wine users - Nov 2008 - Using Linux Virtual Midi with WINE does not work

Hi,

I have recently started using WINE with the wineasio driver to run my Windows
audio apps. In Windows I did a lot of work using MIDI Yoke (a virtual 'MIDI
cable' driver). The Linux equivalent is the snd-virmidi ALSA driver. I find,
however, that WINE does not send MIDI messages throught the virmidi ports to
Linux Apps.

I have tried this on Ubuntu 8.04 and Puppy Linux 4.0 using WINE 1.1.6. Am I
doing something wrong or does WINE not support the virmidi driver?

Thanks,

Graham
Johannesburg, South Africa

After I read your post this morning, I did a test of my Wine version (1.1.9),
which does misbehave from time to time, but this time just to see whether my
MIDI works. And I found, that for the moment it did not work.

But then I also did some Linux-side troubleshooting, and found out that even my
Linux program "KMid" would not produce sound, because my own
"Tiimidity" server had locked up.

Long story short, by restarting my own Tmidity server, I found I was able to get
my own Wine-MIDI interface working again, such that "Noteworthy
Composer" plays correctly. Thus, I concluded that on the surface, using the
ALSA Wine drivers, getting MIDI to work is possible.

But this does not mean, to upgrade to version 1.1.9 of Wine immediately, because
just doing these upgrades may in fact just expose you to regressions.

If I could make a guess: You meed to be very sure of exactly which "Virtual
MIDI" kernel modules you have loaded, because the kernel modules named
along with "Virtual MIDI" can mean different things. One of them is a
module, which just sends MIDI sequences to its port, to the hardware MIDI output
of the sound card. Even if you have no sound font loaded. While another one has
to do with USB-MIDI-Cables. And another definition for 'Virtual MIDI'
has to do with the Virtual Controllers for pitch, amplitude and so on, of which
there are many. The responsible drivers and modules all seem to have similar
names, so beware!

Just to see whether the Virtual / Cable MIDI ports are working under Linux,
first try running a Linux app to use them as its output. If you don't have
one, try "KMid" ?

If the port works with a Linux app, then you know it's not a Wine issue,
because I think that to the applications the ports all 'look' the same.

BTW, I only have my own MIDI server, no cables yet, on my own PC.

Secondly, I'm not sure whether I can recognize which Wine driver you're
referring to as "wineaseo" ?  I do know that Wine makes no promise to
emulate Windows-installed drivers. So if you installed drivers specifically for
use with Wine - again - beware. Wine is based entirely on the assumption, of
using Linux drivers, to make them look like Windows resources. And the FAQ seems
to say, that the only exception planned for the future, may be printers ?

Anyhow, I hope you get it sorted out.
Dirk

Hi,

As an experiment, Graham, can you try following Dave Hayes' instructions for
Reaper, here:
http://www.davehayes.org/2007/04/27/howto-reaper-on-ubuntu-linux-with-wineasio

Read all the comments below the instructions before you start -- I'm not
sure
he fully updated with the suggestions.

Regards,

-- Peter

ggoode.sa wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> I have recently started using WINE with the wineasio driver to run my
> Windows audio apps. In Windows I did a lot of work using MIDI Yoke (a
> virtual 'MIDI cable' driver). The Linux equivalent is the
snd-virmidi ALSA
> driver. I find, however, that WINE does not send MIDI messages throught the
> virmidi ports to Linux Apps.
> 
> I have tried this on Ubuntu 8.04 and Puppy Linux 4.0 using WINE 1.1.6. Am I
> doing something wrong or does WINE not support the virmidi driver?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Graham Johannesburg, South Africa
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>

Hi Peter and all who follow this thread,

I have wineasio working. Wineasio is NOT the problem - pleased forget wineasio.

I don't have the Virtual Midi Ports provided by the snd-virmidi kernel
module working.

To create the virtual midi ports do 'modprobe snd-virmidi index=1'.
Configure WINE to use ALSA. Install MIDI-OX in WINE. Configure MIDI-OX to accept
MIDI signals from the 1st virtual midi port and Map the input through to the 2nd
virtual midi port. Link the 1st virtual midi port to your MIDI keyboard using
aconnect. Start Qsynth in Linux and configure input from the 2nd virtual midi
port. Play notes. Nothing. Link MIDI keyboard straight to Qsynth, play notes -
sound plays.

Conclusion - snd-virmid driver does not work in WINE, OR, snd-virmidi is not
correctly set up for WINE to use.

Which one is correct?

Graham