Carol,
FK: Are you saying that the SAME floppy recognized
both the original and copy? I was going make a CD copy also, but you saved me
the trouble.
FK: BTW, the resultant PianoSmart
floppy generates two text files: PDISK.MNG and PSONG.MNG. In my experiment,
I recorded one CD with two different tracks. My cursory examination of the hex
data of these two files didn't relate to the tracks as far as I could tell.
I believe the CD/track linkage is in the beginning of the MIDI files themselves.
My next experiment will be to record another CD and observe the
difference. I also am going to delete these two .MNG files and see what
happens.
FK: I have successfully used Mark Fonatana's Midi2pianoCD using the
PianoMation (not Pianodisc) format to render a MIDI to the special wave.
The obvious limitation is that CD is limited not by the size of the MIDI files,
but rather the playing length of the resultant Wave files. This was not my
objective. I thought I would be able to take hundreds of Midis to the CD;
obviously not so. Better to just stick with a host computer.
FK: Also, note the floppy will play with or without the CD. That is,
PianoSmart, generates MIDI data. If warns if it does not find the CD, by
flashing "Different CD." By ignoring the warning, you can continue to play the
MIDI only.
FK: However, I intend to try Mark's software and then merge a real
audio file with Mark's special wave in an attempt to make a poor man's
PianoSoftPlus-like CD.
CB:I have copied both the original audio CD as well as the
companion PianoSmart floppy disk on my computer, and
they both work on all the DKVs I have tried them.
Although I have not tried the following experiment, I
really think it will work - I plan to take some MIDI
file, render it to a wave file and "burn" it to a CDR,
then record a PianoSmart accompaniment to a floppy
disk. I expect it will work just fine. As I have said
before, this is not all that hard. Audio CDs have
track identifiers with digital readouts of the exact
times they appear on the CD. PianoSmart uses the MTC
(MIDI time code). When you put a CD into the Yamaha CD
player, then put in ANY floppy disk into the DKV with
PianoSmart, it will try to register the floppy with the
CD.
CB: I once copied a software program CD and used the
holographic numbers near the hole for the "key" and it
worked!
companion PianoSmart floppy disk on my computer, and
they both work on all the DKVs I have tried them.
Although I have not tried the following experiment, I
really think it will work - I plan to take some MIDI
file, render it to a wave file and "burn" it to a CDR,
then record a PianoSmart accompaniment to a floppy
disk. I expect it will work just fine. As I have said
before, this is not all that hard. Audio CDs have
track identifiers with digital readouts of the exact
times they appear on the CD. PianoSmart uses the MTC
(MIDI time code). When you put a CD into the Yamaha CD
player, then put in ANY floppy disk into the DKV with
PianoSmart, it will try to register the floppy with the
CD.
CB: I once copied a software program CD and used the
holographic numbers near the hole for the "key" and it
worked!
FK: What exactly did you do? How did the floppy identify the
"key?"
CB: What does NOT work with PianoSmart are audio CDs with
copy protection schemes on them.
FK: All tracks? Or just Track #1?
Fred Kagel, Dir.
Freehold Computer Training, Ctr.