Using Rosegarden as a Midi Sequencer on Linux
Using Rosegarden as a Midi Sequencer on Linux
Date: 2025-01-28 (28.01.2025)
There's strictly no warranty for the correctness of this text. You use any of the information provided here at your own risk. I can not be held responsible, if you damage your system by using any of the information provided her.
"Rosegarden" is a music program for Linux. Basically it's a midi-sequencer for larger compositions like songs.
Rosegarden also has audio functions and supports DSSI-plugins. But I don't really trust these audio functions. I prefer to host my plugins in Carla or run them stand-alone, and to use Ardour for multi-track-recording. So I compiled my own version of Rosegarden, where the audio functions and searching for plugins is disabled, so that the program becomes just a pure midi-sequencer. This way, it doesn't use many system ressources and starts very fast.
Rosegarden is quite old, which means, it has been developed for many years. As a midi-sequencer, the recent version is actually quite usable.
Rosegarden uses jack, which on my system (OpenSuSE Leap 15.6) is controlled by PipeWire. The connections of Rosegarden should be checked in "qpwgraph".
In the default arrangement, which is shown in the main window, when you start Rosegarden for the first time, you see a list of 16 midi tracks to the right. On the first track, there is already a socalled "segment" (a part of a track).
You can create more segments, when you press F3 to change the cursor to the drawing tool, and then click on a track. You can change the cursor back to the (default) selection tool by pressing F2.
When you double-click on the segment, a new window opens. But what's that? It's a notation editor (for musical notes) (!). That's probably not, what you want. You probably expect the matrix editor instead, which is a classic piano roll window common in midi sequencers. So you should set the default setting in "Editing / Options / General / Behaviour / Double-click opens part in" to "Open in Matrix Editor".
Ok, that's better.
In general the available midi devices are managed in the midi-device manager window, which can be opened with "Studio / Manage Midi Devices". In the section "Midi input" of the window, your midi keyboard should be covered (otherwise you should check in "qpwgraph", if it's properly connected).
If you create new "Midi outputs" in the corresponding section of the window, you should see the new outputs in "qpwgraph". So you can connect Rosegarden to other midi devices.
To the left of the tracks is a large column, which is called the "special parameters column". It contains the settings per track. So you can select there, where each track sends its midi output (and from where it gets its midi input). So in the "midi-device manager window" the midi devices that are known to the program in general are managed, while in the "special parameters column" the controls are managed, where each track sends its midi output (and where it gets its midi input).
The "special parameters column" can only handle such devices that are configured in the "midi-device manager window", and are therefore known by the program in general.
The "special parameters column" is quite large and easily gets in the way. Fortunately, it can be toggled on and of with the key "p". When you toggle it off, Rosegarden already looks more like you'd expect it from a midi-sequencer.
Notice, that sometimes help-bubbles appear, when you rest the mouse pointer on GUI-elements. Sometimes, these bubbles provide useful information.
To the left of the track's title, there are three lamps: A light blue one, a yellow one, and a green one. The track's midi output is only active, when the light blue lamp is on. In the icon bar, there are icons for switching all blue lamps of all tracks on and off.
So if you press keys on your midi keyboard (while the midi keyboard is configured for midi input and a midi output is configured), and you still don't hear any sound, check, if the blue lamp of the selected track is activated.
The yellow lamp turns recording of midi-input on and off.
The green lamp puts the track in "solo-mode". That means, only the track's output is active then, the outputs of the other tracks aren't.
Somehow, it's essential, to work with such a program with keyboard control. By default, the following keys are available in Rosegarden:
| Start Playing / Stop Playing | Ctrl+Enter |
| Stop Playing | Insert |
| Move to beginning of track | Home-key (Position 1) |
| Move to end of track | End-key |
| Move forward | Page Up |
| Move backwards | Page Down |
| Set quick marker at playback cursor position | Ctrl+Shift+m |
| Go to quick marker | Ctrl+m |
| Raise/lower selected notes by one | Up/Down |
| Raise/lower selected notes by one octave | Ctrl+Up / Ctrl+Down |
| Quantize | = |
| Open Note Edit window | Enter (or double-click on a track) |
| Close Note Edit window | Ctrl+w |
| Select Notes Tool | F2 |
| Insert Notes Tool | F3 |
| Delete Notes Tool | F4 |
| Move Notes Tool | F5 |
| Change Note Length Tool | F6 |
| Change Note Velocity Tool | F7 |
| Toggle "Special Parameters" column on/off | p |
| Toggle Transport Field on/off | t |
In the menu in "Edit / Keyborad Shortcuts", many keyboard shortcuts can be redifined.
Especially the key combination for starting and stopping playing ("Ctr+Enter" by default) annoyed me. So I defined "Start Playing / Stop Playing" as "Space". I also defined "Quantize" as "q".
The settings are stored in the file "/home/user/.config/rosegardenmusic/Rosegarden.conf".
The part in this file to create these setting looks like this:
[UserShortcuts] matrix.rc%3Ainsert_0_high0= matrix.rc%3Aquantize0=Q notation.rc%3Ainsert_0_high0= notation.rc%3Aquantize0=Q rosegardenmainwindow.rc%3Aplay0=Space rosegardenmainwindow.rc%3Aplay1=Enter rosegardenmainwindow.rc%3Aplay2=Media Play rosegardenmainwindow.rc%3Aplay3=Ctrl+Return rosegardenmainwindow.rc%3Aquantize_selection0=Q rosegardenmainwindow.rc%3Arecordtoggle0= segmenttool.rc%3Aquantize_selection0=Q
Regarding the other key combinations, you should probably get familiar with the default ones mentioned above. Especially the ones about the "quick marker" ("Ctrl+Shift+m" to set it, "Ctrl+m" to move to it) are important for moving around in the composition.
In the arrangement window (the main window), between the tracks and the ruler above them, there is a small dark grey horizontal bar. When you press "Shift" and drag the mouse inside this bar, a white horizontal bar appears, that shows, that you mark a range.
The part of that range is then looped.
It seems, the range is only looped, when played though. Recording doesn't seem to trigger the loop, but goes on forever (which is weird). Maybe I just haven't figured out yet, how to make Rosegarden loop in a range during recording.
At least you can play a range in a loop, and edit in additional events to the segment with the mouse in the matrix editor while the music is playing in the loop.
If you click into the area above the tracks, you set the playback cursor to the mouse position. If you click that way pressing "Ctrl", the playback cursor moves to the next musical bar.
In the icon toolbar above the tracks, there's a horizontal "Zoom"-drawbar, which lets you zoom the view of the tracks according to your needs.
If you click into the area above the tracks, you set the playback cursor to the mouse position. If you click that way pressing "Ctrl", the playback cursor moves to the next musical bar.
Segments are the parts on the tracks that are shown in the main window. They are automatically created, when something is recorded. Or they can be drawn with the drawing tool (key F3).
Double-clicking on a segment opens the set editing window. This should be set to "matrix editor", as mentioned above.
When using the selection tool (which is the default tool, key F2), it is possible to click on segments and move them around. When pressing "Control" while moving, they are copied. (Note: This mechanism also works for notes in the matrix editor.)
There can be several segments in the same time period on the same track.
Segments can be joined together by selecting them and then pressing "Ctrl+j".
They can be split by using the separation tool (F7).
The "special parameters column" is shown on the left of the tracks in the arrangement window. If it is in your way, you can toggle it on and off using the key, that is set to "p" by default.
The column is used to select the midi output of each midi track. This works in combination with the "midi-devices manager window" ("Studio/Manage Midi Devices").
If changes in the "midi-devices manager window" have been made, you sometimes have to reselect the midi output in the "special parameters column" to make the changes take effect in the tracks.
Multiple markers can be set inside your musical piece with the function "Composition / Manage Markers". Select the beat, where the marker will be set. The playback cursor is then moved to the marker by clicking once onto it in the "Manage Markers" window.
A single quick marker can be set with "Composition / Set Quick Marker at Playback Position" (key Ctrl+Shift+m"). Then you can move the playback cursor to the quick marker by using "Ctrl+m".
The tempo of the piece can be set in "Composition / Add Tempo Change". There can be tempo changes inside a piece, which can be defined there.
But if your piece has only one tempo, that needs to be changed, this can also be set there.
The end of the tracks can be defined in "Composition / Change Start and End of the Composition". It's quite useful to limit the horizontal view of the tracks to the space that is actually needed.
Rosegarden's piano roll window is actually quite beautiful. It is quite possible, to identify the exact positions of the notes.
The view can be zoomed horizontally and vertically. To zoom horizontally, press "Control" while using the mouse-wheel.
You can just use the tools on the keys F2 to F7 and start editing using the mouse.
You can also record midi notes from a midi keyboard. Step recording is also possible.
When the selection tool is active, you can press the left mouse button and move the mouse around to draw a rectangle that is used to select multiple notes.
After the notes are selected, you can click with the left mouse button on them, and move them around.
Notice, that Rosegarden shows a small red horizontal line in the upright depiction of a keyboard on the left side of the window, to indicate the pitch of the notes you're currently working with.
Pressing "Control" while moving notes has the effect, that the notes are copied. So this mechanism works for notes in the matrix editor as well as for segments in the arrangement window.
Double-clicking on a single note opens a small event-edit window, in which properties of the note can be set. Especially the velocity of the note can be defined here. So it's not necessary to open the event list editor to change the velocity of notes.
Other midi data than note-on, note-off and velocity has to be edited in the "event list editor". Different types of midi events like pitch, program change or system exclusive data can be viewed and edited.
Options for the metronome, like which instrument (or midi-output) to use for its sound, can be set in "Studio / Manage Metronome".
You can activate or deactivate it for recording and playback there too.
Most Rosegarden terms used in this document are the official ones, such as "range" or "quick marker" for example. As I use a German version of Rosegarden, I translated some terms back to English, or in rare cases created my own ("midi-devices manager window" and "special parameters column"). But most terms are the official ones.
| arrangement | The representation of the musical piece in the program. |
| arrangement window | The program's main window, which shows the tracks. |
| drawing tool | Can be used to create segments in the arrangement window. Key F3. |
| event-edit window | Opens by double-clicking on a note. Especially, the velocity of a note can be set here. |
| event list editor | Can be used to edit other midi events than note on/off. Key e. |
| main window | Contains the "arrangement window". |
| marker | |
| matrix editor | Piano-roll view of the notes of a segment. The notes are edited here. |
| midi-device manager window | Manages the midi-devices that are known ot the program. |
| notation editor | Can be used to edit musical notation of notes. Not used that often in midi sequencing. |
| playback cursor | Defines, where playback starts. |
| quick marker | Sets a quick jump-point on the time-line. Key "Ctrl+Shift+m" to set a quick marker, key "Ctrl+m" to set the playback cursor to the quick marker's position. |
| range | Defines a range that is looped during playback. |
| selection tool | The default cursor tool. Key F2. |
| segment | Part of the tracks. Shown in the arrangement window. |
| separation tool | Can be used to split segments. Key F7. |
| special parameters column | Shown on the left of the tracks in the arrangement window. Defines midi in- and output per track. Key p to toggle on/off. |
| track | One of several horizontal lines in the arrangement window, that represents what an instrument plays within the arrangement. |
| track-lamp, green | Sets track to "solo-mode", when lit. |
| track-lamp, light blue | Sets track to "active", when lit. |
| track-lamp, yellow | Sets midi-recording on a track to "active", when lit. |
| zoom-drawbar | Is shown in the icon-bar above the arrangement-window. Can be used to zoom the view of the arrangement horizontally. |