"Timothy S. Nelson" wrote: > On Sat, 11 Mar 2000, Alain CULOS wrote: > > > 3/ > > Do you lads know about TiMidity++ ? I would guess the answer is some of you do. > > Would it be much to tie in with TiMidity++ as far as instrument names are > > concerned - and to explore the possibility to use more extensive possibilities > > of Midi (in order to use the right sound samples if present) ? Sorry I may say > > something that sounds silly because I know so little about Midi, but I am under > > the impression that Midi can handle more than the list of instruments included > > in lilypond.ps (pages "63" and "64" or 65&66/76). > > MIDI itself allocates "instrument numbers" to each "channel". It's up > to the program playing it to decide what sound to use. However, there is a > set of commonly agreed upon sound names called "General MIDI", and they define > maybe 127 instruments + about 40 drums. Yes, but on the other hand, TiMidity++ is able to make the difference between the different synthesisers (GS, XM, I don't what else) and it is able to play the right instrument for a number of banks ... So I presume the MIDI standard is more flexible than the 127+40 standard and there are de facto standards that reach far beyond the official standard. My point would be to use TiMidity's knowledge base, after getting permission of course (also freeware and open source if I am correct) since this software seems to have a rather comprehensive and extensible approach to MIDI and maybe use the same configuration files to map the instrument names to channels / banks / ... whatever is needed to make it sound right and give us the full list. I actually started this on the basic 127 instruments because the names given to the instruments are actually not the same in TiMidity and Lily (though they refer to the same instruments, say one names Alto Sax and the other saxalto). Maybe this would also allow users to input the names of the instruments in their own language as aliases or replacement of the english ones, given the right configuration files (to be built). > However, I've convinced my SB Live to > load in a Steinway sound downloaded from the 'Net, instead of the normal piano > sounds, and also to load in the sound of someone singing "dunnnn" instead of > the piano (ragtime in 4-part voice harmony!!! :) ). Well, of course if you change the setup to non standard you can get what you want. But precisely, using some configuration file common with TiMidity++ would allow great flexibility as well as a trustworthy use of MIDI. I'm interested in your ragtime MIDI file if you don't mind (and if that's not infringing any rights). > Anyway, hope this helps. If you're really keen, I've got some doco on > MIDI. I actually would appreciate whatever docs you see fit. I don't always read everything, but I'm pretty much a doc monger in a style or sorta virtual librarian of software techies stuff for myself (not always organised though). Thanks, Alain.
