makeSMF

[Kurt Kaufman]

UDI wrote:
"...makeSMF make a MIDI file from strings that like a Play sentence of
  HyperTalk. e.g. "C4q E G..."
  And can sound it by the QuickTime instrument without XCMD...."

I'm especially impressed with the script that allows you to import/edit 
a pre-existing MIDI file!  MIDI files tend to have a considerable amount 
of proprietary data, and unfortunately it is sometimes placed in areas 
where it shouldn't within the MIDI file.  All the more remarkable is a 
script that can deal with this eventuality.

This also brings up a question that I've been thinking about lately:
How do Revolution developers intend to use MIDI data and MIDI files?  If 
the intent is to actually write tunes, or allow the end-user to write 
tunes, clearly a character-based notation system ("C4q E G..."
) is kind of cumbersome.  Yet, another method (one that I used in the 
stack that I recently developed) that uses a piano keyboard for 
selecting pitches and the number keys for note duration, also has its 
problems: You have to be sufficiently sophisticated musically to be able 
to work entirely  "by ear", without a visual representation, without 
even the verbose character-based system.  Ideally, someone might come up 
with a true music notation system to be coordinated with the MIDI data.  
BUT.....that brings us back to the first question...Who would this be 
for?  If you need a MIDI file editor/music notation program, then there 
are already mature programs available that fit the bill. Of course, it 
would be absurd to try and match the feature set of a program like 
"Finale" , etc.  If you need the ability to simply play pre-existing 
MIDI files, then QuickTime does the job nicely.

-Kurt