Things You'll Need:
- MIDI sequencing software or a hardware MIDI controller
- Patchbay software to patch the MIDI control data to Hydrogen.
- Hydrogen software
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Step 1
Establish whether you are using JACK or ALSA (Advanced Linux Sound Architecture). These are the two most common ways to route MIDI data between devices or applications, though ALSA is the standard in most Linux distributions. The JACK audio server tends to be the standard for low latency pro audio applications.
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Step 2
Route the MIDI data in the graphical environment using a Patchbay program if your MIDI sequencing software can't make the connection for you. The Patchbay application you install and use will depend on whether you are using ALSA or JACK. KAconnect is recommended for ALSA, while Patchage or QJackctrl work well for JACK (see Resources below).
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Step 3
Start your patchbay program (if you are using one) before opening Hydrogen.
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Step 4
Click "File - > Preferences" once Hydrogen is started. In the preferences window, click the "Midi System" tab.
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Step 5
Set the MIDI driver control to reflect the MIDI control system that you are using--this will either be ALSA or Portmidi.
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Step 6
Set the MIDI input to the appropriate device or Patchbay program. For example, choose the MIDI port that your MIDI keyboard is plugged into, or choose QJackctrl if you are using QJackctrl to route MIDI data.
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Step 7
Choose the MIDI channel on which Hydrogen will listen. You can set this control to any of the standard MIDI channels (1 to 16), or to "all", which will allow Hydrogen to respond to MIDI events routed to it via any channel. Whatever your choice, you'll need to set your keyboard or sequencer software to output the MIDI notes on the same channel(s) as Hydrogen. Click "OK."
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Step 8
Determine which drum sound will be sounded by a particular MIDI note by the noting the order of the drums in the Mixer window or on the Pattern Editor window.
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Step 9
Note that in the Hydrogen mixer window, MIDI note C1 corresponds to the drum farthest to the left. This is the same drum that is at the bottom of the list in the Pattern Editor window. Following this pattern, the next drum to the right is MIDI note C#1, the next is D1 and so on.
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Step 10
Play these notes on the keyboard--if you are using a MIDI controller keyboard--to hear them sound through Hydrogen. As the notes play, you will see the LEDs on the mixer activate.
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Step 11
Play your hardware MIDI controller through Hydrogen.
