Disklavier

A number of people have inquired as to how I am able to control my
Disklavier using only my Palm OS PDA device, so I hope this 
information will prove helpful for anyone interested.

In order to "play" SMFs on a Palm device, and to have these songs 
pass to the DKV's piano keys and sound generators (for the other 
instruments), you need the following:

(1) some kind of hardware device and a "patch" cable that 
can "convert" the serial output from the Palm into standard midi 
signals onto a standard midi plug that will match the midi-in jack on 
the rear of the DKV controller; and

(2) some way to get SMFs from a computer (or other midi device) into 
the Palm device in Palm's proprietary file format; and

(3) appropriate midi "player" software that runs on the Palm and 
will "play back" these SMFs, sending the serial/midi data back out 
the PDA hot-sync port.

Most PDAs come with some kind of hot-sync cradle and either a serial 
and/or USB cable that are normally used to share information with 
a "host" PC.  I reasoned that there ought also to be a way to send 
appropriate midi data (which is really just a type of "serial" data) 
out through the hot-sync port of the PDA (which is really nothing 
more than a "serial" port with some extra power and control pins) and 
into the serial ("TO-HOST") or midi-in port of the DKV.  After quite 
a bit of experimenting on my own and then some on-line research, I 
even finally found some readily available "commercial" solutions
to this problems, and the solutions work perfectly!

A small company named MicroTools in Connecticut (contact information 
is below) has just published a neat Palm OS program called 
(appropriately) "ittyMIDI."  Although not a full-fledged sequencer, 
this program is fully capable of pulling any Type 0 or Type 1 
standard midi music file from a PC during a usual hot-sync 
operation.  This same program will then also happily organize
your midi files into "playlists," adjust the tempo and/or pitch of 
playback of any midi song, set/change the volume for each of the 16 
midi channels independently, and even display and/or change ("remap") 
the instruments used in any of those standard 16 midi channels, 
all "on the fly" so to speak, once the midi files are loaded into the 
PDA.  This program was really initially conceived to be used as a 
convenient complement to a standard midi sequencer setup, but all you 
and I know that the DKV is really just the best, fantastic 
reproducing acoustic piano with built-in midi functions.  Thus, if 
you have or can make or obtain an appropriate "serial to midi" 
adaptor patch cable, all you have to do is place your PDA into its 
hot-sync cradle and then plug your hot-sync cradle cable into the DKV 
(using that appropriate adaptor cable) and then play away.  Any 
standard midi file, including piano "solos" (on channels 1 & 2) or 
fully "orchestrated" midi songs, will then operate the DKV just as if 
you put in one of Yamaha's PianoSoft diskettes or CDs into the 
controller!  With no additional setup, the piano's keys will play the 
piano parts, and the other instruments play out of the DKV's built-in 
amplified speakers.  (The software also preserves and sends even
the pedal data, if that's available within the SMF!)  Let me tell 
you . . . . . this is quite a sight to see!

The ittyMIDI program is downloadable "sharewear" and you can purchase 
a full registration code (that unlocks ALL the program's features) 
for the very reasonable price of only $30 from MicroTools.  They will 
even directly sell you (for just $15 more) a professionally-
manufactured "serial to midi" patch cable (that I know works with the 
DKV) that you can use to connect your standard PDA SERIAL hot-sync 
cradle (NOTE!!! USP cradles will NOT work!) directly to the midi-in 
jack on the rear of the DKV's controller.  You'll then be good to go.

I should point out that MicroTools has also been very receptive to my
comments and suggestions; accordingly, they are currently working on 
updates to the program that would allow "recording" midi-IN (thus, 
you could perform live on your DKV and record the midi data directly 
into your PDA!) and also support standard "SD Memory" cards that 
newer PDAs can use (making the storage of midi files virtually 
unlimited).  In any event, I recommend this product HIGHLY and 
without reservation.  If more DKV users purchase their stuff, I am 
sure MictoTools will be more inclined to support us and/or add
features that we want and need!

Here's the contact info for MicroTools:

Attn: Mr. Andrew Springman
MicroTools Inc.
714 HopMeadow, Suite 14
PO Box 624
Simsbury, CT 06070
TEL: 860-651-6170
FAX: 860-651-0019
Internet: http://www.ittymidi.com

I recommend that you check this out and buy.  And, enjoy!

Dr. Rick Taylor

P.S. Disclosure statement: I have absolutely NO financial interest in
MicroTools or the ittyMIDI program.