Hi, Ian, those little red numbers are a gift to us from the noted Professor Alan Foster, who wrote the MIDITXT program just for Mudcat. You create a MIDI with Noteworthy or other MIDI program (with Noteworthy, you use the "export" function to create a MIDI once you've created a Noteworthy file). In Windows, the MIDI files have names like nameofsong.mid. You do have to set up MIDITXT according to the directions, but it's not too complicated. I have it set up so I just drag the MIDI title onto the MIDI2TXT icon, and it creates a text file that's ready to post onto Mudcat. When I see those red numbers in the forum and want to change them back into a MIDI, I highlight the red part and copy them and then paste them into a text file, and then drag the text file onto my TXT2MIDI icon, and it automatically creates a MIDI for me.
Now, if anyone using Windows has trouble setting up MIDITXT, just send me a round-trip plane ticket to wherever you are, and I'll be glad to set it up for you.
Max promises that someday, we will have a freeware MIDI creation program and the ability to post MIDI and maybe other sound files directly onto the 'Cat, but those functions are still in the planning stages. We haven't figured out a way yet to make Max into a Man of Means, so the poor guy has to spend a good amount of time making a living to support a family and to keep the 'Cat alive. Someday, though, it may all be easier. In the meantime, MIDITXT or ABC do the trick quite well for posting tunes on the 'Cat, and Dick Greenhaus seems to be quite adept at harvesting tunes in either format for the Digital Tradition database. I think Dick said that SongWright is no longer available, although it's still used in the downloadable version of the Digital Tradition.
As Murray says, MIDI programs are not cheap. The registration fee for Noteworthy is $40 US, although the unregistered version is quite suitable for light use. Noteworthy crippled the unregistered version, but I think it still works well enough for making simple tunes for Mudcat posting - anybody know that for sure?. I paid the $40 quite some time ago, and I've received free upgrades that have added some very nice features. I wonder why Microsoft hasn't seen fit to give me free upgrades to the Office 95 that I paid so much money for a couple of years ago.
-Joe Offer-