Help: downloading MIDI's to Noteworthy

Subject: downloading MIDI's to Noteworthy
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 12 Aug 02 - 11:57 AM

Well, friends, my music shop is paralyzed.

I used to have Soundblaster on my computer. I used to have RealPlayer. (I think it was RealPlayer that I was using.) I used to be able to go on the net, find a MIDI file of a fascinating piece of early music, download it to My Documents and then have Noteworthy Composer retrieve it. Then I could edit it, print it and play it with my friends. On real musical instruments.

But now my computer has been in the shop. Now when I click on a MIDI, I get Windows Media Player 7.1. This program allows me to do anything but what's important - save the MIDI file.

Noteworthy Player doesn't have a save feature either.

What do I need to do in order to play and then save a MIDI file?

(I have already searched the Forum and asked the folks at Noteworthy Composer.)

Subject: RE: Help: downloading MIDI's to Noteworthy
From: pavane
Date: 12 Aug 02 - 12:18 PM

I think the first step is to remove the file association between the extension .MID and the media player. It can be done, but I don't have the details to hand.

Subject: RE: Help: downloading MIDI's to Noteworthy
From: IvanB
Date: 12 Aug 02 - 12:30 PM

leenia, assuming you're using some version of Windows and Internet Explorer as your browser, when you find a MIDI you want to save, right click on it, rather than left click. This should open up a menu box with the choice "Save Target as" being one of them. Click on that and you should be able to save the file, use it in NWC, etc.

You can also break the association between Media Player and MIDI files by clicking on any folder icon to open Windows Explorer. Then click on "View, Folder Options" and choose the "File Types" tab. Scroll down to find the program associated with MIDI files and remove it. If you're in the habit of opening NWC and importing the MIDI, you need do nothing else. Otherwise you can define NWC as the program used to play MIDI's.

Subject: RE: Help: downloading MIDI's to Noteworthy
From: Don Firth
Date: 12 Aug 02 - 02:05 PM

I'm not quite sure I grasp the nature of the problem.

I have Windows Media Player version 6.4.07.1112, and I just click on "File," then "Save as," and save the MIDI file in the folder of my choice. Then I slurp it into NoteWorthy Composer and away I go. Has the WMP upgrade to version 7.1 eliminated the ability to save? If so, I sure as heck won't upgrade!

Don Firth

Subject: RE: Help: downloading MIDI's to Noteworthy
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 13 Aug 02 - 12:01 AM

Yes, Don. I have gone to another MIDI site and opened a song, and that's what the SOB's at Microsoft have done. They are sweetly asking people if they don't want to download a new, improved media player without revealing m that the "improved" version doesn't have a Save feature.

Damn them! They want everybody to be a stupid geek who does nothing but watch the latest dreck on a DVD.

Subject: RE: Help: downloading MIDI's to Noteworthy
From: Helen
Date: 14 Aug 02 - 03:06 AM

leeneia,

I use QuickTime for midi files. It's a free download, and you can find the sownload sites by searching for QuickTime on Google or a similar search engine. By installing it you are probably going to automatically change priority for midi files to QuickTime, but if not, follow Ivan's suggestion above. It's easy to save midi files from QT.

Helen

Subject: RE: Help: downloading MIDI's to Noteworthy
From: Bill D
Date: 14 Aug 02 - 11:37 AM

downloading and saving midis should be a matter of simply right-clicking on them and choosing the proper itme from the menu.."save target as.." or whatever yours says

but, more important....there are **MANY** ways to play midis without dealing with Micro$oft...WinAmp is one of the best, and is free..as is FoxPlay, which will allow you to set up playlists of most sound files you have...

you can also play midis (and other types of sound files) with another, amazing *free* piece of software, which will also display almost ANY type of graphic file...IrfanView This is one of the most astounding FREE pieces of software on the planet.

Now, about 'associations', mentioned above.....You could have 6 different programs which will play a midi (or other sound file), but if you go to your file manager (Explorer or one of the good ones, and double-click on the sound file, it will be opened and played by the default application that is 'associated' with that type of file. Microsoft would LOVE for you to just let them spoon-feed you their proprietary apps and default settings, so that they can control how EVERYONE does things. The face is, there are 'usually' better ways to view, listen, search, manage, sort, count, etc...than MS offers....

There are even little programs to more easily manage the PROCESS of choosing how to associate files with YOUR preferred applications! Take a look here

(copied from the page)FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION

FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION lets you manage your file associations, offering many features that Windows lacks. You can view registered extensions and the file types associated with them, clean up invalid entries, correct erroneous associations, and add extensions to existing file types.

The import of all this rant and such is to help as many people as possible realize that there are SO many choices about how to do the things you need with your computer!! What comes as the default with Windows is NOT always the best, and is becoming more & more invasive and restrictive as Leenia points out....

Subject: RE: Help: downloading MIDI's to Noteworthy
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 14 Aug 02 - 03:01 PM

To Helen: I searched for QuickTime, as you suggested. It seem to be a program for Apple computers. Do you think it would work on my IBM clone with Windows 98?

Ivan B: I've been the route you suggested. Funny thing it, the file associated with MIDI is Noteworthy Player, but when I click on a MIDI file on a really cool web site such as http://www.albany.net/~dowland/sound.html#ensemble, then Windows Media Player appears and starts playing the bransle, courante or whatever. And despite what some people think, Windows Media Player has no Save or Save As feature no matter how you click it.

The advice to remove MIDI from the list of file types sounds dangerous to me. How would I get at all my accumulated work?

To Don: You say "there are **MANY** ways to play midis without dealing with Micro$oft...WinAmp is one of the best, and is free..as is FoxPlay, which will allow you to set up playlists of most sound files you have..."

Do you understand the problem? I don't want just to listen to MIDI sounds. Any kid can play MIDI's. I want to save the notes, bring them in again with Noteworthy Composer, change the key, zap whole staffs, write new parts, print the piece and then play it with my friends. We do this in the living room and the computer CAN EVEN BE TURNED OFF. Will WinAmp make this possible? I hesitate to download it and generate even more mix-ups.

Subject: RE: Help: downloading MIDI's to Noteworthy
From: MMario
Date: 14 Aug 02 - 03:16 PM

leenia - RIGHT CLICK the link and do a SAVE AS to your hard drive.

Subject: RE: Help: downloading MIDI's to Noteworthy
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Aug 02 - 04:55 PM

Bill D, I had no idea IrfanView could handle sound files. KEWL!

If anybody out there detests loading up a big honking photoedit program or whatever to see/crop/rotate images, download IrfanView. It is truly miraculous and loads in a blink.

Subject: RE: Help: downloading MIDI's to Noteworthy
From: MMario
Date: 14 Aug 02 - 08:00 PM

AND it's easier to use then many

Subject: RE: Help: downloading MIDI's to Noteworthy
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 14 Aug 02 - 11:15 PM

Thank you, thank you, MMario. It works! Who'd a thunk that one would download it before listening to it.

Subject: RE: Help: downloading MIDI's to Noteworthy
From: Helen
Date: 15 Aug 02 - 02:20 AM

leeneia,

Yes, QuickTime was developed by Apple but a PC version is available. I like it because I can listen to the midi before I save it, so I don't end up with heaps of truly awful arrangements of tunes. I just save the one(s) I like.

Download here

http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/

or do an internet search for QuickTime and the version you want,e .g. Windows 95.

Once it is installed it opens in a window with the usual Windows menu bar, and you can save the file using the File menu.

Helen

Subject: RE: Help: downloading MIDI's to Noteworthy
From: IvanB
Date: 15 Aug 02 - 03:47 PM

leenia, I downloaded WMP 7.1 and installed it, and I see that they've done a nasty deed and removed the "save" function from it. Another thing you can do is run Media Player, click on "Tools/Options," then on the "Format" tab. Scroll down and uncheck the "MIDI" box (and any other formats you don't want WMP to play). Then, if you left click on a media file, IE will open a dialogue box asking you whether you want to save the file or open it from the internet.

Subject: RE: Help: downloading MIDI's to Noteworthy
From: Bill D
Date: 15 Aug 02 - 06:47 PM

leenia...are you ok about MIDI files now?...IF you have downloaded and saved them to your machine, you can 'import' them to Noteworthy anytime!...you can edit them, play them,,,re-modify them, print them etc...

Winamp will play them, if you have them in MIDI form...but you do NOT need Winamp to import a MIDI to Noteworthy, modify it and play it...it just takes an extra step....

I hope it is all working now..

(and I am VERY glad to see folks discovering Irfanview!...I have like..14 graphic programs, and Irfanview does 90% of what I need...then PaintShopPro does the rest)