Linux ALSA MIDI driver for Dream Cheeky/Dream Link USB Roll-Up Piano

Description

A program to provide an ALSA MIDI interface for the Dream Cheeky/Dream Link USB Piano, for Linux.

I wrote this program after getting the "Dream Cheeky USB Roll-up Piano" as a present. It seemed like a neat little toy, but there wasn't any sort of Linux support, and even the bundled windows software didn't provide any sort of MIDI interface.

It provides a standard ALSA MIDI port, that outputs note on and note off events on channel 0. The key of the notes and velocity is configurable from the command line.

Download

Download USB Piano Driver

Requires

libusb: http://libusb.sourceforge.net
libasound2: http://www.alsa-project.org

Compiling


gcc --std=c99 usbpiano.c -o usbpiano -lusb -lasound

Command line Usage

		
  usbpiano [OPTIONS]

  -k , --key=<key>
    Lowest note playable, in midi note numbers. Default is 48 (small C)

  -v , --velocity=<velocity>
    Velocity (volume) of notes played, 0-127. Default is 127

Example

Here's a quick example for someone with no experience using MIDI on Linux, (as I hadn't before getting this keyboard), to at least get some sound out of the thing.

The example uses the fluidsynth synthesiser to actually output sound, and demonstrates using aconnect to connect MIDI devices together. I also use vkeybd to change the instruments.

Change the MIDI port numbers to match what they are in the aconnect output.

It requires the following software:

alsa-utils: http://www.alsa-project.org
fluidsynth: http://fluidsynth.resonance.org
keybd: http://www.alsa-project.org/~tiwai/alsa.html#vkeybd

On debian, you need these packages (probably the same on ubuntu):

alsa-utils
fluidsynth
fluid-soundfont-gm
vkeybd

			
lewis@calavera:~$ sudo ./usbpiano
			

			
lewis@calavera:~$ fluidsynth -m alsa_seq -a alsa
> load /usr/share/sounds/sf2/FluidR3_GM.sf2
			

			
lewis@calavera:~$ vkeyb --device alsa
			

			
lewis@calavera:~$ aconnect -i
client 0: 'System' [type=kernel]
    0 'Timer           '
    1 'Announce        '
client 14: 'Midi Through' [type=kernel]
    0 'Midi Through Port-0'
client 128: 'Virtual Keyboard' [type=user]
    0 'Virtual Keyboard'
client 130: 'USB Piano' [type=user]
    0 'USB Piano Output Port'

lewis@calavera:~$ aconnect -o
client 14: 'Midi Through' [type=kernel]
    0 'Midi Through Port-0'
client 129: 'FLUID Synth (4147)' [type=user]
    0 'Synth input port (4147:0)'

lewis@calavera:~$ aconnect 130:0 129:0
lewis@calavera:~$ aconnect 128:0 129:0

It should be working now!

You may have to choose an instrument with vkeybd (Enable "program list" in the View menu).

Author

Lewis Jackson - mail