makeSMF

[Klaus Major]

Guten Tag Kurt ;-),
hi all,

> 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.

Yo, incredible, isn't it ?!!!

> 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.

In version 2 of our application we are currently developing for children,
we have plans to create a little "music-making" stack.

Just an idea until now...

But i will explore that makeSMF-stack and let me be inspired by it ;-)

You are right, it is absolutely abstract to create music (especially for 
kids)
without any graphic representation like a keyboard etc...

I still have no idea about the approach to that stack we are planning,
but UDI-san's stack might be a good base.

Maybe i will create something with LiveStage Pro (means: directly in 
QuickTime !)

We'll see...

(For me personally it  is really sad, that you cannot mix players AND 
the "play ac xxx"-command.
But that's another story...)

> If you need the ability to simply play pre-existing MIDI files, then 
> QuickTime does the job nicely.

Exactly.

> -Kurt


Regards from (bloody) hot germany
(Yes, i know, australia IS hotter than germany... ;-)


Klaus Major
klaus.major at metascape.org