Midi output

Hi all,

I am trying to set up Ardour 4 to record Midi and play it back through the same external sound device (a Roland HPD-20). The recording works flawlessly, but I cannot get the playback to work. Where do I look for solutions?

I am using Ardour with Alsa and without Jack (which is very unstable in my configuration since the switch from Ardour 3 to 4). So I cannot use the Jack Patchbay. And I have a very limited understanding ofArdour’s own patchbay. How can I make sure the signals are actually sent from the midi-out on my interface? (so that I can tell whether it is my computer or the HPD that is the problem)?

Hi,
did you press the “disk” button in the track?

Hm, I tried, but it makes no difference. I thought the “disk” button is only about monitoring audio output in Ardour, either from an audio track or from a midi instrument plugin? Or is it referring to the Midi signals themselves? I need to confirm that the track is sending out any signals to my midi device which is supposed to act as an expander - all the monitoring then happens externally.

Please, could you more explain the chain of your signal (from your fingers to your ears:)

My HPD-20 Midi In&outs are connected to the appropriate Midi In and Out of my Tascam US-122 Audio Interface. My Thinkpad x230 runs KxStudio and Ardour 4.6.22.

Now comes the part where I simply don’t have enough understanding. I do not know where the signals are going between driver and Ardour. I use ALSA with no Pulse Audio installed. A2jmidid is running, but since I cannot run Jack, I assume this has no purpose. However the input signals do arrive in Ardour without any tweaking of the standard settings, so I can record Midi and listen to it if I add an instrument plugin. But I cannot play the signals back through the device. As I say I don’t fully understand the Ardour-Patchbay, and I don’t know where else to look. I think I need to learn more about how all of this works, to give a more detailed reply…

a2jmidid cannot be running if JACK is not running, so there is some deep confusion here.

I suggest you join us on IRC (Help > Chat ; or via the Support link at the top right of this page) where we can interact with you in real time (fast!) and get things figured out.