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Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!uwvax!speedy!derek
From: derek@speedy.WISC.EDU (Derek Zahn)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: SMUS, DMCS, etc
Message-ID: <3702@spool.WISC.EDU>
Date: Fri, 19-Jun-87 09:58:07 EDT
Article-I.D.: spool.3702
Posted: Fri Jun 19 09:58:07 1987
Date-Received: Mon, 22-Jun-87 01:36:18 EDT
Sender: news@spool.WISC.EDU
Distribution: comp
Lines: 32

I think it is great that there are IFF standards (SMUS and 8SVX) for music.
This means (theoretically) that people can trade music back and forth on
bulletin boards and whatnot as freely as they do IFF pictures.  Supposedly.
However, the only music files I have seen are in "DMCS" format.  Is this
SMUS?  If so, either I am stupid or DMCS does not use "standard" SMUS or the
public domain SMUS players on a Fred Fish disk do not work properly (or
some combination thereof).

I have seen some interesting-looking music available for downloading on some
of the local BBSes (1812 Overture with cannons, Pink Floyd songs, etc) and I
think it would be great if every Amiga owner could listen to them.  Is there
a public domain player out there that will play DMCS songs?  Is there a Real
Standard that is being used?  Requiring everyone to buy DMCS just to listen
to the songs is like making everyone who wants to listen to records buy a
recording studio.

This frustrates me, because I think the potential for lots of musical
interchange and enjoyment is great; except I, for one, am unable to
participate.  I could see a Fred Fish disk of just music; heck, if everyone
who was interested could listen to the music, I might even buy DMCS and
do some composition myself!  What a boon to hobbyist-composers!

Am I missing the boat completely here, or what?  I would be willing to put
substantial effort into a public domain "jukebox" program that would organize
songs and instruments and play selections, if only I knew what format(s) 
needed to be supported.  One would hope that SMUS as specified would be 
enough, but apparently not; the PD SMUS players say "IFF error" whenever I 
try to download and play songs.

Comments?  Help?  Suggestions for features of a "jukebox" program?

derek