Midi Bug

Kaboon · 29th July 2000, 11:38

When I load a big list of midi files and play one and then go to the next file, winamp just crashes. Are there any people out there with the same problem and what can I do about it?

peter · 30th July 2000, 00:19

What kind of crash do you mean ?

Kaboon · 30th July 2000, 14:00

winamp becomes totaly white and does nothing at all.

30th July 2000, 14:35

Yes... It's got to do with the output plugin you are using...

There are some midi plugins that give good stereo output (plays midi as wave)...

I dont have a solution for the crashing... I recommend you stop the first midi before playing the next...

By the way, Im not very happy with Winamp's midi playback support...

It would be great to have a plugin that plays midi awesomelly like Wingroove and Jet Midi...

------------------
Tin mia mas pezoun Rock, tin alli Tsifteteli... Zhto h Ellas!

peter · 30th July 2000, 21:50

I am very happy with the way Winamp plays MIDIs

Dr Satan · 31st July 2000, 01:30

They way midis sound in winamp is down to your hardware not the plugin software.

Wingrove uses it own samples in midi playback, which is good if the midi on your current sound card is turd, but it's pretty useless if your sound card supports XG or has a decent GM soundset.

Winsane · 31st July 2000, 02:50

If you've got WinGroove installed, you should be able to get Winamp (along with most other players) to play MIDIs with its instrument library. Just go to Control Panel/Multimedia, click on the MIDI tab, and select "WinGroove" (or whichever other instrument set you've got--I personally prefer my hardware MPU MIDI OUT) from the list under "Single instrument" and click on the OK button.
Also, have you guys tried PP's DirectMusic plug-in? (I assume that's why PP is very happy with the way his Winamp plays MIDIs.)

Kaboon, do other MIDI players work just fine? Which output plug-in are you using?

Kaboon · 2nd August 2000, 23:31

winsane, i don't use other midi players. And i use the standerd winamp output plugin.

peter · 3rd August 2000, 23:24

I am sure that this problem is NOT caused by output plugins. Nullsoft's MIDI plugin simply doesn't use output plugins. I've heard that some people have problems with playing MIDI files because of lame Windows' MCI drivers. MCI (Media Control Interface) is the simplest way to play most sorts of media files (wav, mid, etc.) under Windows; Nullsoft's MIDI plugin uses it. Unfortunately, MCI (in all versions of Win9x) contains several examples of M$'s lame programming.
At first, make sure that Winamp's process priority class (preferences/options) is set to normal. Setting high priority class seems to cause very bad hang-ups while starting/stopping MCI MIDI playback.
My DirectMusic plugin is probably the only Winamp plugin that can play MIDI files through something else than MCI. You can download it from here. And make sure that you have DirectX 6.1 or higher installed; otherwise my plugin will use MCI too.

Kaboon · 5th August 2000, 01:43

PP thank you, for your advice about your plugin now I actualy hear a real piano play

It's a bit stuttering but i haven't looked at the options yet. Thank's to all the others who helped me!

PP It's not stuttering anymore, just to much running

I've never heard a midi that way on my pc. I thought it was my soundcard but it isn't! Thanks again.

[This message has been edited by Kaboon (edited August 04, 2000).]

peter · 5th August 2000, 04:14

DirectMusic plugin will usually sound much different than your sound card, because it uses Microsoft's synth and Roland's GM.DLS samples to play MIDI files. It sounds much better than most of currently available sound cards. The way it sounds does not depend on your sound hardware. Of course, you can mess with options and make it use your hardware instead.

[This message has been edited by PP (edited August 04, 2000).]

Kaboon · 5th August 2000, 19:54

anyone with midi problems should get this plugin. It solved my problem

mmhamze · 5th August 2000, 20:02

The PP MIDI/RMI DirectMusic plugin is a different game. Any other way of playing midi/rmi is just outdated and obselete.
If anyone knows their way around with .DLS banks, make sure to set your .DLS in configuration. Specially the one under windows\system32\drivers\gm.dls
Using Disk Writer to write a wav using DirectMusic plugin offers an excellent way of rendering midi into wav.

Kaboon · 5th August 2000, 20:16

ok mmhamze what is .dls? this is new for me could you explain it better to me?

peter · 5th August 2000, 21:04

From DirectX 6.1 SDK manual:
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>DLS
Downloadable sounds (sometimes called downloadable samples). Digital samples in software that are used by a synthesizer to create instrument timbres.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
DLS file is a set of instruments that can be used to play MIDI files.
Note that you don't need to specify GM.DLS in plugin configuration - it is used automatically. Specify other DLS file if you want to use different instruments.
There are some MIDI formats (XMI, RMI) that support embedded DLS data (every file uses its own instruments, like in mods); the newest version of my plugin (v1.03, released today) can read DLS data from MIDI file.

[This message has been edited by PP (edited August 05, 2000).]

Dr Satan · 7th August 2000, 21:35

Midi/Mod crossbreed. Sounds like a good idea.

It's a shame DirectSound doesn't use XG.

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29th July 2000, 11:38	#1
Kaboon Moderator Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Netherlands Posts: 2,485	When I load a big list of midi files and play one and then go to the next file, winamp just crashes. Are there any people out there with the same problem and what can I do about it?

30th July 2000, 00:19	#2
peter ist death Join Date: May 2000 Posts: 3,704	What kind of crash do you mean ?

30th July 2000, 14:00	#3
Kaboon Moderator Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Netherlands Posts: 2,485	winamp becomes totaly white and does nothing at all.

30th July 2000, 14:35	#4
GREEK_MP3 Guest Posts: n/a	Yes... It's got to do with the output plugin you are using... There are some midi plugins that give good stereo output (plays midi as wave)... I dont have a solution for the crashing... I recommend you stop the first midi before playing the next... By the way, Im not very happy with Winamp's midi playback support... It would be great to have a plugin that plays midi awesomelly like Wingroove and Jet Midi... ------------------ Tin mia mas pezoun Rock, tin alli Tsifteteli... Zhto h Ellas!

30th July 2000, 21:50	#5
peter ist death Join Date: May 2000 Posts: 3,704	I am very happy with the way Winamp plays MIDIs

31st July 2000, 01:30	#6
Dr Satan Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Carlisle, Cumbria, England Posts: 128	They way midis sound in winamp is down to your hardware not the plugin software. Wingrove uses it own samples in midi playback, which is good if the midi on your current sound card is turd, but it's pretty useless if your sound card supports XG or has a decent GM soundset.

31st July 2000, 02:50	#7
Winsane Moderator Alumni Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: U.S. (eastern time zone) Posts: 2,598	If you've got WinGroove installed, you should be able to get Winamp (along with most other players) to play MIDIs with its instrument library. Just go to Control Panel/Multimedia, click on the MIDI tab, and select "WinGroove" (or whichever other instrument set you've got--I personally prefer my hardware MPU MIDI OUT) from the list under "Single instrument" and click on the OK button. Also, have you guys tried PP's DirectMusic plug-in? (I assume that's why PP is very happy with the way his Winamp plays MIDIs.) Kaboon, do other MIDI players work just fine? Which output plug-in are you using?

2nd August 2000, 23:31	#8
Kaboon Moderator Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Netherlands Posts: 2,485	winsane, i don't use other midi players. And i use the standerd winamp output plugin.

3rd August 2000, 23:24	#9
peter ist death Join Date: May 2000 Posts: 3,704	I am sure that this problem is NOT caused by output plugins. Nullsoft's MIDI plugin simply doesn't use output plugins. I've heard that some people have problems with playing MIDI files because of lame Windows' MCI drivers. MCI (Media Control Interface) is the simplest way to play most sorts of media files (wav, mid, etc.) under Windows; Nullsoft's MIDI plugin uses it. Unfortunately, MCI (in all versions of Win9x) contains several examples of M$'s lame programming. At first, make sure that Winamp's process priority class (preferences/options) is set to normal. Setting high priority class seems to cause very bad hang-ups while starting/stopping MCI MIDI playback. My DirectMusic plugin is probably the only Winamp plugin that can play MIDI files through something else than MCI. You can download it from here. And make sure that you have DirectX 6.1 or higher installed; otherwise my plugin will use MCI too.

5th August 2000, 01:43	#10
Kaboon Moderator Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Netherlands Posts: 2,485	PP thank you, for your advice about your plugin now I actualy hear a real piano play It's a bit stuttering but i haven't looked at the options yet. Thank's to all the others who helped me! PP It's not stuttering anymore, just to much running I've never heard a midi that way on my pc. I thought it was my soundcard but it isn't! Thanks again. [This message has been edited by Kaboon (edited August 04, 2000).]

5th August 2000, 04:14	#11
peter ist death Join Date: May 2000 Posts: 3,704	DirectMusic plugin will usually sound much different than your sound card, because it uses Microsoft's synth and Roland's GM.DLS samples to play MIDI files. It sounds much better than most of currently available sound cards. The way it sounds does not depend on your sound hardware. Of course, you can mess with options and make it use your hardware instead. [This message has been edited by PP (edited August 04, 2000).]

5th August 2000, 19:54	#12
Kaboon Moderator Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Netherlands Posts: 2,485	anyone with midi problems should get this plugin. It solved my problem

5th August 2000, 20:02	#13
mmhamze Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2000 Posts: 22	The PP MIDI/RMI DirectMusic plugin is a different game. Any other way of playing midi/rmi is just outdated and obselete. If anyone knows their way around with .DLS banks, make sure to set your .DLS in configuration. Specially the one under windows\system32\drivers\gm.dls Using Disk Writer to write a wav using DirectMusic plugin offers an excellent way of rendering midi into wav.

5th August 2000, 20:16	#14
Kaboon Moderator Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Netherlands Posts: 2,485	ok mmhamze what is .dls? this is new for me could you explain it better to me?

5th August 2000, 21:04	#15
peter ist death Join Date: May 2000 Posts: 3,704	From DirectX 6.1 SDK manual: <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>DLS Downloadable sounds (sometimes called downloadable samples). Digital samples in software that are used by a synthesizer to create instrument timbres.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> DLS file is a set of instruments that can be used to play MIDI files. Note that you don't need to specify GM.DLS in plugin configuration - it is used automatically. Specify other DLS file if you want to use different instruments. There are some MIDI formats (XMI, RMI) that support embedded DLS data (every file uses its own instruments, like in mods); the newest version of my plugin (v1.03, released today) can read DLS data from MIDI file. [This message has been edited by PP (edited August 05, 2000).]

7th August 2000, 21:35	#16
Dr Satan Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Carlisle, Cumbria, England Posts: 128	Midi/Mod crossbreed. Sounds like a good idea. It's a shame DirectSound doesn't use XG.