Very Computer

: Just wondering if anyone out there has heard of a MOD player that will
: play MODs at random, say from a given disk.  Is there such a thing?
: Also, just out of curiosity, what is everyone's favorite MOD player?
: Thanks for any info!
:
:
: Kevin
:

Greetings- Personally, I'd like something like this for MIDI files (any
format) which works as a DA or a background process. That way, I could
have real(-ish) music playing whilst word processing, backing up and so
on. The CodeHead MIDI Spy demo does some of this, but is limited to
about 15k files (I'd need 100k plus) and about 10 minutes usage. The full
version could do it, but I don't need the other facilities, such as
permanent recording. All I need is something which churns out data to the
MIDI ports. Anything like this around?

--
Tim Wright.                   \               Real Life sucks

The most easy thing to do is write a short C program that does the
random thing and calls your favourite MIDI file player. If you're smart,
you might even build in the possibility to set an environment value
that determines what the name of your midi file player is, and what
basic arguments you want to give it. Please post it if it's finished :)
--
________________________________________________________
    Annius Groenink|undergraduate student
Laan van Borgele 24|maths/computer science at the
   7415 DJ Deventer|University of Utrecht, Holland.

Hi,

I would have announced the new version of PLAYBACK.PRG right now.

Version 1.0 is already available on several archives (look for: PLAYBACK.ZOO).
Currently beta test version 1.04 is spread around to beta testers and
in two weeks I will spread version 1.1 around.

PLAYBACK is not a DA or background program, but can play standard MIDIFILES,
via the atari ST MIDI out port.

Version 1.1 wil run on all (ROM) TOS versions available,
It will run on all ST/STE/MEGA/TT/FALCON computers (tested at Dusseldorf Messe!),
It will run on all resolution/colours (as long as at least 80 characters can be
displayed on a single line, and min. 25 lines fit on the screen. Note that it uses
these sizes to make the program resolution independent while using GEM!)

Version 1 could only load/play/adapt/analyse songs.
The new version also can save the song, do midifile format conversion, and
has a lot of new features to easier adapt the song to your MIDI setup. So it
is pretty efficient to use (I prefer it to use it for trying out MIDIFILES I get
-including adapting these files to my personal MIDI setup-,even though I do own
C-lab's Notator program too).

The program can do much more. It can be installed in the desktop: just double
clicking a *.MID file will startup the program. You even can set the program's
preferences in such a way that it will start playing the song and quit the
program as soon as the song is over. Or if you prefer a CLI... no problem!

Etc.

So please, two more weeks...

John.
--


Work: +31 40 756425
Home: +31 77 513177  Atari Mega STE, PC 386 SX, MIDI, Astrology, C

: >: Just wondering if anyone out there has heard of a MOD player that will
: >: play MODs at random, say from a given disk.  Is there such a thing?
: >Greetings- Personally, I'd like something like this for MIDI files (any
: >format) which works as a DA or a background process. That way, I could
: >have real(-ish) music playing whilst word processing, backing up and so
: >on. The CodeHead MIDI Spy demo does some of this, but is limited to
: >about 15k files (I'd need 100k plus) and about 10 minutes usage. The full
: >version could do it, but I don't need the other facilities, such as
: >permanent recording. All I need is something which churns out data to the
: >MIDI ports. Anything like this around?
:
: Hi,
:

: I would have announced the new version of PLAYBACK.PRG right now.
:
: Version 1.0 is already available on several archives (look for: PLAYBACK.ZOO).
: Currently beta test version 1.04 is spread around to beta testers and
: in two weeks I will spread version 1.1 around.
:
: PLAYBACK is not a DA or background program, but can play standard MIDIFILES,
: via the atari ST MIDI out port.

... Stuff about PLAYBACK deleted ...

: So please, two more weeks...
:
: John.
: --


: Work: +31 40 756425
: Home: +31 77 513177  Atari Mega STE, PC 386 SX, MIDI, Astrology, C

Well, I've already got Playback, and it's pretty smart- easily the best
MIDI player I've seen- but what I really want is something which'll
play stuff while I go and word process/ draw pictures/ play tetris :)
or whatever at the same time. Someone mailed me and said they'd got
an old DA called "MYMSP" which can play MIDI files (though not at
random) does anyone else know whether this is any good? Is it already
on the net anywhere? He offered (very kindly) to upload it to atari.
archive if I couldn't find it elsewhere, but it'd be faster if it
was already available somewhere. (I couldn't find it on archie.) TIA...

--
Tim Wright.                   \               Real Life sucks

Well, this should certainly be possible under MultiTOS, or perhaps under
MultiGEM, since the new version of Playback runs in a window.

For what it's worth, Playback has yielded a world-wide total of one (1)
shareware registration.  This is pretty depressing, considering that it
certainly seems to be a program of some value (especially the new about-to-
be-released version), and arrangements have been made for both North American
and European shareware registration.  Bah.
--
 ##############################################################################

 # Microware Systems Corporation -- OS-9 / OS-9000 / CD-RTOS -- (408)980-0201 #
 ############## Opinions expressed are my own and usually wrong ###############

I'm sorry to find you're a bit disappointed with the extent of shareware
registrations at present.  Considering the extent of distribution, though, and
the time the program has actually been available, you are probably doing
average for initial shareware.

I've been reading a bit on GEnie in the areas which deal with shareware for
the Intel-clone markets.  One example (to give you some hope...) was from a
person who wrote a very nice package, put it out as shareware, and saw -- well,
let's just say he didn't get rich the first year of the software's release.
However, the second year he started to get more registrations, to the tune of
$80,000 for the year.  Admittedly, this is for a DOS program, with umpty
zillion machines now out there capable of running the program.

Some things the person wrote about that helped:

  Get the program to reviewers - mail out disks (and whatever things you're
     using to entice the buyer to pay the shareware fee) to Atari ST magazines,
     to music-oriented magazines that have a review section, etc.

  Get the program out to more BBS's.  The person who made $80,000 the second
     year says that it is typical in the Intel-clone world to send out
     300-500 disks to various BBS/Online/DOM Services for each new program
     released as shareware!  Make sure that the latest program version is
     in their hands

Other advice is available.  There is a shareware handbook/guide in the MSDOS
world for which much of the advice applies to the ST world as well (given the
fact that there are a bit fewer computer owners of the ST, some modification
is probably in order).

Shareware looks like an easy way to market a product, but it requires a bit
more work than one would assume from a description of the concept.

-- David Paschall-Zimbel