Qtractor plugin for using sfz

[Luc]

Carla use Linuxsampler as back-end.

Oh. I had no idea.
Then I think it's by far the best GUI Linuxsampler has ever had.

[AndrewD]

1. Tell Carla where to scan for it: in Settings-->Configure Carla, Paths tab, select SFZ and add the root path of your SFZ files. Now, Add Plugin, click Refresh, select SFZ and click Start. After the scan, your SFZ files should be searchable if "Sound Kits" is selected under Special Filters.

I tried this but no sfz file was found. When looking for the root path I was only able to select the folder in which the sfz is found, not the sfz file itself, in case this is the cause of the problem. Otherwise I was sure to follow everything else such as selecting sound kits. Just to let you know.

2. The Normal Carla applicatoin (not the LV2/VST plugin) supports drag and drop of SFZ files into the Carla window. To make use of this, open the Carla application (separate from QTractor). Drag and drop an SFZ file into Carla. Now, File-->Save, and save the session somewhere. Then, in the LV2/VST Carla-Rack plugin in QTractor, Open that saved session.

I think this is working, but it's not making sound yet. The sound bars go up as if sound is being made, but none comes out of the actual speakers. I have no connections in the patchbay and some research suggests I have to do something there, but I experimented with different permutations to no effect. I'm experimenting here still, but I fear I've tried every single possible permutation.

[Luc]

Would you like to install Simple Screen Recorder and make a video of your attempts?

You can read this walkthrough I wrote yesterday...
viewtopic.php?f=24&t=17492&start=15#p85246

...but I suspect it won't help because you've done it all already. If you post a video, maybe we can troubleshoot it.

[Luc]

Oh, I see you have deleted your last comment. Solved it yet?

[AndrewD]

Oh, I see you have deleted your last comment. Solved it yet?

Ah it just gets temporarily removed if I edit it and my edit is awaiting approval.

I tried to capture the problem with simple screen recorder, but its video cuts out as soon as I open Carla, so I can't record it. Perhaps this is part of the problem? As soon as I open Carla I can get no sound nor play a video on for example Youtube. Some JACK setting or something?

[Lyberta]

You need to link Carla or LinuxSampler to your system audio output. In QJackCtl you can do this by pressing the "Connect" button.

[AndrewD]

You need to link Carla or LinuxSampler to your system audio output. In QJackCtl you can do this by pressing the "Connect" button.

Here is what I've done, but there's still no sound.

[noedig]

I tried to capture the problem with simple screen recorder, but its video cuts out as soon as I open Carla, so I can't record it. Perhaps this is part of the problem? As soon as I open Carla I can get no sound nor play a video on for example Youtube. Some JACK setting or something?

It sounds like (excuse the pun) pulseaudio and JACK are interfering, but it's not the end of the world for now. At least you can start JACK. Next thing is to check if you can hear any sound with a JACK app.

What is loaded in your Carla rack, and how are you giving it MIDI commands to make a sound? Click on the spanner icon on the plugin loaded in the Rack, and use the keyboard at the bottom to press notes and listen for sounds. (remember to connect Carla's output to the system output, like you have done in your screenshots.)

Screenshot_2017-09-18_14-22-45.png (238.59 KiB) Viewed 807 times

[AndrewD]

Exactly, I press the spanner icon and use the keyboard to try to produce sound. Similarly when I open Qtractor or QjackCtl then I can't hear sounds, for instance I can't hear the blip from pressing the volume +/- keyboard button, so it would seem to be an all-around problem. I assumed from reading some information that it was because the software was taking full control of JACK, that JACK couldn't 'share' between audio software and other things (so the volume +/- button had no more access, for example), and that once I hooked things up correctly through the audio software then it would work, but now I will investigate problems with JACK and Pulseaudio interference.

[AndrewD]

Well I've just about had a heart attack. I included "pasuspsender --" at the beginning of the "server prefix" field in QjackCtl setup dialogue "settings" -> "advanced". I noticed that I could hear the blips in Carla from when I press the volume up/down keyboard button, so it seemed promising, but I was still not getting any sound out of my Carla instrument. After tinkering with a couple other minor settings I just restarted my computer, and then I couldn't open any files in Carla because the "engine is not running" (a message I had never seen before) because Carla couldn't connect to Jack. I rushed to QjackCtl to eliminate what I added and restarted the computer, but the problem remained. After some study it seems it's not a problem, because I had to start the Carla engine by opening QjackCtl and pressing start, but this surprised me as it never used to be necessary over the past few days I've had Carla. After getting Carla's stupid engine running I could once again not hear the blip from my volume up/down button yet, to my utter amazement, I could finally hear my instruments in Carla! While what I added to QjackCtl had been deleted and the computer restarted, it's the only thing that could really account for this success, so in case its effect was only temporary I proceeded to open QjackCtl and re-add "pasuspsender --" so that I could be 'sure'........ it should now be an easy process to get Carla working in Qtractor but, last question: should I hug my computer, or attack it with a hammer?

Thank you all very much for your excellent help and patience!

PS - If anyone wants to give me a freebie, how do I adjust individual note volume in a given clip? (Not velocity but volume)

[noedig]

last question: should I hug my computer, or attack it with a hammer?

If you do decide to go with the latter, at least record it, you could potentially make an interesting SFZ sample pack from that.

PS - If anyone wants to give me a freebie, how do I adjust individual note volume in a given clip? (Not velocity but volume)

MIDI volume acts on the entire MIDI channel and the track gain on the entire track. You could probably either use multiple tracks, or see if you can edit that note's MIDI channel to be different from the rest, and use automation to set the volume of that channel. (I haven't worked with channels in Qtractor myself yet, so not sure how easy/possible it is)