E-MU Xmidi 2x2 USB/MIDI interface out of the box

Talk about your MIDI interfaces, microphones, keyboards...

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vincent
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Joined: Sun Apr 28, 2013 10:38 am

E-MU Xmidi 2x2 USB/MIDI interface out of the box

Post by vincent »

I have just bought for 38 € a E-MU Xmidi 2x2 (http://www.creative.com/emu/products/pr ... ?pid=15187) USB/MIDI interface to connect my old Yamaha CS1X synthesizer and can report that it works out of the box with Linux Kubuntu 13.04. Note that it comes with a USB cable and a protective cover but without MIDI cables. My decision was based on the following page: http://alsa.opensrc.org/USBMidiDevices.

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~$ amidi -l
Dir Device    Name
IO  hw:1,0,0  E-MU Xmidi 2x2 MIDI 1
IO  hw:1,0,1  E-MU Xmidi 2x2 MIDI 2

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~$ lsusb
Bus 002 Device 003: ID 041e:3f0f Creative Technology, Ltd 
Kuroi
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Joined: Mon Feb 13, 2017 12:21 am

Re: E-MU Xmidi 2x2 USB/MIDI interface out of the box

Post by Kuroi »

Hello all:
First post here, I'm interested in making my old EMU Xmidi 1x1 work on linux (fresh installed ubuntustudio 16.10) I followed the previous post and I got this in the terminal:

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kuroi@Saki:~$ amidi -l
Dir Device    Name
IO  hw:2,0,0  E-MU XMidi1X1 MIDI 1
kuroi@Saki:~$ lsusb
Bus 002 Device 003: ID 046d:c52b Logitech, Inc. Unifying Receiver
Bus 002 Device 002: ID 8087:0020 Intel Corp. Integrated Rate Matching Hub
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 004: ID 041e:3f07 Creative Technology, Ltd E-Mu Xmidi 1x1
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 8087:0020 Intel Corp. Integrated Rate Matching Hub
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
I presume that my PC identified the interface (usb in that end), which is connected to a casio privia piano (two midi connectors in this end).

In order to make all this work, what's the next step?
Thanks!
vincent
Established Member
Posts: 17
Joined: Sun Apr 28, 2013 10:38 am

Re: E-MU Xmidi 2x2 USB/MIDI interface out of the box

Post by vincent »

Hi Kuroi,

first you can play with the command line:

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$ amidi -p hw:2,0,0 -d

90 45 43
   45 00
Here I played a A on my synth (0x45).

You can look at the MIDI port of your Emu:

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$ arecordmidi -l
 Port    Client name                      Port name
 14:0    Midi Through                     Midi Through Port-0
 20:0    E-MU Xmidi 2x2                   E-MU Xmidi 2x2 MIDI 1
 20:1    E-MU Xmidi 2x2                   E-MU Xmidi 2x2 MIDI 2
Here it is the port 20:0.

You can record what you play:

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$ arecordmidi -p 20 mymusic.mid
and replay it:

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$ aplaymidi -p 20 mymusic.mid
You can send orders to your casio:

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$ amidi -p hw:2,0,0 -S '90 45 43'
It plays a A.
vincent
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Posts: 17
Joined: Sun Apr 28, 2013 10:38 am

Re: E-MU Xmidi 2x2 USB/MIDI interface out of the box

Post by vincent »

To go further, you need to know that MIDI software are like MIDI hardware: it is just about connecting some "out" to some "in".
You can play with aconnect -i and aconnect -o to see input and output MIDI ports, and aconnect 128 129 to connect port 128 to port 129.

To do that graphically you need to install Jack and some other softwares:

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$ sudo apt-get install qjackctl fluidsynth qsynth fluid-soundfont-gm rosegarden
and connect them. It can be difficult at the beginning, but just remember that it is like pluging virtual wires instead of physical ones: an Out toward an In.

You also need to understand that there is two systems: some softs use Jack and other use ALSA for midi connections.
Kuroi
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Joined: Mon Feb 13, 2017 12:21 am

Re: E-MU Xmidi 2x2 USB/MIDI interface out of the box

Post by Kuroi »

Thanks so much Vincent, the command to record and play didn't work (or I can't make it work), but the one to make the piano play notes worked just fine, I'm installing the soft that wasn't installed yet.
Kuroi
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Joined: Mon Feb 13, 2017 12:21 am

Re: E-MU Xmidi 2x2 USB/MIDI interface out of the box

Post by Kuroi »

Thanks Vincent!
Just one more question (for today, at least): I made rosengarden record my piano and play the recorded in the piano, but how can I make it play midi to the speakers (line out)?
vincent
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Joined: Sun Apr 28, 2013 10:38 am

Re: E-MU Xmidi 2x2 USB/MIDI interface out of the box

Post by vincent »

Kuroi wrote:Thanks Vincent!
Just one more question (for today, at least): I made rosengarden record my piano and play the recorded in the piano, but how can I make it play midi to the speakers (line out)?
Hi Kuroi,

If you want your PC to output something on the PC speakers, you need to link (using Jack) the MIDI output of rosegarden to the input of a synth software like QSynth or ZynAddSubFX. And link the audio output of the soft to the audio system.

Qsynth is simple to use and uses a soundfount: https://qsynth.sourceforge.io/

ZynAddSubFX is a real synthesizer (the GUI is not very sexy but the inside is very very good): http://zynaddsubfx.sourceforge.net/

Look in your package manager.
Kuroi
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Re: E-MU Xmidi 2x2 USB/MIDI interface out of the box

Post by Kuroi »

thanks!
Kuroi
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Joined: Mon Feb 13, 2017 12:21 am

Re: E-MU Xmidi 2x2 USB/MIDI interface out of the box

Post by Kuroi »

PS: I just spent three hours playing around with my piano, zinaddsubfx, yoshimi, qsynth after I figured out how to connect the virtual cables. Thanks, after I quit using Windows, I thought my e-mu cable was useless.
vincent
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Joined: Sun Apr 28, 2013 10:38 am

Re: E-MU Xmidi 2x2 USB/MIDI interface out of the box

Post by vincent »

Fine !

You can also explore:
- LMMS: https://lmms.io/
- Hydrogen (a rythmbox): http://www.hydrogen-music.org/hcms/
which are packaged in Ubuntu.
Kuroi
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Joined: Mon Feb 13, 2017 12:21 am

Re: E-MU Xmidi 2x2 USB/MIDI interface out of the box

Post by Kuroi »

Thanks for the tips. I can't say I'm an expert in Hydrogen, but I was able to made a song with it:

https://soundcloud.com/basskuroi/chaffeur-denfer

By the way, in order to play Bristol and Genpo I need to do it through a software synth?
vincent
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Re: E-MU Xmidi 2x2 USB/MIDI interface out of the box

Post by vincent »

Kuroi wrote:Thanks for the tips. I can't say I'm an expert in Hydrogen, but I was able to made a song with it:

https://soundcloud.com/basskuroi/chaffeur-denfer
Nice !
Kuroi wrote:By the way, in order to play Bristol and Genpo I need to do it through a software synth?
I think you need to connect your E-Mu to these softs using QJackCtl, in the same way as ZynAddSubFX.
I tried to install Bristol in my Ubuntu some years ago, but I failed. And I do not know Genpo.
Kuroi
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Re: E-MU Xmidi 2x2 USB/MIDI interface out of the box

Post by Kuroi »

I was using zynaddsubfx through rosegarden because I forget all about qjackctl. When I get home, I'll explore that part.
For some reason I can't use monobristol gui, but I can call every instrument by terminal. Maybe I can kill two birds with qjackctl.
vincent
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Posts: 17
Joined: Sun Apr 28, 2013 10:38 am

Re: E-MU Xmidi 2x2 USB/MIDI interface out of the box

Post by vincent »

Yes, QJackCtl is the key to get all these softs work together.
Kuroi
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Re: E-MU Xmidi 2x2 USB/MIDI interface out of the box

Post by Kuroi »

Sorry to be so bothersome, but this is fascinating:

I'm using patchage to see and make connections. So, I can play the E-MU with yoshimi, rosegarden because both of them have alsa-midi connectors; on the other hand, fooyc20, and some other instruments have jack-midi, and there's no valid connection. qjackctl didn't help me here. I was able to play amsynth because it has a configure option to use alsa-midi in, so I can connect it to E-MU.

Is there a way (some kind of interface) to connect alsa-midi out to jack-midi in?
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