# Midi support.



## Hybridox (Jul 20, 2006)

I have a friend whose computer won't play midis. I've tried converting the file to wav or mp3 or mpeg but FA won't upload the files, it seems. Do you have any advice on the matter? I'd prefer if you helped my friend play midis.


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## nrr (Jul 20, 2006)

Hybridox said:
			
		

> I have a friend whose computer won't play midis.


This sure is verbose.  Can you tell me how your friend's computer is set up?  Hardware, OS, software installed, etc.?


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## Silver R. Wolfe (Jul 20, 2006)

*RE:  Midi support.*



			
				nrr said:
			
		

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I wasn't sure there were computers that didn't play midi files... >.>


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## nrr (Jul 20, 2006)

silverwolfe said:
			
		

> I wasn't sure there were computers that didn't play midi files... >.>


My dual-Opteron workstation won't because ALSA's too retarded to know how to drive the MPU401 bits on an EMU10K1-based audio controller.  I have to make a PCM waveform using timidity++ before I can hear what a MIDI sounds like.

My laptop and the G5, though?  Easy money, there.


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## Silver R. Wolfe (Jul 20, 2006)

*RE:    Midi support.*



			
				nrr said:
			
		

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I honestly don't know half of what you said, other than dual-opteron workstation, MIDI, and all the normal non techy stuff you said. ^-^;

I just know that mine, and every computer that I've had has been able to play MIDIs no problem.


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## Bokracroc (Jul 21, 2006)

As long as you have a soundcard and a player you should.


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## Hybridox (Jul 21, 2006)

*RE:  Midi support.*



			
				nrr said:
			
		

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Here is the log of my discussion of the problem:

[00:19] [Palshife]:  MIDI playback won't work for me. ;.;
[00:19] [Ratava]: Your computer doesn't work with midi?
[00:19] [Ratava]: I thought it was universal.
[00:20] [Palshife]:  It SHOULD be.
[00:21] [Ratava]: Do you know any programs that can convert midi to some other type?
[00:21] [Palshife]:  But every time I switch my computer's MIDI settings from blank to Synth MIDI...it goes back to blank. >_<
[00:21] [Ratava]: What about Microsoft Midi Mapper?
[00:22] [Palshife]:  I dont have that. I took WMP off my system.
[00:22] [Ratava]: Erf...
[00:23] [Ratava]: Which type of music can you listen to?
[00:24] [Palshife]:  Anything else evidently. o_o

Here is a later discussion:

Palshife lilts, "When I go into my sound options there's nothing on MIDI. Obvious solution is to click the drop down and select a MIDI device to output on, right? Well, when I click apply, the box blanks itself."
Palshife lilts, "I also have this error in DxDiag"
No General MIDI DLS file was specified in the registry.
You chirp, "How odd. Is that it?"
Palshife nods.
Palshife lilts, "Oddy enough, using the test in DxDiag works just fine."
You chirp, "How is your computer set up? Like, hardware, operating system, software installed, et cetera."
Palshife lilts, "ASUS A7N8X mobo w/ AMD Athlon XP processor (3000MHz), 1 gig memory, SoundBlaster Live! card, with a Radeon 9600"

I hope with this information you'll be able to help!


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## nrr (Jul 21, 2006)

Hybridox said:
			
		

> [00:19] [Palshife]:  MIDI playback won't work for me. ;.;
> [00:19] [Ratava]: Your computer doesn't work with midi?
> [00:19] [Ratava]: I thought it was universal.


It's universal only in that modern sound cards tend to have a bank (or sixteen) of MIDI instruments solely for MIDI playback.

If your soundcard doesn't have such a bank, or your drivers don't support it or the interface by which it's used (as the drivers on my Ubuntu-laden dual-Opteron box don't), you're left to use a software method... which eats CPU comparatively like nothing else.



			
				Hybridox said:
			
		

> You chirp, "How is your computer set up? Like, hardware, operating system, software installed, et cetera."
> Palshife lilts, "ASUS A7N8X mobo w/ AMD Athlon XP processor (3000MHz), 1 gig memory, SoundBlaster Live! card, with a Radeon 9600"


Reinstall the drivers for the sound card and see if that fixes anything.



			
				Hybridox said:
			
		

> No General MIDI DLS file was specified in the registry.


Reinstall DirectX and see if that fixes anything.

If not, supposedly, Quicktime will do an on-the-fly playback using its instruments and just feed the data to the soundcard as a PCM stream, which is guaranteed to be universally accepted by all sound cards everywhere.

There's also OpenMPT to consider if you don't mind being able to read the actual pitches for the songs you're wanting to play.


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## Kattywampus (Aug 9, 2006)

*wonders if you read her response on your other thingy*


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