Trying to get sustain to work

[andrewt1989]

I have a Casio CTK-6000 keyboard that I connect to my computer with a USB cord. Midi registration works great, but the one thing that doesn't seem to be working is sustain. I have a sustain pedal plugged into this keyboard, but LMMS isn't recognizing it.

Help is much appreciated.

[pauljs75]

Sounds like something that's not automatically detected or built in to most soft-synths used with LMMS.

A suggestion... Add an FX to the instrument. One of the delays or something that approximates a sustain. Then right click on the button that the turns on/off the FX. One of the options should be to assign it to a MIDI. Pick that, choose detect input, and press the pedal. If I'm thinking right, the pedal should work like a simple I/O controller.

Downside is LMMS doesn't record events outside of notes being played, so you'll have to re-do and approximate any pedals/pitchwheels/modulations manually via automation tracks if you want that stuff saved in a file. (Which is why I hope event recording to automation tracks is one of those things that should be added if and when a new version comes out. That and lack of a working undo/redo history are probably the main things keeping LMMS from being taken more seriously as a full featured DAW.)

[electrice]

I know this is an old post, and that supposedly 0.4.14 is going to include midi note sustain events even though as of 0.4.14-rc1 the note sustain event is still not functioning. Most VST's and ZynAddAubFx recognize the midi note sustain event (note event 64), but the sequence fails to record these events. Personally the lack of any midi note events other than volume and panning severely limits LMMS from being used for instrument recording. Currently I'm being forced to use seq24 and Rax N' Trax as my midi sequencers because they support all note based events, but seq24 has limitations of sequence length, and Rax N' Trax, while awesome in some ways, is a royal pain to use in others. I love the general workflow of LMMS, but this one thing prevents me for using it almost exclusively.

[cccnycwood]

I've had some VSTI's that don't respond at all to my sustain pedals but others that do. But then the piano roll doesn't record your notes through the sustain right? Definitely a drawback of LMMS. There are a few striking software limitations of LMMS and you have definitely found one of them. I've had limited and inconsistent success connecting the petal to the resonance and sustain by right clicking those dials and connecting them to the pedal as if it where a controller. (it is) But all in all if you're trying to record in LMMS, you're wasting your time. It's a great, simple platform to learn about production and to use as a comprehensive sequencer. If you're trying to use it to put together real music that you plan on making money off of, well then you're going to have to integrate a bunch of other software into you're arsenal to get professional quality. and still you have to take it to a studio to be mastered. And if they can't track by track your song or load your .MID files, and your VSTI' WITH THEIR PRESETS* then you are going to find some pissed off techs and spend SERIOUS DOE trying to convert your songs into Pro Tools or Logic. It's really not any easier, but if you're looking to keep the FREE MUSIC PROGRAM train rolling, I would recommend REAPER. It's NAG-WARE, so it'll ask you to buy the software licence every time you start it up but you don't have to buy. It's not a hard program to use at all, it's just that you need to have a pretty decent knowledge of music production and studio terminology. But if you could figure out LMMS, which is argueably the most difficult to learn DAW out, then you can poke around in the dark on REAPER and figure it all out. Plus, just like LMMS, they have a big community with forums and advice and tutorials and everything. I've been asking Linux if they were ever planning on updating LMMS or offering a pay version with all the features we've been asking for but it didn't sound like they would expend the resources. IE... Save your money and buy a great system and Pro Tools... or shell out the cash to use a studio. I've found that after you drop some loot a couple times to record and talk to the engineers about how you're trying to bring stuff from LMMS, they tend to take mercy on you and give you good rate to come in and work on your stuff at off peak times. The pro's have no idea what LMMS is so prepare to do some explaining too... Free is great and all but if you're not paying with dollars your gonna pay with time otherwise.

[brandystarbrite]

Lmms 0.4.14 rc is out. And it's in "Heavy development."
"Literally in Heavy Development." I think the Lmms Users finally got to them. And they're taking there time too. which is nice.
It's a release candidate test demo.
I think there was a mention of "recording function too." Because alot of Users "requested it."
You can check the Lmms Facebook page for more info.

[cccnycwood]

What are the updates with the RC version? I'm running .13 And I've only had .13 ever so I've never updated. Is it complicated?

[brandystarbrite]

Well because I'm doing serious Music in Lmms since December last year. I "Sadly," can't test out, Lmms 0.4.14 rc. Which is for "test," purposes only.

So you'll have to search the forum, for info.

So far I've learnt from other Lmms Users that they fixed some, ZyncaddsubFX problems in present Lmm version.
And Vst's seem to be more stable in the test version.

But you can check here https://sourceforge.net/apps/phpbb/lmms ... ?f=4&t=746

Hope that helps. Bye.

[electrice]

I've had some VSTI's that don't respond at all to my sustain pedals but others that do. But then the piano roll doesn't record your notes through the sustain right? Definitely a drawback of LMMS. There are a few striking software limitations of LMMS and you have definitely found one of them. I've had limited and inconsistent success connecting the petal to the resonance and sustain by right clicking those dials and connecting them to the pedal as if it where a controller. (it is)

Yes, there are many ways to get sustain out of instruments; however, none of them provide ways to record this data. Two things I want to exist but currently don't (other than having actual note events) are the ability to remap a key in the sequencer to act as an event control (technically that's all the note events actually are) but I've not used a DAW that supports remapping the actual music note key events in a sequence to be used as control events. The second thing I was hoping would work but doesn't was having the automation tracks able to record midi control events. So for example assigning one of my keyboard slider controls as automation track time based data, then assign the automation track to one of the mixer sliders or even in this case the sustain knob.

But all in all if you're trying to record in LMMS, you're wasting your time. It's a great, simple platform to learn about production and to use as a comprehensive sequencer. If you're trying to use it to put together real music that you plan on making money off of, well then you're going to have to integrate a bunch of other software into you're arsenal to get professional quality. and still you have to take it to a studio to be mastered. And if they can't track by track your song or load your .MID files, and your VSTI' WITH THEIR PRESETS* then you are going to find some pissed off techs and spend SERIOUS DOE trying to convert your songs into Pro Tools or Logic.

I'm not in this for money, and am not sure I ever will be. Also I'm not sure I follow why I would ever need to take it to a studio for mastering for "real music", care to elaborate.

It's really not any easier, but if you're looking to keep the FREE MUSIC PROGRAM train rolling, I would recommend REAPER. It's NAG-WARE, so it'll ask you to buy the software licence every time you start it up but you don't have to buy.

Reaper is not "Nag ware" it's commercial with out draconian DRM, because draconian DRM doesn't stop people from pirating. That being said, I've herd that people can use 0.999 legally for free, but post v1 there is free to try limit of up to 60 days (use to be 30 days).

It's not a hard program to use at all, it's just that you need to have a pretty decent knowledge of music production and studio terminology. But if you could figure out LMMS, which is argueably the most difficult to learn DAW out, then you can poke around in the dark on REAPER and figure it all out.

I don't know what LMMS you're using, but LMMS is super easy to use. Rax N' Trax now that's a pain to use due to it's non standard interface, overlapping features, and heavy reliance on keyboard modifiers, but it is free, and very powerful. That being said I might even argue for Rax N' Trax as being the most powerful free DAW out there if you can learn it.

Plus, just like LMMS, they have a big community with forums and advice and tutorials and everything. I've been asking Linux if they were ever planning on updating LMMS or offering a pay version with all the features we've been asking for but it didn't sound like they would expend the resources. IE... Save your money and buy a great system and Pro Tools... or shell out the cash to use a studio. I've found that after you drop some loot a couple times to record and talk to the engineers about how you're trying to bring stuff from LMMS, they tend to take mercy on you and give you good rate to come in and work on your stuff at off peak times. The pro's have no idea what LMMS is so prepare to do some explaining too... Free is great and all but if you're not paying with dollars your gonna pay with time otherwise.

I believe LMMS is becoming an awesome DAW. It's not far from having the core features needed to fulfill most keyboardists needs. It may not be perfect, or "pro," but it's fun to use.