Qsynth w. Rosegarden: instrument selection

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fretski
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Qsynth w. Rosegarden: instrument selection

Post by fretski »

Here's a snap of my setup but I'd like to work more with-OUT ZynAddSubFX i.e, with just Rosegarden and Qsynth, maybe not even qjackctl.

http://trixtar.org/3/compuke/images/des ... e-KDE4.png

I'm used to just selecting from the ZAFS dssi plugin voices as shown in rosegarden. I'm incapable of figuring out how to select different musical instruments via the rosegarden dialogs and from availablel soundfont packages in Qsynth

# ls /home/share/soundfonts/
ChoriumRevA.SF2
GeneralUser_GS_FluidSynth.sf2
HS Synth Collection I.sf2
Vintage_Dreams_Waves_v2.sf2
default-2m.bnk
GeneralUser GS MuseScore v1.44.sf2 PC51f.sf2
FluidR3_GM.sf2
Hand Bells.sf2
soundbank-emg.sf2

Any step-by-step help appreciated
Pablo
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Re: Qsynth w. Rosegarden: instrument selection

Post by Pablo »

From the point of view of Rosegarden, Qsynth is an external synth, so you can't
select different musical instruments via the rosegarden dialogs ... in Qsynth
However, you can use the fluidsynth dssi plugin in place of qsynth ("fluidsynth-dssi" is the name of the debian package, I suppose it will be similar for Suse). This way you will be able to use it a as "synth plugin", as you do with ZAFS and you will be able to change the instrument from rosegarden dialogs (by changing the program in instrument parameters, you will see) . Of course, you will have to load a soundfont into it (Editor button, Load soundfont...).
fretski
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Re: Qsynth w. Rosegarden: instrument selection

Post by fretski »

I finally got around to trying this again, alas.. Could you expand on it please?
you will be able to change the instrument from rosegarden dialogs (by changing the program in instrument parameters, you will see).

Of course, you will have to load a soundfont into it (Editor button, Load soundfont...).
If I don't launch at least one instance of qSynth then I get no sound at all. So I launch qJackCtl, qSynth and rosegarden as I usually do (no ZynAddSubFX for this test). I create one track and play it as general midi grand piano for example. This works.

Then I change the track to Synth Plugin 1 and set Fuildsynth-dssi same as the synthesizer (I would for ZASF). But here I get stuck because I see no place to set an instrumet like a distorted guitar for example that I could set in the ZASF plugin dialogs. I can set something like

Category Amplitude > Amplifiers
Plugin guitarix amps

but I see no instruments, only tone controls etc.

Where would I load soundfonts? The Editor buttons are dead, they do nothing.
Pablo
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Re: Qsynth w. Rosegarden: instrument selection

Post by Pablo »

Then I change the track to Synth Plugin 1 and set Fuildsynth-dssi same as the synthesizer (I would for ZASF). But here I get stuck because I see no place to set an instrumet like a distorted guitar for example that I could set in the ZASF plugin dialogs.
fluidsynth-dssi is just a soundfont player. You need to load a soundfont first.

I can set something like

Category Amplitude > Amplifiers
Plugin guitarix amps

but I see no instruments, only tone controls etc.
These plugins are for audio effects. You can add audio efects to the synth but we digress. This is the key question:
Where would I load soundfonts? The Editor buttons are dead, they do nothing.
In the "Instrumet Parameter" panel, the top left button should read "No synth" at first, press that and choose "Fluidsynth-dssi". Now, it shoud read Fluidsynth-dssi. The Editor button just below it should open a dialog in which
there is a button at the bottom "Load Sondfont...". That opens a file browser. Soundfonts are not part of Rosegarden, you need to have a soundfont (.sf2 file) in your hard disk.
Lyberta
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Re: Qsynth w. Rosegarden: instrument selection

Post by Lyberta »

Launch Qsynth as a separate app. Use QJackCtl to connect ALSA MIDI out called "General MIDI Device" from Rosegarden to "FLUID Synth" and then in Audio Tab connect "qsynth" to "system".

Use "General MIDI device" as an output on Rosegarden tracks. Then you can use P to open track parameters and set proper instrument.

Of course, this assumes General MIDI soundfont like Fluid_GM.sf2. If you want custom instruments, you can create a MIDI device in Studio->Manage MIDI Devices. And then use GUI of Qsynth to select instruments.
fretski
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Re: Qsynth w. Rosegarden: instrument selection

Post by fretski »

Thanks for the guidance, I didn't get far trying to follow the steps, selecting the fluidsynth-dssi the associated 'edit' button still does nothing at all.

But I did as a result discover what I was missing in the first place, that the qSynth 'Channels' tab is where instrument selection begins and that double clicking on a channel there is where it continues.

By launching a dual instance of qSynth I can under 'Manage midi devices' assign a created qs2 to the 'port'(?) given to it (by qjackctl?), and then right clicking on a track makes that qs2 available as a synth.

My understanding of all this is still tragically full of holes, eventually I would prefer using the dssi if only to minimize the number of windows I have to open for a session.
Pablo
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Re: Qsynth w. Rosegarden: instrument selection

Post by Pablo »

selecting the fluidsynth-dssi the associated 'edit' button still does nothing at all.
The above works for me. How strange.

If I start rosegarden from a terminal window (just by typing rosegarden) I see the following message when I push the "Editor" button associated to fluidsynth-dssi (and the corresponding configuration window does open):

[AudioPluginOSCGUI] AudioPluginOSCGUI::show

Do you see any similar message, or maybe an error message which somehow explains the reason why the window doesn't open for you?

By the way, I think Calf has another fluidsynth dssi plugin, in case you want to try.
Lyberta
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Re: Qsynth w. Rosegarden: instrument selection

Post by Lyberta »

I've never tried to use Fluidsynth as DSSI plugin in Rosegarden. I prefer it as an external application.
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