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Conference napalm::commusic_v1

Title:* * Computer Music, MIDI, and Related Topics * *
Notice:Conference has been write-locked. Use new version.
Moderator:DYPSS1::SCHAFER
Created:Thu Feb 20 1986
Last Modified:Mon Aug 29 1994
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:2852
Total number of notes:33157

2532.0. "Wanted - Standard MIDI Files & Info re same" by MALLET::BARKER (Pretty Damn Cosmic) Mon Dec 24 1990 07:29

	I've just got a Music Quest PC MIDI card for my VAXmate. I've also got 
a neat sequencer from Magnetic Music called Prism. I'll write up a proper 
review after Christmas (when I've really had a chance to get to know it).

	A problem that I have at the moment is that I can't load Tom Janzen's
Beethoven piece out of MIDILIB. The sequencer says that it is the wrong tempo 
and refuses to understand it even though it is supposed to read (& write) 
Standard MIDI Files. Now I'm pretty new to all this and don't know whether it's 
something that I'm omitting to do or whether the 'Standard' isn't all that 
standard between different sequencers.

	What I would like to try is to load another (or more) SMF from some 
other source. There don't appear to be any other sequences in MIDILIB & I seem 
to remember some discussions about possible copyright problems. BUT if anyone 
could point me in the direction of some SMFs on the net that I could 
experiment with over Xmas I'd be really grateful. Contact me off-line if you 
don't want to tell the world about your sequences.

Nigel
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2532.1A CorrectionMALLET::BARKERPretty Damn CosmicMon Dec 24 1990 12:5711
	I was slightly wrong in the symptoms that I described in .-1 when I 
try to load the B9VIVACE.SMF file into my sequencer. The actual errors I get 
are :-
	'Timebase does not match'
	'Track size too large'
	'Error in Standard MIDI File'

	I hope that this might mean something to someone. I'm still looking for 
other sequences to play about with.

Nigel
2532.2maybe a format change would workDFN8LY::JANZENTom MLO21-4/E10 223-5140Tue Dec 25 1990 11:118
Maybe it would work if someone broke it up into littler pieces.
	I am studying MIDI file format but have no comment.  SInce
	other people have been able to load it it is probably OK.
	However, perhaps it could be converted into some other MIDI
	file format.  Is the file in format 0, with one huge track chunk?
	Maybe it would work for everyone if it were in format 1 with
	say two track chunks.  It probably has 2 tracks, right?
Tom
2532.3MIDI Spec Pointer...SKIVT::HEARNTime will tell...Wed Dec 26 1990 09:0211
    
    	Hope I'm not offending...
    
    		I got the MIDI Spec from off the net and an Archive of
    	it (.ARC) has been placed in MIDI::A$:[MidiLib.Deposit].  From
    	what I've read of it, it's the "old" one (0.6?) and a "newer"
    	one can be had for $2.00 by writing to the MIDI Assoc - all that
    	info is in the archive.
    							Hope it helps,
    
    								Rich
2532.4Already a Type 1 Midi FileRIPPLE::LUKE_TEWed Dec 26 1990 13:1610
    re. .2 - breaking the Beethoven piece into smaller chunks
    
    It is already a Type 1 Midi File, having two tracks - a Tempo track
    as the first track, and the rest is in track two.  If it would help,
    I could probably break the second track into two track, taking some
    arbitrary note as the breaking point, and having all notes above
    in one track and all notes below in another.  The problems seems
    to be more than just the length of the track, however.  It looks
    like it is having problems understanding the tempo track.  
    
2532.5no problem on CakewalkDECWIN::FISHERI like my species the way it is" "A narrow view...Thu Dec 27 1990 21:435
    It does have some slightly unusual meter signatures, and it is quite
    long, but for the most part, it seems fairly generic.  I wonder if your
    sequencer is just being overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude?
    
    Burns (who has not problem with it on 
2532.6Prism overwhelmed by size of B9VIVACE.SMF?MALLET::BARKERPretty Damn CosmicSat Dec 29 1990 12:419
	I have now been able to test Prism on a few other Standard MIDI files 
and it seems to manage them OK, I may be missing some info but it certainly 
appears to gather most of what should be there. They are all much smaller than
the Beethoven piece though and I think that this might be the problem. The
sequencer is pattern based i.e. you make up a song from a collection of
patterns that you link together. The maximum size for a pattern is 1000 beats.
When it reads in SMFs it regards them as one pattern.

Nigel
2532.7Timebase problem?MALLET::BARKERPretty Damn CosmicTue Jan 01 1991 12:295
	I've got another idea about my problem. My sequencer has a fixed 96ppqn
(pulses per quarter note) clock. I recall somewhere in 2492.? that it was 
mentioned that this was saved out at 24ppqn. Could this be it?

Nigel
2532.8DECWIN::FISHERI like my species the way it is" "A narrow view...Wed Jan 02 1991 12:246
Well, for one thing, there are something like 800-900 measures at 3 to 5 beats
per measure.  That seems to be far more than your s/w can take.

Don't know about the clock.

Burns