README

MIDI-utils
==========

This is a set (one for now) of useful MIDI-translation tools for Linux-based
Digital Audio Workstations. These tools are mainly simplistic hacks but they
do come in handy in some cases. At least in my studio.

midi2midi
---------

A simple program that translates input MIDI-notes into other MIDI-notes or
MIDI CC messages to other MIDI CC messages or even MIDI-notes into Jack
Transport commands using small configuration files.

The whole purpose for this program being written is that basically all MIDI
equipment (at least the ones I own) have their own little quirks. This is
just a way to circumvent these quirks.

This comes in handy when you want to hook up your favorite digital drum-set
to another application or hardware that does not map the correct
sample/generator to the given drum-pad.

I wrote this mainly for fun to be able to play the "Drummer"-application in
a Commodore 64 MSSIAH-cartridge from my Roland TD-9 drum-set. It works like a
charm, and I now have realized that it comes in handy if I'd like to sequence
using e.g. Rosegarden and with as little configuration as possible be able to
replace my TD-9 module as sound source by using e.g. Hydrogen. These two does
not map notes in the same way.

Another nice feature is to prevent repeated program change commands from
being sent to a MIDI device that already had received the same program
number. This became useful to me when I started making music with the
wonderful pattern-based sequencer seq24. But when I put a program change
event in the beginning of a pattern it was sent to my microKORG XL every time
the pattern looped. And since the microKORG XL drops all effects every time
this happens I got some unfortunate "silence" at teach loop start. Check out
the -p flag if you experience the same problems.


Requirements
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libasound2-dev
libjack2-dev

How-to Compile
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make

How-to install
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make install

How-to run
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midi2midi -c configfile.m2m

The configuration file format is quite straight forward. You have a value
which can be either a MIDI note or a MIDI Continuous Controller that is to
be translated into another MIDI note, MIDI Continuous Controller, jack
transport command or a MIDI Machine Control command. These two values are
separated by a single character representing which kind of translation that
need to be done.

midi2midi -p -n ProgramChangePreventor

This will only start the program with the -p flag and name the ALSA MIDI
ports to ProgramChangePreventor reading no configuration at all.

Or you can override the ALSA port names and Jack Transport names with the
-n flag like this:

midi2midi -c configfile.m2m -n RealName

If you would like to just forward all MIDI events except some special ones:

midi2midi -f NOTE_ON,NOTE_OFF -n NoteRemover

Valid filter options are:

  NOTE_ON
  NOTE_OFF
  POLYPHONIC_KEY_PRESSURE
  CONTROL_CHANGE
  PROGRAM_CHANGE
  CHANNEL_PRESSURE
  PITCH_BEND_CHANGE
  CHANNEL_MODE_MESSAGES
  SYSEX
  MIDI_TIME_CODE_QUARTER_FRAME
  SONG_POSITION_POINTER
  SONG_SELECT
  TUNE_REQUEST
  TIMING_CLOCK
  MMC

Command line options
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-h, --help                   Show help text.
-v, --version                Display version information.
-c, --config=file            Note translation configuration file
                             to load. See manual for file format.
-n, --client_name=name       Name of the client. This
                             overrides line 2 in the config file.
-p, --program-repeat-prevent Prevent a program select on a MIDI
                             device to repeated times.
-f, --filter <what>          Filter all specified MIDI messag types.
-d, --debug                  Output debug information.


Example configuration file (roland_td9-mssiah_sid.m2m)
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midi2midi-config-1.0
Roland TD-9/MSSIAH
26:46
47:44
48:43
46:42
45:41
43:41
50:39
38:38
36:36


Example configuration file (event_ezbus2jack_mixer+transport.m2m)
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midi2midi-config-1.1
Event EZ-Bus/Jack Mixer+Transport
12>13
13>15
14>17
15>19
16>21
17>23
18>25
94J1
93J2
92J4
91J5

You can combine both MIDI note to MIDI note and MIDI note to MIDI Continuous
Control messages in the same configuration file.


MIDI note to MIDI note translation
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Separator: ':'

If you have some device producing MIDI notes that does not confirm to some
other device you might want to be able to translate the note value into
something different.

This comes in handy for example with percussion notes. In the example above
I have a Roland TD-9 drum module sending notes for kick, snare, hi-hat and
so on that does not comply to the MSSIAH Drummer application. Hence I need
translate each note into another note, keeping velocity.


MIDI Continuous Controller to MIDI Continuous Controller translation
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Separator: '>'

This works in exactly the same way as notes, but with the difference that
the translation is done on MIDI Continuous Controls instead of notes.

This comes in handy if you have a hardware mixer which sends a specific
MIDI Continuous Control for a channel strip potentiometer but the program
you want to talk to expects another one. This is done with the '>'
separator.


Note to jack transport translation
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Separator: 'J'

This can come in handy if you want to use a keyboard or some other device
sending MIDI notes to produce jack transport commands so that many
audio applications can start/stop playing, rewinding, forwarding and
such things in synchronised harmony using jack transport.

Command matrix:

1 = PLAY
2 = STOP
4 = FAST FORWARD
5 = REWIND
47 = WHEEL


MIDI Continuous Controller to MIDI note translation
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Separator: '?'


Note to MIDI Machine Control
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NOT IMPLEMENTED YET :(