Re: MIDI files on IIgs?

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

In article pubpc1@library.ucla.edu writes...

>spec@vax2.concordia.ca (Mitchell Spector) wrote:
>[wishing there was a MIDIsynth based program that could do more
>than 7 voices by using only 2 oscillators each]
> 
>Mitchell, I think that Music Composer can do this.  It supports
>16 voices (if you look at the spreadsheet table).  It is probably
>best to play MIDI files with Music Composer rather than trying
>to convert to synthLAB format.

    I think your referring the to tracks listing, MIDISurgeon displays
16 as well (just convert a MIDI file and then tell it to display the
track data by pressing Apple-T). So yes, you have control over the
first 16 tracks (note I said first 16, MIDI files can frequently use
many more) but it still uses _MIDIsynth_ to play those tracks back.
Incidentally, synthLAB only displays 8 tracks, but all those programs
are still limited by MIDIsynth's 7 voices. I suppose you could think
of it like having sixteen sheets of music and only seven people to read
those sheets and sing. Will you hear seven people singing or sixteen? ;)

    I vagely recall Music Composer supports Music Studio and Soundsmith
formats, which the latter supports up to 14-15 voices, but still isn't
used for MIDI playback nor very practical even if it could.

Mitchell Spector
spec@vax2.concordia.ca