MIDIdef.noteOff & UGen release

Questions
1

hi everyone, I have this noob problem, I’m trying to interface a midi controller with SuperCollider and I’m trying this example of managing MIDI notes; everything works, but what I’m noticing is that the number of UGens in the server keeps growing and the UGens they seem not to be released;

can you help me? thank you

 ( 
SynthDef(\moog, {arg freq=440, amp=0.1, gate=1; 
    var signal, env; 
    signal = VarSaw.ar([freq, freq+2], 0, XLine.ar(0.7, 0.9, 0.13));   
    env = EnvGen.ar(Env.adsr(0.001,1,0,0.5), gate, doneAction:2); 
    Out.ar(0, signal*env); 
}).add; 
) 

( 
a = Array.fill(127, { nil }); 
MIDIdef.noteOn(\myOndef, {arg vel, key, channel, device;  
    a[key] = Synth(\moog, [\freq, key.midicps, \amp, vel/127]); 
     
    [key, vel].postln;  
}); 
MIDIdef.noteOff(\myOffdef, {arg vel, key, channel, device;  
    a[key].release; 
    [key, vel].postln;  
}); 
)

this is my status bar after some time i’m playing with the midi keyboard :

38,4 |< % 1e+01% 819u 91s [sclang]

2

Hi,

I tested this and it works. I haven’t tested it with an actual MIDI controller though.
I’ve modified the code a bit for debugging:


( 
a = Array.fill(127, { nil }); 
MIDIdef.noteOn(\myOndef, {arg vel, key, channel, device;  
	if(a[key] != nil, {
		a[key].release
	});
    a[key] = Synth(\moog, [\freq, key.midicps, \amp, vel/127]); 
     
	[key, vel].post; " on".postln;
}); 
MIDIdef.noteOff(\myOffdef, {arg vel, key, channel, device;  
    a[key].release; 
	[key, vel].post; " off".postln;
}); 
)

MIDIIn.doNoteOnAction(0, 0, 36, 127); // Test
MIDIIn.doNoteOffAction(0, 0, 36, 127);

On which OS are you, and which version of SC?
I’ve tested this on OSX 10.15 and SC 3.12.2

3

Linux Ubuntu 20.10 groovy
SuperCollider 3.10.4

4

your test, with only one single MIDIIn.doNoteOnAction and on single MIDIIn.doNoteOffAction, work, but if i use VMPK as MIDI Controller, i have the same result:

17,20 |< % 1e+01% 432u 48s

than I have evaluated this code snippet twice :

(                                                                                 
MIDIIn.doNoteOnAction(0, 0, 36, 127); // Test                                     
MIDIIn.doNoteOffAction(0, 0, 36, 127);                                            
MIDIIn.doNoteOnAction(0, 0, 37, 127); // Test                                   
MIDIIn.doNoteOffAction(0, 0, 37, 127);                                            
MIDIIn.doNoteOnAction(0, 0, 38, 127); // Test                                     
MIDIIn.doNoteOffAction(0, 0, 38, 127);                                            
MIDIIn.doNoteOnAction(0, 0, 39, 127); // Test                                    
MIDIIn.doNoteOffAction(0, 0, 39, 127);                                            
MIDIIn.doNoteOnAction(0, 0, 40, 127); // Test                                    
MIDIIn.doNoteOffAction(0, 0, 40, 127);                                            
MIDIIn.doNoteOnAction(0, 0, 41, 127); // Test                                     
MIDIIn.doNoteOffAction(0, 0, 41, 127);                                            
MIDIIn.doNoteOnAction(0, 0, 42, 127); // Test                                     
MIDIIn.doNoteOffAction(0, 0, 42, 127);                                            
)

and i have :
4% 4% 126u 14s

the UGens seem not to be released;

5

if i use a Pbind, there is no increase in UGens number;

~play=Pbind(\instrument,\moog,\octave,5,\degree,Pseq([0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7].pyramid,inf),\amp,1,\dur,0.3);

~play.play;
6

I think if you’re calling

MIDIIn.doNoteOnAction(0, 0, 36, 127);                                      
MIDIIn.doNoteOffAction(0, 0, 36, 127);

at the same time, the noteOn hasn’t registered a synth yet (waiting for server response), while noteOff want to release it already, so that leaves an unreleased synth.
I have the same behavior (7s per call).

Perhaps you can try to add a channel number in the MIDIdef?
The problem seems to happen when using a controller, I’ll try this this afternoon with a controller.

1 Like
7

with SystemClock which triggers the release after 5 seconds, I can contain the increase of the number of UGens, but playing very fast on the MIDI keyboard, however many UGens are not released;

MIDIdef.noteOff(\myOffdef, {arg vel, key, channel, device;   
    SystemClock.sched(5, {a[key].release;}); 
    [key, vel].post; " off".postln; 
});  
)
8

My MIDI keyboard works, 0 UGens left.
Perhaps DetectSilence is an idea?

( 
SynthDef(\moog, {arg freq=440, amp=0.1, gate=1; 
    var signal, env, out; 
    signal = VarSaw.ar([freq, freq+2], 0, XLine.ar(0.7, 0.9, 0.13));   
    env = EnvGen.ar(Env.adsr(0.001,1,0,0.5), gate, doneAction:2); 
	out = signal * env;
	DetectSilence.ar(out, doneAction: 2);
    Out.ar(0, out); 
}).add; 
)
1 Like
9

your Synth works, but in reality I think that the problem I had was due to the vmpk MIDI client for Linux that somehow is too immediate in sending the noteOFF; because with another Akai MPK MIDI keyboard, I have tried it now, the other synth works without the DetectSilence.ar; thank you very much for your help anyway;

10

I think there is a thread somewhere on this site with a similar issue. I think the suggestion was to add Impulse.kr(0) to your gate like this:

EnvGen.ar(Env.adsr(0.001,1,0,0.5), gate + Impulse.kr(0), doneAction:2);

This will ensure the gate is opened and can effectively be closed.

1 Like