MIDI Controller input no workie

mtf8 · December 8, 2023, 4:26am

Great to be back… zrythm seems to have come a long way. I really appreciate all the hard work that’s gone into this incredible project.

That said, I seem to be unable to trigger MIDI from my controller which is working fine in both Qtractor and Ardour. I am running the very latest of the beta releases and can hear Zsaw trigger when I click on a note inside Piano Roll. That just tells me everything is working as expected in terms of the output signal.

Here are a few screenshots showing what I see. Any help would be appreciated in what I assume is probably going to be an easy fix.

alex · December 8, 2023, 9:29am

Welcome back!

Everything seems alright… Do you see the “Midi in” indicator in the top right flash when you press a key on your external MIDI keyboard?

Can you also try adding a MIDI inspector plugin under the “MIDI FX” section in the track inspector and see if it receives any events? You can use the Sherlock MIDI Inspector plugin by openmusickontrollers

mtf8 · December 9, 2023, 5:16am

No visual activity in either the Plugin Inspector or, as you indicated, the expected indicator when I strike keys on the MIDI controller. I swear though, the MIDI controller triggers NoteOn and NoteOff events as expected both in Qtractor and even Ardour so I’m 100% confident there’s no issue with the hardware or connectivity.

This screenshot shows the events seen by sherlock.lv2. The NoteOn and NoteOff events you see are actually a result of clicking a key within Piano Roll, not by striking a key on the controller.

Guessing this is going to require somewhat of a deeper dive…

Ignore the fact the “MIDI Through” port was incorrectly selected at the time of this screenshot. I did notice it and tried selecting both the correct “X6mini MIDI 1” port as well as “All Inputs” in order to continue testing.

mtf8 · December 9, 2023, 5:23am

As mentioned, MIDI controller is seen and working flawlessly in Qtractor. 2 keys struck, 2 corresponding NoteOn and NoteOff events seen by sherlock.

mtf8 · December 9, 2023, 5:32am

Output of zrythm_launch -p

Schema org.zrythm.Zrythm.ui.panels
track-inspector-detached=false
file-browser-size=(128, 128)
chord-pad-detached=false
chord-pad-size=(128, 128)
plugin-inspector-size=(128, 128)
monitor-section-detached=false
cc-bindings-size=(128, 128)
track-inspector-size=(128, 128)
modulator-view-detached=false
chord-pack-browser-detached=false
mixer-detached=false
clip-editor-detached=false
scenes-size=(128, 128)
mixer-size=(128, 128)
port-connections-detached=false
plugin-browser-detached=false
plugin-inspector-detached=false
plugin-browser-size=(128, 128)
track-visibility-detached=false
monitor-section-size=(128, 128)
cc-bindings-detached=false
port-connections-size=(128, 128)
timeline-size=(128, 128)
track-visibility-size=(128, 128)
clip-editor-size=(128, 128)
file-browser-detached=false
modulator-view-size=(128, 128)
timeline-detached=false
scenes-detached=false
Schema org.zrythm.Zrythm.ui
editor-object-length=‘beat’
bounce-with-parents=true
jack-transport-type=‘none’
midi-function=0
ruler-display=‘bbt’
track-filter-show-disabled=true
timeline-object-length-type=‘normal’
show-automation-values=false
timeline-playhead-scroll-edges=true
left-panel-tab=0
automation-function=0
timeline-last-object-length=960.0
right-panel-divider-position=180
audio-function-pitch-shift-ratio=1.0
selected-tool=‘select-normal’
editor-playhead-follow=false
musical-mode=false
track-filter-name=‘’
disable-after-bounce=false
browser-divider-position=220
piano-roll-default-velocity=‘last-note’
transport-display=‘bbt’
editor-object-length-type=‘normal’
bounce-step=‘post-fader’
timeline-event-viewer-visible=false
editor-event-viewer-visible=false
left-panel-divider-position=180
editor-last-object-length=480.0
piano-roll-highlight=‘none’
piano-roll-last-set-velocity=90
piano-roll-note-notation=‘musical’
ghost-notes=false
timeline-playhead-follow=false
piano-roll-midi-modifier=‘velocity’
editor-playhead-scroll-edges=false
track-filter-type=
bot-panel-tab=0
audio-function=0
right-panel-tab=0
bounce-tail=0
timeline-object-length=‘bar’
bot-panel-divider-position=180
listen-notes=false
track-autoarm=true
Schema org.zrythm.Zrythm.preferences.editing.automation
curve-algorithm=‘superellipse’
info=[3, 1]
Schema org.zrythm.Zrythm.preferences.general.paths
zrythm-dir=‘/data/mtf8/Zrythm’
info=[0, 1]
Schema org.zrythm.Zrythm.export.audio
export-stems=false
dither=false
format=‘FLAC’
time-range=‘song’
genre=‘Electronic’
artist=‘Zrythm’
filename-pattern=‘append-format’
bit-depth=24
title=‘My Project’
Schema org.zrythm.Zrythm.ui.inspector
track-fader-expanded=false
track-inserts-expanded=false
track-inputs-expanded=true
track-sends-expanded=false
track-midi-fx-expanded=true
track-controls-expanded=true
track-properties-expanded=true
track-outputs-expanded=true
track-comment-expanded=false
Schema org.zrythm.Zrythm.preferences.plugins.paths
jsfx-search-paths=
sf2-search-paths=
sfz-search-paths=
info=[1, 1]
vst-search-paths-windows=[‘C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST2’, ‘C:\Program Files\VSTPlugins’, ‘C:\Program Files\Steinberg\VSTPlugins’, ‘C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST2’, ‘C:\Program Files\Common Files\Steinberg\VST2’]
Schema org.zrythm.Zrythm.general
recent-projects=[‘/data/mtf8/Zrythm/Test3/project.zpj’, ‘/data/mtf8/Zrythm/Test2/project.zpj’, ‘/data/mtf8/Zrythm/Test/project.zpj’]
last-version-new-release-notified-on=‘999’
run-versions=
first-check-for-updates=false
first-run=false
install-dir=‘’
last-project-dir=‘/data/mtf8/Zrythm’
Schema org.zrythm.Zrythm.preferences.editing.audio
fade-algorithm=‘superellipse’
info=[3, 0]
Schema org.zrythm.Zrythm.preferences.editing.undo
undo-stack-length=128
info=[3, 2]
Schema org.zrythm.Zrythm.ui.plugin-browser
plugin-browser-filter=‘none’
plugin-browser-collections=
plugin-browser-categories=
plugin-browser-authors=
plugin-browser-tab=‘protocol’
plugin-browser-protocols=
plugin-browser-sort-style=‘alpha’
Schema org.zrythm.Zrythm.ui.midi-functions.strum
ascending=true
curviness=50
curve-algo=‘superellipse’
total-time=50.0
Schema org.zrythm.Zrythm.preferences.general.other
info=[0, 3]
Schema org.zrythm.Zrythm.transport
recording-preroll=‘none’
recording-mode=‘takes’
start-on-midi-input=false
metronome-enabled=false
metronome-countin=‘none’
loop=true
metronome-volume=1.0
punch-mode=false
return-to-cue=true
Schema org.zrythm.Zrythm.preferences.ui.general
graphic-detail=‘high’
font-scale=1.0
language=‘en’
css-theme=‘zrythm-theme.css’
icon-theme=‘zrythm-dark’
info=[5, 0]
Schema org.zrythm.Zrythm.export.midi
export-stems=false
time-range=‘song’
format=1
lanes-as-tracks=false
genre=‘Electronic’
artist=‘Zrythm’
filename-pattern=‘append-format’
title=‘My Project’
Schema org.zrythm.Zrythm.ui.file-browser
autoplay=false
show-unsupported-files=false
instrument=‘’
filter=‘midi’
show-hidden-files=false
file-browser-selected-bookmark=‘’
file-browser-bookmarks=
last-location=‘/data/mtf8/Ardour/Test/export’
Schema org.zrythm.Zrythm.ui.midi-functions.crescendo
start-velocity=1
curviness=50
curve-algo=‘superellipse’
end-velocity=127
Schema org.zrythm.Zrythm.ui.midi-functions.flam
time=10.0
velocity=127
Schema org.zrythm.Zrythm.preferences.projects.general
autosave-interval=0
info=[4, 0]
Schema org.zrythm.Zrythm.preferences.general.engine
audio-backend=‘jack’
rtaudio-audio-device-name=‘’
info=[0, 0]
midi-backend=‘jack’
buffer-size=‘512’
midi-controllers=[‘JACK/a2j:X6mini [20] (capture): X6mini MIDI 1’]
sample-rate=‘48000’
audio-inputs=
sdl-audio-device-name=‘’
Schema org.zrythm.Zrythm.ui.mixer
sends-expanded=false
midi-fx-expanded=false
inserts-expanded=true
Schema org.zrythm.Zrythm.monitor
mute=false
mute-vol=0.0
dim-output=false
mono=false
l-devices=[‘JACK/system:playback_1’]
listen-vol=1.0
monitor-vol=0.90402603149414062
r-devices=[‘JACK/system:playback_2’]
dim-vol=0.10000000000000001
Schema org.zrythm.Zrythm.preferences.general.updates
check-for-updates=true
info=[0, 2]
Schema org.zrythm.Zrythm.preferences.scripting.general
default-script=‘print-all-tracks.scm’
info=[6, 0]
Schema org.zrythm.Zrythm.preferences.dsp.pan
pan-algorithm=‘sine’
pan-law=‘minus-three-db’
info=[2, 0]
Schema org.zrythm.Zrythm.preferences.plugins.uis
open-on-instantiate=true
stay-on-top=true
refresh-rate=0
scale-factor=0.0
info=[1, 0]

alex · December 9, 2023, 9:16am

Everything seems ok… Will test a bit later to see if I can find a likely cause. Maybe there is useful info in the log file if you could send that (you can DM it to me)

mtf8 · December 9, 2023, 4:51pm

There are no logs being written under $XDG_DATA_HOME/zrythm/log

In fact, the log directory is not even being created.

alex · December 10, 2023, 3:17am

Should be under here

mtf8 · December 10, 2023, 4:02am

You’re right. I found the log and will send it over via DM. Now I understand the Zrythm path in preferences is actually representing/overwriting what the documentation refers to as Zrythm user path

https://manual.zrythm.org/en/glossary/intro.html#term-Zrythm-user-path

prefs

It might be good to rename the preference to be aligned with the documentation. I’ll send you the log via DM. Thanks again for the assist.

I should also tell you I’ve been tailing the log while striking keys on the MIDI controller. There’s been no lines added so I don’t think this is a case of any exceptions being raised during my attempts to trigger input.

alex · December 15, 2023, 12:16pm

For posterity, this issue is resolved (or worked around) by using PipeWire instead. See Cannot record on pure JACK backend (MIDI or audio) (#4961) · Issues · Zrythm / zrythm · GitLab