Rosegarden Music Sequencer in Linpus Linux

Using the following instructions I've been able to play 10 track compositions in Rosegarden with no noticeable dropouts. (Download free midi files from here (for example) to use with Rosegarden)

Open a terminal window (Alt+F2)

1 Install the basic apps, Rosegarden, fluidsynth and vkeybd

Code:

sudo yum install fedora-release
sudo yum install rosegarden4 lilypond perl-XML-Twig fluidsynth PersonalCopy-Lite-soundfont vkeybd kdebase

2. launch fluidsynth first, it's important to use the '-c2' option to get low latency (can also use '-c1')

Code:

fluidsynth -a alsa -c2 -i -l -s /usr/share/sondfonts/PCLite.sf2 &

For even more efficiency you can disable reverb and chorus with '-R0 -C0' options, the sound quality is reduced a little.

3. launch vkeybd and connect to fluidsynth using aconnect

Code:

vkeybd &
aconnect 129:0 128:0

Hit a few keys on the virtual keyboard to test. If it won't connect then check the port numbers are correct using 'aconnect -i' and 'aconnect -o'.

In vkeybd you can change instruments from the program list, the soundfont quality is very good (check out the violin, trumpet and flute)

4. launch rosegarden, ignore any jack error, it will automatically connect to fluidsynth

Code:

rosegraden &

Open an example multi-track demo like Djer-Fire.rg and check it plays back smoothly. (If there are any issues then try disabling services like NetworkManager 'sudo yum service NetworkManager stop')

(You can record input from vkeybd by pressing 'record' button on a track)

That's it, your little netbook is now a powerful synthesizer and sequencer

[attachment=0:29kvv71o]Screenshot.jpg[/attachment:29kvv71o]


Note that Timidity can be used in place of fluidsynth (install with 'yum install timidity++'), but I couldn't get quite as good performance from it (I used 'timidity -iA -B2,8 &' to test it)

To stop fluidsynth type 'killall fluidsynth'

 

The example in the image above uses this 13-track Bohemian Rhapsody midi track, which is a little too much for the atom cpu (it mostly plays fine but you get distortion/break ups at ~bar 126). If you keep to under 10 tracks it's usually very smooth, eg try this excellent version of the Beatles' Let It Be

 

I'm getting no sound from either vkeyboard or rosegarden with this...

also some interesting terminal input.. maybe has something to do with it?

Code:

Parameter '/usr/share/sondfonts/PCLite.sf2' not a SoundFont or MIDI file or error occurred identifying it.
fluidsynth: warning: Requested a period size of 64, got 940 instead

 

You need to install the soundfont library

Code:

sudo yum install PersonalCopy-Lite-soundfont