NielsoMar 13

How to clock-sync a delay #plugin in #Carla using #MIDI clock on #UbuntuStudio #Linux?

I have a DIY hardware MIDI clock feeding all kinds of stuff, including my PC of needed. Yet Jack Midi does not seem to route MIDI clock messages at all.

So I need something to sync my Jack transport to MIDI clock.

So there's this guy on YouTube who claims to have solved the issue by writing midi-clock-jack-bridge “using AI”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Covwhqap27c

Here's his (?) code… https://github.com/ariel10aguero/midi-clock-jack-bridge

Okay, there's some compiler warnings, but it seems to do the job. I can use my #Tal #DubX #Delay and sync to plugin host, which translates to Jack transport, which is sync'ed to #MidiClock from an USB MIDI input.

Now I'm actually experimenting feeding #DecentSampler with #VenusTheory samples from my bass which has a #RolandGK3 #MidiPickup system (I got one of the rare GI-20 units).

EDIT: I fooled myself completely. While this looks good, it DOES NOT SYNC the tempo of my delay. See 🧵.

#LinuxAudio #LinuxProAudio #LinuxMusician

Show threadMomoMar 13

@nielso
I try to remember what the issue is here, because I know Jack forwards the alsa midi devices and you can use it to link devices together in Carla (as an addition to aconnect on the shell). I also remember seeing midi clock messages in the data stream... ah wait, Jack has its own start-stop-resume message feature it uses to synchronize audio and video streams, right? And you need to sync that one to a midi clock source to use it in your applications?

That's interesting! I remember I had a hard time syncing software plugins to external gear. It kinda worked when I ignored the existence of Jack and use native Alsa for midi transport but a) the latency was immense (150-250ms) and b) not all plugins were able to use Alsa for midi and Jack for Audio, so I eventually gave up entirely and went full DAWless.

I own a hardware midi clock (Nome 1, was Midronome: https://simntonic.com/pages/about-nome-ii) and I always wondered how they solved this issue. Answer is simple: Linux not supported. 🤣

About Nome II

Learn about the Nome II and what it can do! This new innovative MIDI Clock will blow your mind.

Sim'n Tonic
Show threadNielsoMar 13

@momo

It turns out that midi_clock_sync does set the Jack Transport tempo, but Carla overrides it with its own setting, so the sync to USB MIDI never happens.

@falktx – is there a way to prevent Carla from enforcing the Jack Transport tempo?

Note that Pipewire apparently does not provide a Transport Clock for its Jack layer, because… who would need that? 🤪 (Or did they implement it by now and I'm not up to date?)

Which basically would mean, this setup of mine, which runs half-ways, will not run on the laptop I intend to use it on. Because that laptop is 100% Pipewire, while my studio desktop machine is old Jack + Pipewire. Oh my.

But I have to do other stuff for a while now.

Would be a start if I could prevent Carla from overriding the tempo.

EDIT: I found Carla doesn't claim Jack Transport Master if there is another master already, but it only checks so on startup apparently, so midi_clock_sync must be started first.

Nasty trick. A checkbox in the GUI would be great.

Show threadMorten Mosgaard

@nielso @momo @falktx I know @dreamer has mentioned midi issues with Pipewire before, so it could definitely be a common issue.

I have never needed to use an incoming midi clock, so I wouldn’t even know where to start.

Have you considered reaching out on Github to the relevant parties?

Mar 13 at 10:46amWeb
Show threadNielsoMar 13

@mosgaard @momo @falktx @dreamer

Turns out Carla can do it with old time Jack when started second, because then it will not claim Jack Transport Master status. (I'd love a checkbox for this.)

I will see with my Pipewire setup on the lapop, but have to do some work for money now first.

Show threadMorten MosgaardMar 13
@nielso sometimes I really wish paying bills was overrated.
Show threadNielsoMar 13

@mosgaard

It's either input or output or both… paying bills wouldn't be an issue if there as an income stream out of nowhere. Yet interestingly, people with such an income stream seem to be busy increasing that stream instead of doing interesting things. 🤪

Show threadDRMRMar 13
@mosgaard Huh, I have?
Show threadMorten MosgaardMar 13

@dreamer I might have missunderstood you then, it was in an answer to my “Everyone should support Pipewire”-post some while ago.

But that might not be about midi compability in Pipewire itselves?

Show threadDRMRMar 13
@mosgaard The only issue I have with MIDI on Linux is with Bitwig :P
Show threadMorten MosgaardMar 13

@dreamer ah! Totally missunderstood that!

Thanks for clarifying and sorry for tagging you in that context.

Show threadNielsoMar 13

@mosgaard @momo @falktx @dreamer

So I now tried this on my laptop, which runs Pipewire 1.4.10 and no oldskool Jack.

It works the same way with current Pipewire versions than it does with old Jack.

I first have to wire up midi_clock_sync and afterwards start Carla.

What is a little confusing is that Carla does not show/update the correct tempo in its transport tab until a plugin such as Tal DubX wants to sync to that tempo. (It does so properly on my other system…)

Show threadNielsoMar 13

@mosgaard @momo @falktx @dreamer

Also Carla does not show my Harrison XT plugin GUI windows.

Apparently this issue had occurred earlier and was resolved, but I still have it in version 2.5.8

Also the ACE plugins from Mixbus or Ardour don't show no GUI.

https://github.com/falkTX/Carla/issues/793

Harrison Mixbus LV2 plugis don't show their GUi · Issue #793 · falkTX/Carla

In the latest CARLA version the Mixbus plugins don't show their GUI and a buzz occurs when trying to open the GUI. Carla 2.0 RC2

GitHub
Show threadNielsoMar 14

@mosgaard @momo @dreamer @falktx

So, experimenting with the delay in #Carla sync'ed to outboard #MIDIclock and delay… the samples by #VenusTheory are worth trying.

Yet the #GI20 #RolandGK3 to #MIDI interface suffers from the shithole called physics… can't properly track a string until you've seen its wave come half the way through, and with bass strings, this takes loooong. Like 30 to 20msec, depending on the pitch. So this is the tracking latency. Needs quite some practice.

But still… fun times ahead and art is in the process, not in the result. 🤪

(Bass not shown in the video. It's a Steinberger Synapse.)

Things with slow attack are easier with the Bass-to-MIDI thing, like the #Waldorf #Streichfett #Synthesizer, so let's again ask @waldorfmusic  for a Linux version of the plugin edition.