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Some more tinkering and questions

Started by jkrafft, September 16, 2021, 03:16:12 PM

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jkrafft

Hi
I've been playing a bit with my pi-stomp.
I've installed xrdp so I can login with the standard windows RDP client, works great (you can also lower GPU's RAM).
You get a pretty neat GUI, very responsive and you can play around with other cool software.
I strongly suggest installing Midori web browser if you need to go on the web as Chromium is a bit too memory intensive for the 512Mo of the rpi.

I've also installed Reaper (arm version) and it works great. I would'n put too much tracks on it but it works without any problems.

Now, here the question: In Reaper, I had to setup the audio interface to Pulseaudio and I can record and playback whatever I play on my guitar, but it's pre-MODEP.
I would think it would be possible to connect to JACK and get the signal pos-MODEP but I've been unable to use JACK in there.
Any clues ?

ps: jack_lsp command gives a list of ins and outs including individual fx, but I havent't found any way to route that


Randall (Admin)

Awesome!  Reaper is my DAW of choice for project recording so I'd love to get that working myself.

I tried and was not successful, yet.  But I have hope because I am able to do it in audacity:
Host: Jack
Playback Device: System
Recording Device: effect_1

By choosing Jack as my host, it gives me the option of selecting the output of any MOD effect (eg. effect_1) as the recording device.  Seemed to work like a champ.  I believe it's important to have your Project Rate match jack's (48000 by default).

I'm near certain we just need to get jack to expose the MOD effect outputs to Reaper as it does for Audacity.  Fortunately, Reaper's Audio Device settings dialog does give a place to specify the jack launch command.  We could try digging thru Audacity code to figure out how it uses jack or I guess RTFM on jack.

Another option might be via Alsa.  This seems possibly relevant:
https://alsa.opensrc.org/Jack_(plugin)



Randall (Admin)

I figured out how to connect a MOD output to Reaper input:

First set up Reaper to have more than the default 2 inputs (the :
Reaper > Actions > Show action list...  Filter for "device" > Audio device configuration > Run (not sure why the hell that's not a first class menu item)

Audio System: JACK
Change "Input channels" to 3 or more.  Ok

% jack_lsp

to list your jack ports.  Each effect in your MOD pedalboard should have a corresponding effect_N:out1, and you should see your new REAPER input, so now, connect them together:

% jack_connect effect_1:Out1 REAPER:in3

Now in Reaper, you should be able to choose that input for track recording.  Does kinda suck that the effect ports are just numbered and not named (eg. DS1:out) but with a little trial and error, you'll discover which.

jkrafft

OK, there's some good news, some more good news, and a bad news (at least for me)
so:
- You can go to the device configuration fast by clicking on the top right corner of the Reaper window or by going into the menu "Options" - "Preferences" then choose device.
- Patchage and command "jack_lsp -c" will give you a better view of what's connected to what.
    it gives you:
system:playback_1
   effect_4:out

and
effect_4:out
   system:playback_1

So now you know that effect_4:out is going to system playback and you can connect it to reaper.
It seems effects are getting numbered in the order they're added to the pedalboard.
Knowing that, I'm going to make a script to automatically map whatever is going to system outputs to Reaper inputs 3&4;
If it really works well, I'll try then to implement routing all the effects backwards to whatever other inputs are available in Reaper.

Now the bad new is that I've was trying to do just that before and it didn't work and i wasn't able to connect Patchage to Jack. That was because I was doing it in a XRDP session.
It seems that as for now, it messes with audio redirection, so jack_lsp works, but anything GUI you launch within the XRDP session won't see Jack. I'll try to see if there's something to be done about that.


PS: I've posted a message on Reaper's forum a while back about having a LV2 version of Jesusonic; I think it would be a fantastic addition to MODEP. I've done a few GUI for some plugins a while back (https://jk29517.wixsite.com/jesusonic-gui) and it would be a great tool in Modep, we'll see if something happens;

Randall (Admin)

Those are some nice looking GUI's.  Yeah, it seems that Jesusonic has some very cool and inventive plugins.  I don't know much about the framework, but the plugins themselves are JSFX, right?  Are you thinking that would remain but the top level Jesusonic would be available as an LV2 eliminating the need to rewrite individual plugins as LV2?

jkrafft

Yes, eventhough it would probably induce some limitations (plugin display size and stuff like that), having the JSFX engine available as an lv2 plugin would really expand possibilities.
I'll dig into it and post some more on Reaper's forum.

jkrafft

OK, I’ve made a little script to automatically connect MODEP’s outputs to Reaper’s input in Jack.
It’s in it’s early stage (meaning it’s a bit messy) but you can get in on github: https://github.com/MacFizz/JMConnector.git 3
It’s designed to connect the outputs to Reaper’s inputs 3&4 but using “jack_lsp” command you can change the scripts settings to accomodate your needs and connect to DAW you’re using.

You need to launch Reaper before launching the script.

I’ll be pretty busy in the next couple of weeks so I won’t work much on the script, however, any feedback would be appreciated. And I’ll manage to correct bugs if any.