Learn Raspberry Pi FAQ and Troubleshooting

Getting Started

Welcome to RNBO

Quickstart

RNBO Basics

Key Differences

Why We Made RNBO

Fundamentals

Audio IO

Messages to rnbo~

Using Parameters

MIDI in RNBO

Messages and Ports

Polyphony and Voice Control

Audio Files in RNBO

Using Buffers

Using the FFT

Export Targets

Export Targets Overview

VST/AudioUnit
Max External Target
Raspberry Pi Target

Raspberry Pi Target Overview

Raspberry Pi Setup

Managing Raspberry Pi Exports

Raspberry Pi FAQ and Troubleshooting

Configuring Audio on the Raspberry Pi

Using Bluetooth MIDI on the Raspberry Pi Target

Raspberry Pi Export Configuration

The Web Export Target
The C++ Source Code Target

Code Export

Working with JavaScript
Working with C++

Raspberry Pi Target FAQ Troubleshooting

Working with the Raspberry Pi can sometimes be challenging. Here are some steps to try when you are having trouble with the Pi.

Help! Max can't find my Pi on my local network.

RNBO will have no trouble finding your Pi when both your Pi and the computer running Max both have a good connection to the same local network. When RNBO can't find the Pi - this is often due to a poor or unstable connection. Here are some things to try.

The username for the pi must be pi for the runner to communicate. This is set to pi by default. If you've recently changed the username on the pi in settings - or when you used the Raspberry Pi imager - change the name back to pi. Support for custom usernames may be supported in the future.

Note: This is not the hostname, which you see in the export sidebar and are free to change from the default c74rpi.

Rebooting the pi can help - but do it safely by using the terminal command sudo reboot or the menu option in the desktop GUI, don't cut the power by un/replugging.

Ensure your power supply to the RPi is sufficient and connections are firm. Current draw from USB ports, hats, dongles etc can affect performance and stability if not supplied with the correct power. USB cables often have a high internal resistance, which can cause a slight voltage drop. For USB data, it's not a problem, but for USB Power, this is a factor. If you see hwmon hwmon1: Undervoltage detected! in the logs or on the command line in the raspberry pi terminal, this is a sign that the power supply or cable is insufficient, poor quality, or perhaps even damaged. If in doubt, use an official RPi PSU.

If you're connecting to the Pi via an ethernet cable to the router - ensure you're using a good-quality ethernet cable. CAT5/5e is common. Some RPi users solve their connection issues by switching to CAT6, especially over lengthy cables.

If you're using an ad-hoc machine-to-machine network connection - especially if this involves a dongle or adapter of some kind - you might want to ensure that the Ethernet cable is plugged in on both ends and then remove and re-insert the adapter to get the bytes flowing. Or plug the Pi into an open port on the router.

Connect a monitor and keyboard up to your pi and take a look in the terminal. Running the command hostname -I from the pi's terminal will show the IP address of the RPi on the network. If this address is in the range of 169.254.0.1 to 169.254.255.254 this means the Pi couldn't get the IP address from your router and used Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA) instead, meaning that the Pi assigned itself an IP because the router couldn't provide it like usual. In this case, power cycling your router can help. Be patient, and the DHCP server should issue a dynamic IP and allow the regular connection.

Try enabling Internet Sharing from the computer's active network interface to the Ethernet port. This will also help the rPi to pull a valid IP address.

Help! I cannot login to my Pi via ssh, and I am seeing a message : Could not resolve hostname ****.local: No such host is known.

ssh must be enabled in the configuration settings on the raspberry pi, if this is a new install of the RNBO RPi image - this won't be enabled by default.

If you cannot reach the pi via ssh and you normally can, you might want to take a peek at the network settings as the computer may not think the pi is attached. See the steps above for general networking troubleshooting.

Help! My USB audio interface isn't showing up/is crashing the runner

You might need to do some additional configuration. Using the device number awarded to your USB device and try creating/modifying ~/.asoundrc to read:

defaults.pcm.card 0
defaults.pcm.device 0
defaults.ctl.card 0

The Pi's default audio is disabled by default, but I really want to use the built-in audio. Can I do that?

Un-commenting out the line dtparam=audio=on in /boot/config.txt to re-enable the built-in audio.

The Pi's external soundcard/hat is not enabled, but I really want to use the built-in audio, can I do that?

In some cases, un-commenting out the line dtparam=audio=on in /boot/config.txt will enable the external soundcard/hat.

After exporting to my Pi I see message that there are outdated packages on my system.

This message indicates that there are new updates available for packages being used on your rPi OS. You can update these by making sure the rPi is internet connected, then ssh'ing into the machine (see Raspberry Pi Setup) and then running the following commands.

First enter

sudo apt-get update

Press return/enter to run the command, which downloads any available upgrades. This can take a few minutes. Once complete, type:

sudo apt-get upgrade

Press return/enter to install the updates. Again this can take some time. Once completed, you will need to restart your Pi using sudo reboot for the changes to take effect.

I want to do graphics, etc. with my Pi.

The boot image contains a complete Raspian system, including Desktop resources. You may still need to install stuff related to your application.

Can you recommend a USB interface?

Any ALSA class-compliant USB2 interface will work. The Behringer UCA-202 (or UCA-222) is an inexpensive option that works fine.

What about a hat for the Pi?

The hifiberry DAC+ is a nice option if you only need output ( RCA jacks only ). The Blokas PiSound has both audio ( 1/4" jacks ) and MIDI ( full-size DIN5 ports ), but see the note above about driver compatibility.

Can I load samples in my rPi to use with RNBO patchers?

Yes! In the export configuration for the Raspberry Pi Export target, you will find the option to Copy Sample Dependencies. See the Exporting to the Raspberry Pi Target guide.

How do I update my Raspberry Pi to run the latest RNBO source code?

You might notice that the Export Sidebar for the Raspberry Pi target shows not only the names of connected devices, but also the version of the runner code that is active on each rPi device. It will also remind you when a version update is needed to the Raspberry Pi to run the source code to match your current version of RNBO.

Can I control the RNBO patchers on my rPi from Max?

Yes! The RNBOOSCQuery runner has built-in support for OSC control and auto-exposes all named parameters, inports and outports. You can use this information to build your own OSC patch, connect to third-party platforms like TouchOSC, or to connect directly from the Max using the rnbo.remote object.

Can I access the list of available OSC messages?

The JSON list of available messages, which also includes audio configuration options for your soundcard and messages to save and manage presets, can be accessed via any web browser if you know the IP of the rPi. The webpage url is in the format http://ip_address:port/rnbo/inst/0 . The ip_adress can be your actual IP or the rpi's hostname for local networks (default c74rpi.local) and the default port is 5678.

i.e., using the defaults from the RNBO pi image, http://c74rpi.local:5678/rnbo/inst/0 .

If you need to find the IP of the pi, simply connect a monitor and keyboard or login in over ssh and run hostname -I in the terminal.