Playmidi 2.3 Quick Start Instructions ===================================== Be sure to read the REAME.1ST for install instructions. This file explains all of the options for running playmidi, and options while playmidi is running. A better manpage will be written in a future release. My personal preferred options for playmidi and explanations thereof: playmidi -rR111 -C111 -D0 ~ftp/midi/gmidi/General_MIDI/CLASSIC/*.mid | | | | | | | | | | | | | | list of files to play | | | my system has 3 midi interfaces, use first one | | initial midi chorus value of 111 (scale 0-127, 0=off) | initial midi reverb value of 111 (scale is 0-127, 0=off) real time playback graphics (assumed for splaymidi/xplaymidi) Version specific features: playmidi -r example playback screen: ----------------------------------- instrument name | Percussion channel | | song timer | | | mar pic flu bas cla eng fre tro tru ORC syn tub tim mar syn gun 13:25.5 Playmidi 2.3 G5 G5 G5 by Nathan Laredo Eb7 Eb7 1812.mid Eb5 Eb5 Eb5 30 tracks Eb3 Eb3 Eb3 sna skew=1.00 Adapted and Se Bb6 Robert C. Good Bb4 Bb4 1995 G6 Violins G4 G4 Sostennuto Str Tremolo String cym Violas Eb6 Cellos Eb4 Eb4 Basses Guns 1812 OVERTURE by P. I. Tscha | | Text events Left Arrow and Right Arrow change skew (warp playback speed) Up Arrow repeats current song Page Up skips to previous song Q, ^C or ESC will exit ^L or ^R will repaint screen Any key other than above will skip to next song splaymidi display: ------------------ splaymidi does not require -r for real time display splaymidi display is identical to above, except note names are replaced by bars of different intensity indicating relative velocity of a note. If pitch bend is in effect, the bars will bend in the center by an ammount appropriate to the exact pitch bent to (the apex of the bar should fall on nearly exact bended pitch). Controls are slightly different from ncurses version: <,>. = change skew (warp playback speed) n = skip to next song p = skip to previous song r = repeat current song q ESC= quit all other keypresses should be ignored. xplaymidi display: ------------------ xplaymidi does not require -r option, xplaymidi may be used with -v option to echo text events to controlling terminal (usually xterm). example display: (ascii-ized, shown with fvwm decorations) ___________________________________________________________________ |=|____ /home/ftp/midi/General_MIDI/CLASSIC/1812.mid______|[_]|_-_| XPlaymidi 2.3 by Nathan Laredo ___________________________________________________________ 1.00 [_______||__________________________________________________] ^ skew "thumb", move to change skew 0.25 - 4.00 ------------------+ |Brass (offstage) | [marcato ] ============= |Piccolo | [piccolo ] ================ |Flutes | [flute ] ================ |Oboes | [basson ] ====== |Clarinets | [clarinet ] ========= |English Horn | [englhorn ] ======= |Bassoons | [frenchrn ] ======= |French Horns | [trombone ] ============= |Cornets | [trumpet ] ========= |Trumpets | [Orchestra Kit] === |Trombones & Tuba | [synbras1 ] ============ |Tympani | [tubebell ] = |Snare Drum | [timpani ] ================= |Bass Drum | [marcato ] ========== |Cannon | [syntom ] = |Triangle & Bells | [ringwhsl ] = |Cymbals | ^ channel on/off toggles ^^^^^^^^channel vu meters |Violins | +-------+ +-------+ +-------+ +-------+ |Sostennuto Strin|| | EJECT | |PREV | | PLAY | |NEXT | 14:28.5 |Tremolo Strings | | ICON | |TRACK | | ICON | |TRACK | | |Violas | | | |ICON | | | |ICON | | |Cellos | +-------+ +-------+ +-------+ +-------+ playback timer |Basses | | | | | |Guns | | | | | |1812 OVERTURE | | | | play next song |by P. I. Tschaik|| | | repeat current song |Adapted and Sequ|| | play previous song |Robert C. Goodye|| press this to quit |1995 | ------------------+ | Text event display X interface is fairly intuitive, no keyboard commands are required or implemented (with the exception of control-s to search the file text events) Application defaults may be changed to bind keys to buttons if desired. Enjoy, and as always if you like this program, please send me email and let me know that you are using it. It encourages me to make future more frequent releases with more enhancements. If you find any bugs not listed in the BUGS file, please let me know. If you have trouble with a specific midi file that another player can play and playmidi has trouble with, please email me the name of the file, I have a collection of over 15000 midi files so chances are i have the file already and there's no need for you to send me a uuencoded file to debug with. Playmidi can handle some pretty nastily corrupted midi files, but it may seg fault on others, I'm working on that too. Join the new playmidi mailing list: e-mail "subscribe linux-playmidi" to majordomo@majordomo.nether.net You'll find announcements for new and testing versions, as well as a good forum for ocmmunicating with other playmidi users. Nathan Laredo laredo@gnu.ai.mit.edu PS. HAVE FUN! PPS. If you really want to make my day, send me a postcard from wherever you live if you use playmidi. mail: PSC#1, Box 709, 2401 Kelly Drive, Lackland AFB, TX 78236-5128 USA