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From: keithd@cadovax.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: While we're on the subject if IFF
Message-ID: <1528@cadovax.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 7-May-87 17:20:43 EDT
Article-I.D.: cadovax.1528
Posted: Thu May  7 17:20:43 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 9-May-87 08:12:46 EDT
References: <44CSNEWS@MAINE> <1835@cbmvax.cbmvax.cbm.UUCP>
Reply-To: keithd@cadovax.UUCP (Keith Doyle)
Organization: Contel Business Systems, Torrance, CA
Lines: 71

Does the Mimetics sound file format conform to an IFF model?  If not,
has anyone proposed a IFF encoding of the Mimentics file format?  

I still find 8SVX as used by EA to be ineffective.  The Mimetics format
allows me to effectively create instruments where each octave can have
a completely unrelated sound.  Ideally, I'd like to be able to do that
on a 'note' level and not be restricted to octaves, but 8SVX is apparently
not useful even for that.

What I'd LIKE to do, is be able to use Pro Midi Studio to create instruments
and play them via MIDI keyboard, then import the SMUS and instrument files
to DMCS, and do the rest from there.  What it looks like I HAVE to do, is to
use DMCS to hack on the score, and import it back into Pro Midi Studio to be
able to hear it with the correct instrumentation.

**** FLAME ON ***
I think this is EA's fault for either 1) plainly ignoring further sampled
sound functionality, or 2) being too lazy to try to change a somewhat
de-facto sample file standard, or 3) being too stupid to even realize that
it is a problem.
**** FLAME OFF ***

But just think guys, there's a market out there for a 'better' music program.
If Mimetics decides to write a DMCS/SONIX/Music Studio  like package, they'll
steal the market away by providing functionality you can't get with the
aforementioned packages.  If not, we'll have to wait for someone else to
do it.

In the meantime, I consider the Mimetics internal sample-file format the
closest thing to a standard that is useful (even though I don't know exactly
what the format is).  I'd rather it be an IFF approved format, but I won't
choose standards over functionality.  I've put together a sophisticated
sampled-sound program myself, and I am going to be looking in to Mimetics
format compatibility.

I suppose Mimetics may prefer to keep their format proprietary for some 
reason, and not work with C= to come up with an IFF compatible version.
Either way, that does not mean that a compatible IFF standard that can
be 'converted' to/from without losing functionality can be proposed.
Unfortunately, DMCS,SONIX/Music Studio/InstantMusic will not now support
it.  However, if one is proposed and some new packages emerge using
it, EA,Aegis, and Activision may be inspired to provide compatibility
in future versions.

So what's the latest?  Carolyn, does anyone there at C= still talk to
EA on IFF issues anymore?  What about Mimetics making their format
into an IFF standard?  Or should we be happy that we have some image 
file standards but go ahead and go our own way with sound files because
the standards aren't working?  And believe me, they're not, except for
simple 'toy' musical applications.  8SVX could be used as an octave-by-octave
standard or even note-by-note by packing several 8SVX forms to an instrument,
but if none of the big name packages are going to use them, those packages
(not neccesarily the standard) are useless.  And at the present time, I
don't know if there is an agreed upon mechanism for signifying which 8SVX
chunk goes to which note or octave.  I don't expect we are going to
see the perfect music package that does everything everyone will ever want to
do, so it is very important that we have ways of transferring music
data (scores and instruments and whatever else) between packages that
is useful.  What we have now is VERY limited.

I'd just hate to see everyone get behind a non-IFF standard here because
the 'big name' (and I use the term advisedly) programmers are too lazy to
spend the time to design and implement a useful IFF version.  It looks to
me that if someone dosen't knock EA's and Mimetics' heads together, that
is exactly what is going to happen.  We are also without an effective
non-instrument sound file standard it seems, there is the 'Jukebox' format,
and I don't know what else.

Keith Doyle
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