TiMidity++-2.13.0, with alsaseq support!

[Makoto]

Yes - I did see your post about it, here. I was just wondering if there could perhaps be a simple GUI created for this version that doesn't necessarily rely on the terminal (or a shell script)... or me keeping pprocess open.

Just curious - does the version of TiMIDIty++ listed in PPM use a GUI similar to this one? (Yes, it's a Win32 version... I spent a lot of time using it from years past, so I'm over-used to it, I guess.)



That was from when ++ was merely a fork and not, apparently, a mainstream version. Hmm... wonder if the Linux version has any problems playing .rcp files... I'll have to find one of the few .rcps I have and test.

[musher0]

makoto?

These two scripts should help you play your midi files without fuss. It doesn't really have an interface, but almost, and more importantly, it does the job! You can even put the icon on your desktop for easy launching! (See pic.)

As a bonus, you can re-use the < timiprep.sh > script simply to have a transparent console on your desktop!

Here's the doc file. Please read it first. See towards the end the part on how this script can kill timidity as well as play midi files with it. (Which was part of your problem, I believe.)

If you have any questions, just get back to me?

###################################
# To all:
# This is not high-level programming, I know, I know! It's just
# a couple of simple common-sense scripts to help people
# play their midi files with < timidity >.
# Just imagine this as being "McGyver's Jukebox" !
###################################
# To the actual users:
#
# First launch this script (it's called < timiprep.sh >).
#
# It will open a transparent terminal for you in
# the < /root/my-documents/my-music/midi > directory.
#
# Note:
# The pet file should have created it upon installation, but
# if you don't have such a sub-directory, please create
# it now: the two scripts need it to work properly.
#
# These scripts assume that you have your midi files
# there, or at least their symlinks. So please do copy
# or symlink your midi files to
# < /root/my-documents/my-music/midi >,
# if you haven't already.
#
###################
# Now for the operation of this script.
#
# This < timiprep.sh > script is your launchpad for
# the < timidity.sh > script.
#
# From here, you can use the < ls > command to see the
# music pieces that you want to play, and which you may
# -- or not -- have classified by genre in various directories.
# (It doesn't really matter if you have sub-dirs in here or not.
# You can select your files simply with wildcards.)
#
# To see the midi files of pop music you have in your
# /root/my-documents/my-music/midi/pop directory,
# you'd type
#
# ls pop
#
#or, if you like classical music,
#
# ls Bach
#
# or whatever.
#
# If you want to play all your pop pieces, type
#
# timidity.sh pop/
#
# A second transparent console entitled "TiiMIDIty++2.13"
# will open and all the midi files you have in your "pop"
# directory will play one after the other.
#
# Now, for the sake of example, let's say that, this time,
# you'd like to hear only the pieces by Carly Simon that
# you have in that directory.
#
# You'd type:
#
# timidity.sh pop/Carly*
#
# and those songs will start playing.
#
# If you've changed your mind and don't like the selection,
# and you want to choose some other music, simply type:
#
# timidity.sh
#
# with no arguments. The music will stop and you'll be able
# to make another choice. The script is made in such a
# way as to kill the program if it has no arguments.
#
# If the cursor in the < timiprep > console seems to have
# disappeared, simply hit the < Return > key.
#
# The < timidity.sh > console closes automatically when
# < timidity > has finished playing your selection.
#
# I hope you'll find these little "timidity" scripts useful!
#
# Happy Holidays!
#
# musher0, mid-Dec. 2010
###################################

PS. If you'd prefer playing your midi files with Ultrasound, I've made a dosbox package you can download by going to these threads: You'll need the dosbox pet or sfs too, of course, as well as the ultrasound one.

http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 393#474393
and
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 64&t=62730

Enjoy!

[Pizzasgood]

Did you try the one vovchik posted? That one should have gui support if you launch it with the -ig option.
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 984#307984

Personally, I don't like running Timidity separately to listen to midis. I like having one media player handle both midi and normal audio. Most Linux media players don't directly support midi though - they just let you choose a midi port to route the midi file through. So what you can do is have Puppy launch Timidity in the background as a server during bootup so that it creates virtual midi ports on your computer. Then you can configure the media player to route midi files into the virtual port. That way the normal media player can still control playback position and can have playlists that include both midi files and normal audio files, and it will automatically send the midi data into Timidity for the actual playing.

[linuxsansdisquedur]

timidity from repo has a gui
just create a link on your desktop (or in menu) with

Code: Select all

#!/bin/sh
timidity -igt

to run it without any shell ever



timidity from this post after linking midifile timidity as said never more needs any teminal
just rox to click files !
@pizzagood right your timidity.pet can be launch in server mode (and that why i use it)
but for midi lovers nothing better than playing midifiles with a dedicated player that allow changing many thing and ncursegui show all subtility of them include lyrics (type in a terminal timidity -h and see)
and as puppy is ncurse gui is elegant simple light and powerfull

[musher0]

timidity from repo has a gui
just create a link on your desktop (or in menu) with

Code: Select all

#!/bin/sh
timidity -igt

to run it without any shell ever
(...)

Repo? What repo? Please tell us where!

With this pet package of timidity, I get

# timidity -igt
Interface `g' is not compiled in.
Try timidity -h for help

In any case, with my "McGyver-ish" 2-scripts solution, the midi info does show.
Besides, no offense intended, but who uses timidity to look at an interface? You use it to listen to some music, no?
IMHO, the interface is not that important. A good patch set, such as the "eaw" patches pizzasgood provided, is much more important -- as well as properly coded midi files, of course!
.

[Makoto]

I don't mind not having a GUI, so I don't mind this particular setup. I was just thinking there might be an easier way to stop the playback if I wanted to do it, than keeping a pprocess window open, refreshing it and killing the process.

It's not really a bother, but sometimes, you don't want to bother with the extra steps.

[linuxsansdisquedur]

@musher0 j'utilise pizzapup (à base de puppy2.14 original ) le pet dont je parle est dans le repo puppy2 (y a pas de raison qu'il ne tourne pas sur puppy3/4/5 ) tu peux sinon tester celui dont parle pizzasgood 4 post plus haut
je préfère quand même celui de pizzasgood qui a le mode serveur et qui a quand même une interface plus performante (bien utile pour voir la musique : tous les instruments toutes les notes et même les paroles! et comme dit Makoto pour stoper ou modifier la lecture )
( the pet is in puppy2 repo (I use pizzapup with original puppy2.14 inside) you can also use the pizzasgood link above but i really prefer pizzasgood timidity because server mode fun interface and lighter [ to see music, instruments, notes and lyrics -and stop music as makoto said])

@Makoto so what what else timidity you use have a gui just use the good set run action when you link midifile to timidity (in open with mode )
pizzasgood one (my choice )

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rxvt  -geometry 768x640 -e timidity -int "$1"

or repo one

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timidity -igt  "$1"

[Makoto]

Yeah, like I said, I already saw that. I was just wondering if a simple way could be implemented that didn't require the terminal or a shell script.

[linuxsansdisquedur]

I do not understand something
when you ve installed timidity, to have it running when clicking some midifile in rox,
you DO have right click one and tell rox to use timidity next time
(i think you've even done it before under windows )
so, just tell it to use timidity -int/igt (no terminal or extra coding needed )

[Makoto]

Yes, but I wasn't looking for a full GUI. Just a simple way to stop the playback without having to keep pprocess open. I do prefer just playing the MIDI in the background without a GUI popping up.

I do have something similar set up with mpg123 for MP3s, but I usually do end up using a GUI for those. Of course, you have to manually kill mpg123 if you want to stop it ahead of time, too...

[linuxsansdisquedur]

you're right the only simple way to stoping music before ending is a gui but a gui necessary pop up and don t play in backgroung
so
test the ncurse gui ,reduce the "geometry coding" as you want, or do not use the command "-geometry 768x640" at all, to reduce the pop up effect
even prefer timidity -in to timidity int, less indication in screen (reducing popup)
and notice it automaticaly shut down at the end of midifile (no process open) if you do not prefer stopping it before end (using simple key Q or closing windows)
that is the way

[Makoto]

Not exactly. That's why I was wondering about gtkdialog - if something could be created that would spawn timidity, and create a simple window with a button to kill the created timidity process.

[Pizzasgood]

Yes, but I wasn't looking for a full GUI. Just a simple way to stop the playback without having to keep pprocess open. I do prefer just playing the MIDI in the background without a GUI popping up.

Have you tried:

Code: Select all

killall timidity

(Though I think sometimes that might leave a note stuck turned on, not sure. I might be thinking of something else.)

You could make a script with that and then put an icon on the desktop for it, so you could just click it.

[Makoto]

I did think of something like that, but I usually have another timidity process running that I'm not sure should go (is it part of the server setup?)... It's listed in pprocess as:

timidity -iA -B2,8 -Os -EFreverb=0

Wouldn't a killall end that process, too?

[Pizzasgood]

Yeah, that's the instance running as a server, and would be killed. But if you don't actually use it, it doesn't matter if you kill it. It isn't required for playing midis directly with timidity. You can stop it from being started on bootup by removing the executable bit on the file /etc/init.d/timidity_server (or just delete that file).

[Makoto]

Ah, okay. I don't have to worry about ending all the processes, then. I'll give it a try.

[linuxsansdisquedur]

one more time and last
So you want no gui but want stop anytime midi process...
powerfull ncurse gui can make it to you
using sort of code like this (always in set run action)

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rxvt  -fg  grey -bg grey -geometry 3x8+0+20  -e timidity -in "$1"

you can reduce the gui, make it stealth, and anytime usable to stop midi ...
what else

[Makoto]

I'll keep it in mind.
Right now, I'm using Pizzasgood's suggestion - I've got it bound to a button in my JWM taskbar. It's also helpful if I somehow accidentally manage to open more than one instance of timidity at a time. (Though I've only ever done it once - to test this. )

[Pizzasgood]

Instead of running timidity directly, you could have a script do

Code: Select all

killall timidity; timidity "$1"

Then if you click on a new midi while one is still playing, the old one would be stopped automatically.

[Makoto]

...but if I do that, I won't be able to attempt the chorus version of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat."

I don't really have a problem with running multiple instances... the intentional instance I mentioned above is probably the only time I've ever really done it (or ever will). Maybe.