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From: dalgic@neon.Stanford.EDU (Ismail Dalgic)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st,comp.music
Subject: Re: Midi file format (Used by several midi programs).
Keywords: MIDI, MIDI file format, atari, samplers, sound processing
Message-ID: <1991Mar19.044417.26268@neon.Stanford.EDU>
Date: 19 Mar 91 04:44:17 GMT
References: <1482@ahds.UUCP> <10189@pitt.UUCP>
Organization: Computer Science Department, Stanford University, Ca , USA
Lines: 44

In article <10189@pitt.UUCP> bogdan@neuronet.pitt.edu (Bogdan Kosanovic) writes:
>In article <1482@ahds.UUCP> geert@ahds.UUCP (Geert W.T. Jonkheer CCS/TS) writes:
>>...
>>I am writing a midi program for the atari ST. As many other programs,
>>I would like to use the standard Midi file format to store  
>>midi data on disk. However, I don't know what the terms on this 
>>format are. Where can I find information about the midi file format?
>>... etc.
>
>Thank you on asking that question. I have started a year ago interesting
>project (see below), not supported from any institution (as in majority of
>computer music projects), which led me to the similar questions.
>
>Problem of STANDARDS in Computer Music. MIDI standard is not enough.
>Every day we can see hundreds of new "Music" products whose only purpose
>is to take your money out of your pocket. Manufacturers are not thinking
>of standards, they need FAST production and large profit.
>
>I don't think that there exists a Standard MIDI File Format. It is also
>important to define what kinds of information you would like to see
>in such file (multitrack recording of MIDI events, MIDI dump of patch
>parameters, music scores of composition, live performance protocol file,
>etc., etc.)
>
>As far as I know MIDI Sample Dump Standard is THE only standard which can
>be related to 'files' (although it doesn't imply usage of files). It is
>more like MIDI Sample Dump Packet Protocol Description.
>
>If you thought of MIDI events recording, and file containing such
>informations, I'm afraid that widely accpeted standard DOES NOT exist.


I'm afraid that what you are saying is wrong.  A MIDI file format for
storing the MIDI event sequences DOES exist, and it is currently being
used by many commercial programs.  You can get its specs via anonymous
ftp from ucsd.edu.  Unfortunately the specs there are pre - version
1.0 (i.e., before it was approved by the MIDI Manufacturers'
Association), but I don't think there is a big difference.  Also,
check your favorite MIDI BBS for utilities to convert between
the MFF files and several other commercial sequence formats such as
Cakewalk files.

--Ismail Dalgic
dalgic@neon.stanford.edu