Disc Files for MIDI, Yamaha, Pianomation
By Rick Cooley
Hi again, First of all, I am no expert in MIDI systems and music files. However, I have solved the problem that Mark Crosby wrote about recently, i.e., the stagger between the piano music (usually channel 1) and the accompaniment channels (usually channel 2-16) that he notices in some music files on his Yamaha.
In my experience with my SB-55 sequencer and SC-55 sound patch unit on our 2,000 pipe Aeolian (ca 1921) MIDI equipped residential pipe organ, there is no problem with slow _or_ fast music on any standard MIDI floppy that has up to 16 channels of music. I have downloaded over 20,000 standard midi music files from the Internet that all perform satisfactor- ily. (Sadly, I must also report that several computer viruses in with several of these files, have done well also.)
[ Oooh, bad news! Have others "caught viruses" in this fashion?
[ I.e., while down-loading data files? I thought viruses only
[ traveled with executable programs, etc. -- Robbie
I have also purchased several dozen MIDI Pianomation floppies for play using my SB-55 and SC-55 on the organ. If the orchestrated music (piano on channel 1 and accompaniment on the other channels) is a fairly slow tempo, there is no noticeable stagger. However, if it is a peppy, orchestrated piece, there is a very noticeable stagger between the piano on channel 1 and the remainder of the music.
The same is true concerning Yamaha disk music. Many folks may already know that there is a deliberate stagger, amounting to a few hundred microseconds, placed on channel 1 on both Pianomation and Yamaha systems MIDI floppies. Perhaps this stagger is there to compensate for the slower, mechanical response of the piano as compared with the much faster electronics music in the accompaniment.
Until recently, the amount of stagger on channel 1 was different between Yamaha and Pianomation systems. Thus you might notice a stagger if you played a Yamaha disk on a Pianomation system and vice-versa. However, within the past year, Yamaha and Pianomation floppies have used the same amount of stagger on channel 1. So the two disks now sound the same on either system -- no stagger.
The sequencer on the Pianomation and Yamaha systems automatically correct for this stagger so everything sounds fine. However, on my SB-55 and SC-55, the stagger is not automatically eliminated and is noticeable on fast, orchestrated music. (If there is just channel 1 piano music, you will not know if there is a stagger or not; there is no other channel to conflict with.)
Any good MIDI software, like Cakewalk, can manipulate all channels in any manner desired. The software steps to add a stagger when you want to use standard MIDI, fast, orchestrated music on the Pianomation/Yamaha systems or remove the stagger when you want to play fast Pianomation/ Yamaha music on something like my SB-55, is _not_ proprietary information. I simply called a QRS (makers of Pianomation systems and music) program- ming specialist and he shared all the needed information. Contact me at RCCXX@AOL.COM with your FAX number and I will be glad to share the information.
I suspect that the new Pianomation or Yamaha systems sold today might have a simple switch to compensate for the stagger, depending on what music you are using. In addition, if you are playing the old Pianomation music on a new Pianomation system or even Yamaha system and notice a stagger, QRS will update the stagger, free of charge when you send your music to Buffalo. Of course, a contact with Bob at QRS beforehand is recommended.
Are you confused, or am I the only one confused at this point?! Oh well, I warned you I was no expert but this approach certainly works for me.
Best regards to all,
Rick Cooley, Hockessin, Delaware
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(Message sent Sun 9 Mar 1997, 23:47:11 GMT, from time zone GMT-0500.) |
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