VirtualMIDISynth 2.x alpha available for testing

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Posts: 59
Joined: 19 Apr 2014 - 06:23
Re: CoolSoft VirtualMIDISynth 2.0.0-alpha3.20140719-00

Alright.  I've downloaded and tested out Alpha3 and found some bugs on my end:

 

Bug #1:  No audio during midi playback, but the audio meters in the "MIDI Mixer" responds appropriately.  Here's what happens in each of the programs I've tested:

Piano From Above:  No audio when virtualmidisynth is selected.  Once I select a new midi file, close the program, or change MIDI output device, I get the message "Coolsoft VirtualMIDISynth - Unknown client IPC command: 3" before my request is carried out.

Synthesia 0.8.2:  Upon selecting virtualmidisynth in the config, I get the same "Unknown client IPC command: 3" message then synthesia simply crashes.  (if I switch to a different device then virtualmidisynth, it works, but I just get no audio)

VanBasco's:  Every few times I set midi output device to virtualmidisynth in settings, the program crashes.  Otherwise, no audio

MIDITrail:  No audio, the program crashes if I play and stop midi playback enough times in a row.

Bug #2:  When I change settings in the configurator, new settings don't apply when I press "OK", unless I hit "Apply" first.

Bug #3:  Windows Media Center and MPC-HC doesn't appear to respect my 'MIDI Mapper' and 'Windows Media Player Default Device' settings and always seems to be using the Microsoft GS synth instead

 

My setup:

Acer Aspire 7741g (windows 7 pro x64, 8gb ram, i5-430m, ati hd5470, realtek audio)

VirtualMIDISynth 2.0.0-alpha3 -> SGM-V2.01.sf2

- Main laptop: Sager NP4658, Intel i7-4810MQ, 2*8GB DDR3 (PC3-10700), 512GB+512GB SSDs, Intel HD4600/NVidia GT840M

Posts: 1972
Joined: 25 Mar 2012 - 01:19
Re: CoolSoft VirtualMIDISynth 2.0.0-alpha3.20140719-00

Thanks for your feedback.

Bug #1)

Volume:

Open the full Windows Audio Mixer and check if the one corresponding to the new VirtualMIDISynth.exe process is enabled.
Also double check if you selected the right audio output device; if you selected the one, try to select a specific one.

Crashes:

VMS2 has 2 components:

  • the driver, VirtualMIDISynth.dll, loaded by VanBasco and other MIDI apps
  • the synth, VirtualMIISynth.exe process, started by the driver and connected to the driver by an IPC channel

The IPC (Intra Process Communication) channel between the two components is the most problematic part, and also the one I'd like to deeply test.

Actually the driver starts the synth (if not already started) but nobody closes it.
The error "Unknown client IPC command: 3" is due to the driver sending an unimplemented "Close" command to the synth.

That said, your tests are "invalidated" by the fact that synth was (possibly) already running and, maybe, in a bad state.
You should re-test it closing the synth each time you open/close a MIDI application and let the driver start a fresh instance.

Bug #2)
ok, I'll fix it.

Bug #3)
MidiMapper code was not changed between VMS1 and VMS2... will check what's wrong.

Posts: 59
Joined: 19 Apr 2014 - 06:23
Re: CoolSoft VirtualMIDISynth 2.0.0-alpha3.20140719-00
coolsoft wrote:

Bug #1)

Volume:

Open the full Windows Audio Mixer and check if the one corresponding to the new VirtualMIDISynth.exe process is enabled.
Also double check if you selected the right audio output device; if you selected the one, try to select a specific one.

"VirtualMIDISynth - MIDI mixer" is indeed listed in the Windows Audio Mixer for my soundcard, with no audio activity showing when it should be.  In playback devices, only one soundcard was enabled at the time, my M-Audio Fast Track USB.  I disabled and re-enabled my fast track then restarted VMS, no audio problem still persists.  Then, I disabled my fasttrack, enabled my laptop internal soundcard and restarted VMS, audio started to work over there.  Then I disabled internal sound card, enabled my Fast Track, restarted VMS, and audio is working there now too.

Long story short, my audio issue is fixed and is working on my preferred sound device, unfortunately I don't know what might of caused that.

 

coolsoft wrote:

That said, your tests are "invalidated" by the fact that synth was (possibly) already running and, maybe, in a bad state.
You should re-test it closing the synth each time you open/close a MIDI application and let the driver start a fresh instance.

Now that my audio problem is fixed, I decided to give that another shot, this time closing VMS each time I was ready to switch programs:

Piano From Above:  Audio works, despite the Same "IPC command: 3" message.  When I close PFA while a midi's playing, I get that message, while any active notes are sustained.

Synthesia: Still, upon selecting VMS in config, I get IPC then synthesia crashes.  If I select another different midi device then select VMS, it works, and I can get audio working from the "test song", however synthesia crashes once I exit config (or sometimes continues, with the side-effect of getting the "IPC command: 3" message every single time I switch screens)

MIDITrail:  Audio works fine, but again MIDITrail crashes if I play and stop midi-playback enough times

VanBasco's:  Audio works when I select one midi, then vanbasco crashes when I select a new midi in the middle of playback.  When I restart vanbasco without restarting the VMS instance, it will either be more stable or it will crash after switching midis 4 times.  When I restart vanbasco the third time without restarting VMS, it's stable, I can switch songs as many times as I want without vanbasco crashing.  However, I found a new bug,

Bug #4:  In VanBaso's, upon switching from a "multi-instrument" song to certain "acoustic-grand-piano-only" songs, the piano song plays with the instrument selection of the previous song.  The MIDI Mixer reflects this too, showing the list of instruments not changing/updating once I switch from the "multi-instrument" to "acoustic grand piano only" song.  Attached are two examples of piano midi files that I've seen this happens with:

Attachments (Only registered users)
midi.zip

- Main laptop: Sager NP4658, Intel i7-4810MQ, 2*8GB DDR3 (PC3-10700), 512GB+512GB SSDs, Intel HD4600/NVidia GT840M

Posts: 1972
Joined: 25 Mar 2012 - 01:19
Re: CoolSoft VirtualMIDISynth 2.0.0-alpha3.20140719-00

Will use your detailed tests as a starting point for Alpha4.
Thanks.

Posts: 21
Joined: 29 Lug 2014 - 07:24
Re: CoolSoft VirtualMIDISynth 2.0.0-alpha3.20140719-00

Willing to test the fourth alpha when it comes out

Help Support VirtualMidiSynth 2.0

Posts: 1972
Joined: 25 Mar 2012 - 01:19
Re: CoolSoft VirtualMIDISynth 2.0.0-alpha3.20140719-00
calthax wrote:
Willing to test the fourth alpha when it comes out

Welcome aboard ;)

Posts: 1972
Joined: 25 Mar 2012 - 01:19
CoolSoft VirtualMIDISynth 2.0.0-alpha4 released

Just released Alpha4.

Fixes:

  • "Unknown client IPC command: 3" error message
  • MIDI reset commands were badly interpreted, leading to crashes or bad behaviour (like wrong program names on Mixer)
  • settings not saved pressing OK (clicking on Apply works)

From now on, please report only bugs related to Alpha4.

The link to the new setup is into the first post...

Posts: 21
Joined: 29 Lug 2014 - 07:24
Re: CoolSoft VirtualMIDISynth 2.0.0-alpha4 released

I tried To open VirtualMidiSynth and it wasn't in my taskbar's show hidden icons and its said another instance of virtualmidisynth is already running

Help Support VirtualMidiSynth 2.0

Posts: 1972
Joined: 25 Mar 2012 - 01:19
Re: CoolSoft VirtualMIDISynth 2.0.0-alpha4 released

Do you mean you opened it through the Start Menu icon?

Doing so, the configurator window should appear automatically then, when you start to play something, the already existing instance should be used (no need to start another).

Could you please add more details to the steps you did?
 

Posts: 21
Joined: 29 Lug 2014 - 07:24
Re: CoolSoft VirtualMIDISynth 2.0.0-alpha4 released

I dont remember

Help Support VirtualMidiSynth 2.0

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