Midi controller for No Budget Orchestra

[Breezy]

I'm running Sfizz as a plugin in Ardour to record some sketches using No Budget Orchestra.

I hadn't really grasped the extraordinary variety of articulations available in the library. But now that I have I'd like to take advantage of it.

In the "full" version of the SFZs a combination of 2 MIDI CCs is used to switch between articulations. Soft Pedal (CC67) can have values of 0 or 127. And then Sound Variation (CC70) can have values of 0, 1, 2, 3, 126 or 127. There may be others; I haven't checked all the instruments.

This seems to work fine if you record the notes then edit the track to included the relevant CC messages. Does anyone know a straightforward way of making the changes in real time? So recording the changes using a pedal and other hardware controller at the same time as I'm recording the notes. Or even recording the notes first and then recording the articulation changes as an overdub.

I'd obviously need to learn which combination of codes relates to which articulation in the same way I would with keyswitches. Then the CC67 is easy with a pedal as it's either up or down. But I can't work out how to accurately select one of six values for CC70. Maybe assigning pads on a hardware controller...

Any suggestions appreciated.

Thanks

[porzione]

I'd obviously need to learn which combination of codes relates to which articulation in the same way I would with keyswitches. Then the CC67 is easy with a pedal as it's either up or down. But I can't work out how to accurately select one of six values for CC70. Maybe assigning pads on a hardware controller...

If you need to translate CC70 0-127 from controller knob/fader to fewer values it can be done in DAW, not sure about Ardour, but it easy to achieve in Reaper with JS notes filter with simple script 0-20 -> 0, 21-42 -> 1, etc. Check out Lua scripting in Ardour.

[j_e_f_f_g]

I think you should try the new LV2 plugin versions of the No Budget Orchestra. These allow you to switch articulations with Program Change messages, by MIDI channel (each articulation on its own MIDI channel), or via key switches (ie the lowest keys on your controller switch articulations). Plus there are improved samples, new articulations (ie, 2 violin sections in addition to full violins) and crossfades that make patches such as brass get brighter as you play louder.

You can get the LV2 version at:

http://www.bandshed.net/sounds/nbo-lv2/

There are 2 bugs that I have yet to fix. The installation for "All users" is a little wonky. You should install for just 1 user. Also the clarinet section has a note release bug. Mike Willis has the clarinet fix if you need it right now.

[Breezy]

Thanks both, for the swift and helpful replies.

porzione - I've never worked with lua scripts although I did watch Dave Healey's tutorial earlier this year. I hadn't considered limiting the range a controller might cover. I'll investigate.

j_e_f_f_g - I've been away both from music production and these boards for a while, so only saw earlier this week you'd been working on lv2 versions. I wasn't sure what the current state of the project was and didn't know about the improvements you mention. It's great to know it's still in progress. I'll give it a go.

[Breezy]

I've downloaded and unpacked the lv2 version of NBO.

For info I'm running AVLinux MX-21 Edition; not 21.1 but with all system updates installed through repos.

When I follow the install instructions I get asked for root password. After hitting return I get asked for it again. I assumed I'd mistyped but that's not the issue.

After attempting the install from terminal I found I was being asked for password at every single line of the install process.

As both Jeff and Gmaq post regularly here hopefully someone can help me out. Could I have messed up a setting or something got reconfigured in an update?

Happy to copy this to a new thread on a different board if that helps.

Thx

[Breezy]

After reading an earlier thread I tried the suggestion of preceding the install command with sudo. From what I remember AVL-MX doesn't typically use sudo but thought I'd give it a go. Typing my user password (rather than root) seemed to allow the install to complete. And it sort of made sense; I was only doing an install for myself as user rather than system-wide, so maybe...

However there were no options for where to install the plugin. And when I open Ardour and scan for plugins it isn't found.

Creating an lv2 directory in user/local/lib and simply copying the files there doesn't work.

Any suggestions?

You'll gather I'm not a developer! And I do get confused with permissions. I'm comfortable running shell commands though and can find my way around the file system in terminal.

Any help appreciated.

Thx

[Impostor]

After reading an earlier thread I tried the suggestion of preceding the install command with sudo.

And you ended up with root-owned files in your home folder?

[Breezy]

Not so far as I can see. I don't know where files from the install using sudo ended up.

Some from the previous attempt, where I keyed in the password 10 times, did end up in the home/.lv2 directory. I'm guessing that's where they should be, so that's a positive sign. I just need a way for the password to persist.

[Impostor]

Not so far as I can see. I don't know where files from the install using sudo ended up.

Some from the previous attempt, where I keyed in the password 10 times, did end up in the home/.lv2 directory. I'm guessing that's where they should be, so that's a positive sign. I just need a way for the password to persist.

If I run the installer from the command line I only get asked for my sudo password once*, and everything is installed. Some shared libaries go into /usr/lib/, so for that the sudo password is needed. But the lv2 folders inside ~/.lv2 and the ~/NoBudget folder are created as root-owned too. That may give problems. Best to take back ownership.

*At least with Linux Mint, after giving the password once, for a short period of time sudo commands will work without being asked for it again.

[sunrat]

*At least with Linux Mint, after giving the password once, for a short period of time sudo commands will work without being asked for it again.

You can set the timeout for sudo to retain the password in /etc/sudoers by adding:

Code: Select all

Defaults        timestamp_timeout=xx

where xx is the number of minutes. Editing with visudo is recommended as it checks syntax.
Depending on OS, default commonly may be 5 or 15 minutes.

Files in $HOME should be owned by user, not root. That's weird.
Also weird for an application to require password to be entered more than once to install.

[Breezy]

If I run the installer from the command line I only get asked for my sudo password once*, and everything is installed. Some shared libaries go into /usr/lib/, so for that the sudo password is needed.

That's the behavior I expected. Or at least what I'd have expected on my office machine running Peppermint OS - Ubuntu base. You got me thinking that AVL-MXE, which is what I have on my AV machine, might have different permission requirements. I've not really had to install much on it as there is so much useful stuff bundled with the OS.

I had a search through the manual. Looked like using su to give temporary root permissions might be the answer. So I only had to type the password once and the install did complete. But the files were installed to the actual Root directory. And I still have no idea where the samples are.

I'm now a bit concerned I'm going to mess up a system that, with Ardour 7, I'd just managed to get running as I wanted.

Maybe I need to seek help on the MX Linux forum.

[j_e_f_f_g]

Man that's a short timeout you have on the sudo command.

Load the file gui.sh (in the Installer folder) into a text editor. Change the following line:

Code: Select all

gksu_flag=1

to

Code: Select all

# gksu_flag=1

ie, Add a pound sign. Save the file. Make sure its "Properties" includes "run as an executable".

Now run:

Code: Select all

sudo ./install_orchestra.sh 

in a terminal window.

[Breezy]

You can set the timeout for sudo to retain the password in /etc/sudoers by adding:

Code: Select all

Defaults        timestamp_timeout=xx

Yes, this does make a difference. I'm not sure what the default for AVL-MXE is but I set it as you suggested. So I now only need to enter the password once, and only my user password rather than the root password as previously. But now, even for a single user using the user password, it wants to install to /root. Hm...

Everything else still seems to be working ok so I don't think I've broken it! I'll head over to MX Linux forums to see if they can help me clean things up.

[Impostor]

Files in $HOME should be owned by user, not root. That's weird.
Also weird for an application to require password to be entered more than once to install.

Not so weird if the installer (check_zip.sh) does:

Code: Select all

sudo mkdir --mode=775 -p "${wavedestdir}/48KHz"

where ${wavedestdir} = ~/NoBudget

And copy_plugin.sh does:

Code: Select all

sudo mkdir "--mode=775" "-p" "$1"

which creates the lv2 folders inside ~/.lv2

Making a directory in the home folder with a sudo command will create a root-owned folder.

[sunrat]

@Impostor I didn't say it's not possible. Just that it's weird.