qtractor-devel — Qtractor development discussion

Re: [Qtractor-devel] NoteOffs don't get sent on additional MIDI channels?

[Frank N. <bea...@we...>]

Hi,

> Perhaps you should mention what version you're using ;).
> 
> $ qtractor -v

Right, sorry about that. Following Git pretty closely, this is 0.7.0.30.

Greetings,
Frank

Re: [Qtractor-devel] NoteOffs don't get sent on additional MIDI channels?

[Ralf M. <ral...@al...>]

Perhaps you should mention what version you're using ;).

$ qtractor -v

Regards,
Ralf

[Qtractor-devel] NoteOffs don't get sent on additional MIDI channels?

[Frank N. <bea...@we...>]

Hi list,

not sure if this is intended behaviour or a bug, so I am asking this here first -

I created a small "song" with 2 MIDI tracks.
The first tracks plays out to "Master MIDI", the second is using an additional
MIDI bus ("Supernova") I have created via the "View->Buses" dialog.

Both tracks have a small MIDI clip, both play out fine. However, when I stop
playback via the <space bar> key, the notes played on the second track don't
get stopped.

I see from the "aseqdump" output that the respective messages do not get sent
when I stop playback.

Dumping output on "Master MIDI" bus:
[playback is running]
...
130:0   Note on                 0, note 62, velocity 23
130:0   Note on                 0, note 67, velocity 23
130:0   Note on                 0, note 71, velocity 23
[pressing space bar here]
130:0   Control change          0, controller 120, value 0   (All Sound Off)
130:0   Control change          0, controller 123, value 0   (All Notes Off)
130:0   Control change          0, controller 121, value 0   (Reset All Controllers)

-> All sounds are off

Dumping output on "Supernova" bus:
[playback is running]
...
130:1   Note on                 0, note 50, velocity 64
130:1   Note off                0, note 50, velocity 0
130:1   Note on                 0, note 55, velocity 64
130:1   Note off                0, note 55, velocity 0
130:1   Note on                 0, note 43, velocity 64
130:1   Note off                0, note 43, velocity 0
130:1   Note on                 0, note 50, velocity 64
[pressing space bar here]
[no additional MIDI output here, but "stuck" notes are still being heard]

Only when I press the "Panic" button, I see the expected:
130:1   Control change          0, controller 120, value 0
130:1   Control change          0, controller 123, value 0
130:1   Control change          0, controller 121, value 0

Rui, this looks like a bug, right? Or can I somehow adjust that behaviour
"per bus"?

Thanks,
Frank

[Qtractor-devel] Trying V 0.7.0

[Will G. <wil...@mu...>]

Well I finally got round to this!

I thought you might like to know that it appears to be the most correct of
several sequencers when handling Yoshimi LV2 plugin (including bank and program
changes) as compared with the same midi source file using aplaymidi into
standalone Yoshimi :)

-- 
Will J Godfrey
http://www.musically.me.uk
Say you have a poem and I have a tune.
Exchange them and we can both have a poem, a tune, and a song.

[Qtractor-devel] [ANN] Qtractor 0.7.0 - The Muon Base is out!

[Rui N. C. <rn...@rn...>]

Ahoy!

Stepping up to Summer'15 release frenzy stage scene, in it's fourth and 
hopefully last act,

   Qtractor 0.7.0 (muon base beta) is out!

Qtractor [1] is an audio/MIDI multi-track sequencer application written 
in C++ with the Qt framework [2]. Target platform is Linux, where the 
Jack Audio Connection Kit (JACK [3]) for audio and the Advanced Linux 
Sound Architecture (ALSA [4]) for MIDI are the main infrastructures to 
evolve as a fairly-featured Linux desktop audio workstation GUI, 
specially dedicated to the personal home-studio.

As a major highlight to this release, there's the advent of regular MIDI 
controllers mapping/assignment to main application menu command actions, 
just like normal PC-keyboard shortcuts, is being introduced (cf. main 
menu Help/Shortcuts...).

Have a 'hotta' Summer'15 ;)

Enjoy.


Website:
   http://qtractor.sourceforge.net

Project page:
   http://sourceforge.net/projects/qtractor

Downloads:
   http://sourceforge.net/projects/qtractor/files

- source tarball:
   http://www.rncbc.org/archive/qtractor-0.7.0.tar.gz

- source package (openSUSE 13.2):
   http://www.rncbc.org/archive/qtractor-0.7.0-18.rncbc.suse132.src.rpm

- binary packages (openSUSE 13.2):
   http://www.rncbc.org/archive/qtractor-0.7.0-18.rncbc.suse132.i586.rpm
   http://www.rncbc.org/archive/qtractor-0.7.0-18.rncbc.suse132.x86_84.rpm

- wiki (help wanted!):
   http://sourceforge.net/p/qtractor/wiki/

Weblog (upstream support):
   http://www.rncbc.org

License:
   Qtractor [1] is free, open-source Linux Audio [6] software, 
distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL [5]) 
version 2 or later.

Change-log:
- Complete rewrite of Qt4 vs. Qt5 configure builds.
- Revised MIDI Controlllers catch-up algorithm.
- Mixer multi-row layout gets a little bit of a fairness fix.
- Non-continuous MIDI Controllers now have their Hook and Latch options 
disabled as those are found not applicable,
- As an alternative to PC-keyboard shortcuts, MIDI controllers are now 
also assignable and configurable for any of the main menu command 
actions, all from the same old configuration dialog (Help/Shortcuts...).
- Fixed missing Track and Clip sub-menus from Edit/context-menu that 
were found AWOL ever since after the Lazy Tachyon beta release (> 0.6.6).
- An off-by-one bar position (as in BBT, bar, beat and ticks) has been 
purportedly fixed as long as LV2 Time/Position atom event transfer goes.
- French (fr) translation line to desktop file added (patch by Olivier 
Humbert, thanks).
- A new top-level widget window geometry state save and restore 
sub-routine is now in effect.
- Improved MIDI clip editor resilience across tempo and time-signature 
changes.
- Keyboard shortcuts configuration (Help/Shortcuts...) now lists 
complete menu/action path where available.
- Fixed in-flight VST plugin editor (GUI) resizing.
- Added support to LV2UI_portMap extension, found really handy for the 
cases where you have multiple plugins with different port configurations 
and a single common UI to drive them all (pull request by Hanspeter 
Portner aka. ventosus, thanks).

References:

[1] Qtractor - An audio/MIDI multi-track sequencer
     http://qtractor.sourceforge.net

[2] Qt framework, C++ class library and tools for
     cross-platform application and UI development
     http://qt.io/

[3] JACK Audio Connection Kit
     http://jackaudio.org

[4] ALSA, Advanced Linux Sound Architecture
     http://www.alsa-project.org/

[5] GPL - GNU General Public License
     http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html

[6] http://linuxaudio.org


See also:
   http://www.rncbc.org/drupal/node/917


Enjoy && keep the fun.
-- 
rncbc aka. Rui Nuno Capela

[Qtractor-devel] [ANN] Qtractor 0.6.7 - The Lepton Acid beta release!

[Rui N. C. <rn...@rn...>]

It's alive!

   Qtractor 0.6.7 (lepton acid beta) is out!

Release highlights:

* MIDI instrument rendering on audio export (NEW)
* MIDI clip editor view/event criteria persistence (NEW)
* MIDI clip editor resilience on record/overdub (FIX)
* Generic plugin form position persistence (NEW)
* JACK Transport/Timebase master option (NEW)

and yet more tiny lurking critters swatted ;)

Well, the major highlight to this release is in fact this brand new and 
way long overdue feature, seamlessly integrated to the faithful and 
regular audio track export function: MIDI track instrument plug-in 
rendering and mix-down (aka. freeze) is now real, as long their audio 
output goes onto selected buses, aka. stems, mix-groups, whatever a 
mix/mastering head would name it! nb. on the (very esquisite) Qtractor 
arch-model parlance, those are just called "audio output buses" and that 
ain't gonna change, any time soon, so stop it! A word of caution must be 
told by now: dedicated (JACK) audio output ports are off-the-grid, so sorry.

Maybe this silently makes a notch towards the DAW epitome, though 
Qtractor still claims to be just a plain and honest sequencer--with yet 
another DAW-like feature addition--the same as it ever was.

Nuff said.

Qtractor [1] is an audio/MIDI multi-track sequencer application written 
in C++ with the Qt framework [2]. Target platform is Linux, where the 
Jack Audio Connection Kit (JACK [3]) for audio and the Advanced Linux 
Sound Architecture (ALSA [4]) for MIDI are the main infrastructures to 
evolve as a fairly-featured Linux desktop audio workstation GUI, 
specially dedicated to the personal home-studio.

Website:
   http://qtractor.sourceforge.net

Project page:
   http://sourceforge.net/projects/qtractor

Downloads:
   http://sourceforge.net/projects/qtractor/files

- source tarball:
   http://download.sourceforge.net/qtractor/qtractor-0.6.7.tar.gz

- source package (openSUSE 13.2):
 
http://download.sourceforge.net/qtractor/qtractor-0.6.7-17.rncbc.suse132.src.rpm

- binary packages (openSUSE 13.2):
 
http://download.sourceforge.net/qtractor/qtractor-0.6.7-17.rncbc.suse132.i586.rpm
 
http://download.sourceforge.net/qtractor/qtractor-0.6.7-17.rncbc.suse132.x86_84.rpm

- wiki (help wanted!):
   http://sourceforge.net/p/qtractor/wiki/

Weblog (upstream support):
   http://www.rncbc.org

License:
   Qtractor is free, open-source software, distributed under the terms 
of the GNU General Public License (GPL [5]) version 2 or later.

Change-log:
- MIDI clip editor (aka. piano-roll) position, size, and view/event type 
criteria are now persistent, across session and user preferences 
application state.
- Generic plugin form widget position is now also preserved across 
open/save session cycles.
- MIDI clip editor resilience is about to get an improvement, fe. it 
doesn't close on stopping record/overdub anymore.
- Introducing (JACK) Timebase master setting as an option to Transport 
mode (cf. View/Options.../General/Transport/Timebase).
- LV2 plug-in MIDI/Event support now slanted for deprecation.
- Spanish (es) translation added, by avid Reyes Pucheta.
- It's live: audio track export (cf. Track/Export Tracks/Audio...) has 
been deeply refactored to finally include MIDI track/instrument plugins 
rendering (aka. freeze) on selected audio output buses on mix-down. 
(EXPERIMENTAL)
- MIDI file player now does (N)RPN 14-bit controller events.
- Track properties dialog output bus switch fix/optimization; also fixed 
multiple DSSI instance reference count on close.
- Fixed for some strict tests for Qt4 vs. Qt5 configure builds.
- German (de) translation update (by Guido Scholz, thanks).

References:

[1] Qtractor - An audio/MIDI multi-track sequencer
     http://qtractor.sourceforge.net

[2] Qt framework, C++ class library and tools for
     cross-platform application and UI development
     http://qt.io/

[3] JACK Audio Connection Kit
     http://jackaudio.org

[4] ALSA, Advanced Linux Sound Architecture
     http://www.alsa-project.org/

[5] GPL - GNU General Public License
     http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html


See also:
   http://www.rncbc.org/drupal/node/894


Enjoy && keep the fun.
-- 
rncbc aka. Rui Nuno Capela

Re: [Qtractor-devel] It's me again :)

[Rui N. C. <rn...@rn...>]

On 04/27/2015 06:52 PM, Will Godfrey wrote:
> On Sat, 25 Apr 2015 13:34:59 +0100
> Rui Nuno Capela <rn...@rn...> wrote:
>
>> On 04/25/2015 11:49 AM, Will Godfrey wrote:
>>> I'm curious as to how qtractor handles LV2 synths. When trying to use yoshimi
>>> as a plugin I again don't seem to have NRPNs responding, although they now
>>> behave quite correctly in standalone form. Surely there should be no
>>> difference. As far as I can tell (in yoshimi) the same code is used for both.
>>>
>>
>> afaict. there might be a difference: LV2 (and VSTi) plugins get the
>> (N)RPNs always as a de-composited sequence of the regular 4 MIDI CC
>> events, instead of a single ALSA-sequencer composite event
>> (SND_SEQ_EVENT_REGPARAM, SND_SEQ_EVENT_NONREGPARAM). otoh. DSSI plugins
>> get the later ALSA-seq single event form though.
>>
>> cheers
>
> Hmmm, I think I may have an idea what's causing the problem. When you unpack
> the NRPM what order do you send the bytes in?
>

a single composite ALSA-sequencer event, SND_SEQ_EVENT_REGPARAM, 
SND_SEQ_EVENT_NONREGPARAM, is decoded into byte stream via 
snd_midi_event_decode() which *always* turn into a sequence of 4 CCs. 
moreover both MSB and LSB parts are always present as for param number 
*and* data value, in that order.

now, whether the MSB part comes first or after the LSB one might be an 
issue on your side (but isn't on qtractor's (N)RPN input parser though).


> In yoshimi, as soon as we get an NRPN change, the data CCs are disabled,
> cleared, and only re-enabled once a valid command has been received.
>
> Also, we use the data MSB as a command sub level (other synths do this too),
> which then lets us send running bytes to LSB. We do this to simplify things for
> users, and to minimise MIDI traffic.
>
> P.S. while searching the 'net for MIDI info I came across the following
> comment :)
>
> New Book out! 101 ways to do NRPN - all of them wrong.
>

yes, historically there's no sane way to get this whole (N)RPN stuff 
right for everybody all the time--kind of the uncertainty principle 
applied to MIDI ;)

cheers
-- 
rncbc aka. Rui Nuno Capela

Re: [Qtractor-devel] It's me again :)

[Ralf M. <ral...@al...>]

On Mon, 27 Apr 2015 18:52:26 +0100, Will Godfrey wrote:
>New Book out! 101 ways to do NRPN - all of them wrong.

http://www.philrees.co.uk/nrpnq.htm

Old hard real time sequencers with 4 individual MIDI outs and
old synth usually controlled filters and things like this by SysEx
(without checksum, IIRC it's around 7 bytes) in quasi real time.

JFTR running status could be turned of by old sequencers, since it is
another culprit causing issues.

The only issue I already experienced in the 80's and 90's were
master/slave sync incompatibilities, all other MIDI issues are new to
me, an inventions of the post-Atari PC area.

Re: [Qtractor-devel] It's me again :)

[Will G. <wil...@mu...>]

On Sat, 25 Apr 2015 13:34:59 +0100
Rui Nuno Capela <rn...@rn...> wrote:

> On 04/25/2015 11:49 AM, Will Godfrey wrote:
> > I'm curious as to how qtractor handles LV2 synths. When trying to use yoshimi
> > as a plugin I again don't seem to have NRPNs responding, although they now
> > behave quite correctly in standalone form. Surely there should be no
> > difference. As far as I can tell (in yoshimi) the same code is used for both.
> >
> 
> afaict. there might be a difference: LV2 (and VSTi) plugins get the 
> (N)RPNs always as a de-composited sequence of the regular 4 MIDI CC 
> events, instead of a single ALSA-sequencer composite event 
> (SND_SEQ_EVENT_REGPARAM, SND_SEQ_EVENT_NONREGPARAM). otoh. DSSI plugins 
> get the later ALSA-seq single event form though.
> 
> cheers

Hmmm, I think I may have an idea what's causing the problem. When you unpack
the NRPM what order do you send the bytes in?

In yoshimi, as soon as we get an NRPN change, the data CCs are disabled,
cleared, and only re-enabled once a valid command has been received.

Also, we use the data MSB as a command sub level (other synths do this too),
which then lets us send running bytes to LSB. We do this to simplify things for
users, and to minimise MIDI traffic.

P.S. while searching the 'net for MIDI info I came across the following
comment :)

New Book out! 101 ways to do NRPN - all of them wrong.

-- 
Will J Godfrey
http://www.musically.me.uk
Say you have a poem and I have a tune.
Exchange them and we can both have a poem, a tune, and a song.

Re: [Qtractor-devel] It's me again :)

[Rui N. C. <rn...@rn...>]

On 04/25/2015 11:49 AM, Will Godfrey wrote:
> I'm curious as to how qtractor handles LV2 synths. When trying to use yoshimi
> as a plugin I again don't seem to have NRPNs responding, although they now
> behave quite correctly in standalone form. Surely there should be no
> difference. As far as I can tell (in yoshimi) the same code is used for both.
>

afaict. there might be a difference: LV2 (and VSTi) plugins get the 
(N)RPNs always as a de-composited sequence of the regular 4 MIDI CC 
events, instead of a single ALSA-sequencer composite event 
(SND_SEQ_EVENT_REGPARAM, SND_SEQ_EVENT_NONREGPARAM). otoh. DSSI plugins 
get the later ALSA-seq single event form though.

cheers
-- 
rncbc aka. Rui Nuno Capela

[Qtractor-devel] It's me again :)

[Will G. <wil...@mu...>]

I'm curious as to how qtractor handles LV2 synths. When trying to use yoshimi
as a plugin I again don't seem to have NRPNs responding, although they now
behave quite correctly in standalone form. Surely there should be no
difference. As far as I can tell (in yoshimi) the same code is used for both.

-- 
Will J Godfrey
http://www.musically.me.uk
Say you have a poem and I have a tune.
Exchange them and we can both have a poem, a tune, and a song.

Re: [Qtractor-devel] Warning - New kid on the block

[Rui N. C. <rn...@rn...>]

On 2015-04-22 23:33, Will Godfrey wrote:
> On Wed, 22 Apr 2015 19:57:24 +0100
> Rui Nuno Capela <rn...@rn...> wrote:
> 
>> On 04/22/2015 07:17 PM, Will Godfrey wrote:
>> > Hi All,
>> >
>> > I'm trying to get Qtractor talking to yoshimi, both stand-alone and as an LV2
>> > plugin.
>> >
>> > So far, imported MIDI files including basic Bank and Program changes seem OK,
>> > but other CCs, in particular NRPNs seem to be ignored, although if I double
>> > click on the track a new window opens showing them in the 'events' column all
>> > perfectly correct.
>> >
>> > What am I doing wrong?
>> >
>> 
>> hi
>> 
>> how do you know it's being ignored?
>> 
>> if in doubt, place aseqdump or kmidimon at qtractor midi output and
>> check that out for evidence.
>> 
>> cheers
> 
> I found out what the problem was. I hadn't come across any sequencer 
> actually
> sending 14 bit NRPNs. Well Yoshimi handles them now. Probably aren't 
> many other
> synths that do.
> 

that's right, i confess :)

qtractor does have this "idiosyncrasy" to transform any (N)RPN composite 
event on input or file, be that either 7 or 14bit, into a "well formed" 
14bit one on output.

cheers
-- 
rncbc aka. Rui Nuno Capela

Re: [Qtractor-devel] Warning - New kid on the block

[Will G. <wil...@mu...>]

On Wed, 22 Apr 2015 19:57:24 +0100
Rui Nuno Capela <rn...@rn...> wrote:

> On 04/22/2015 07:17 PM, Will Godfrey wrote:
> > Hi All,
> >
> > I'm trying to get Qtractor talking to yoshimi, both stand-alone and as an LV2
> > plugin.
> >
> > So far, imported MIDI files including basic Bank and Program changes seem OK,
> > but other CCs, in particular NRPNs seem to be ignored, although if I double
> > click on the track a new window opens showing them in the 'events' column all
> > perfectly correct.
> >
> > What am I doing wrong?
> >
> 
> hi
> 
> how do you know it's being ignored?
> 
> if in doubt, place aseqdump or kmidimon at qtractor midi output and 
> check that out for evidence.
> 
> cheers

I found out what the problem was. I hadn't come across any sequencer actually
sending 14 bit NRPNs. Well Yoshimi handles them now. Probably aren't many other
synths that do.


-- 
Will J Godfrey
http://www.musically.me.uk
Say you have a poem and I have a tune.
Exchange them and we can both have a poem, a tune, and a song.

Re: [Qtractor-devel] Warning - New kid on the block

[Rui N. C. <rn...@rn...>]

On 04/22/2015 07:17 PM, Will Godfrey wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> I'm trying to get Qtractor talking to yoshimi, both stand-alone and as an LV2
> plugin.
>
> So far, imported MIDI files including basic Bank and Program changes seem OK,
> but other CCs, in particular NRPNs seem to be ignored, although if I double
> click on the track a new window opens showing them in the 'events' column all
> perfectly correct.
>
> What am I doing wrong?
>

hi

how do you know it's being ignored?

if in doubt, place aseqdump or kmidimon at qtractor midi output and 
check that out for evidence.

cheers
-- 
rncbc aka. Rui Nuno Capela

[Qtractor-devel] Warning - New kid on the block

[Will G. <wil...@mu...>]

Hi All,

I'm trying to get Qtractor talking to yoshimi, both stand-alone and as an LV2
plugin.

So far, imported MIDI files including basic Bank and Program changes seem OK,
but other CCs, in particular NRPNs seem to be ignored, although if I double
click on the track a new window opens showing them in the 'events' column all
perfectly correct.

What am I doing wrong?


-- 
Will J Godfrey
http://www.musically.me.uk
Say you have a poem and I have a tune.
Exchange them and we can both have a poem, a tune, and a song.

Re: [Qtractor-devel] More serious Pgm Change bug

[Rui N. C. <rn...@rn...>]

On 04/03/2015 01:37 PM, Ralf Mardorf wrote:
> PS:
>
> And what, if the MIDI interface at start position is on heavy traffic
> and data for some channels could be send at later positions to avoid
> unneeded traffic? Most of the times it's possible to add an empty bar at
> the beginning, but that can't be done always. If it can't be done, it's
> important to move program changes and similar stuff to later positions
> in the timeline when ever possible.
>

MIDI traffic is NOT the problem per se.

whet you are probably thinking of is that (some old, the older the 
worse) MIDI instruments, as actual sound generators, synths, samplers, 
whatever, due to their sole electronic/mechanical/digital 
implementation, might react in a non negligible extent of time for such 
MIDI setup messages, like bank_select, program_change, (N)RPN, sysex, 
etc., and the effects of which might not be immediately available or 
evident--that's why all performance events are/were usually delayed a 
bar or so after the instrument setup data.

of course this has nothing to do with the MIDI spec "tout couer" but it 
is/was a pragmatic convention, good practice and/or recommendations for 
GS/XG sequencing from which qtractor followed suit and enforced in its 
design model as a MIDI sequencer.

again, as said earlier, you can have program_change events interleaved 
in the sequence whenever you like, provided the imported MIDI file was 
assembled elsewhere but on qtractor. the issue arises when qtractor deos 
re-create/re-write the MIDI file seguence, where it always inserts the 
MIDI track instrument parameters (bank_select, program_change) at the 
beginning (at BBT=1.1.0000) of the corresponding channel sequence.

again, this is NOT a BUG. rather it's WAD, working as (long ago) designed.

byee
-- 
rncbc aka. Rui Nuno Capela

Re: [Qtractor-devel] More serious Pgm Change bug

[Ralf M. <ral...@al...>]

PS:

And what, if the MIDI interface at start position is on heavy traffic
and data for some channels could be send at later positions to avoid
unneeded traffic? Most of the times it's possible to add an empty bar at
the beginning, but that can't be done always. If it can't be done, it's
important to move program changes and similar stuff to later positions
in the timeline when ever possible.

Re: [Qtractor-devel] More serious Pgm Change bug

[Ralf M. <ral...@al...>]

Hi Rui

On Fri, 3 Apr 2015 12:33:15 +0100, Rui Nuno Capela wrote:
>it's NOT a bug, never was. it's just the way it is, in qtractor MIDI 
>design model for a little less than a decade already.

For a sequencer it anyway still is a bug.

>so, pragmatically speaking, if you want different MIDI instrument 
>voicings playing, then you'll have to make it on different MIDI
>channels.

Fortunately this even isn't true for Qtractor. It's possible to change
the program within one MIDI track. Some sounds need to be used this
way, e.g. the European DX7 factory Cartridge sounds "ST.HELENS" and
"EXPLOSION", since the sound "ST.HELENS" is needed to trigger
the sound "EXPLOSION" by a program change.

It's absolutely against MIDI standards and against human sense to
enforce a program chance at the start position, when a program change
is found at a later position.

For example, you're using a sequencer for improvisation. By hand, not
by a sequencer you are playing a synth, after a while you start the
sequencer that in addition to you plays the same synth and after a while
later, the sequencer should change the program number.

It's common practise to do something like this, it's not freakish and
the MIDI standard implies this option.

No matter how you look at it, it's a bug.

The sequencer should record and play what the musician plays.

Regards,
Ralf

Re: [Qtractor-devel] More serious Pgm Change bug

[Rui N. C. <rn...@rn...>]

On 04/03/2015 10:50 AM, Ralf Mardorf wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I'm the composer, I'm the one who knows in what way external gear is
> connected and used, so for good reasons I decided to have a Pgm Change
> at time 2.1.000 in a clip from 1.1.000 to 11.1.000. How can I get rid of
> the Pgm Change that Qtractor automatically adds at time 1.1.000?
>

you don't.

> If I delete the unwanted Pgm Change and/or select "Program: (None)",
> then save the .mid file and the .qtr file, close and restart Qtractor,
> the unwanted Pgm Change appears again and breaks my composition.
>
> A workaround to start with another Pgm Change at 1.1.000 and to change
> to the wanted at 2.1.000 won't do the trick, there simply should be no
> Pgm Change in the timeline, where I did not add one myself.
>

it's NOT a bug, never was. it's just the way it is, in qtractor MIDI 
design model for a little less than a decade already.

take note:

1) one MIDI track conveys to one and only MIDI channel, although you can 
have several MIDI tracks addressing the same MIDI channel.

2) a MIDI instrument bank and program are properties of a MIDI track and 
thus also of the corresponding MIDI channel; this time, you can only 
have one instrument bank/program setting per MIDI channel; a MIDI 
bank_select/program_change message is always sent through the assigned 
MIDI track's output bus/port on startup or immediately after the MIDI 
port connection eventually changes.

3) all the above happens independently of any MIDI clip content on 
playback, which might have its own MIDI bank_select/program_change 
events interleaved on the same channel: that's pretty legal MIDI form 
and qtractor will play that exactly as originally intended, however:

4) when writing to any new MIDI file on its own, be that created on 
recording, exporting, merging and most importantly, editing over an 
existing one, the qtractor's MIDI track bank/program properties (2) will 
get always written at the beginning of the sequence no matter what.

5) when reading any MIDI file, the earliest bank_select/program_change 
message that are found on each MIDI track or channel in sequence will be 
assigned and honored as the new MIDI intrument setting (bank, program) 
as for the current MIDI track being loaded, if not already set before.

so, pragmatically speaking, if you want different MIDI instrument 
voicings playing, then you'll have to make it on different MIDI channels.

hth.
cheers
-- 
rncbc aka. Rui Nuno Capela

[Qtractor-devel] More serious Pgm Change bug

[Ralf M. <ral...@al...>]

Hi,

I'm the composer, I'm the one who knows in what way external gear is
connected and used, so for good reasons I decided to have a Pgm Change
at time 2.1.000 in a clip from 1.1.000 to 11.1.000. How can I get rid of
the Pgm Change that Qtractor automatically adds at time 1.1.000?

If I delete the unwanted Pgm Change and/or select "Program: (None)",
then save the .mid file and the .qtr file, close and restart Qtractor,
the unwanted Pgm Change appears again and breaks my composition.

A workaround to start with another Pgm Change at 1.1.000 and to change
to the wanted at 2.1.000 won't do the trick, there simply should be no
Pgm Change in the timeline, where I did not add one myself.

Regards,
Ralf

[Qtractor-devel] [ANN] Qtractor 0.6.6 - The Lazy Tachyon is out!

[Rui N. C. <rn...@rn...>]

And finally, for the wrap of the pre-LAC2015@JGU-Mainz [1] release 
party, no other than the 'crown jewel' of the whole Qstuff* bunch ;)

   Qtractor 0.6.6 (lazy tachyon beta) is out!

Release highlights:

* LV2 and VST plugins GUI position persistence (NEW)
* MIDI clip editor record/overdub note rendering (FIX)
* VST plugin recursive discovery/search path (NEW)
* VST-shell sub-plugins support (FIX)
* also some old and new lurking bugs squashed.

Qtractor [2] is an audio/MIDI multi-track sequencer application written 
in C++ with the Qt4 framework. Target platform is Linux, where the Jack 
Audio Connection Kit (JACK [3]) for audio and the Advanced Linux Sound 
Architecture (ALSA [4]) for MIDI are the main infrastructures to evolve 
as a fairly-featured Linux desktop audio workstation GUI, specially 
dedicated to the personal home-studio.

Website:
   http://qtractor.sourceforge.net

Project page:
   http://sourceforge.net/projects/qtractor

Downloads:
   http://sourceforge.net/projects/qtractor/files

- source tarball:
   http://download.sourceforge.net/qtractor/qtractor-0.6.6.tar.gz

- source package (openSUSE 13.2):
 
http://download.sourceforge.net/qtractor/qtractor-0.6.6-16.rncbc.suse132.src.rpm

- binary packages (openSUSE 13.2):
 
http://download.sourceforge.net/qtractor/qtractor-0.6.6-16.rncbc.suse132.i586.rpm
 
http://download.sourceforge.net/qtractor/qtractor-0.6.6-16.rncbc.suse132.x86_84.rpm

- quick start guide & user manual (see also: the wiki):
   http://download.sourceforge.net/qtractor/qtractor-0.5.x-user-manual.pdf

- wiki (help really wanted!):
   http://sourceforge.net/p/qtractor/wiki/

Weblog (upstream support):
   http://www.rncbc.org

License:
   Qtractor is free, open-source software, distributed under the terms 
of the GNU General Public License (GPL [5]) version 2 or later.

Change-log:
- MIDI clip record/reopen to/from SMF format 0 has been fixed.
- LV2 and VST plugins GUI editor widget position is preserved across 
hide/show cycles.
- Added application description as freedesktop.org's AppData [6].
- Added a "Don't ask this again" prompt option to zip/archive extrated 
directory removal/replace warning messages.
- MIDI clip editor (aka. piano-roll) gets lingering notes properly shown 
while on record/overdubbing.
- Current highlighted client/port connections are now drawn with thicker 
connector lines.
- Fixing segfaults due to QClipboard::mimeData() returning an invalid 
null pointer while on Qt5 and Weston.
- Return of an old hack/fix for some native VST plugins with GUI editor, 
on whether to skip the explicit shared library unloading on close and 
thus avoid some mysterious crashes on session and/or application exit.
- Force reset of plugin selection list when any of the plugin search 
paths change (in View/Options.../Plugins/Paths).
- Recursive VST plugin search is now in effect for inventory and 
discovery on path sub-directories (VST only).
- Non-dummy scannig for regular VST, non-shell plugins, were doomed to 
infinite-loop freezes on discovery, now fixed.


References:

[1] LAC2015@JGU-Mainz - Linux Audio Conference 2015
     The Open Source Music and Sound Conference
     April 9-12 @ Johannes Gutenberg University (JGU) Mainz, Germany
     http://lac.linuxaudio.org/2015/

[2] Qtractor - An audio/MIDI multi-track sequencer
     http://qtractor.sourceforge.net

[3] JACK Audio Connection Kit
     http://jackaudio.org

[4] ALSA, Advanced Linux Sound Architecture
     http://www.alsa-project.org/

[5] GPL - GNU General Public License
     http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html

[6] AppData Specification
     http://people.freedesktop.org/~hughsient/appdata/


See also:
   http://www.rncbc.org/drupal/node/879


Enjoy && keep the fun.--
rncbc aka. Rui Nuno Capela

[Qtractor-devel] Linux Audio Conference 2015 - Extension of Deadline

[Frank N. <bea...@we...>]

[Sorry for cross-posting, please distribute.]

The Linux Audio Conference submissions deadline has been extended for
another week! Please note the new deadline:

    Sunday, Feb 8th, 2015 (23:59 HAST)

So, if you were considering to submit a paper but couldn't make up your
mind yet, here is your chance to become active! Never forget that this
conference lives through the people participating in it.

February 8th is the new deadline for all submission types: papers,
music, installations, workshop proposals.

Check out the link below for more info:
http://lac.linuxaudio.org/2015/participation

Note that as usual we have created two different OpenConf instances: one
for the submission of regular papers, lightning talks and poster
sessions, and a second one for music, installations and workshop
proposals. For the latter, please also check the detailed instructions
at http://lac.linuxaudio.org/2015/download/lac2015-call-for-miw.pdf.

If you have any questions concerning your submission, please don't
hesitate to contact us at la...@li..., or through our #lac2015
IRC channel on freenode.net.

Please spread this information to anyone who might be interested.

We look forward to your submissions and hope to meet you in Mainz in
April!

Sincerely,
The LAC 2015 Organizing Team

[Qtractor-devel] [ANN] Qtractor 0.6.5 - The Fermion Ray beta is out!

[Rui N. C. <rn...@rn...>]

Spread the word,

   Qtractor 0.6.5 (fermion ray beta) is out!

Release highlights:

* MIDI clip record/overdubbing (NEW)
* Extended track multi-selection for mute/solo (NEW)
* VST-shell sub-plugins support (NEW)
* JACK transport start/stop resilience (FIX)

And still,

   Qtractor is an audio/MIDI multi-track sequencer application written 
in C++ with the Qt4 framework. Target platform is Linux, where the Jack 
Audio Connection Kit (JACK) for audio and the Advanced Linux Sound 
Architecture (ALSA) for MIDI are the main infrastructures to evolve as a 
fairly-featured Linux desktop audio workstation GUI, specially dedicated 
to the personal home-studio.

Website:
   http://qtractor.sourceforge.net

Project page:
   http://sourceforge.net/projects/qtractor

Downloads:
   http://sourceforge.net/projects/qtractor/files

- source tarball:
   http://download.sourceforge.net/qtractor/qtractor-0.6.5.tar.gz

- source package (openSUSE 13.2):
 
http://download.sourceforge.net/qtractor/qtractor-0.6.5-15.rncbc.suse132.src.rpm

- binary packages (openSUSE 13.2):
 
http://download.sourceforge.net/qtractor/qtractor-0.6.5-15.rncbc.suse132.i586.rpm
 
http://download.sourceforge.net/qtractor/qtractor-0.6.5-15.rncbc.suse132.x86_84.rpm

- quick start guide & user manual (see also: the wiki):
   http://download.sourceforge.net/qtractor/qtractor-0.5.x-user-manual.pdf

- wiki (help really wanted!):
   http://sourceforge.net/p/qtractor/wiki/

Weblog (upstream support):
   http://www.rncbc.org

License:
   Qtractor is free, open-source software, distributed under the terms 
of the GNU General Public License (GPL) version 2 or later.

Change-log:
- Connections lines now drawn with anti-aliasing; connections splitter 
handles width is now reduced; the MIDI connections splitter pane sizes 
are now saved and restored properly.
- Extended multi-selection is now featured on the track-list (main 
left-pane), primarily allowing for group mute/solo (and monitor) switching.
- Track-list (left pane) header column widths are now saved and made 
persistent across application power cycle (double-click reverts to the 
old original default).
- Minor fixes on the MIDI clip event list editor, also making sure the 
current event is visible on the piano-roll view.
- As long to prevent asynchronous mistakes to JACK transport state 
changes, an internal slack-delay is now introduced after self-initiated 
transport commands (eg. start/stop).
- The MIDI clip editor (aka. piano-roll) was missing to clear or reset 
the current selection when no shift/ctrl keyboard modifier is in effect.
- VST-shell sub-plugins are now supported (as suggested by abique aka. 
Alexandre Bique, thanks).
- MIDI clip record/overdubbing is now possible (Clip/Record on the main 
menu or File/Record from the MIDI clip editor.
- Make sure some audio sample file encodings (eg. old Ogg Vorbis) does 
not head-start on audio peak generation.


See also:
   http://www.rncbc.org/drupal/node/858


Enjoy && have fun.
--
rncbc aka. Rui Nuno Capela

[Qtractor-devel] Linux Audio Conference 2015 - Call for Participation

[Frank N. <bea...@we...>]

[Sorry for cross-posting, please distribute.]

Linux Audio Conference 2015 - Call for Participation

(Due to exceptional circumstances, this announcement comes a bit late,
so please note the early deadline of Feb 1st for submissions. We
apologize.)

We are happy to announce the next issue of the Linux Audio Conference
(LAC), April 9-12, 2015 @ JGU | Johannes Gutenberg University, in
Mainz, Germany.

   http://lac.linuxaudio.org/2015/

The Linux Audio Conference is an international conference that brings
together musicians, sound artists, software developers and researchers,
working with Linux as an open, stable, professional platform for audio
and media research and music production. LAC includes paper sessions,
workshops, and a diverse program of electronic music.

*Call for Papers, Workshops, Music and Installations*

We invite submissions of papers addressing all areas of audio processing
and media creation based on Linux and other open source software. Papers
can focus on technical, artistic and scientific issues and should target
developers or users. In our call for music, we are looking for works
that have been produced or composed entirely/mostly using Linux and
other open source music software.

The online submission of papers, workshops, music and installations is
now open at http://lac.linuxaudio.org/2015/participation

The deadline for all submissions is Feb 1st, 2015 (23:59 HAST).

You are invited to register for participation on our conference website.
There you will find up-to-date instructions, as well as important
information about dates, travel, lodging, and so on.

This year's conference is hosted by the Computer Music Research Group
(Bereich Musikinformatik) at the IKM (Institut für Kunstgeschichte und
Musikwissenschaft) of the Johannes Gutenberg University (JGU) at
Mainz. Being founded in 1991, our research group has been among the
first German academic institutions in this interdisciplinary field at
the intersection of music, mathematics, computer science and media
technology. In our media lab students are working almost exclusively
with Linux, and in our research we are also devoted to contributing to
the growing body of open source audio and computer music software.

   http://www.musikwissenschaft.uni-mainz.de/Musikinformatik/

We look forward to your submissions and hope to meet you in Mainz in
April!

Sincerely,
The LAC 2015 Organizing Team

[Qtractor-devel] [ANN] Qtractor 0.6.4 - The Baryon Throne beta release!

[Rui N. C. <rn...@rn...>]

Aw, snap!

   Wait, there's no big deal (nor chromium's) cosmic (mis)alignment 
being announced here now. Rest calm. Sorry to delude some of you :)

   But, there's one (notable) leap on this tiny side and part of the 
universe... (or is it a multiverse? move along...) What I really want to 
tell is all about this happening and none else's freaking business:

   Qtractor 0.6.4 (baryon throne beta) is released!

Release highlights:
* Punch-in/out over loop-recording/take modes (NEW)
* Latch/momentary MIDI Controllers toggle mode (NEW)
* JACK client/port pretty-name (metadata) support (NEW)
* Custom style and color themes (NEW)
* Mixer strip multi-row layout (NEW)
* Muted audio tracks monitoring on playback (FIX)
* Clip fade-in/out resize on time-stretch (FIX)

As for the clueless (as if there's any):

   Qtractor is an audio/MIDI multi-track sequencer application written 
in C++ with the Qt4 framework. Target platform is Linux, where the Jack 
Audio Connection Kit (JACK) for audio and the Advanced Linux Sound 
Architecture (ALSA) for MIDI are the main infrastructures to evolve as a 
fairly-featured Linux desktop audio workstation GUI, specially dedicated 
to the personal home-studio.

   Well, although this being yet another milestone--if one may call it 
that way--it also makes it official (yes, deeply engraved in stone) and 
definitive as a migration to Git can be, as for source-code control and 
management (it's a dirty job I know, but someone has to do it, right?). 
Nevermind. It's done.

   Meanwhile, please, don't ever hesitate to ask whether any of the 
above does affect you some way or another. Or maybe anything else, yay? 
Indeed, the puzzled you feel, the better :)


Website:
   http://qtractor.sourceforge.net

Project page:
   http://sourceforge.net/projects/qtractor

Downloads:
   http://sourceforge.net/projects/qtractor/files

- source tarball:
   http://download.sourceforge.net/qtractor/qtractor-0.6.4.tar.gz

- source package (openSUSE 13.2):
 
http://download.sourceforge.net/qtractor/qtractor-0.6.4-14.rncbc.suse132.src.rpm

- binary packages (openSUSE 13.2):
 
http://download.sourceforge.net/qtractor/qtractor-0.6.4-14.rncbc.suse132.i586.rpm
 
http://download.sourceforge.net/qtractor/qtractor-0.6.4-14.rncbc.suse132.x86_84.rpm

- quick start guide & user manual (see also: the wiki):
   http://download.sourceforge.net/qtractor/qtractor-0.5.x-user-manual.pdf

- wiki (help wanted!):
   http://sourceforge.net/p/qtractor/wiki/

Weblog (upstream support):
   http://www.rncbc.org

License:
   Qtractor is free, open-source software, distributed under the terms 
of the GNU General Public License (GPL) version 2 or later.

Change-log:
- Fixed some old loop-recording clip drawing glitches.
- Current assigned track/channel instrument definition names for MIDI 
controllers, note keys, RPN and NRPN, are now in effect on the MIDI clip 
editor drop-down lists, whether available.
- Clip/Take/Range... input dialog values are now properly sanitized as 
long to prevent invalid take/folding ranges.
- Audio capture/export file type default now set to "wav".
- Extending punch-in/out over loop-recording/takes modes.
- Make audio tracks monitoring always flow while playback is rolling, 
independently of their mute/solo state.
- Fixed undo/redo conversion of audio clip offsets under (automatic) 
time-stretching eg. due on tempo changes. (ticket by Holger Marzen, thanks).
- Latch/momentary MIDI Controllers toggle mode introduced (a request by 
AutoStatic aka. Jeremy Jongepier, thanks).
- JACK client/port pretty-name (metadata) support is being seamlessly 
introduced. (EXPERIMENTAL)
- Audio frame/MIDI time drift correction is now an option on 
View/Options.../MIDI/Playback/Enable MIDI queue time drift correction.
- Transport auto-backward feature now honoring last position playback 
was started.
- Introducing brand new application user preferences on 
View/Options.../Display/Options/Custom style and color themes (eg. 
"KXStudio", by Filipe Coelho aka. falkTX).
- Mixer widget gets automatic multi-row strip layout.
- Clip fade-in/out now follows time-stretch resizing, via 
shift/ctrl+click and drag one of its edges.
- Fixed a typo causing FTBFS when VST plug-in support is explicitly 
disabled (./configure --disable-vst).


See also:
   http://www.rncbc.org/drupal/node/834


Enjoy && have plenty of fun.
--
rncbc aka. Rui Nuno Capela