#language en


== Installing the Necessary Packages ==
=== SoundFont ===
==== Hardware SoundFont ====
Some soundcards come with onboard MIDI synthesizers( hardware synthesizer). To use them, you must first install the awesfx package:
{{{
 apt-get install awesfx
}}}

If you have a collection of sound fonts somewhere, place them in /usr/share/sfbank. For instance, the [[SBLive]] has a sound font file called 8mbgmsfx.sf2, ct4gmsfx.sf2, ct4mgm.sf2 or ct8mgm.sf2.

After copying over the sound font, load it using asfxload:
{{{
 asfxload /usr/share/sfbank/ct8mgm.sf2
}}}

You must have this command run every time you boot, so it is advisable to add it to {{{/etc/rc.local}}} (before the last line!) as well.

If you can't find soundfonts on your driver CD you can download some online from http://www.parabola.demon.co.uk/alsa/awe64.html.

==== Virtual Synthesizer (Software SoundFonts). ====
If your sound card does not come with a hardware synthesizer (or you don't want to use it), you can use timidity to provide you with a virtual synthesizer. Start by installing this package:

{{{
 apt-get install timidity
}}}

For timidity to play sounds, it needs a soundfont. One such, freepats, is installed when you install timidity. You can have multiple soundfont configurations installed, and you can place your own in some suitable location, e.g. {{{/usr/local/share/timidity/}}} (which you'll need to create); edit {{{/etc/timidity/timidity.cfg}}} as needed.

timidity can also use sound font files such as those provided on SBLive CDs.

You can test (and tune) timidity without starting it as a system service and by using aplaymidi (see the next section). This command starts it, with output via ALSA pcm:
{{{
 timidity -Os -iA
}}}
(You can interrupt it and restart it with extra parameters such as {{{-EFreverb=d}}} if you find that the CPU load is too high.)

Don't forget to edit {{{/etc/default/timidity}}} to enable the server on the next boot or to set default parameters. (ALSA input is selected anyway, so there's no need to include {{{-iA}}}.)

=== Testing MIDI Support ===
You can use [[aplaymidi]] from the [[AlsaUtils]] to test your MIDI configuration.

To see what MIDI output ports are available on your system, use the -l option:

Viewing the MIDI output ports
{{{
 aplaymidi -l
}}}

If all looks fine, try playing a MIDI file to make sure everything works. With the -p option you define what MIDI port you want to use.

Playing a MIDI file
{{{
 aplaymidi -p 65:0 "Final Fantasy 7 - Aerith' Theme.mid"
}}}

You can use too [[XMMS]] with [[MIDI]] plug-in to play midi files.

=== Tools and Firmware ===
Some specific sound cards can benefit from certain tools provided by the alsa-tools and alsa-firmware-loader packages.

=== Comments and Questions ===

This article was heavily based on [[http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/alsa-guide.xml#doc_chap4|Gentoo Linux ALSA Guide]], which is licensed under [[http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5|Creative Commons - Attribution / Share Alike]]. The author was even careless enough to leave terms and commands like 'emerging' and 'rc-update ...', which characterises a Gentoo-like documentation. I suggest a rewrite of this article or the inclusion of the original source/license. I would do it myself, but I do not have access to a Debian-based distro at the moment, therefore preventing me to verify how this task would have to be performed on it. -- MarceloMartins

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CategorySound CategoryRedundant: merge with [[MIDI]]