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Using Java for a step sequencer

Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2017 10:00 am
by barbouze
Hi everybody!

Java is the language used in my IT cursus and this semester, I have to start a project from scratch using it. It does not need to be a big thing as the goal is to show that you can manage a project starting from user needs and finishing it to launch and support. My teacher said that we should enjoy it and go for anything we would like to use or think would be useful.
I'm planning to go for a monophonic step sequencer that would be a mix between the TB 303 sequencer functionalities but would look quite similar to Reason's matrix sequencer.
The target platform is Windows but I would like to be able to release it for Linux too as maybe some of you would be interested (at least I am, I miss such a little thing). I know that Java isn't the greatest language for real-time audio but I think that for sending midi messages it should be fine.
Do any of you have advices on the libraries I should use to get it right from the beginning?

Re: Using Java for a step sequencer

Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2017 1:35 pm
by davephillips
barbouze wrote:...Do any of you have advices on the libraries I should use to get it right from the beginning?
A Google search for "java audio midi libraries" yields many likely resources.

I've used jMusic, jFugue, JMSL, and JSyn, all good examples of Java in an audio/MIDI context. Alas, I'm not a programmer, that's about as far as I've gone with using Java directly. However, two of my favorite sound/music applications - Bitwig and AVSynthesis - are Java-based, IIRC.

Good luck, and please do share your work with us. :)

HTH,

dp

Re: Using Java for a step sequencer

Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2017 2:28 pm
by Lyberta
Here is the best page on the Internet that I've used when making my own MIDI library. Keep in mind that meta events (there are tons of them) are only used during the storage of MID files so you may skip the half of the spec.

Re: Using Java for a step sequencer

Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2017 3:21 pm
by barbouze
davephillips wrote: A Google search for "java audio midi libraries" yields many likely resources.

I've used jMusic, jFugue, JMSL, and JSyn, all good examples of Java in an audio/MIDI context.
I've seen that and that's why I wanted the feedback of someone who already traveled that path. I will look at them, thanks for the tip. :D
davephillips wrote: Good luck, and please do share your work with us. :)
Thanks! The project is due in June and I will probably add a bit of polish on it during this summer before a first public release :wink:

@FaTony: I'm already quite familiar with MIDI messages but your link is a good summary of te MIDI specs, thanks!