Disklavier

Hi

"(1) Copy Protection
Although most MIDI files are unprotected, Yamaha-published files are 
delivered on protected media that cannot be read on your computer  
without breaking the protection (and then only on a Windows 
computer).

I must correct you there, Yamaha's Copy Protection can be 
unprotected by an Atari, DOS, Win95/98 Win 2000/XP or any other OS 
that can do a HEX read/write to the disk.
I was making backup copies of my disks Bill Gates was still in 
nappies !!!

Midi Magic 





--- In disklavier@yahoogroups.com, "George F. Litterst" 
<PianoBench@...> wrote:
>
> Good afternoon, everyone.
> 
> Regarding the issues mentioned by Richard below:
> 
> iTunes has intriguing possibilities. When you import an audio 
song  
> file from CD, it checks an Internet-based database for 
cataloguing  
> information. You can accept or reject what it finds (or even 
update  
> the database on the Internet yourself), or you can enter any of 
the  
> cataloging data yourself directly into iTunes. There are many 
fields  
> that cover the crucial areas of composer, title, album, 
performer,  
> date, etc.
> 
> Unforutnately, the online database does not apply to MIDI files.  
> However, you can catalog and access your MIDI files within iTunes  
> very conveniently. On a Windows computer, you can even play the 
MIDI  
> files on your Disklavier using a MIDI connection. Also, you can 
use  
> iTunes to play PianoSoft Plus Audio CDs (assuming that you turn 
off  
> the Sound Enhancer feature of iTunes and make the appropriate 
audio  
> cable connections to the piano).
> 
> There are basically just 6 problems:
> 
> (1) Copy Protection
> Although most MIDI files are unprotected, Yamaha-published files 
are  
> delivered on protected media that cannot be read on your computer  
> without breaking the protection (and then only on a Windows 
computer).
> 
> (2) Smart PianoSoft
> You cannot coordinate the synchronized MIDI/CD playback of Smart  
> PianoSoft recordings (i.e. MIDI recordings that synchronize with  
> commercial audio recordings).
> 
> (3) Ideal Piano Playback
> Ideally, piano MIDI files should be played by the Disklavier 
itself  
> from an internal drive. Playback is more accurate in that 
situation.  
> When the Disklavier receives MIDI data over a MIDI cable, the data 
is  
> received serially (i.e. one event at a time) and that serial  
> transmission microscopically changes the timing of MIDI events. 
For  
> most people, however, this is unnoticeable.
> 
> (4) Lyrics
> iTunes does not display MIDI lyrics on playback.
> 
> (5) MIDI Adjustments
> iTunes does not give you the opportunity to adjust MIDI channels 
or  
> other MIDI parameters.
> 
> (6) Playback of MIDI Data on a Macintosh
> Remarkably, you used to be able to use iTunes to play back MIDI 
files  
> on externally connected MIDI devices (such as a Disklavier) under 
OS  
> 9, but this feature was removed in OS X. However, you can do this 
on  
> Windows if you know how.
> 
> To playback MIDI files from iTunes using a Disklavier connected to 
a  
> Windows computer:
> 
> --Connect an appropriate MIDI interface and MIDI cables or USB 
cable  
> between your computer and Disklavier, install any necessary MIDI  
> drivers on the computer, and set up the Disklavier appropriately.
> 
> --Use the QuickTime control panel to designate "General MIDI" as 
the  
> "Default MIDI Synthesizer" (instead of "QuickTime Music  
> Synthesizer"). You can find this setting under the Audio tab.
> 
> --Set your system-wide MIDI output default to the MIDI connection  
> that sends MIDI data to your Disklavier. The exact way that you 
do  
> this varies slightly with various flavors of Windows:
> 
> Windows 98
> Start:Settings:Control Panel:Multimedia
> click the Multimedia tab in the Multimedia Properties window
> choose Single Instrument
> under Single Instrument, make your selection for the desired 
choice  
> for MIDI output
> 
> Windows ME and Windows 2000
> Start:Settings:Control Panel:Sounds and Multimedia Properties
> click the Audio tab in the Sounds and Multimedia Properties window
> under MIDI Music Playback, make your selection for the desired 
choice  
> for MIDI output
> 
> Windows XP
> Start:Control Panel
> (1) if the next window is set to Categories View, click Sounds,  
> Speech, and Audio Devices
> then click Sounds and Audio Devices
> click the Audio tab in the Sounds and Audio Devices Properties 
window
> under MIDI Music Playback, make your selection for the desired 
choice  
> for MIDI output
> 
> or
> 
> (2) if the next window is set to Classic View, click Sounds and 
Audio  
> Devices
> click the Audio tab in the Sounds and Audio Devices Properties 
window
> under MIDI Music Playback, make your selection for the desired 
choice  
> for MIDI output
> 
> Regards,
> PianoBench
> 
> 
> 
> On Sep 12, 2006, at 11:03 AM, Richard Kerr wrote:
> 
> >
> > I am highly appreciative and grateful for the efforts of those 
of  
> > you who have taken the time to improve the visual presentation 
of  
> > information relevant to composer, composition, performer, etc 
of  
> > the pieces we play on our Disklaviers. Despite these noble and  
> > welcome efforts, the limitations of visual display devices 
chosen  
> > by Yamaha, the general looseness of MIDI standards, and the 
absence  
> > of any significant interest by the computing industry in 
compiling  
> > responsive software, leaves those of us who are serious about  
> > cataloging, sorting, and selectively playing thousands of MIDI  
> > files, to our own miserable devises. The result is a hodgepodge 
of  
> > personal computer approaches for displaying musical composition 
and  
> > performance information and for playing pieces that at best, is 
a  
> > gross compromise.
> >
> > What is needed is a consortium of Yamaha, computing industry, 
and  
> > MIDI standards representatives to address this issue by 
analyzing  
> > and defining user needs and packing technology in a way that is  
> > fully responsive, rather than the half-heatred approach we are  
> > forced to contend with today. Frankly, I don't hold out much  
> > expectation for that to occur. So until that utopian day 
arrives,  
> > we are stuck with the PC and the necessity of cobbling up our 
own  
> > software solutions to meet individual cataloging needs. The 
very  
> > fact that this discussion is occurring should serve as adequate  
> > notice to Yamaha that it should take the lead in pursuing this  
> > matter of defining and responding to user needs fully. One 
would  
> > think Yamaha would recognize that these severe limitations 
impede  
> > the sale of their instruments. Alas, I love Yamaha and its  
> > wonderful pianos, and I'll be eternally grateful for what they 
have  
> > done to bring the Disklavier to its current high state of 
wonder.  
> > Nevertheless, when it comes to displaying relevant information  
> > fully, I only have hope for far more, with very little 
expectation  
> > that such hope will be realized. I wonder if Yamaha has ever 
asked  
> > users what they need?
> >
> > Richard H. Kerr
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: George F. Litterst
> > To: disklavier@yahoogroups.com
> > Sent: Tuesday, September 12, 2006 6:19 AM
> > Subject: Re: [disklavier] Re: piano-e-competition
> >
> > Good morning, everyone.
> >
> > On Sep 12, 2006, at 1:53 AM, Richard Kerr wrote:
> >
> > >
> > > Not very useful without the composer.
> >
> > I determined the title information that was embedded into the P-
e-C
> > MIDI files.
> >
> > Basically, we added 2 types of MIDI messages: (1) a Yamaha System
> > Exclusive message that Yamaha instruments recognize and display 
and
> > (2) a Sequence Name Meta Event that many sequencers, keyboards, 
and
> > other devices recognize.
> >
> > In the case of #2, we were limited to 32 characters. In the case 
of
> > Mark III and earlier Disklaviers, we were also limited to 32
> > characters (i.e. two lines of 16 characters each).
> >
> > With these limitations in mind, I constructed title information
> > consisting of piece name and artist name. In the case of #1, I 
put as
> > much into the 32-character allotment as I could; in the case of 
#2, I
> > essentially did the same thing except that I formatted it so that
> > piece name information appears on the first line and artist name
> > appears on the second line.
> >
> > In some cases, the information was so crowded that I could not
> > separate words with spaces and therefore separated words by their
> > initial capital letters.
> >
> > Since the competition is all about the young artists, I thought 
it
> > important to associate the performer names with each MIDI file 
and
> > therefore gave preference to the artists instead of to the 
composers.
> >
> > The Mark IV, of course, can show even longer piece names. 
However,
> > the data is just in a long, System Exclusive string. The 
information
> > is not organized by categories (such as piece name, composer 
name,
> > date of composition, artist, etc.). In addition, you cannot see 
the
> > complete string at one time on the Mark IV Pocket Remote; it 
scrolls
> > by horizontally. I could have lengthened the Yamaha SysEx 
message and
> > included the composer name after the 32nd character, but the 
string
> > would have looked awkward. Also, adding that information would 
not
> > have assisted the objective of many Disklavier owners to have a
> > database that was searchable by piece, composer, artist, etc.
> >
> > Regards,
> > PianoBench
> >
> >
> >
>