Obtaining a Mac version for Catalina

[dave2002-lmms]

I have been trying to install versions of LMMS on my machines. I have several Macs, runnng different OS versions.

I have already posted a thread about installing on High Sierra, but for various reasons I decided to do the "upgrade" of the laptop to Catalina. After quite a long while, and considerable faffing I finally got that done today. I wish I'd known about the way that Catalina effectively trashes some applications, such as Office 2011 and 32 bit versions of Audacity, though I guess it's not the end of the world. I think I've got a bootable drive which has a copy of one of the previous installations, so if necessary I could use that for the Microsoft package.

Regarding LMMS, the problem I mentioned in the other thread still exists. All the recent Mac versions seem to come up in Portuguese. I did wonder if the problem is something to do with my machine - whether it has perhaps picked up some nasty malware, which converts newly installed programs/apps into non-English versions. That is perhaps a possibility, though to test I downloaded a couple of other programs - GIMP and Audacity, and they came up with English buttons and menus, so I think it's unlikely that the language issue is a problem with my machine.

This LMMS issue is a shame, as I feel sure things could be got to work rather well with not too much effort. I was really hoping to give it a fair trial - as it does seem to have some useful features, even if it is a bit quirky. Perhaps I should just be grateful it does load up in Catalina, and learn Portuguese!

[musikbear]

This LMMS issue is a shame,

:) I link here to the other thread and the solution for language support
https://lmms.io/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=33314

[dave2002-lmms]

Things have improved, slightly.

I found that I could access what in English versions would be Preferences by looking under Editar.
After Editar then Opções
Then Linguagem – American English

It's a pity there is no British English, but having it work at all is good. There are several forms of Portuguese, yet it is a minority language. English exists in several different distinct forms - US, British, Australian, Canadian - and probably a few others too, and apart from Chinese it is the major lingua franca worldwide.

There were several hiccups here. One odd thing, is that I think I'm correct in saying that different versions have different contextual menus, and different locations for common features, such as preferences. Thus trying to look for LMMS Preferences under the LMMS top menu item doesn't work in the Portuguese version, but it probably does in English versions. Actually I just checked again, and in one version the Preferences are opened up immediately. However, in the Portuguese version - or some of them - the Preferences are in a different location - as noted above. This is not helpful.

How did I pick up the Portuguese version anyway? I think this is due to a bug, and perhaps also due to bad behaviour by another piece of software. A few days ago following a suggestion elsewhere, I tried out a package called Ocenaudio, which originates from Brazil. My guess is that that software set something (perhaps it shouldn't have done) which was then picked up by LMMS to switch into Portuguese as it opened. There does not seem to be an easy way to force the system back to the Preference settings without knowing the menus and the layouts for each version.

Also, note that the hypothetical setting of a Portuguese flag does not apply globally - so the general operation of my machine after loading up Ocenaudio was still as before, with all the menus and other software - with the exception of LMMS - having English language interfaces. It seems odd that LMMS is the only affected software - if my hunch is correct.

However, I'm still not out of the woods. I now have versions working in English, but some of them don't have any audio. It seems a bit random trying different versions, trying to get the audio to work on a Mac. It obviously can be done, but I'd like a version in which the audio works in any component with an audio output, such as the SF2 processor, and the AudioFIleProcessor. Sometimes I can get sound out of one, and not the other. I can understand No Sound, and I can understand if Sound Works, but when some parts produce sound and others don't - that's not helpful.

Looking at the forums, there seem to be other people who also have problems getting audio to work, so I don't think it's only my problem.

Lastly, I do wish that LMMS did not open with several tracks ready open. The first thing I have to do usually is to clear those out. Most of the tutorials I've watched suggest doing that first - so there must be some reasons why people prefer to clear everything down. If it's really wanted to do that - i.e. start off with a few pre-determined tracks, why not have an option to clear out ALL tracks, or alternatively start off with a clear "slate", then do a rapid import of a standard template including the tracks which are opened up at the present?

LMMS has the potential to be a lot better than it is currently, with perhaps not too much effort. I really wish it could be brought into better shape.

Best wishes

Dave



l

[musikbear]

Firstly i can promise you that after reading my reply, all of your issues are gone.. sort off..

How did I pick up the Portuguese version anyway? I tried out a package called Ocenaudio, which originates from Brazil.

Obviously thats why

I now have versions working in English

,
Good!

but some of 'them' (i understand this as some projects??) -don't have any audio.
such as the SF2 processor,
and the AudioFIleProcessor.

Two different issues
* SF2 does not work in MAC! You need to insert an other instrument.
Are in doubt how to do that? Just drag it in and drop it on top of the SF2, or if its a preset, right-click at choose send-to-active-instrument

* AudioFIleProcessor (AFP): You only get sound from AFP if the soundfile is loaded!
Look at this picture:

Only AFP appearing as the left example, has a loaded soundfile. If your look like the one to the right, it has no soundfile loaded.
Solution: Load the correct file!
Was that your issue?

I do wish that LMMS did not open with several tracks ready open.

Again that is up to YOU.
Create a project that looks like you prefer, and the go to
File| Save-as-default-template
That saved layout-template will be the one that every new project has as default

Let us know, if lmms now works ok

[dave2002-lmms]

Obviously thats why
I now have versions working in English

Actually it's not at all obvious. It would seem that my using the Portuguese language program say a week ago has somehow affected my machine, but this should not have left any flags to be picked up by the LLMS program. OK - I've got that fixed now, but it shouldn't have happened.

Two different issues
* SF2 does not work in MAC! You need to insert an other instrument.
Are in doubt how to do that? Just drag it in and drop it on top of the SF2, or if its a preset, right-click at choose send-to-active-instrument

Actually this is not true [I may have misinterpreted you here - perhaps you are expressing surprise, not making a statement!]- I have now got SF2 working - and it's really rather fun. I dragged a Midi file in with maybe 20 to 25 tracks, then assigned each of the tracks to SF2. I then set the General Midi for each track instance, and finally selected a virtual instrument with the GM scheme. So that now works. My rendition of Anything Goes now has about 20 or so different instruments.

This is on a Mac Powerbook i7 which is now running Catalina.

Re the AudioFileProcessor - I have now got that working too. I get output if I go into the Settings/Preferences and set the Audio output to Core Audio. It then works.

Re the start up - that's kind of boring. It looks like the easiest way is to create a project with most things in, and then just open that each time.

I have now also tried substituting some of the synthesisers for some of the SF2 tracks - that also seems to work.

I'm not sure if I have a sufficiently consistent view and knowledge of this program now to be able to do all this again tomorrow, but right now it does seem a lot better.. It took a lot of effort to get here.

I think I still have an issue about mixing in audio clips, and getting very accurate timing - which would be needed for a virtual choir performance if each singet submits a separate audio file. The plan would be to have a click track, or a count down, probably with claps 2 and 1 bar ahead of the start, so as to synchronise the voices. Basic trimming could be done externally - say in Audacity, but I'm still not sure if the tracks can then be synchronised accurately enough within LMMS.

One last thing for the moment - I need to investigate the Mixer, to get adjustment for volume levels. I have pretty much a parallel project - almost but not quite the same - which runs in Logic Pro X, and I have that running with the Mixer in that program. I should be able to do the same in LMMS, but I've not figured that out yet. I'll try looking at the tutorials to find out, and hopefully I'll have that working tomorrow.

Thanks for the help and suggestions so far.

[musikbear]

I am happy that you got SF2 to work. I was not aware that this had been implemented on MAC.
MAC-dev is a bit after win and linux, simply because mac is 'weird' and apple does not like it when others try to make mac-software, especially NOT, when its free, and outside Apples control....

Mixing
I have made video-tuts for that
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... 5nzetBqgjA