My Linux Mint OS/Pianoteq isn't recognizing my VPC1 MIDI input

Ralphiano

I just abandoned Windows 10 and replaced it with Linux Mint. Until about 3 years ago I had been a happy Ubuntu user for a blissful span of about 10 years. But, a couple of years ago I bought Garritan CFX and therefore, had to utilize a Windows 10 machine. As before, Windows brought nothing but suffering and failures. After 3 years of wasting all my piano practice time screwing around with the computer instead of playing piano, I have decided to dump Windows and Garritan. It is my purpose to use Linux Mint as my operating system and use Pianoteq as my VST.

This evening I installed Mint, erasing Windows in the process. I installed the Linux version of Pianoteq 7.5 successfully. When I use my mouse to click on any key of the virtual keyboard at the bottom of the Pianoteq user interface, the key lights up and the key sounds appropriately through my sound system.

But, my computer/Pianoteq does not recognize MIDI input from my VPC1. When I play a key on my VPC1, no sound comes through. And, the virtual keyboard at the bottom of the Pianoteq user interface does not light up to show that the MIDI signal has been received and the key has been played.

The MIDI screen under the ‘Options” menu shows no midi events when I attempt to play my VPC1.

These are the settings under the Options>Device menu:

Active MIDI Inputs: “Listen to All MIDI Inputs”, and, “MIDI Through Port-0” appear. I get no MIDI input from the VPC1 regardless of which one or all of these are checked. Oddly, when I used Windows 10, the VPC1 controller appeared in this box by name automatically as if the computer and Pianoteq automatically recognized the VPC1.

These are the settings under the Options>MIDI menu:

Everything is left at the default, including Global MIDI Mapping = Minimalistic

I suspect, but do no know, that my Linux Mint operating system does not recognize MIDI input over USB. But, I am clueless as to how to determine if this is the problem, or if it is, how to solve it. Or, is it a Pianoteq problem?

How can I get my Linux Mint computer to recognize the MIDI input from my VPC1 controller?

Del Vento

Ralphiano

Background: I have been using Linux almost exclusively since 1999, and I have used it with Pianoteq occasionally.

I used it only occasionally because I did not have a dedicated music computer, and so setting up / tearing down computer and cables was too much of a pain and I often ended up utilizing the internal sounds of whatever instrument I had (this will change if/when I complete the Mybrid/Cybrid project). Even more rarely, I used a Mac for some experiments with other virtual instruments, DAW and Pianoteq itself. Without any doubts, I can say that the Pianoteq + Linux is the most reliable way to have something work out of the box! It worked all the times, with any hardware I threw at it (computer or instrument, MIDI-over-USB from the piano or MIDI-from-the-piano-to-cheapest-MIDI-to-USB-converter-from-amazon and more). Always fine at first shot! Admittedly I never had a VPC1, but I had many brands and models throughout the years. Everything else I tried (Reaper, Sfizz, Carla, Kontakt, Aria, and a few other things that I don't remember because I don't have that Mac anymore) either on Linux (for the ones that work on it, such as Reaper) and especially on the Mac have always caused problems and were not recognized easily.

All this long story just to say: if you are experiencing this problem, and you know for sure that you don't have a hardware problem, you have the wrong distro or the wrong version of that distro. I tried many distributions, and I can say without any doubt that the very best one is Ubuntu LTS (not the regular Ubuntu). If you are not strongly attached to that installation you have, I recommend you dump it (yes, I tried Mint myself and used if for a couple of years -- it was ok, but Ubuntu is better and if you haven't used it for a while, it has recently been improved even further). The next version of Ubuntu LTS is due to be released next week (and they are released only once every two years, so I suggest you wait for that to come out instead of installing a 2yo one). Meanwhile, if you have an old medium (CD, USB dongle) with an old Ubuntu (*), I suggest that you try that "live" (without installing on disk) and see if Pianoteq works correctly there.

I personally strongly prefer the "Mate" flavor of UbuntuLTS, but if you don't, the "straight" Gnome3 or KDE, or LXFC or whatever you prefer are equally good -- for those who don't know these are identical engine just with a different GUI interface.

If instead you do feel strongly attached to Mint for non-piano reasons, let me know, and I will be happy to help you debug your issue with it, but I suspect it will be longer than moving to Ubuntu (and you'll get a few other non-piano-related quirks too, which are the ones that made me grow tired of it and switch to Ubuntu). Since the "live distribution" test is an almost-zero effort, I suggest that you do this first regardless and then get back here with the result, even though your intention is to fix it in Mint.

Hope this helps!

Happy Easter to you and to all pianoclack addicts like me who cannot spare checking the site even on the very Holy Easter Sunday!!!

(*): or if you don't have bandwidth limitation download one

David B

I wish I had the answer. I trust someone will come along that can help. I believe we have a few Linux knowledgeable people here. Hopefully you can get it sorted out soon. Sounds like it will be a nice setup with the VPC1 and Pianoteq.

God Bless,
David

vagfilm

Don't know how many clackers use pianoteq AND linux... I suggest you post this in the modartt/pianoteq forum that is where all the linux experts live.

QuasiUnaFantasia

A few years ago I did run Pianoteq under Lubuntu, and it worked just fine, but I am not a certified Linux mechanic, and I don't dare suggest anything other than to maybe try installing some other MIDI software to see if the problem is limited to Pianoteq (I suspect it isn't). You also brought the question to Modartts forum, and that is probably where you're most likely to get solid answers. Other than that, there is the possibility of raising the question in a dedicated Linux forum. If the issue is one of changing a Linux setting, then there might be help there.

But Modartt ought to have some ideas, because the problem seems general enough to have come to their attention before.

QuasiUnaFantasia

Del Vento Since the "live distribution" test is an almost-zero effort

I actually ran Pianoteq on a live distribution off a 16 GB USB stick. Always worked perfectly. The PC itself had previously been stripped of its hard drive.

Ralphiano

Happy Easter, everyone. And, thanks for the replies.

I am not sure what to make of this, but, I just got my Mint/Pianotq/VPC1 to work. While in Windows 10 world, I had stopped turning my VPC1 off when not in use. It was always on. And, for several weeks, the "On" button had been hidden from view by a small stack of sheet music atop the piano.

In my desperation to get Mint working, I looked to see if I had inadvertently switched the VPC1 to "Off". It was "On", but, I decided to see what effect switching it off and on would have. For reasons unknown to me, it worked. The Mint OS was now accepting MIDI data and sending it to my Pianoteq and making music.

I have no idea why this worked. I've shut down and replicated the success a couple of times, so, I think I am ok.

Thanks to all who replied or looked into this for me.

Drew-r

During some point in my latter years in tech support, i realized that not knowing why a given customer’s something that had not been working mysteriously began working was almost as aggravating ( often more 🤕) as those long & drawn out steps of helping a customer troubleshoot/resolve something that had been working but stopped working. With the former (which for me equated to an itch that could never be resolved because of the right spot to scratch remaining elusive) this usually involved going as many rounds as needed until the customer’s thing started working again. Therein, there were many times that dragged on for weeks and longer. With the former, the customer’s relief in accidentally getting their widget working again usually limited the time they were willing to spend on serving my needs - answering the “ but why did it start working again?” question. For them, their relief & subsequent joy was obvious, but for me, there was no full relief and of course, no joy …. possibly forever ….. and this opens wide the door for anyone’s speculation.

In the case of the Ralphiano Riddle, i suspect that between the VPC1 thingamajiggy and the combined Linux/VST/sound-system gizmo, there had developed a need for a power cycle event to properly synchronize said hi-tech gadgetry …. but given all the pain & suffering inherent with modern-day MS Windows computery, its hard to believe that Win10 was for years able to faithfully sound key presses upon the VPC1 without needing frequent reminding by way of cycling power to trigger the familiar Ding-dong, dong-Ding routine …. ya know? that old “ Windows has detected …. no, wait, i’ve forgotten about …. no, wait, i’ve re-detected, again, your USB thingy having been successfully inserted into my USB host port thingie”.

Ralphiano

Drew-r, you have captured the experience very well. I find it maddening that in the computer/digital world, it "appears" that all the rules go out the window. I can design a circuit to switch a light bulb, or switch an electric motor, and it will ALWAYS operate the exact way it was designed. But, in the digital data world, this does not seem to be the case. One day an action will yield one result, But, the next day the same action will yield a completely different result.

I think the hard part for me is that I like being in control of my devices. All of my life I have made sure to completely understand the devices and tools that I used, and this intimate knowledge paid massive dividends in so many ways. Somewhere deep inside me, I still believe in logic, and, truth be known, believe there is logic in the seemingly random things that digital devices do. Much of my suffering comes from being unable to know my devices, and therefore not understand them. I hate being in that position.

Del Vento

Ralphiano I find it maddening that in the computer/digital world, it "appears" that all the rules go out the window.

I totally agree with this, but it's not necessary "digital" vs "analog/mechanical". Take a bike for example, or a car (before they became digital too). Simply put, when the complexity of the item skyrockets, and the tolerance of each one of them plummets, that's a recipe for the frustration you describe which I experienced many time.

The "digital" problem is slightly different: how a thing is built is invisible, and the outside may be made pretty while the inside is horrible.

Having written lots of software myself, a comparison I always like to make is the following. Imagine you want a new custom-made wooden table, hire a carpenter and he comes to your house. Imagine that you want a "prototype" table to see how it fills the space, so you ask that person to make one of cardboard, and he abides. Imagine you want to see how it looks like and ask to get it spray painted, and he abides again. Now, nobody would think that's a usable table, but sadly in software many people (often managers) think that such a "prototype" is ready for production, and oh why should I pay for a full woodworker to build another better one, when what I now have in my kitchen looks great and seems to hold lightweight loads (e.g. a couple of empty dishes) just fine? Plus, I have guests coming tomorrow for Thankgiving, and the woodworker wants a full week to complete my table, I'll pay him for the prototype and prepare the dinner. Do I have to describe what happens when I load the table with all the food, many fine dishes and heavy silverware for 12?

The "digital" problem is this inside invisibility.

Drew-r

Del Vento The "digital" problem is this inside invisibility.

I saw a similar phenom, in the housing industry, back between the mid-80’s to mid-90’s, during which i was able to observe the progress of a few different new houses being built within a “new development plan”. For you folks east of America, development plan building is when a builder corp throws up numerous new houses all within the same new ‘McNeighborhood’ as opposed to a single individual building one new house. When it got to the point of interior work just before the dry wall went on, and exterior work before the siding / soffiting was applied, there were all kinds of questionable, shoddy-looking “oops” work that soon got covered over with pretty painted gypsum interior and vinyl exterior.

Ralphiano

Drew-r When it got to the point of interior work just before the dry wall went on, and exterior work before the siding / soffiting was applied, there were all kinds of questionable, shoddy-looking “oops” work that soon got covered over with pretty painted gypsum interior and vinyl exterior.

Yeah, that's the "short term profit above all else" ethos that has taken over in the United States.

I did framing (stuctural carpentry in residential construction) to pay my way through undergraduate school. i worked for a small contractor who wanted to do good work, but was prevented from doing so by the demands of the general contractor(GC) who used us. The GC wanted everything done as cheaply as could be, particularly in areas where the deficiencies would be hidden from view of home buyers. Said deficiencies included:

removing, for re-use in the next home, fiberglass insulation just after the purchaser had viewed the project and just before the drywall was hung;
the use of culled lumber (extremely cheap lumber previously rejected by reputable builders for structural deficiencies such as large knots [a structural weakness] spanning nearly the entire width of the board) in important, load bearing parts of the home such as floor joists, ceiling joists, and rafters;
Omission of important boards in areas such as corners, where the need for strength was great;
frequent use of warped (due to water exposure) plywood sheets for decking and roofing surfaces; etc.

This GC always built his housing developments in the rural areas just beyond the political boundaries of municipalities so as to avoid the requirements of the building codes they enforced.

It was soul robbing to do this work. I'm proud of one of my bursts of defiance in which I stayed on the site after everyone else had left, and went up onto the ceilings of a couple of the houses and broke all the culled lumber ceiling joists. This, after a colleague fell to the floor below after stepping on one which gave way due to a huge knot.

My poor boss, who was a good guy, got through his days by working hard, but then drinking heavily at night.