RPi - a beginner's perspective

[BJG145]

A couple of recent threads on RPi prompted me to delve back into the murky world of Linux, so I thought I’d start a thread on the topic.

I started with an RPi 5 from Pi Hut, swiftly followed by an official USB PSU, micro HDMI adaptor and microSD card loaded with Pi Os.

I plugged this in and followed the default settings including updates, then opened the Yoshimi 2.3.3 thread.

I started with Eddie's "sudo apt-get install" list, which worked fine.

He notes that after this "...the build process runs perfectly as described...", but that's when the problems started.

Just a simple honest newbie's experience...(spent a lifetime in IT so I ought to know what I'm doing, but lost in the Linux world.)

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I visited the Github page linked in that thread at:

https://github.com/Yoshimi/yoshimi

"Full build instructions are in INSTALL", says the thread.

This file says that "We will assume you have a home directory called 'user' and want Yoshimi to reside in a directory called 'software', but downloaded the archive to /home/user/download."

I see that the ensuing commands reference a file called yoshimi-2.2.3.tar.bz2, but I can't see how/where to download that at Github.

I then visit the alternative link at:

https://sourceforge.net/projects/yoshimi

...where I find yoshimi-2.3.3.2.tar.bz2 in the Files section, and download it. OK. Great. Next?

Following the instructions in "INSTALL"...

*********************

mkdir /home/user/software
cd /home/user/download
tar -jxvf /home/user/download/yoshimi-2.2.3.tar.bz2 -C/home/{user}/software

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After some faffing around, I realise that I need to substitute "admin" for "user". Inconsistent use of curly brackets didn't help.

I assume that "-C/home" is a typo for "-C /home" and leave a space. Maybe it doesn't matter. I correct the filename in this and the following instructions. Stuff happens.

Next...

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*edit*

I now see my mistakes in the next steps, will revisit tomorrow

[Folderol]

Sorry you're having problems.
It may be time for us to revisit and clarify these instructions

[BJG145]

That was very nitpicky...my excuse is that it was late, and I was feeling a bit tired and irritable. Plus I've had frustrating experiences with RPi3 in the past.

Now refreshed after sleep and coffee and, honestly, the instructions are great; very clear and working perfectly so far. Currently compiling. This RPi is also so much nicer to work with than the older ones...

[BJG145]

Yay, success...this is where the fun starts...

[BJG145]

I should apologise for my grumbling in the first post; I'd failed to follow instructions. There's only that "-C/home" typo in the Install help file to fix. Thanks again to Eddy for setting out the preparatory steps for Pi Os on RPi 5...and of course to Folderol for his continuing work on this awesome synth.

Quick thoughts on a couple of comments in other recent threads...

I probably have a keyboard plugged into my PC. How do I get MIDI out of the PC and into the RPi?

He also knows that I've often bemoaned that Yoshimi isn't a (Windows) VST plug-in. If it were I would have adopted it long ago.

My lad reckons you can get it running under Windows but it involves something like this...

But that would still leave it outside my DAW.

I don't see Yoshimi as an extension to a PC, or a piece of software from a different OS to be integrated into a Windows DAW. I see it more as a separate, self-contained sound module based on RPi; the Yoshimi Pi concept. This is how I intend to use it.

The next step is to get a low-latency soundcard and MIDI DIN working, hopefully via my Pisound...

[James Perrett]

For any Debian/Ubuntu based Linux (which includes the RPi) you just have to type

Code: Select all

sudo apt install yoshimi

If you are on a desktop Linux then you will also have a software manager app which will also allow you to install it - just search for Yoshimi.

No need for anything more complex than that!

[BJG145]

I think you probably have to follow the compilation route to get the latest build though…? I don’t know how/when Linux distros catch up with it, but last time I tried that it installed an older version.

The current version is 2.3.3.2. As far as I can gather, the latest Pi Os is based on Debian Bookworm, and the latest version it knows about is 2.2.3-1.

https://packages.debian.org/bookworm/yoshimi

[The Elf]

He also knows that I've often bemoaned that Yoshimi isn't a (Windows) VST plug-in. If it were I would have adopted it long ago.

I don't see Yoshimi as an extension to a PC, or a piece of software from a different OS to be integrated into a Windows DAW.

That's fair enough - a valid approach. It's just that I want my studio to work as an integrated single unit - everything at my fingertips at every moment.

I'm sure you are going to love some of the sounds from Yoshimi - I remain a great fan of what I've heard from it.

[BJG145]

…yep, I see where you’re coming from, and I’m looking forward to seeing how integrated an RPi system like Yoshimi can get…

[Folderol]

Once you are familiar with it, there is a lot of start-up automation possible.

Individual Instrument parts, multi-channel Patch-set, Vector Control, MIDI-Learn, Microtonal Scales and Machine State (phew) all have independent 'recent' lists. Once populated these can be locked against further changes. Like that, a lot of these can be called up directly Via MIDI CCs or NRPNs.

There is also a Default State option which includes all of this, and can made to always load when Yoshimi starts.

Yoshimi has the ability to search for and link to all MIDI input sources. Alternatively you can set a comma separated list of known sources you want it to receive.

It doesn't automatically search for audio destinations to link to, but can be set to try to link to an individual one if it exists.

[BJG145]

Microtonal Scales

Did you say microtonal? Oh, this should be fun...

[The Elf]

Microtonal Scales...

Ah, you mean 'out of tune'!

[BJG145]

This new system is a revelation. I posted on SOS about Yoshimi and Pisound in 2022, and optimistically said that "things seem to have come on a way since I last tried to get this working on Pisound a few years ago" (I was asking about Yoshimi on the Pisound forum back in 2018)...but it all still seemed so slow/difficult/complicated that I gave up again.

With this RPi 5 and the latest versions of Yoshimi and the Pisound software, everything "just works". I plugged in a MIDI keyboard and speakers and was up and running straight away. The only thing I needed to do was run raspi-config to point at Pisound as the default audio card. It's all so fast, I'm happily posting this with the built-in browser and could easily forget I'm not on my PC.

It's come of age. This thing is finally winning me over to Linux. Really pleased with it.

[James Perrett]

I think you probably have to follow the compilation route to get the latest build though…? I don’t know how/when Linux distros catch up with it, but last time I tried that it installed an older version.

Yes, that's true, though I would assume that a typical RPi beginner musician wouldn't bother with having the absolute latest version to start with. They would just want something that works.

[BJG145]

They would just want something that works.

The trouble was...it didn't. (For me anyway.)

The Debian build predates the one I was struggling with in 2022. A lot has changed, and for anyone looking at Yoshimi I'd recommend that they start with the latest version.

[ben howes]

https://github.com/probonopd/MiniDexed
This is by far the best thing I've ever tried with a raspberry pi. No Linux! No latency. Very little "computing". Instant sounds.
Ps. Well worth adding the DAC board they recommend, about £6. Built in audio not great.

[BJG145]

Cool, I was thinking that "bare metal" synth programming on an RPi would be impossible for normal people, but I see that with frameworks like Circle, it's merely very difficult.

I wouldn't attempt it myself. But I remembered that the Misa Kitara ran Linux, and the RPi is so fast that even an embedded Linux-hosted synth should be a viable option for similar instruments.

v5 has completely changed my mind about RPi and Linux. A lot of the basic stuff like browsing the web is faster than my PC. It can run Reaper and Pianoteq. And it hasn't crashed once yet.

Just started looking at the LV2 version of Yoshimi...