MIDITZER on LINUX MINT 21

[windmountain]

I just installed MIDITZER 260 today on my LINUX MINT 21 computer under WINE. It runs perfectly and is in tune with my GrandOrgue BARTON 312 VPO. Here are some takeaways:

MIDITZER should be run under Pulse Audio - not Jack!

You have to open winecfg in terminal window and make sure all the Graphics boxes are unchecked. Otherwise you will not be able right click on title bar to make settings.

To individually control maximum volume, open the LINUX sound settings and look for the Applications settings under output and adjust the volume settings for the loaded MIDITZER to suit your preferences. I had to lower it to about 60%.

If you try to use "workspaces" feature in LINUX, there is no way to limit MIDITZER's appearance to a given workspace. It will always be on top and dominate all workspaces. You can always grab the title bar and slide it around to bring other programs into view; however, do not try to minimize it! You cannot restore it. If you do this by mistake you will have to open the LINUX System Monitor and "kill" the MIDITZER process and reload. Maybe I'll figure a workaround someday.

Good luck.

[Jim Henry]

Thank you for posting this information. I have no experience with running the Miditzer on anything other than Windows. Information like yours will be helpful to others who want to venture beyond Windows.

Have you tried the alpha versions of the Style 216 posted in the Development Labs section of this Forum? I would be interested in knowing if the experience is better or worse. There are major "under the hood" changes and there is ongoing work on a new version of the underlying Miditzer engine. No promises but it there are hiccups in running the alpha version of the Miditzer on Linux we might be able to address them.

[windmountain]

With a little bit of experimentation I learned that the WINE utility called "Q4WINE" will allow opening MIDITZER in its own Workspace. It therefore won't overlay all other Workspace windows. However, one should always set a custom desktop size in q4wine and not use Default setting. Additionally, as soon as MIDITZER is closed you have to reload it through q4wine again.

[Wurlitzer28]

Well this is encouraging and very useful information.
As I've gone full circle Miditzer, a 1928 Wurlitzer Pipe Organ, that Pipe Ogan PLUS Hauptwerks, Lighting destroying my electronic relay, Pipe organ now gone, I'm back to MidiTzer.

I've spent the last 7 years in the Linux World, Win 7 was the last Windows OS I liked and tolerated.

I need a new laptop anyway and could just load Linux Mint 21 or configure it to have ample system resources enough for Dual Boot with Windows and enough RAM for VTO. ASSUMING a laptop could be configured to drive some unknown sound card.

Had played with WINE years ago so I could still use VB6.0 but no longer need that ability.

Any suggestions maybe under $2K USD? Laptop dual boot or just bite the bullet with 2 computers?

Thanks.

[Jim Henry]

ASSUMING a laptop could be configured to drive some unknown sound card.

I haven't contemplated Miditzer hardware requirements for awhile, so take everything that follows with a healthy dose of skepticism.

The Miditzer started bundling FluidSynth years ago to allow the use of sound fonts without the need for special audio hardware. The Miditzer should run on any computer that has audio capability, which I think is just about every computer. There may be latency issues of course. You should be able to reduce the latency most effectively by using the version of the Miditzer that is currently in alpha testing because it allows the use of the current version of FluidSynth.

If you run on Linux, you will have to negotiate some of the MIDI to audio routing on your own. But I believe Graham Wykes and others have posted information to help with the Linux audio configuration.

The Miditzer still has the ability to run on antiquated hardware. You may be able to rescue a Windows 7 computer from a trip to the dump to use as a dedicated Miditzer machine. The only real downside is that you won't get security updates. Keep the machine off the Internet and load the Miditzer via a USB stick.

Welcome back to the Miditzer!

[Wurlitzer28]

Thank you Jim! If I go the Windows route, regardless of version, it will not see the internet.

I'll pursue both paths Linux/Windows until one or the other ends up in a roadblock. With a 75+ y/o brain, it does not take much to make a road block.

NOTE: By the way, when I attempted to respond to the MidiTzer forum e-mail yesterday it said the forum was down for maintenance until "10/24/2024".
Glad I checked back today. Again at 75 I would not be surprised if I didn't know the current month.

[Jim Henry]

The down for maintenance until "10/24/2024" message was the work of a 76+ year old brain. So there you go.

[Wurlitzer28]

Hahahahah! Funny!

Thanks for your efforts Jim. This is going to be fun for me. Can't say the same for anyone listening to my playing.

[Jim Henry]

Headphones can keep sound in as well as out.

[Wurlitzer28]

How True!

I used to Emcee the monthly Organ Concerts at the Riviera Theatre in N. Tonawanda, NY [near the orig Wurlitzer factory] and one night I told the audience, next months concert would be Free! I would be the artist and it would be a $100 charge to leave.