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.
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Minimal-buttons |
Command |
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load text |
Open a text-file (text wil appear in screen) |
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text to midi |
Transform text-file into midi-file and save as midi (*.mid) |
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load wav |
Open a (RIFF 8 or 16 bit) wave-file (*.wav) |
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play wav |
Play wave-file |
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wav to midi |
Transform wave-file into midi-file and save as midi (*.mid) |
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write text |
Write text (type text in screen) |
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text to midi |
Transform written text into midi-file |
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save midi |
Save midi-file (*.mid) |
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play midi |
Play (saved) midi-file |
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load midi |
Open a midi-file (*.mid, *.rmi) |
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Translate-buttons |
Command |
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midi to text |
Translate midi-file (*.mid) into text-file (text will appear in screen) |
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save text |
Save translated text-file (*.txt) |
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edit text |
Edit translated text-file with default text-editor |
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load text |
Open a text-file (*.txt) (text will appear in screen) |
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text to midi |
Translate text-file into midi-file |
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save midi |
Save translated midi-file (*.mid) |
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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:
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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:
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<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