Get the Yamaha MIDPlug
for Mac. Works with Netscape and Explorer
Download QuickTime 4.1.2
for Mac or Win 95/98/NT/2000. (What?! Aren't they up to version 5 by now? Yes, they are, but it has lots of problems, so I don't recommend it!)
Download the latest Beatnik Player Plug-In
for Mac (OS 8.6 - 9.1) and PC (Win95/98/NT/ME/2000), Netscape (4.5+) and Explorer (5.0+). if you need the earlier Mac version, you can download it by clicking here.
SoundApp - an excellent, easy to use FREEware app for Macintosh that plays and converts MANY file types (too many to list -- check out the website). Uses QuickTime Musical Instruments to play MIDIs.
Sequencers, etc.
Lots of MIDI info, software, etc. from Harmony-Central
for Mac and PC
MIDI-World.Net - A collection of FREE MIDI-tools for Mac, PC, Amiga, DOS, and Unix. Site has both English and German versions.
MIDIGraphy - an
unpronouncable shareware sequencer for the Mac. It's what I used to create
all the MIDIs on this website.
U & I Softwares (sic) - Check out trial versions of the Xx sequencer and its (expensive) complement, MetaSynth.
TextToMIDI - What the...? This small Macintosh application lets you turn a TEXT file into a MIDI file. Drag a text file onto the app's icon, set preferences such as scale (major, minor, Arabic, Japanese, Ryukyu, pentatonic, whole tone, or chromatic), root, instrument, whether or not to add a bass line, and if so, the meter. You can also choose which "creator" (SoundApp, MIDIGraphy, AMP, etc.) is assigned to the file in case you don't have something like Snitch. It's fun, fun, fun, and a great tool for experimental composers. It's $10 shareware. If you like it, that's a pretty cheap price for a rather cool toy.
ColorMusic - What the #@!*? This small Macintosh application lets you play an IMAGE file by dragging your cursor across it. Drag an image file onto the app's icon, set preferences such as range, instrument, scale, and which of the image's attributes (RGB, HSL) effect which musical attributes (pitch, velocity, duration). Imagine my surprise when I tried to quit, and it asked me if I wanted to save my play as a MIDI file! Cool! It didn't even say that in the description on ZDNet, where I found it. From the same author as TextToMIDI (above), it's also great fun, and a great tool for experimental composers. This one's FREEware, and you can't beat that price!
A visitor to this page has reported that Massiva for Windows 95/98 (only) is actually freeware. He noted it to be good "for its use of piano roll window and event list (but no score)."
The very same visitor also reports that Anvil for Windows 95/98/NT may actually be freeware. This one, he said "looked like it relied heavily on the Score entry bit" of which he says, "I already have that nicely covered with Noteworthy Composer."
Both of the above were dug up at The Sonic Spot, a site designed "to create the most comprehensive library of music and audio resources available for the PC." Contains reviews, screenshots, links, and all sorts of other info. Shows clearly what's freeware, shareware, or demoware, indicates the sizes of the downloads, and more. Great-looking site! If it had Mac stuff, I might even give it a MONDO rating!
SOMEone suggests using Jazz++ Sequencer which works for both Windows and Linux platforms. The demo version has its limitations (no event list, cumbersome note-length control, limited number of saves, WAV edit function disabled in unregistered version), but, who knows? You may like some its features (such as Audio / MIDI integration) enough to shell out the (ouch!) 50 bucks.
Edu-MIDI-cational?
- The MIDIGraphy manual - This is my own spell-checked, revised, and re-illustrated version (done in Microsoft Word for Mac v.5.1a) of the manual provided with the MIDIGraphy sequencer.
Cakewalk - Desktop Music Handbook - some heavy-duty info an the inner workings of MIDI. Proceeding forward from that page takes you on to a tutorial on Digital Audio.
