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aconnect

ALSA MIDI port connection manager

TLDR

List all MIDI input and output ports
$ aconnect -l
Connect two MIDI ports
$ aconnect [sender_client]:[port] [receiver_client]:[port]
Disconnect two MIDI ports
$ aconnect -d [sender_client]:[port] [receiver_client]:[port]
Disconnect all connections
$ aconnect -x
List only input ports
$ aconnect -i

SYNOPSIS

aconnect [-options] sender receiveraconnect -d [-options] sender receiveraconnect -i|-o [-options]aconnect -x

DESCRIPTION

aconnect is an ALSA (Advanced Linux Sound Architecture) utility for connecting and disconnecting MIDI ports. It manages the ALSA sequencer connections that route MIDI data between applications, hardware MIDI interfaces, and virtual MIDI ports.The tool is essential for setting up MIDI routing in Linux audio workflows, allowing you to connect MIDI controllers to synthesizers, route between DAWs, or chain MIDI effects processors.

PARAMETERS

-l, --list

List current MIDI ports and connections
-i, --input
List only input (readable) ports
-o, --output
List only output (writable) ports
-d, --disconnect
Disconnect the specified ports
-x, --removeall
Remove all connections
-e, --exclusive
Connect ports exclusively (no other connections allowed)
-r, --real queue
Convert time-stamps using the given real-time queue
-t, --tick queue
Convert time-stamps using the given tick queue

INSTALL

sudo apt install alsa-utils
sudo dnf install alsa-utils
sudo pacman -S alsa-utils
sudo apk add alsa-utils
sudo zypper install alsa-utils
nix profile install nixpkgs#alsa-utils

CAVEATS

Connections made with aconnect are not persistent; they're lost when the MIDI device is disconnected or the system reboots. For persistent connections, use tools like qjackctl or write startup scripts. Client numbers may change between sessions.

HISTORY

aconnect was developed as part of the ALSA project in the late 1990s. It provided a command-line interface for the ALSA sequencer system, which replaced the older OSS (Open Sound System) MIDI handling in Linux.

SEE ALSO

amidi(1), aplaymidi(1), arecordmidi(1), aseqdump(1)

RESOURCES

Source code · Homepage