GoMinimal! v2.0 - Help

Info:
GoMinimal! offers the possibility to transform plain ascii text-files (*.txt) and (RIFF 8 or 16 bit) wave-files (*.wav) into standard midi 0 files (*.mid). The result of this all is a 16-channel (limited to a set of 128 instruments and about 60 drums) format 0 general midi-file containing pure minimal music.
A second possibility is to load a standard midi-file (format 0 or 1) and write an ascii text-representation of it that is compact, editable (with a text-editor) and easily to reparse into another midi-file.
GoMinimal! is devided into two sections: a Minimal-section (for creating 'minimal' midi) and a Translate-section (for editing existing midi).

Usage:
There are 17 buttons (each one has a tooltip): 10 in red, the Minimal-buttons and 7 in yellow, the Translate-buttons. All buttons are connected with either red or yellow lines: they represent a sequence. For example, if you want to write text and transform it into midi, the sequence is: Write text -> Text to midi -> (Optional) Play midi -> Save midi -> Play midi.

GoMinimal! screenshot

Minimal-buttons

Command

load text

Open a text-file (text wil appear in screen)

text to midi

Transform text-file into midi-file and save as midi (*.mid)

load wav

Open a (RIFF 8 or 16 bit) wave-file (*.wav)

play wav

Play wave-file

wav to midi

Transform wave-file into midi-file and save as midi (*.mid)

write text

Write text (type text in screen)

text to midi

Transform written text into midi-file

save midi

Save midi-file (*.mid)

play midi

Play (saved) midi-file

load midi

Open a midi-file (*.mid, *.rmi)

 

 

Translate-buttons

Command

midi to text

Translate midi-file (*.mid) into text-file (text will appear in screen)

save text

Save translated text-file (*.txt)

edit text

Edit translated text-file with default text-editor

load text

Open a text-file (*.txt) (text will appear in screen)

text to midi

Translate text-file into midi-file

save midi

Save translated midi-file (*.mid)

play midi

Play saved midi-file

About the Minimal-section:
The Minimal-section is the same as all previous versions of GoMinimal!. In this section 'minimal' midi-files can be created by loading text-files (*txt), writing text or loading (RIFF 8 or 16 bit) wave-files (*.wav). Transformation (or conversion) will result in a standard midi 0 file (*.mid).

About the Translate-section:
The Translate-section is new in version 2.0. In this section standard midi 0 or 1 files (*.mid) (not *.rmi) can be translated to an ascii text-representation (*.txt) that can be edited in a text-editor. After this, the edited text-representation can be reparsed into another midi-file (*.mid).

The following representation of the midi-events is generated:
File header:
Start of track:
End of track:
Note On:
Note Off:
Poly Pressure:
Channel Pressure:
Controller parameter:
Pitch bend:
Program change:
Sysex message:
Arbutrary midi bytes:
Sequence nr:
Key signature:
Tempo:
Time signature:
SMPTE event:
Meta text events:
Meta end of track:
Sequencer specific:
Misc meta events:		 Mfile <format> <ntrks> <division>
MTrk
TrkEnd
On <ch> <note> <vol>
Off <ch> <note> <vol>
PoPr<ch> <note> <val>
ChPr <ch> <val>
Par <ch> <con> <val>
Pb <ch> <val>
PrCh <ch> <prog>
SysEx <hex>
Arb <hex>
Seqnr <num>
KeySig <num> <manor>
Tempo <num>
TimeSig <num>/<num> <num> <num>
SMPTE <num> <num> <num> <num> <num>
Meta <texttype> <string>
Meta TrkEnd
SeqSpec <type> <hex>
Meta <type> <hex>

The <> have the following meaning:
<ch>
<note>
<vol>
<val>
<con>
<prog>
<manor>
<noteval>
<texttype>
<type>
<hex>
<string>		 ch=<num>
n=<noteval>
v=<num>
v=<num>
c=<num>
p=<num>
minor or major
either a <num> or A-G optionally followed by #, followed by <num> without intermediate spaces
Text Copyright SeqName TrkName InstrName Lyric Marker Cue or <type>
a hex number of the form 0xab
a sequence of 2-digit hex numbers (without 0x) separated by space
a string between double quotes (like "text")

Channel numbers are 1-based, all other numbers are as they appear in the midifile.
<division> is either a positive number (giving the time resolution in clicks per quarter note) or a negative number followed by a positive number (giving SMPTE timing).
<format> <ntrks> <num> are decimal numbers.
The <num> in the Pb is the real value (two midibytes combined).
In Tempo it is a long (32 bits) value. Others are in the interval 0-127.
The SysEx sequence contains the leading F0 and the trailing F7.

Info about loaded midi-file:
As can be seen in the screenshot, some basic information (filename, units, tracks and units/beat) about a loaded midi-file (*.mid, *.rmi) will appear on the screen.

Bugs:
- Transforming from either wave-file or text-file in the Minimal-section sometimes results in errormessage 'Can't copy (file)'
- GoMinimal! is not (yet) tested on Windows XP, but I expect no problems

Thanks to:
- Randy Stack for Asciimid.exe
- Guenter Nagler for Midifmt.exe v1.2 (1995) and Wav2midi.exe v1.2 (1997)
- Piet van Oostrum for mf2t.exe v1.6 and t2mf.exe v1.6 (1997)

ProletSoft, february 2003
Website: http://proletsoft.freeservers.com
E-mail: proletsoft@hotmail.com