Topic by Barafu

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Topic: Few suggestions from Linux user.

I am using Pianoteq on Linux (Arch Linux with Cinnamon) and here are few problems I have encountered:
1) I have 4k display. Pianoteq window occupies less then 1/4 of the screen even if I set zoom to 250%. Could you please add more zoom levels to support 4k users? 350%-400% would fit right in. There is no need to redraw any graphical assets, just zoom.
2) After downloading the application and putting it to the proper folder, I have to create an entry in the menu. I had to take time to extract icon from the application to set it in the menu entry, or use the generic note icon from standard set. Could you please provide the application icon in separate file? Only Unity can catch it up automatically from the running application. It would be best if the icon is in SVG file, to support 4k resolution displays, but 256x will do.
3) Application crushes if I install both KIVIR and CP80 original, an then choose CP80 original. Yes, I have read the warning in the "free stuff" corner, but still. KIVIR is my only acoustic piano now, but I like CP80 original sound too.
4) The D4v4 piano in "free stuff" corner requires a purchased D4 piano. Its OK, if it was intended, but since it is the only item in "free corner" that is not actually free, and since this is not written in description, it could have been a mistake. Anyway, thanks for the C3 piano, it is my main practice sound now. With my low skill, the electronic pianos and historical pianos sound too harsh for long sessions.

Last edited by Barafu (21-03-2016 21:58)

Reply by SteveLy

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Re: Few suggestions from Linux user.

Re #3: it's probably not going to happen. The different instruments are just not compatible and it would be a waste of Modartt's limited resources to try and make these older instruments all get along. There is an easy solution though. You can set up two different versions of Pianoteq or two different sets of instruments, using symlinks, maybe a couple of shell scripts to make it all click-and-play. Sorry I cannot be more specific. I did that for a while but now I've settled in with the newer instruments so I cannot remember exactly what I did. If you're a "nerdy" enough Linux user you'll figure it out. If you're not but still want help let me know and I'll have a look at my old setup.

Re other points, #1 is fair enough. It would be best if the interface could be an arbitrarily resizeable window without the discrete percentage increments. #2: Icon is just a small pic. Just use anything you like. #4: I don't know about that one, but if it's like you say it should not be offered as "free" when it's just a variant of a purchased instrument.

Last edited by SteveLy (23-03-2016 12:29)
3/2 = 5

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Reply by delt

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Re: Few suggestions from Linux user.

1) if you put it fullscreen, does it take the entire screen (vertically) ? There's a glitch - probably in juce - that lets me move the window even if it's full screen, with alt + mouse click or whatever you set in your window manager to move/resize a window - works in xfce at least. But i agree there should be higher zoom levels for newer displays. -- or even better, just let the user resize the window to any arbitrary size within reasonable limits.

2) i made an icon for it, here it is.... actually i just grabbed a nice looking piano picture from images.google.com and quickly removed the background with gimp /* EDIT */ i think the picture originally comes from pianoteq.com but i can't remember honestly!

http://www.deimos.ca/miscjunk/pianoteq.png

3) never tried, but like SteveLy said, if there's a warning about it, it probably won't be fixed, sadly.

4) yeah, the D4v4 was created several months ago, when pianoteq 5 was released, because some ppl thought there was too much difference between the Steinway D in version 5 and the old one in version 4. So some ppl had projects that used the old D from v4 that didn't sound good with the one from v5.

Last edited by delt (24-03-2016 06:19)
http://soundcloud.com/delt01
Pianoteq 5 STD+blüthner, Renoise 3 • Roland FP-4F + M-Audio Keystation 88es
Intel i5@3.4GHz, 16GB • Linux Mint xfce 64bit

Reply by SteveLy

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Re: Few suggestions from Linux user.

Here is the icon I use. I can't at all remember where I got it. I'm sure I "ripped it off" from somewhere - maybe the pianoteq website. Or maybe from AVLinux which comes with a trial version of Pianoteq. It's the Pianoteq logo:

http://s6.postimg.org/chopy6i7x/pianoteq_icon_01.png

Last edited by SteveLy (24-03-2016 08:34)
3/2 = 5

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Reply by Stephen_Doonan

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Re: Few suggestions from Linux user.

Here's a nice, free SVG (scalable vector graphic) image that I use for a PianoTeq icon--

SVG here--
https://openclipart.org/detail/366/piano


PNG image preview below--

https://openclipart.org/image/96px/svg_to_png/366/TheresaKnott-piano.png

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Reply by SteveLy

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Re: Few suggestions from Linux user.

That's pretty funky Stephen_Doonan! Nice SVG-ifying there!

I like the simpler logo icon better for the panel (i.e., in very small size) but your SVG is great for the desktop.

3/2 = 5

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Reply by Stephen_Doonan

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Re: Few suggestions from Linux user.

SteveLy wrote:

That's pretty funky Stephen_Doonan! Nice SVG-ifying there!

I can't take credit for it. It's by artist Theresa Knott at the free (in the spirit of open-source) SVG/raster graphics clipart site, OpenClipart.org

I agree that your graphic would be better as a small icon on a computer screen launcher panel. I use this SVG grand piano as a launcher icon on the desktop background, as you guessed or suggested.

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Reply by Barafu

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Re: Few suggestions from Linux user.

I do not say that D4v4 piano should be made free. I say that its description should mention that it requires D4v5. The first time I installed D4v4 I thought it is not working at all,  because it did not appear in the instruments menu.
Thanks for the icons. However, I say again it should be packaged with the application - it is just a good practice.
When I put the application in fullscreen, it occupies full screen, except for the taskbar on the bottom. I can move it with Alt + mouse. Not sure if it is a glitch. That is the way the non-excluseve fullscreen always works. Do not want for Pianoteq to use exclusive fullscreen - no reason to and would make problems alt-tabing to anything else.

Reply by Franklin Russell

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Re: Few suggestions from Linux user.

Aloha getting pianoteq 5 trial going with kxstudio. Sorry Im new with linux
and way new to pianoteq.  All seems good though.  Had to use jack not alsa with standalone vs..  Works perfect and is doing my 48k thing and the same latency I like jack.
When I extracted the download to a new folder it finally gave me
access to the standalone version. The sound is stunningly real! Wow. Nice work.

The icon is just a gear. Ill live with that I guess. 
Next I must get the lv2 & vst versions into the apropriate folders for plug ins..  They are in root and I am not allowed to simply drop the files in there to the
lv2 folder and vst like tech support said.   Ill have to get root privillages to do that not so simple. Is there someone with linux experience out there who might help?  I'm not so great with terminal, any way around it?
thanks to all...

Im running kxstudio with pulse audio not installed and it works great with my 18i20 focusrite Scarlett.
Any advice?  Thanks and Mahalo!
Franklin

Reply by stamkorg

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Re: Few suggestions from Linux user.

To install an lv2 plugin you must use this code in a terminal:

sudo cp -r my-cool-lv2-plugin.lv2 /usr/lib/lv2

where my-cool-lv2-plugin.lv2 is the name of the plugin, (and / or the complete path to the plugin).



For example, if the path to your Pianoteq 5 lv2 folder  is:  /home/banana/kiss/music/Pianoteq 5/AMD64/Pianoteq 5.lv2

Then the code you should use is:    sudo cp -r /home/banana/kiss/music/Pianoteq 5/AMD64/Pianoteq 5.lv2 /usr/lib/lv2

This will install the lv2 plugin.


Before to do that, you must be in root. In KX Studio, in a terminal you must type sudo -i and then your password


PS: in the name of the path, the spaces could be a problem, so you should rename Pianoteq 5 as Pianoteq5 and Pianoteq 5.lv2 as Pianoteq5.lv2, good luck

Last edited by stamkorg (29-03-2016 11:20)

Reply by Stephen_Doonan

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Re: Few suggestions from Linux user.

In KXStudio (which I don't use, I currently use Linux Mint), if sudo or sudo -i doesn't work, try the command--

su root

The su command is "substitute user" and "root" is the user you would like the linux system to substitute momentarily for yourself. You'll need to enter the root user's password before proceeding.

You might also consider, in addition to KXStudio, AVLinux--

AV Linux at DistroWatch.com
http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=avlinux

AV Linux Website
http://www.bandshed.net/avlinux/

I currently use Linux Mint, and find that with just a few tweaks (disabling CPU frequency-altering governors or changing the governor to "performance," resetting the "nice" command priorities for jackd (or jackdbus) and Pianoteq 5, raising those priorities while lowering the priority of the PulseAudio sound server, doing so by using the renice command or the System Monitor), and installing the latest low-latency linux kernel, I get very low latencies with Pianoteq (under 5 milliseconds).

Linux Mint is a great initial Linux OS for people switching from Windows or Mac OS X. There are many other very nice Linux distributions, browsable at DistroWatch.com


Linux is a great, big, wonderful world with lots of support online and in person (there are local Linux user groups all over the world). Welcome.

---

Last edited by Stephen_Doonan (29-03-2016 15:44)
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Reply by delt

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Re: Few suggestions from Linux user.

+1 for Linux Mint. It's what i mainly use on my desktop machine and laptop currently (17.3) and it's really a nice, solid and user-friendly OS. For pro audio use, you just need to do a few tweaks for jack and pulseaudio to play nice together, and then you have a really great and versatile system.

http://soundcloud.com/delt01
Pianoteq 5 STD+blüthner, Renoise 3 • Roland FP-4F + M-Audio Keystation 88es
Intel i5@3.4GHz, 16GB • Linux Mint xfce 64bit

Reply by SteveLy

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Re: Few suggestions from Linux user.

I'll add my nod to the Mint choir --- although I'm on the KDE version now and it's not without its unique KDE flaws but I cannot be bothered upgrading/changing atm. Cinnamon and MATE versions are better imho (XFCE version was a tad crippled last time I tried it; shame because that'd be the one for me otherwise). I wish Mint just settled on one UI, or had a main distro with their recommended UI that they concentrated on getting as good as possible, and left the rest as side projects.

But in any case, for best audio performance out-of-the-box dedicated audio/MM distros are worth a look. AVLinux especially excels on older hardware.

Last edited by SteveLy (31-03-2016 13:48)
3/2 = 5

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