[timidity-talk] Midi latency -- WAS: how to turn a midi keyboard into an electronic piano

[jimmy <wg...@ya...>]

> Date: Mon, 6 Jul 2009 09:30:11 -0700
> From: Bob van der Poel <bo...@me...>
> 
> Interesting about the latency. Could you share with the
> rest of us how
> you're doing this? Are you hitting a number of keys or just
> plinking one by
> one?
> 

You have latency problems on Linux, or Windows?  I can't help with Windows since I haven't touch that for years.

On Linux, you know about kernels with "high resolution timer", along with configuring /etc/sysctl.conf, /etc/security/limits.conf files, right?  You use Timidity with or without jackd/qjackctl?  How fast is the CPU and how much RAM is on the machine?  Let me know, maybe I can point you to try a few things.

I have timidity, or fluidSynth/qsynth running with or without jackd/qjackctl on Linux with decent latency on a 2.2GHz using either:

   Intel Corporation 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) AC'97 Audio Controller (rev 02)

or 

   Creative Labs SB Live!

Also with an old 700-800MHz laptop, I don't get good sound from it, but decent latency.

Have you tried one of the MIDI and music oriented Linux LiveCD distro's like Musix, PureDyne, 64 Studio...?  Don't have to even install those.  Just download the CD image, burn a CD, boot up with it and try it out.  I has all the configuration tweaks for low-latency MIDI use.  Of course, you can install any, or all of those if you like them.

Jimmy