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READ.ME
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1993-09-24
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MPU Piano for OS/2
v 1.01
Copyright (C) 1993, Delta Music Systems, Inc.
The MPU Piano program allows you to play an 85 key video "keyboard" to
your MPU-401 compatible interface, as well as play Standard MIDI Format
files. It is distributed as ShareWare.
Features:
Presentation Manager
On-Line Help
MPU Piano has complete on-line help, just hit F1 or a Help button at
any time. Keyboard shortcuts for all the menu options are also included.
Smart Window Positioning
MPU Piano uses a personal INI file to remember all of your settings and
window positions between sessions.
Multi-threaded
Several different threads are used to achieve a higher quality
MIDI playback.
System Configuration/Installation
You must have an MPU-401 compatible interface, and the DMS MPU Device
Driver installed and working. MMPM/2 is not required. Please note that
this means true MPU-401 compatibility, not the MPU-401 compatibility that
many sound cards claim, which is nothing more than support for UART mode -
one function of the hundreds of features of the MPU-401. For more
information, feel free to call us at the number at the bottom.
If you will be running MPU Piano from the Workplace Shell, copy
MPUPIANO.EXE and MPUPIANO.HLP to any directory in your system. Open
the templates folder and drag (with mouse button 2, normally the right
mouse button) a Program template out to the desktop. When the settings
window opens, enter the full path to where you copied the files, and the
name of the executable in the "Path and File Name" box. e.g.
C:\MPUPNO\MPUPIANO.EXE
Enter just the path name in the working directory box, e.g. C:\MPUPNO
If you are just going to start MPU Piano from the command line, you will
need either start MPU Piano from the directory in which it resides, or
add that directory to your PATH and HELP environment variables, set in
CONFIG.SYS.
You may wish to set an environment variable, MPUPIANO_INI, to a directory
and file that you wish to use to store session settings. If this variable
is not set, the current directory, and the name MPUPIANO.INI is used.
For example, in your config.sys, add the line:
SET MPUPIANO_INI=C:\MYPIANO.INI
Notes
There are several different formats for Standard MIDI Files. The
unregistered version of this program can only play files in format 0.
Support for format 1 is included in the registered version. See
the next section and the file regist.frm for information on registering
MPU Piano.
This program sends a program change on startup. This can be disabled,
but only after the program is running. This is done to make sure
the tone generator/synthesizer is synchronized to the display. See
The online help for the Filters dialog for more information.
While playing a MIDI file, striking notes on the video keyboard is
not going to do what you expect, due to the buffering and thread
manipulation needed to play the song correctly.
Short events will not affect MIDI playback, but lengthy disk I/O has
a definite, marked, negative result. This is due to the thread starvation
by the OS/2 scheduler.
Registration
Registration is 20.00(USD). If you register, you will receive a version
that is capable of understanding MIDI Format 1 files, as well as a
command line MIDI File player. Please print the file REGIST.FRM, fill
it out, and send it in with your check.
Known bugs
After continuing a songs, the first few notes played may be arhythmic.
This is due to a logic flaw in our handling of the hardware, and will
be addressed in a future version.
Revision History
v 1.01 The Playback LED does not turn off at the end of a song that
has been "Continued".
Excessively long interval between playback start and MIDI output.
Added "All Notes Off" messages as an interim measure for improved
"Stop" handling. Some Synths ignore this message in OMNI mode.
PB LED wasn't changing to its third state during MIDI File
interpretation. (Difficult to see, since it's usually pretty
fast)
Future Features
Features being considered for inclusion in a future release (see next
section for more information on release dates). If you have any ideas,
please feel free to let us know.
SysEx support - the current version does not support SysEx messages.
Play Lists - If the file opened is a text file, it will be treated as
a list of MIDI files to play.
Improve "Stop" feature - to do a rollback on the play buffer, and
send note offs
Improve keyboard - to display keys in a "down" position as they are
struck.
Drag-n-Drop - Drop a file on MPU Piano to open it.
Improve buffering and thread priority - to work around the thread
starvation problem.
Finally
Delta Music Systems, Inc does not support the art of VaporWare. The
increasing trend of announcing products years before they are ready is
abhorrent. We will not announce products that only exist on paper. We
aim for zero-defect code. If you find any errors in any Delta Music
Systems product, please let us know so we may correct it immediately.
If you are the first to detect a new bug, you will be given a free
registration.
Thank you,
Delta Music Systems, Inc.
2615 Ginghamsburg-Frederick Rd.
Tipp City, OH 45371-9650
(513) 698-5108
OS/2 is a trademark of International Business Machines, Incorporated
MMPM/2 is a trademark of International Business Machines, Incorporated