New Year...New Synthfile

[tribby@cup.hp.com (Dave Tribby)]

Based upon users' suggestions, I'm making some changes to synthfile,
my MIDI Synth file printer & player. So far, it will...

  - Use a smaller stack (1024 bytes rather than 4096 default).

  - Accept a parameter ("-i directory") specifying a directory to
    search for instrument/wave files.

  - Use binary mode when opening files.

  - Be compiled with all ORCA/C optimizations on.

These features will only be "on" for GNO users...

  - Have MIDI event handlers call send() when something happens; the
    control loop calls receive() rather than constantly calling sleep(1)
    then checking flags. This results in even less overhead when playing.

  - Sleep for 1 second at end of songs, to allow final note to die.

  - Print the name of the current file in response to "kill -30".

  - Stop printing a sequence when ^C is detected.


Anything else you'd like to see before version 1.5 is released? Post
here, or send e-mail.


-- Dave Tribby (tribby@cup.hp.com       GEnie: D.TRIBBY)