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Author Topic: Midi file playback problem  (Read 3017 times)

KingDodo

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Midi file playback problem
« on: April 05, 2004, 04:49:12 pm »

Support for midi files still not working...

Same problem : No sound, progress slider dont move, status show something like a streaming...
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52girl52

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Midi file playback problem
« Reply #1 on: April 05, 2004, 06:13:48 pm »

Support for midi files still not working...

Same problem : No sound, progress slider dont move, status show something like a streaming...

KingDodo......You must have other issues. I see you've been posting this problem for sometime now so I thought I would import my 'Midi' files. Haven't used them in years but for you...anything.

You aren't going to like to hear this but after importing 1251 midi (*.mid) files media Center plays them wonderfully. Not one problem, not one.

Your midi's files may have their own problems.  Try getting some new one to try.
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DocLotus

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Re:Midi file playback problem
« Reply #2 on: April 05, 2004, 06:56:33 pm »

All my Midi files play ok except the progress slider is not working.
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KingDodo

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Re:Midi file playback problem
« Reply #3 on: April 06, 2004, 01:35:38 pm »

Very strange thing. I have uninstalled and reinstalled MC last version : still not work !!! I have downloaded many midi files from many web sites today and no one can play. My sound card is not the problem, i have tried some other players like Winamp 5 and all my midi files work. I dont fake the problem ! It exist. So, if im the only one who cant play the midi files, how can i fix that? Dont know... I will dont have the choice : keep a second player !
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52girl52

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Re:Midi file playback problem
« Reply #4 on: April 06, 2004, 05:03:08 pm »

Are you sure: the sound card or its software is not the problem?

The only time in the past that I have ever had problems with sound and the playback of either midi or wav files was 'Soundblaster'.

It was either the creative labs drivers themselves or the actual setting in the software that cause me untold misery!!

Double check and check again.

Good luck

s/m (Steve & Marlene) not S & M (-:
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KingDodo

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Re:Midi file playback problem
« Reply #5 on: April 07, 2004, 08:50:37 am »

My sound card is an integrated SIS and work great im sure. I have tried for the first time another player yesterday (jetAudio) and all my midi files work great too on this player...
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Alex B

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Re:Midi file playback problem
« Reply #6 on: April 07, 2004, 12:42:48 pm »

Seems to be the same here. Winamp plays MIDI, Media Center does not. Media Center is just counting playtime seconds in silence. I tried all three audio out modes I have: Wave, Direct Sound and ASIO.

If I have understood correctly, a MIDI file is actually not a media file. It's a set of instructions for a synthesizer. When you start a MIDI file the player software only commands the synthesizer software (or synth hardware drivers) to do the work.

In my case there is no hardware MIDI synth (Terratec sound card) and the default device for MIDI in the Windows Control Panel is Microsoft GS Wave.

So there must be something wrong with the connection between Media Center and the synthesizer part, at least in certain circumstances.

For now, one solution to get MIDI files to MC could be recording. You could record your MIDI files to wave and then convert to MP3 or whatever you like.
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Matt

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Re:Midi file playback problem
« Reply #7 on: April 07, 2004, 12:49:17 pm »

Double check all your output volumes in the system volume mixer.

Midi playback goes through DirectX and could use a different line than normal sound playback.
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Matt Ashland, JRiver Media Center

KingDodo

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Re:Midi file playback problem
« Reply #8 on: April 07, 2004, 01:58:30 pm »

Matt, i already check too this and all work great. I have tried to play midis from Windows media player, winamp, jetaudio and Vanbasco karaoke player... All can play my midi files...
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Matt

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Re:Midi file playback problem
« Reply #9 on: April 07, 2004, 02:04:37 pm »

Enable this option:
Options > Playback > Video > Use WMP engine

(midi's get played with the video engine)
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Matt Ashland, JRiver Media Center

DocLotus

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Re:Midi file playback problem
« Reply #10 on: April 07, 2004, 02:08:50 pm »

Hi guys;

Yes, I have been down this road before :o

For a Midi file to play (with sound) you need at least THREE things...
* Your sound card MUST support Midi.
* You MUST have a set of Midi Sound Fonts (usually have a file extension of SF2).
* Your sound card has software to select which Sound Fonts you want to use. (most sound cards have a default setting for this).

Midi files are a simple set of instructions that tell the Sound Font bank what instrument to play, how load, & at what pitch.  There is no music on the Midi file, only simple instructions.  That is why Midi files are so small.  

The actual instrument sounds are in the Sound Font Bank(s).

Sound Fonts are the actual musical instruments that the Midi instructions calls up to play.  Without Sound Fonts your Midi files will play with no music as there are no musical instruments for the Midi instructions to play.

Usually the sound card will install a default set of 1 - 3 Sound Fonts so that Midi will have some instruments to play.  Creative Sound Blaster for example installs 3; a small, a medium & a large Sound Font; the only difference being that the larger one sounds better... more natural & fuller & may also support more instruments at more timbres.

Some Sound Fonts are for only one instrument while others are for the whole range of instruments.

There are 127 separate basic sounds for Sound Fonts to play numbered 000 - 127.  An example of a basic Midi sound is... "114 Steel Drums.mid" or "126 Applause.mid".

There are thousands of Sound Fonts banks available but usually only a few are needed.

EXAMPLE: Stereo Piano.SF2 is a good piano Sound Font but there are hundreds available for piano only.

Why so many for the same instrument?  Well... no two pianos sound exactly alike.  Some are dull, some are sharp, and some are not really a piano at all but may be a harpsichord.

Some Sound fonts can be very large; I have one, RealFont_2_1.SF2 that is 106 MB in size.  My smallest, Bagpipes401.SF2 is only 90KB but it is specialized only for Bagpipes.

Some Sound Cards setups allow you to use many Sound Fonts together so you can customize the sound to get a large, full orchestra effect.

A single instrument Sound Font will ally override the same instrument in a large general purpose Sound Font thereby allowing you to customize the sound to get it "just right".  EXAMPE: You may like all but the piano in your general full orchestra Sound Font so you add a custom piano only Sound Font.  The Midi file will usually play the general full orchestra Sound Font for all instruments but will use the custom Sound Font for the piano... neat.  This way you can have your cake & eat it too.

For more information on Sound Fonts do a Google search for them... thousands will turn up.

Sometimes if you did a custom install, you may have told the installer not to use Sound Fonts & have forgot about that detail 6 months or a year later.  When I first installed my SoundBlaster card, I had no idea what Sound fonts were for so I told the installer not to install them.  Two years later, when I tried to play some Midi files that I downloaded I could not figure out why none of them would play.

Re-installing your sound card software to the default settings sometimes will resolve this issue.

Hope this helps.
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KingDodo

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Re:Midi file playback problem
« Reply #11 on: April 07, 2004, 03:31:50 pm »

Enable this option:
Options > Playback > Video > Use WMP engine

(midi's get played with the video engine)

This have fixed the problem !!! Midis play but the progress slider still not move...


Doclotus : Im very sorry, but i will not uninstall and reinstall my soundcard for one player that cant play midi files when all others can :)

Thanks anyway...
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