Re: Is there a MIDI player for Apple 2 GS ?

[spec@vax2.concordia.ca (Mitchell Spector)]

In article gavp@gis.net writes...

>Is there a MIDI player for Apple 2 GS ?

    No, not really. There are however a handful of programs which
will convert MIDI files into a native Apple IIgs music format and
then attempt to play them back. The most feasible music format for
that job is called "MIDIsynth"--a toolset included with System 6.
Anyone who's used Apple's synthLAB program is familar with it.

    MIDISurgeon (formerly available from EGO Systems) is the best
option, IMO. It loads in MIDI sequences and after you've assigned
each track a suitable instrument (and any other tweaking need be)
you can listen to it or save it to disk as a MIDIsynth sequence.
Music Convertor is another option--and in some ways better since
there is no wait for MIDI file to be converted allowing you to play
it right away--but there are less tweaking options. There is also
MIDIConvert which just loads in MIDI and spits out MIDIsynth, but
requires a separate program to tweak songs and play them. There
are others too I can think of, like MusiX.

    MIDIsynth is rather limited though, even though it is using
wavetable synthesis. It can only handle up to 7 voices (lots of
MIDI's have up to 32 or more) and there is only 64K of space in
TOTAL for instrument patch sets. Forget about support for GM/GS 
MIDI. Some people have used alternatives to MIDIsynth, but it 
often sounds much worse (e.g. Diversi-Tune, which is similar to 
FM-synthesis or Soundsmith, which is a 14-track MOD player). The 
7 voice limit of MIDIsynth is the real crippling though, so much 
so, I've found a crummy OPL3 (FM based) card in my PC can do a 
better job at supporting MIDI playback. At least it has 20 voices
and can simulate very decent bass and bell-like instruments.

Mitchell Spector
spec@vax2.concordia.ca