MIDI and Reaper.

[mfny]

Having an issue with Reaper and MIDI when opening Reaper MIDI does not work at all. My controller is a Native Instruments Kompleate Kontrol A45 Keyboard whose MIDI input is enabled in Reaper settings.Enabling and disabling and then enabling again the controller in reapers MIDI settings seems to clear the issue.

[mfny]

I seem to have solved this by using a2jmidid(via a "a2jmidid -e &" command added to my XFCE starting on login) to create midi devices and enabling the appropriate one in Reapers MIDI settings pane instead of the default ones.

I am not sure what the issue is still nor if this fix will present any other issues. Anyone have any thoughts/comments/feedback at all on this ?

[bluebell]

There is ALSA MIDI and jack MIDI. If Reaper speaks jack MIDI only then you need the a2j stuff or you experiment with the -X argument of jackd.

[mfny]

Should say I am running Endeavor OS, which I think uses Pipewire.

I have Reaper set for JACK for audio.

I do not know if Reaper uses JACK or ALSA MIDI.

Linux Audio is confusing with JACK,PulseAudio, ALSA and Pipewire all potentially in the picture for any issues.. and then add in JACK and Pulseaudio via Pipewire to.. its a bit of a mess..

[Linuxmusician01]

Should say I am running Endeavor OS, which I think uses Pipewire.

I have Reaper set for JACK for audio.

I do not know if Reaper uses JACK or ALSA MIDI.

Reaper (the Linux version that is, Windows: not of course) is, AFAIK, one of the few DAWs that uses Jack Midi instead of Alsa Midi.

Linux Audio is confusing with JACK,PulseAudio, ALSA and Pipewire all potentially in the picture for any issues.. and then add in JACK and Pulseaudio via Pipewire to.. its a bit of a mess..

Yep. It's (only) one of the SNAFU's in Linux.

Every now and then something in Linux land is "invented" to replace all others like it. And then it turns out to be a turd that's soon discarded (i.e. all Ubuntu 's custom stuff like Upstart and Unity) and you'll never ever hear from it again if you're lucky. If you're unlucky it gets added as an "alternative" in a sea of alternatives. Like the audio servers.

AFAIK Pipewire is supposed to clear up the mess left behind by all the other audio servers (Jack1, Jack2, PulseAudio) on top of ALSA (the one and only audio driver in Lunux land). However, as one of the developers admitted here on the forum, it ain't no substitution yet for audio production (read: Linux users/musicians/producers that demand a lot from their computer like low-latency etc.). Unfortunately PW is out there in the wild, installed per default (which the major distro makers shouldn't have done IMHO) and thus complicates things beyond comprehension. Amongst others because it "emulates" (not the correct term) Jack and PA. This results in users trying to follow (old) tutorials on (e.g.) Jack audio without them knowing they have PW instead. That'll work up to a certain point because PW behaves like Jack so you can use "old" applications that were programmed to work w/ Jack.

With the best of intentions the PW devs are still working on it and they kindly made it so that you shouldn't need anything else. Initially, that is. When you get demanding or you follow and old tutorial on Jack. Then the confusion rears its ugly head. Some old geezers that are seasoned Jack users even kick it out from their Linux computer and use good 'ol Jack. And then new users can't get tips and help from 'm because they, unknowingly, use PW.

This is the way. The Linux way. W'all better get used to it (I think I never will, contemplated switching back to Windows a few mothts ago after > 15 years).

[mfny]

If Reaper is using Jack for Midi then it seems when using a2jmidid I am just duplicating things then ? but using a2jmidid devices in reaper has seemingly solved the issue I had with MIDI not working in Reaper sporadically so I guess if it works, it works ?

[Linuxmusician01]

If Reaper is using Jack for Midi then it seems when using a2jmidid I am just duplicating things then ? but using a2jmidid devices in reaper has seemingly solved the issue I had with MIDI not working in Reaper sporadically so I guess if it works, it works ?

Good remark. For all these "things" (VST's, audio servers) there is also so-called "bridging" software. The application a2jmidid stands for "Alsa to Jack Midi daemon" (a daemon runs in the background). It bridges Alsa's Midi to Jack Midi. That's why you can actually use Midi with Jack.

There is also:

• YABridge = "Yet Another Bridge": bridge Windows VST's to Linux (let your Windows VST plugins show up as Windows native VST's. Yes: there's Windows VST and Linux VST. Sigh... )

• Software to bridge Jack to PulseAudio so you can still listen to Youtube video's etc. in your internet browser if you use Jack.

And probably many more. As Linux musicians w'all sure have to go down the rabbit hole.