Hi there,

I'm attempting to use MIDI to control certain aspects of a realtime Csound
orchestra with no success. My problem is as follows:

I'm using Cecilia on a Mac connected to a standard serial to MIDI
interface. I'm using a Peavey PC 1600 MIDI fader box to send control
info into Csound. I am also taking realtime audio input for processing 
(which the slider box is supposed to control). The problem, however,
seems not to be with the setup, but with Csound and OMS. If I turn 
MIDI-control on in Cecilia and then compile, it automatically 
quits the program and gives an error message. When I
restart Cecilia and compile again, the Csound message box gives an error
saying that it is already signed into OMS. Suspecting this might be a
Cecilia problem, i tried compiling just using the standard Csound front
end, but the same thing happened. I have also tried compiling without
any MIDI equipment connected. This happens on every Mac I have tried it
on. I know there must be a way to get MIDI control working or else there
wouldn't be opcodes and options for it. I would preferably be doing this on an SGI, but my Mac at home is faster than our Indy. What are the basics of using MIDI to control Csound and does it require editing the command line before compiling? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Peter Traub
ptraub@dartmouth.edu

I had a hell of a time on Mac getting MIDI to work.  OMS is the driver of
choice, so that's good.  One thing that was frustrating was that whenever
there was ANY error in my score (typos, etc.), not only would Csound
close, but the computer would freeze up with a "perf error -10" or
something like that and I'd have to reboot. As you can imagine, this can
be frustrating when working on a project that requires a lot of testing
and retesting.  The best solution, I guess, to this problem is to test all
of your scripts using a standard score and no MIDI, then when you know
everything is okay, integrate the MIDI opcodes. Also try testing with the
simplest possible MIDI script, reducing the possibility that another
factor could be fouling you up.

I'm not familiar with Cecilia, so I hope I'm not thinking of a completely
different problem than you are.  But I hope this helps in some way.  Good
luck!

			Kevin Gallagher, kgallagh@astro.temple.edu 
			Web Address - http://astro.temple.edu/~kgallagh

On 26 Jul 1998, Peter M. Traub wrote:

> Hi there,
> 
> I'm attempting to use MIDI to control certain aspects of a realtime Csound
> orchestra with no success. My problem is as follows:
> 
> I'm using Cecilia on a Mac connected to a standard serial to MIDI
> interface. I'm using a Peavey PC 1600 MIDI fader box to send control
> info into Csound. I am also taking realtime audio input for processing 
> (which the slider box is supposed to control). The problem, however,
> seems not to be with the setup, but with Csound and OMS. If I turn 
> MIDI-control on in Cecilia and then compile, it automatically 
> quits the program and gives an error message. When I
> restart Cecilia and compile again, the Csound message box gives an error
> saying that it is already signed into OMS. Suspecting this might be a
> Cecilia problem, i tried compiling just using the standard Csound front
> end, but the same thing happened. I have also tried compiling without
> any MIDI equipment connected. This happens on every Mac I have tried it
> on. I know there must be a way to get MIDI control working or else there
> wouldn't be opcodes and options for it. I would preferably be doing this on an SGI, but my Mac at home is faster than our Indy. What are the basics of using MIDI to control Csound and does it require editing the command line before compiling? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Peter Traub
> ptraub@dartmouth.edu
> 

what version of 'perf' do you have?  
(there might be newer version out - which may or may not be a good thing
- htere has been alot of MIDI changes in the code in the last few
versions, plus Opcode changed something in the Libs at one point also
that was messing MIDI up)

but the main problem is that MIDI hasnt been tested that much on PPC and
if people have been having problems they havent been letting us know about
it (until now..)

to everyone:
ACTUALLY THIS IS THE BEST TIME TO REPORT BUGS OR REQUEST FEATURES
since i am working on a newe version trying to keep up with John Ffitch
and Richard Boulanger (and his students?) who are in Boston doing a full
out bug extermination as we speak...

maybe this is just my bias coming through, but unless you are doing
something really simple synthesis/wise you most likely are going to be
disappointed with the mac Real Time MIDI.  i would suggest just do all
your MIDI shit with in a sequencer then save to a MIDI file and use that
to control your orc.  although i would assume youre trying to use csound
because your synth cant do what you want anyway - so might be hard to hear
what youre doing when working with the sequencer...

nevertheless,
i'll try to get my hands on some MIDI gear to test things in the next few
days.

-matt
(for dave & mike)



On 26 Jul 1998, Peter M. Traub wrote:

> Hi there,
> 
> I'm attempting to use MIDI to control certain aspects of a realtime Csound
> orchestra with no success. My problem is as follows:
> 
> I'm using Cecilia on a Mac connected to a standard serial to MIDI
> interface. I'm using a Peavey PC 1600 MIDI fader box to send control
> info into Csound. I am also taking realtime audio input for processing 
> (which the slider box is supposed to control). The problem, however,
> seems not to be with the setup, but with Csound and OMS. If I turn 
> MIDI-control on in Cecilia and then compile, it automatically 
> quits the program and gives an error message. When I
> restart Cecilia and compile again, the Csound message box gives an error
> saying that it is already signed into OMS. Suspecting this might be a
> Cecilia problem, i tried compiling just using the standard Csound front
> end, but the same thing happened. I have also tried compiling without
> any MIDI equipment connected. This happens on every Mac I have tried it
> on. I know there must be a way to get MIDI control working or else there
> wouldn't be opcodes and options for it. I would preferably be doing this on an SGI, but my Mac at home is faster than our Indy. What are the basics of using MIDI to control Csound and does it require editing the command line before compiling? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Peter Traub
> ptraub@dartmouth.edu
> 
>