Configuring MIDI out ElkPi/sushi

Elk Audio OS
1

Hi,

More questions for you guys :slight_smile:
I want my plugin running in ElkPi to output MIDI messages. I’m using a USB MIDI interface which I connect with sushi via aconnect and it works fine for the MIDI input. How I’m supposed to connect the output? Using aconnect I was able to try things like aconnect 128:1 16:0 (which I thought would select the output of sushi). Also I have a sushi config file which looks like this:

...
            track_out_connections": [
            {
                "port": 0,
                "channel": 0,
                "track": "main"
            },
            {
                "port": 0,
                "channel": 1,
                "track": "main"
            },
            {
                "port": 0,
                "channel": 2,
                "track": "main"
            },
...

However my MIDI interface is not outputting messages. I tried to use aseqdump and connect sushi to it in a similar way, but still I see no messages. I think my plugin works fine because when loaded in other DAWs it outputs MIDI.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

frederic

2

Hi @frederic.

Which USB interface are you using?

If it is one of those cable types with Midi in/out on one end and USB on the other then that could be your problem. Although they can work with some devices, they can be quite useless with others.

Admittedly, I am more likely to be able to help with hardware issues than with the inner workings of Elk as I’ve only just discovered this and am still getting to grips with the basics.

3

Hi @frederic ,

Apologies for having missed your question!

If you haven’t solved it already, this might be handy - I did a quick test with the below configuration, using our internal arpeggiator plugin. This outputs MIDI immediately when you start it.

{
    "host_config" : {
        "samplerate" : 48000,
        "tempo_sync" : "ableton_link",
        "playing_mode" : "playing"
    },
    "tracks" : [
        {
            "name" : "main",
            "mode" : "stereo",
            "inputs" : [ ],
            "outputs" : [
                {
                    "engine_bus" : 0,
                    "track_bus" : 0
                }
            ],
            "plugins" : [
                {
                    "uid" : "sushi.testing.arpeggiator",
                    "name" : "arp",
                    "type" : "internal"
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "midi" : {
        "track_connections": [
            {
                "port": 0,
                "channel": "all",
                "track": "main",
                "raw_midi": false
            }
        ],
        "track_out_connections": [
            {
                "port": 0,
                "channel": 0,
                "track": "main"
            }
        ]
    }
}

The notes coming out should go to aseqdump, or your USB MIDI device with aconnect, as you wrote, without problem, I just tested.

Best,
Ilias of Elk

4

Hi,

thanks for the answers.
@OhmGroan I’m using a USB MIDI interface in a box with 2 ins and 2 outs, should work fine…

@Ilias my configuration is similar, although my playing mode is “stopped”. maybe this could be preventing midi messages from getting out… I also have “midi_outputs” set to 1

cheers

5

I’ll try to replicate this on mine when I finish work.

Something worth considering. If your MIDI interface is anything like my Unitor, then it may have a patchbay like internal system. I purposely set it up so that all ins and outs are fully connected using an old win XP machine, as the appropriate drivers for manipulating it’s internals have not been available for anything more recent. Setting it up this way allows me to use it as a compliant device with modern systems. Although this means I don’t have the full functionality of the Unitors internal patchbay, it means I can access and use all 8 ins and outs as a standard MIDI interface.

Of course if your interface is more recent and was originally supplied with no software, this is likely not what is causing your problem, but certainly worth mentioning, just in case.

I will have a play with the above examples and report back this evening.

1 Like