[PlanetCCRMA] Try to configure Qjackctl, may be bug, etc.

[Fernando Lopez-Lezcano]

On Thu, 2009-01-29 at 00:03 +0100, Aznar Jocelyn wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> I'm almost new to this list, I subscribed some times ago but I
> couldn't make at all
> anything work and my knowledges weren't enough to do and to ask something
> about it at that time. But now things have changed, I hope :)
> 
> So, first, a short description of what I'd like to do. I would like to
> use my digital
> piano, combine it to a software synthesizer, like ZynAddSubFx or WhySynth,
> and hear the sound produced by the software in my computer. As far as I've been,
> I could only produce sounds with the software synthesizer on my computer
> but without using the digital piano.
> 
> About my computer :
> Sound card : Juli@ http://www.esi-audio.com/products/julia/
> 
> The digital piano : yamaha P-60 :
> http://mesnotices.fr/manuel-notice-mode-emploi/YAMAHA/P-60-_E
> I'm not sure about how to configure it, really not :( and reading the
> doc didn't help
> me much because of, probably, lack of knowledge in this field.
> 
> #lspci
> [lejocelyn at Violette ~]$ lspci
> 00:00.0 RAM memory: nVidia Corporation MCP61 Memory Controller (rev a1)
> 00:01.0 ISA bridge: nVidia Corporation MCP61 LPC Bridge (rev a2)
> 00:01.1 SMBus: nVidia Corporation MCP61 SMBus (rev a2)
> 00:01.2 RAM memory: nVidia Corporation MCP61 Memory Controller (rev a2)
> 00:02.0 USB Controller: nVidia Corporation MCP61 USB Controller (rev a3)
> 00:02.1 USB Controller: nVidia Corporation MCP61 USB Controller (rev a3)
> 00:04.0 PCI bridge: nVidia Corporation MCP61 PCI bridge (rev a1)
> 00:06.0 IDE interface: nVidia Corporation MCP61 IDE (rev a2)
> 00:07.0 Bridge: nVidia Corporation MCP61 Ethernet (rev a2)
> 00:08.0 IDE interface: nVidia Corporation MCP61 SATA Controller (rev a2)
> 00:08.1 IDE interface: nVidia Corporation MCP61 SATA Controller (rev a2)
> 00:09.0 PCI bridge: nVidia Corporation MCP61 PCI Express bridge (rev a2)
> 00:0b.0 PCI bridge: nVidia Corporation MCP61 PCI Express bridge (rev a2)
> 00:0c.0 PCI bridge: nVidia Corporation MCP61 PCI Express bridge (rev a2)
> 00:0d.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation GeForce 6100
> nForce 430 (rev a2)
> 00:18.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8
> [Athlon64/Opteron] HyperTransport Technology Configuration
> 00:18.1 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8
> [Athlon64/Opteron] Address Map
> 00:18.2 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8
> [Athlon64/Opteron] DRAM Controller
> 00:18.3 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8
> [Athlon64/Opteron] Miscellaneous Control
> 01:08.0 RAID bus controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT6421 IDE RAID
> Controller (rev 50)
> 01:0a.0 Multimedia audio controller: VIA Technologies Inc. VT1720/24
> [Envy24PT/HT] PCI Multi-Channel Audio Controller (rev 01)
> 
> #uname -a
> Linux Violette 2.6.27.12-170.2.5.fc10.x86_64 #1 SMP Wed Jan 21
> 01:33:24 EST 2009 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
> but for music I use this kernel : 2.6.26.8-1.rt13.1.fc10.ccrma.x86_64.rt

A bit old, I would install the newer rt13.4 - I don't remember exactly
but I think rt13.1 still had problems with midi i/o (it did not work).
So, first upgrade your rt kernel. 

> I installed planetccrma-apps.x86_64 and planetccrma-core.x86_64 and
> some other packages.
> 
> About the issue now. Well first, Qjackctl and jackdmp make my computer
> almost freeze when I
> start them, most of the time. And when trying to use QjackCTL, I can't
> manage to have
> my piano starting the sound of the software synthesizer. I did try a
> lot of different setting
> for QjackCTL, like this one : http://pastebin.com/m4f21ec62
> 
> If you have ideas about how to solve the problem, not having some
> generating by the
> combo Piano/synthesizer and QjackCTL/jackd freezing the computer, I
> would be very
> happy to read them.
> 
> Something strange is that the computer doesn't freeze actually, it is
> very, very, and yes very
> slow, maybe it could be a clue.

First see if the new kernel changes things. 

If the computer is still very very slow it can mean that the processor
is not fast enough for what you are trying to do. Try with a less
demanding setting for jack and start it from the command line like this:

/usr/bin/jackd -v -R -d alsa -d hw:0 -r 48000 -p1024 -n3

There is no need to tweak the priority of the jack process if you are
using the combination of Planet CCRMA kernel and jackd (and that could
be the cause of your problems). And 192Khz sampling rate is a bit of
overkill, start with something lower and work up if you actually need
it. 

Let's see what happens with those settings. 
-- Fernando