Re: Question on IIGS music/sound files

[Toinet <antoine.vignau@laposte.net>]

You have a couple of families in the music world of the Apple IIgs.
Some of the file types are described in their associated file type
note (http://www.umich.edu/~archive/apple2/technotes/ftn/) but I'll
try to summarize:

DiversiTune (Bill Basham), one of the oldest, plays MIDI files.
I don't know an external player, only DT is able to play DT files. I
may be wrong. Filenames with DT are probably a DiversiTune data file.

SoundSmith (Huibert Albers), one of the most used, play Soundsmith
files. Up to 14 voices, sound data is limited to 64 KB, size of the
DOC RAM.
There are several players. It even has a dedicated tool set (Tool219),
probably one of the most used in the IIgs world. The file name mainly
contains SS in its name. IIRC, in its latest versions, SoundSmith
recognizes MIDI messages and is able to import those.

MOD players (MODZap & others) play Amiga module files
Depending on the software and the version, software play with +/-
success the different effects of amiga modules. Filename mainly
contain the MOD string.

NoiseTracker 2 (FTA)
Plays its own files, also plays Amiga module files and IIRC soundsmith
files. It is a mix between an Amiga player and Soundsmith as it can
use more than 64 KB of sound RAM. It has a dedicated tool set
(Tool220). Filename with NT is probably a NoiseTracker data file.

SynthLab (Apple)
A MIDI file player, good quality, plenty (thousands) of files
converted from the Mac/PC environments.

There are other software that rely on the different sound tool sets of
the Apple IIgs (software by Electronic Arts & others) but their use is
complicated.

If you want to read raw data files, I would recommend rSounder which
reads rSound/binary/etc. digital files and can play them at the
frequency you wish. Along with the different sound cards on the IIgs a
software was given with +/- independence to the hardware. Search for
Applied Engineering or Econ Technologies sound cards.

If you want to play with MIDI files and be able to play them on the
IIgs, there are plenty of conversion software but, if my memory is
still valid, MIDI Surgeon from GS+ is a very useful one. I think, this
is the one we used for LemminGS.

Good luck, the music on the IIgs is great!

antoine