User:Jebez/How-tos about MIDI & SCVA

Softwares

SCVA: Roland Sound Canvas VA, a MIDI VST plugin https://archive.org/download/roland-sound-canvas-va/Sound%20Canvas%20VA%20v1.1.6%20%2864-bit%29.7z , official: https://www.roland.com/us/products/rc_sound_canvas_va/ , abandonware https://support.roland.com/hc/en-us/articles/30557546290459-Sound-Canvas-VA-Is-it-still-available-for-purchase .

Qtractor https://archlinux.org/packages/extra/x86_64/qtractor/ , a VST host.

The default Windows MIDI soundfont on Arch Linux

https://musical-artifacts.com/artifacts/713/gm.sf2

It works with e.g.:

EDuke32 https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/eduke32 :

SDL_VIDEODRIVER=x11 eduke32

OPTIONS, SOUND SETUP, DEVICE CONFIGURATION, MIDI DRIVER: .SF2 SYNTH, select gm.sf2, APPLY CHANGES.

VLC https://archlinux.org/packages/extra/x86_64/vlc/ :

Preferences, All, FluidSynth, SoundFont file: /a_path/gm.sf2.

yabridge using Proton instead of Wine

yabridge https://archlinux.org/packages/extra/x86_64/yabridge/ uses by default Wine (a dependency), to use Proton instead, run:

cd /tmp
wget --content-disposition https://archlinux.org/packages/extra/x86_64/yabridge/download/
tar --one-top-level -xf yabridge-*-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst
rm yabridge-*-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst
sed -i /wine/d yabridge-*-x86_64.pkg/.BUILDINFO yabridge-*-x86_64.pkg/.PKGINFO
sed -i 2cPATH=/a_path/pfx/drive_c/"'Program Files (x86)/Steam/steamapps/common/Proton a_version'/files/bin:\$PATH\nexport PATH" yabridge-*-x86_64.pkg/usr/bin/yabridge-host.exe
tar -cf .tar -C yabridge-*-x86_64.pkg usr .BUILDINFO .MTREE .PKGINFO
rm -r yabridge-*-x86_64.pkg
sudo pacman -U .tar
rm .tar

Instead of edit /usr/bin/yabridge-host.exe :

WINELOADER=/a_path/pfx/drive_c/'Program Files (x86)/Steam/steamapps/common/Proton a_version'/files/bin/wine qtractor

is also possible.

Play a .mid file by SCVA (using Proton yabridge)

Setup SOUND Canvas VA v1.1.6.exe via Proton (or Wine).

yabridgectl add /a_path/pfx/drive_c/'Program Files'/Steinberg/VSTPlugins
WINEPREFIX=/a_path/pfx yabridgectl sync

"*"Qtractor, View, Buses..., Master - MIDI bus, Output Plugins, Add..., SOUND Canvas VA, OK, Close Buses, Track, Import Tracks, MIDI..., a .mid file (e.g. https://www.vgmpf.com/Wiki/images/6/68/DX-Ball_%28W32%29.zip , 06 - Ackerlight.mid).

I recommend: the window of SOUND Canvas VA, All, right arrow for SC-55.

Route the MIDI output of a video game (e.g. EDuke32) to the input of SCVA

Qtractor, View, Buses..., Master - MIDI bus, Output Plugins, Add..., SOUND Canvas VA, OK, Close Buses, Track, Add Track..., MIDI, OK, Play, Stop, Play-head back to 0, Mixer, left click under the track, left click the track, monitor in Inputs of Mixer, Close Mixer, Track, Remove Track, OK, File, Save, Name: e.g. SCVA, Directory: e.g. /home/username/Desktop, OK, Save, Close Qtractor
Run SCVA.qtr

SDL_VIDEODRIVER=x11 eduke32

If not already done: OPTIONS, SOUND SETUP, DEVICE CONFIGURATION, MIDI DRIVER: ALSA MIDI, APPLY CHANGES.

With SCVA.qtr no need the * step.

I only tested with EDuke32, video games using MIDI are rather old...

The latest SCVA 1.16

https://archive.org/download/sound-canvas-1.16/Sound%20Canvas%201.16.zip but at the time I write, still not cracked (Setup SOUND Canvas VA v1.1.6.exe above yes).