Improved solution for midi control, RolandMT32 and others

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Moodyman
Posts: 9
Joined: Sun Oct 30, 2011 7:20 pm
Location: Spain

Improved solution for midi control, RolandMT32 and others

Post by Moodyman »

Hi, I didn't know exactly where to post that... so here we go:

I have bought this week an old eMac with the only purpouse of scumm game playing (that retro square screen inspires me a lot )

The fact is that I want to use it with a cm32L Roland canvas (works like mt32) and I am very frustrated right now after two days of researching and testing, cause it seems that coremidi or iac driver does not sends midi data to my midi usb interface, and in fact, my cm32 can not get the midi messages.

I have an 2008 Imac that works peferctly with that setup.The way i use to do that is the next one:

1-HARDWARE: akai mpd32 midi interface midi out >> to cm32l midi in with a normal midi cable.

2-MIDI OSX CONF:
-In audio midi utilities is all configured as it must be (my akai appears and it is connected to a midi device called cm32.
-IAC driver is enabled.

-I use to run a midi utility called "midi Patchbay" that makes the bridge for sending the coremidi data through the IAC driver as an Input and then it sends that to my cm32 midi device (as I configured in mac os midi utilities) as an output.

3- SCUMMVM OPTIONS. I select coremidi for sound and midi..

Until here, this method works for me peferctly in my Imac. I must admit that I don't know more ways to make it work.

The fact is that the same steps that I use in my Imac does not work for my eMac.... I even exported the midi utilities config and the midi patchbay, I tried thousands of combinations manually, renaming the IAC driver as CoreMIDI, downloaded like 10 old scummvm versions..and I cant make it sound through the canvas.

Then I was intrigued to know if scummvm was sending the
midi messages, and I used an app called MIDImonitor and was showing all the midi data working as usual, so I think the problem is that coremidi or IACdriver does not or can not send the data to my midi interface, seems like there is not and end point or a wall that stucks the midi data....

Any help or any idea of how can I fix that?? Am I doing something wrong??

My eMac is powerPC G4, 1Ghz, 256 mb of ram, and I am running 10.4.11 OS X

Thanks in advance!
Last edited by Moodyman on Sun Jun 10, 2012 11:44 am, edited 1 time in total.
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envisaged0ne
Posts: 162
Joined: Mon Nov 01, 2010 9:17 am
Location: United States

Post by envisaged0ne »

Since it sounds like it's a problem with your midi to usb cable, or some setting in between, I don't know how you expect people here to be able to help you. It's not a problem with ScummVM. Personally I would suggest posting this problem in the forums for the eMAC or with the company that handles the midi to usb cable.

I have a MT-32 connected to my computer via a usb to midi cable. But I'm using Windows XP & Windows 7 32 bit. I couldn't tell you what to do on an eMAC
Moodyman
Posts: 9
Joined: Sun Oct 30, 2011 7:20 pm
Location: Spain

Post by Moodyman »

No, my hardware works peferctly, cables and machines.

Well, I didn't know where to post that because there is no a mac Os subforum here.. and yes this seems to be not a scummVm problem but I know that a lot of users here knows more about this or at least are more familiarized with core midi (scummVm mac users I mean) than an apple forum users...
Moodyman
Posts: 9
Joined: Sun Oct 30, 2011 7:20 pm
Location: Spain

Post by Moodyman »

I should change the topic to: Mac + scummVm + RolandMT32. How To..

Could some mac user be so kind to explain step by step how to configure a real MT32 with ScummVM ??

It's a bit confusing and frustrating the process, in my humble opinion. I will appreciate a feedback a lot..
Moodyman
Posts: 9
Joined: Sun Oct 30, 2011 7:20 pm
Location: Spain

Post by Moodyman »

Hi peeps, I ve got it solved!

I didn't know yet why I can run the sysex or midi data as usual, but I have found an improved solution for get it working. The fact is that now I ve got more control on midi events, so I am happier than before with my new configuration.

Since I could not control or understand the fails of the midi mac drivers thru my midi device I used the audio/midi DAW, very popularized, Ableton Live.

The idea was simple. Roland devices as MT32 are sound canvas with a lot of instruments, (are made for recreate digital soundtracks, in this case for video games maybe) like strings, brasses, drums and percussions or fx (like my CM32L) The good point on these ones is that them can play at the same time until 10 instruments via midi channels. So the midi channels that can the roland recognize are from 1 to 10 midi number channel. For example, the channel 10 is for drums.

Complaining these concepts, I started a new project in AbletonLive, made only with 10 midi channels. Every channel should be configured like this:

-MIDI from: IAC driver (as a midi source input)
· Channel: Ch. 1

-MIDI to:
- Your midi hardware usb device (in my case Akai mpd32)
- Channel: 1

*Now I repeated this steps in every channel until I have all my 10 midi channels, from 1 to 10, every channel controls his respective midi data channel from scumm and outputs this to the same specific midi channel to your Roland, via your usb midi device.

Important detail: You MUST have all channels actived, this is via the red button at the end of very live channel, as I have in my screenshot.

For visual details please take a look to the attached picture link:

http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t48 ... bridge.png

The possibilities of messing with midi data are awesome, since AbletonLive have a lot of midi tools, as velocity (to random your drums gain for example), midi gain compression, gates, etc etc... I was messing with that and the response is awesome.. The mos interesting point on this is that you can control or use more than one device at the same time. For example, you can use a better quality midi device for the drums, just sending as MIDI to, to another midi device, and when you have all your midi modules or synths receiving midi mix the audio in all of them in an audio mixer.. putting more reverb on specific channels as an audio fx, etc etc.. Or even you can use your own vst plugins in a specific channel...

I will upload a video with a multi hardware synths setup running scumm music.. Thanks for reading this! Feel free to comment or ask!
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