An explanation for the I/O tab in preferences

• Jan 12, 2013 - 22:43

I'm looking into #19635: MIDI input only working if PortAudio is selected as output and I wanted to do some tests, but I feel the need to fully understand what each option in Preferences->I/O tab means.
I didn't find anything in the handbook: is anybody willing to give me that explanation? Maybe making a screenshot and commenting each point?
Against a nightly would be best.

Thank you :)

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• Jan 13, 2013 - 22:17

Windows (Vista) and latest git version.

I saw them, I actually have no problems with MIDI, I wanted to try what's reported in that issue, but I feel that tab in preferences isn't completely clear and if that's really the case I'd like to put together some suggestions, but before anything I must exactly understand what each element in there should do, to verify if something isn't working.

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• Jan 14, 2013 - 08:45

What's not clear about it?

You're probably best to look up the Technical docs for the relevant sections on Google if there is stuff you don't understand.

Also it's better to post discussions about nightly builds of 2.0 either in Technology Preview or on the Issue itself in the Issue tracker, where it is more likely to come to the attention of those who could answer your questions.

You could also sign up for the Developer Mailing List.

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• Jan 14, 2013 - 22:31

The two dialogs from 1.2 and 2.0 are so similar that I thought they were the same, that's why I didn't put this in Technology Preview... looking closely they're not :)

Anyway, here we are, and I made the screenshot myself.
Keep in mind that I'm on Windows, so not all the questions maybe valid on other platforms.

mscore-prefs-io.png

So. my questions are (I'm trying to talk from a not-so-technical user point of view):

  1. Is MuseScore outputting MIDI messages if that's turned on? In #5163: Option to select the MIDI Output lasconic said "MuseScore does not have anything in to generate the MIDI event to send at the right time [...]", has this changed now?
  2. Is there any reason one should completely disable the internal synth from the preferences, and not e.g. from a toolbar button?
  3. Is PortAudio something that really can be disabled? I mean, Jack is an audio server that may or may not be available, but PortAudio is built inside MuseScore, what's the sense of disabling it? Does it depend on something else on the system that may give errors if not present?
  4. There's Jack again? And if this is selected, will it be used in place of 1, together, or what? And what about 3? Together with this too?
  5. I feel this is misplaced there, maybe add it to the synth group? I'm not sure what to say here.
  6. This is fine, but it's strange to see in down there, I don't know, it's just a feeling, like it's less important that the others above (which is false, of course).
Attachment Size
mscore-prefs-io.png 54.56 KB

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• Jan 24, 2013 - 17:59

1- MuseScore does not have MIDI out except via Jack MIDI
2- Well... Disabling the internal synth it's probably something you do once for good. So it seems to suit well in preferences instead of the toolbar.
3- Portaudio is built in MuseScore and on Windows and Mac let MuseScore connect to the audio system. You might want to let MuseScore send audio to the audio system directly and then enable portaudio or MuseScore to send audio to Jack audio. Or both? Thus the checkboxes.
4- Jack Audio and Jack MIDI are different. If you select Jack MIDI, MuseScore will bypass the internal synth and send the MIDI event to Jack MIDI. If you select Jack audio, MuseScore will send audio generated by the internal synth to Jack.

5- All the others above are Outputs (the O in I/O). This last one is the only Input currently.

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