Ubuntu: Export from LMMS with Carla patchbay and arpeggiator/sequencer

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DaveAmbient
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Ubuntu: Export from LMMS with Carla patchbay and arpeggiator/sequencer

Post by DaveAmbient »

I know I'm probably going to be told to use other software to do this, but LMMS really suits the way I work.

Having said that, I don't get on with the internal arpeggiator as my music theory isn't very strong, and changing from mixolydian to Romanian minor in the same passage is far from easy. I've been looking for ways to arpeggiate any notes I like. The other day I managed to get LibreArp working inside Carla patchbay inside LMMS - chaining LibreArp to a sf2 - and the results sounded fantastic, far better than I can achieve with the internal arpeggiator. I could also see possibilities with sequencers as well. However, when I came to export the sounds, all that came out was the raw notes from the piano roll - no arping - although it did at least use my selected sf2 file.

Am I missing something something in the patchbay chain that will output the arpeggios?

Many thanks in advance...
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Re: Ubuntu: Export from LMMS with Carla patchbay and arpeggiator/sequencer

Post by DaveAmbient »

Just thought I'd give this a bump as I've still not found a solution for this.
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Re: Ubuntu: Export from LMMS with Carla patchbay and arpeggiator/sequencer

Post by tavasti »

To lmms own arpeggiator, that indeed is broken.

I made test, lmms-1.2.2 appimage
- Added carla-rack 'instrument'
- In carla, added BlueARP and ZynAddSubFX plugin, to zyn selected some Plucked sound
- create on that track 2 chord progression
- export, and result is what I expect

Here is what it looks like in my Carla
lmms_arp.jpg
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Re: Ubuntu: Export from LMMS with Carla patchbay and arpeggiator/sequencer

Post by DaveAmbient »

So sorry I missed your response!

Are you loading up Carla from within LMMS or connecting to it externally?

What you're showing is a bit different from what I see.

In LMMS, I have two separate options - Carla Rack and Carla Patchbay. When I use Carla Rack I can load up plugins and they act as instruments, picking up all midi, and when I export everything is perfect. I have no Patchbay option in Carla rack.

When I load up Carla Patchbay, I can do what you've shown below but when I export I just get the plain midi notes - no arpeggiation. If the notes are generated entirely in patchbay, then I get a completely silent track. I can't work out what I'm doing wrong. Though at least you've given me a little chink of hope that it is at least possible.

I'm on Ubuntu Studio and I have noticed that Windows VSTs do not work (neither in 21.10 nor 22.04). Could it be that Carla is somehow broken on Ubuntu Studio?

Screenshot_20221025_045353.png
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Re: Ubuntu: Export from LMMS with Carla patchbay and arpeggiator/sequencer

Post by tavasti »

DaveAmbient wrote: Tue Oct 25, 2022 3:57 am

Are you loading up Carla from within LMMS or connecting to it externally?

Yeah, that was carla launched from lmms.

DaveAmbient wrote: Tue Oct 25, 2022 3:57 am

I'm on Ubuntu Studio and I have noticed that Windows VSTs do not work (neither in 21.10 nor 22.04). Could it be that Carla is somehow broken on Ubuntu Studio?

Carla support for windows plugins is considered 'experimental' feature, and you need to enable it separately from config. And sure, have suitable wine installed. I would suggest winehq wine-staging.

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Re: Ubuntu: Export from LMMS with Carla patchbay and arpeggiator/sequencer

Post by DaveAmbient »

I have no idea what I'm doing wrong then.

I do know I have to work with the appimage on Ubuntu Studio because the installed version refuses to pick up the fact that Carla is installed. Maybe that has something to do with it.

And yes, I did have Windows VSTs working when I used to use Mint some time ago. I seem to recall that some extras required for Carla refused to install.

Maybe it's time for a system wipe and full upgrade... sigh

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Re: Ubuntu: Export from LMMS with Carla patchbay and arpeggiator/sequencer

Post by DaveAmbient »

I installed a clean version of Ubuntu Studio 22.04 onto a laptop (my main machine is 21.10) along with an appimage of LMMS 1.2.2 and Carla.

I found I was able to load up LibreArp as an instrument with a synth (Dexed in this case) and playback arping would just work, which was new.

HOWEVER, when it came to exporting to MP3, LMMS only output the notes with the Dexed patch - the arping was ignored. I tried this in Carla Patchbay - same result. Just for good measure, I tried it all again with Stochas performing the arping, so no notes at all came from the LMMS song editor. The MP3 export resulted in complete silence.

Since it's working for others I can't help but feel it's something I'm doing wrong or something I'm missing, but I can't for the life of me think what?

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Re: Ubuntu: Export from LMMS with Carla patchbay and arpeggiator/sequencer

Post by tavasti »

DaveAmbient wrote: Tue Oct 25, 2022 5:37 pm

I installed a clean version of Ubuntu Studio 22.04 onto a laptop (my main machine is 21.10) along with an appimage of LMMS 1.2.2 and Carla.

I found I was able to load up LibreArp as an instrument with a synth (Dexed in this case) and playback arping would just work, which was new.

HOWEVER, when it came to exporting to MP3, LMMS only output the notes with the Dexed patch - the arping was ignored. I tried this in Carla Patchbay - same result. Just for good measure, I tried it all again with Stochas performing the arping, so no notes at all came from the LMMS song editor. The MP3 export resulted in complete silence.

Since it's working for others I can't help but feel it's something I'm doing wrong or something I'm missing, but I can't for the life of me think what?

Tried to replicate that accurately, but unfortuntaly librearp not working in my machine:

librearp.jpg
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Re: Ubuntu: Export from LMMS with Carla patchbay and arpeggiator/sequencer

Post by tavasti »

DaveAmbient wrote: Tue Oct 25, 2022 5:37 pm

I installed a clean version of Ubuntu Studio 22.04 onto a laptop (my main machine is 21.10) along with an appimage of LMMS 1.2.2 and Carla.

I found I was able to load up LibreArp as an instrument with a synth (Dexed in this case) and playback arping would just work, which was new.

Downloaded latest librearp vst3, it works in my machine. Insert librearp + dexed, plays nice. And in export, arp lost like you had, only chords playing. Replace librearp with bluearp, and arp is arp also in export. So now there is really interesting combination that lmms export + librearp not working.

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Re: Ubuntu: Export from LMMS with Carla patchbay and arpeggiator/sequencer

Post by DaveAmbient »

Interesting that only a windows VST arp is working.

It's not just LibreArp. I downloaded HY-SEQ as well - exactly like Stochas, it just produces silence on export.

Well at least it's not just me then. Looks like I'll need to work out why Carla won't run Windows VSTs on UbuntuStudio...

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Re: Ubuntu: Export from LMMS with Carla patchbay and arpeggiator/sequencer

Post by tavasti »

DaveAmbient wrote: Tue Oct 25, 2022 7:44 pm

Interesting that only a windows VST arp is working.

It's not just LibreArp. I downloaded HY-SEQ as well - exactly like Stochas, it just produces silence on export.

Well at least it's not just me then. Looks like I'll need to work out why Carla won't run Windows VSTs on UbuntuStudio...

I think this is worth reporting to LMMS.

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Re: Ubuntu: Export from LMMS with Carla patchbay and arpeggiator/sequencer

Post by tavasti »

DaveAmbient wrote: Tue Oct 25, 2022 7:44 pm

Interesting that only a windows VST arp is working.

It's not just LibreArp. I downloaded HY-SEQ as well - exactly like Stochas, it just produces silence on export.

Well at least it's not just me then. Looks like I'll need to work out why Carla won't run Windows VSTs on UbuntuStudio...

Tested with qmidiarp, and no, does not work in export.

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Re: Ubuntu: Export from LMMS with Carla patchbay and arpeggiator/sequencer

Post by DaveAmbient »

Thanks for checking out the theory further!

So it looks like LMMS and Linux VSTs - at least ones that generate midi patterns - are not really useful. Not sure if it's a Carla problem or LMMS, but given that it's a very small user base (just me as far as I can tell lol) I don't think it's going to get fixed any time soon. I think I need to concentrate my efforts on getting Windows VSTs working under Carla on Ubuntu Studio, now that you've shown me a potential way forward there.

Shame, but not the first time I've hit a brick wall :-)

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Re: Ubuntu: Export from LMMS with Carla patchbay and arpeggiator/sequencer

Post by DaveAmbient »

tavasti wrote: Wed Oct 26, 2022 6:56 am

I think this is worth reporting to LMMS.

I went onto their forums a few weeks ago and they directed me here.... lol

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Re: Ubuntu: Export from LMMS with Carla patchbay and arpeggiator/sequencer

Post by tavasti »

DaveAmbient wrote: Wed Oct 26, 2022 2:49 pm
tavasti wrote: Wed Oct 26, 2022 6:56 am

I think this is worth reporting to LMMS.

I went onto their forums a few weeks ago and they directed me here.... lol

Right target is https://github.com/LMMS/lmms/issues

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