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New Kids On the Block

7 March, 2010 - 22:00 — rncbc

QmidiCtl is a MIDI remote controller application that sends MIDI data over the network, using UDP/IP multi-cast. It has been designed primarily for the Maemo enabled handheld devices, namely the Nokia N900. In its current development state, which is obviously alpha as of this writing, it puts a mini multi-track recording control surface on your hands and on the go, so to speak. MMC is the feature and yours truly Qtractor the target. However, any other MMC enabled DAW may be considered.

However nothing of this would be possible without this little thing that gets also here its release announcement: QmidiNet is a MIDI network gateway application that sends and receives MIDI data (ALSA Sequencer) over the network, using UDP/IP multi-cast. Fundamentally inspired by multimidicast and designed to be compatible with ipMIDI for Windows, it's a little tiny application that sits as an icon on your system tray and exposes one or more ALSA Sequencer client ports which open the way for a MIDI network mesh. Pretty neat if you think wireless and not necessarily because of QmidiCtl.

Alas, you can transform any Linux/ALSA computer (or Windows/ipMIDI enabled one, if you dare to) into a MIDI-over-IP inter-connected node.

Be free, without cables :)

Websites:

http://qmidictl.sourceforge.net
http://qmidinet.sourceforge.net

Project pages:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/qmidictl
http://sourceforge.net/projects/qmidinet

Downloads:

  • source tarballs:
    qmidictl-0.0.1.tar.gz
    qmidinet-0.0.1.tar.gz
  • source package (openSUSE 11.2):
    qmidictl-0.0.1-1.rncbc.suse112.src.rpm
    qmidinet-0.0.1-1.rncbc.suse112.src.rpm
  • binary packages (openSUSE 11.2):
    qmidictl-0.0.1-1.rncbc.suse112.i586.rpm
    qmidictl-0.0.1-1.rncbc.suse112.x86_64.rpm
    qmidinet-0.0.1-1.rncbc.suse112.i586.rpm
    qmidinet-0.0.1-1.rncbc.suse112.x86_64.rpm
  • binary packages (Ubuntu 9.10):
    qmidictl_0.0.1-1.rncbc.ubuntu910_i386.deb
    qmidictl_0.0.1-1.rncbc.ubuntu910_amd64.deb
    qmidinet_0.0.1-1.rncbc.ubuntu910_i386.deb
    qmidinet_0.0.1-1.rncbc.ubuntu910_amd64.deb
  • binary packages (Maemo 5):
    qmidictl_0.0.1-1_armel.deb

    • Weblog (upstream support):

    http://www.rncbc.org

    License:

    QmidiNet and QmidiCtl are both free, open-source software, distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL) version 2 or later.

    Cheers && Enjoy

    Comments

    8 March, 2010 - 01:08 — looplog (not verified)

    wow, you never cease to amaze...

    Any chance this magic will work on the n810? Of course, I'll try it out myself a bit later, but it'd be nice to know that this will fly on maemo4 hardware.

    -michael

    8 March, 2010 - 08:40 — rncbc
    rncbc's picture

    Reading from the Qt-Maemo page the N810 might work, provided there's Qt4 installed and of course the device does WLAN which I'm sure it does :)

    My scratchbox is hardwired for the Maemo 5 and the provided binary package (qmidictl_0.0.1-1_armel.deb) might only work on the N900 as is. But you're welcome to try :)

    Cheers.

    8 March, 2010 - 07:34 — Domenik (not verified)

    woww Rui...you continue release amazing tools!
    Any possibility to porting for Apple Iphone?
    Release it and start to sell to Apple Store, before someone copy and resell your nice idea!
    cheers
    Domenik

    8 March, 2010 - 08:50 — rncbc
    rncbc's picture

    Being a Nokia product I doubt Qt will ever support the iPhone, at least officially. But who am I to despise the powers of the community :)

    Cheers

    8 March, 2010 - 08:54 — AutoStatic (not verified)

    ...last week. And it's not a Nokia with Maemo. I've pondered, contemplated, reflected, locked myself up for a week to make a decision and got myself an Android phone. Then the next thing you know is that Rui comes up with two neat little apps that would've saved me a lot of time (at least a week). On a serious tip, these apps sound very promising, but for me something like a N900 is just way too expensive. But great job Rui!

    Best,

    Jeremy

    8 March, 2010 - 09:16 — rncbc
    rncbc's picture

    Well, it was just the other week that I got myself a N900 and being easy on the Qt programming bar I just felt I ought to do something with it. Didn't take long to make it my glorified gadget toy these last days and the result are the thingies here presented.

    I have considered also about buying an Android phone besides the strong Qt endorsement on the Nokia ones. But guess what, here in my place and around, all few good Android ones are just comparable in price with the N900, some are even more expensive, even if you take them tied to a telco operator contract. So it was a no brainer for me :)

    Cheers

    10 March, 2010 - 08:28 — Sampo (not verified)

    Hi Rui!

    Is qmidictl available in any maemo repository? From what I've heard, uploading to maemo-devel doesn't require much. It would make installing the app much easier

    10 March, 2010 - 09:08 — rncbc
    rncbc's picture

    hi Sampo,

    for the record, QmidiCtl is also registered on the Maemo Garage.

    Alas, I did not find, yet, the way to upload to that maemo-devel as you say. Will look forwrad... [UPDATE:] I've just requested authorization for upload on the Maemo Extras Assistant, it's a manual process so that will take some time... :)

    [UPDATE2:] It's done. QmidiCtl is now built and uploaded to the Maemo Fremantle Extras-devel repository, that meaning it's now available for download and installation directly from the N900 application manager -- Beware! Abuse of the extras-devel repository is not for the faint of heart ;)

    Cheers.

    14 March, 2010 - 19:21 — rncbc
    rncbc's picture

    That's right,

    QmidiCtl is on Maemo 5/Fremantle extras-testing now and is eager for promotion.

    Anyone interested (and registered) is invited to vote and get it official to the Maemo 5 repositories. If you have a N900 and are reading this blog regularly, that means you should ;)

    Cheers

    16 March, 2010 - 19:49 — sampo (not verified)

    Hi,

    I haven't had a chance to test it until today. Works great!

    Two things I'd like to see:
    1) Ardour compatible midi messages for the R/M/S buttons. Maybe a separate mode where those buttons are mapped as simple CC's?
    2) An Ardour template (might work on that later, especially if an "Ardour mode" gets implemented).

    16 March, 2010 - 22:40 — rncbc
    rncbc's picture

    Thanks.

    Of course, a more generic, user configurable CC map is in the plan. MMC just got there first as it was the most obvious to me, as a proof of concept.

    Seeya

    24 March, 2010 - 21:32 — Seablade (not verified)

    Its funny, Sampo and I were discussing possibilities similar to this for using the n900 as an Ardour remote control a while back, this is great! Thanks Rui, now I need to get it working with OS X and use it in Ardour/Mixbus. I would vote for NOTE messages for the buttons over CCs though. Or better yet, programmable OSC would be GREAT!

    Seablade

    25 March, 2010 - 09:32 — rncbc
    rncbc's picture

    and thinking about some nice things to do... :)

    what about some of you leverage the karma of QmidiCtl on Fremantle Extras-Testing queue ?

    seeya

    29 March, 2010 - 12:54 — Seablade (not verified)

    I suppose that means I should sign up to do so, which isn't a bad thing since there are several apps I would like to give feedback there for. I need to get some hands on time with this first though before I can, I just haven't had time lately to try out much new, wouldn't have even known about this except for Sampo pointing me to here:)

    Seablade

    30 March, 2010 - 08:08 — rncbc
    rncbc's picture

    Yep, you ought to register on maemo.org and participating. Rating and commenting on the listed applications and stuff will raise your own karma ;)

    Cheers

    26 April, 2010 - 09:38 — rncbc
    rncbc's picture

    Maybe you'd like to know that since this late weekend QmidiCtl is now fully configurable re. which MIDI control events are sent/recognized by each button or control widget.

    That is, you're not restricted to MMC anymore. You can now assign any CONTROLLER, NOTE_ON, NOTE_OFF, KEY_PRESS, CHAN_PRESS, PGM_CHANGE or even PITCH_BEND event type to any button or else. Or stay as MMC, of course ;)

    Look after the new Configure... menu entry.

    nb. only in SVN trunk for the time being...

    Cheers && Enjoy

    16 April, 2010 - 09:02 — Folienfaq (not verified)

    I have never heard before of this tool. It seems to be an interesting feature for my N 900. Many thanks for the information.

    8 May, 2010 - 18:27 — motorbike helmets (not verified)

    I like the Nokia 900 and I am a big nokia fan. However, i still love the Nokia X6 rather than the nokia 900. It more money but more features.

    21 June, 2010 - 14:37 — aabid (not verified)

    Nokia has always given some amazing things in its phones, i just bought 5800 and it's amazing i am really impressed with the mobile softwares preinstalled in it. and also lots of other 3rd party applications are also good.

    27 August, 2010 - 05:30 — Brian "Hack" Jameson (not verified)

    Is there no limit to what can be achieved on phones? I think it is time for a universal connector between smart phones and attachable/connectable tools. I mean I saw a card reader than converts the magnetic strip data to sound and sends it via the headphone socket...

    15 October, 2010 - 07:25 — cris2per (not verified)

    Nice unit there! It is a slide up or just like an iphone? +1

    surety bonds

    15 October, 2010 - 12:53 — rncbc
    rncbc's picture

    slide up, of course, it's a N900, a so called internet tablet that does phone calls as well ;)

    cheers

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