Studio 20.10

edited November 2020 in General Discussion

Ubuntu Studio 20.10 is newest release of a creative release for artists.

There is an Audio Handbook that discusses MIDI and WebMIDI.js would be a huge step forward.

I have a Roland Go:Keys 61k that has USB MIDI that I want to use for beginners learning music.

I am retired non-programmer that has time and technical curiosity to contribute to this effort in 2021.

Please help me on a project to get it all working !

Lee T. Davy dot Event Video since 1990 now at GMail

also know as Cool Games Network since 2000.

Comments

  • Hello there!

    I'm not sure what you are asking. Do you have anything specific we can help you with?

    Cheers!

  • Thanks for asking.

    In the Roland link is the comment.



    GO:KEYS ScratchX Extension (source code) uses a web technology called Web MIDI API. For details, click here.

    I had ScratchX working 3 years ago online and with great effort offline from Scratch 3 without USB MIDI. I contacted Roland and got the MIDI implementation but ScratchX went away and so the Github examples no longer work. I tried to understand how the browser was coded so I could continue from the Roland MIDI spec over USB but it got confusing so I stayed away. I saw your effort and wanted to begin to try again. I can start by getting the USB Roland working Note on and Note Off with existing projects. I also can continue offline in Ubuntu Studio with applications like LMMS as I evolve the WebMIDI functionality in Chrome on multiple devices connected to the Roland and other devices I have. The other app I am exploring is MIXXX with Numark Party and Akai MPK MIDI devices.

  • edited November 2020

    Specifically,

    MIDI Device greyed out - How do I get the Midi Device supported in Chrome (on Ubuntu) ?

    NOTE: WebMIDI may not be possible on Ubuntu Studio 20.10 (YET) so my work is cut out for me in 2021 !


  • edited November 2020

    WebMIDI.js prototype !

    Go:Keys over USB MIDI to piano Qsynth with CARLA chapter in Handbook.


  • edited November 2020

    Please see my comment to your other question.

  • edited December 2020

    SOLVED:

    I mistakenly was using Chromium which is snap package without web midi USB capability.

    I have found that Google Chrome is required for external USB MIDI devices.

    Current Version 87.0.4280.66 (Official Build) (64-bit) works as it did on 20.04 LTS Ubuntu Studio.

  • This is odd because Chromium has included Web MIDI API support since version 43.

  • edited December 2020

    Problem is the web for USB and some local files are no longer accessible in SNAP implementation.

    If you find it able to connect to USB MIDI then I am wrong about that change. Here is the console message from Chromium just now.

    WebMidi could not be enabled. DOMException: Platform dependent initialization failed.


    I also have the USB to DIN 5 Roland UM-ONE to test legacy MIDI. I can switch tests from Chromium to Google Chrome easily with out rebooting from Ubuntu Studio 20.10. This makes me feel comfortable with experimenting with both v2.5.1 and version 3 on legacy and USB as well as future MIDI devices. Should make for some interesting examples and configurations. I will also do the DJ Party Mix MIDI controller from Numark

    See https://askubuntu.com/questions/1184357/why-cant-chromium-suddenly-access-any-partition-except-for-home

    Chromium is now a snap, which has access to $HOME, /media/, /mnt/ and a few limited other areas.

    This is intended for security purposes (it runs in a container that restricts it's access to specified locations).