Re: IIGS Midi

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

In article rigby@ptd.net (Jon H.) writes...

>Are there any programs for the IIGS that will let me play MIDI files that I
>get from the web?  I download them on a Mac, and that can read IIGS disks,
>so I do have a way of getting them from the Mac to the GS.  I just need to
>know if there  is any GS software that will let you do this.

    The best one out there is MIDISurgeon 2.0, formely available from EGO
Systems. It lets you convert and tweak (very finely if need be) MIDI files
into MIDIsynth format, what most people heavily associate with synthLAB.
MIDIsynth is really the best way to hear MIDI sequences, though it is very
limited these days: 7 voices and 64K worth of patches maximum (choosen from
a small number of instrument banks out there, with a sparse selection). 
If you have MIDI files that are under 7 voices and only use a couple of 
instruments it is passable (actually I have some new examples I've been
meaning to post up of some jazz music :).

    There is also the freeware MIDIConvert program, but it isn't very
flexible. I personally just use a MIDI connection between my Apple IIgs
and PC with one end running synthLAB and the other CakeWalk Express,
then have one side "play" the other and I record that. Makes editing
much easier and faster. You should be able to get MIDIConvert from the
Caltech and Ground FTP sites, as for MIDISurgeon, you'll have to contact
Dave Tribby to find out its status. synthLAB/MIDIsynth as you may or
may not already know, is part of System 6, downloadable from Apple's 
FTP site. waveLAB (another program by Dave Tribby) is also worth 
downloading, it allows you to create new instrument banks.

Mitchell Spector
spec@vax2.concordia.ca