MidiLab/2 _____________ (c) Copyright 1995-96, Far Pavilions Studio, All rights reserved. Unregistered copies of MidiLab/2 are freely distributable and copying is encouraged. If you like it, become a registered user by registering via Compuserve (GO SWREG) The program id is 9510; registration fee is $25 (US). Non-Compuserve users may contact the author directly at the address listed at the end of this file. MidiLab/2 is supplied "as is" without any warranties either expressed or implied. Certain functions appearing in the user interface controls are present only as 'place-holders' and may never be implemented. IN NO EVENT IS THE AUTHOR LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING FROM OR CONNECTED WITH THIS AGREEMENT OR USE OF THIS PRODUCT, REGARDLESS WHETHER WE KNOW OR HAVE REASON TO KNOW OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES MAY NOT ALLOW EXCLUSION OF INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES AND SO THE FOREGOING EXCLUSION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. ******************************************************************************** ** MidiLab/2 Installation and Notes ** ******************************************************************************** IMPORTANT IMPORTANT IMPORTANT IMPORTANT IMPORTANT IMPORTANT IMPORTANT IMPORTANT The High Resolution Timer package is included (TIMER0.ZIP) and must be installed before attempting to run MidiLab/2. See the README.TMR file for installation instructions. OS/2 Base Multimedia Software Support must be present. This can be done via OS/2 Selective Install. ******************************************************************************** MidiLab/2 must be installed within an OS/2 Warp environment, in its own directory. Installation instructions: 1. Create a directory for MidiLab/2 on a drive of your choice. The following examples and instructions assume the directory is named MLABPM, and it is set as the current directory. 2. After copying MLABVxxx.EXE into the MLABPM directory, simply execute it. It's a self-extracting ZIP file, and will install all required files. 3. Create a MidiLab/2 icon by dragging a program template to an existing folder (or to the desktop) specifying the following settings: Program - Path and file name: [d:]\MLABPM\MLABPM.EXE - Parameters: /P=[d:]\songlib - Working directory: [d:]\MLABPM General - Title: MidiLab/2 The optional /P parameter is used to specify a default directory for loading and saving MIDI data files. Extensions of .MID (standard MIDI format 1) and .ML (MidiLab/2 native format) are supported. See 'Invoking MidiLab/2' under the Help Index for other optional parameters. 4. Add a DEVICE statement to CONFIG.SYS for the MidiLab/2 MPU device driver: DEVICE=[d:]\MLABPM\MIDILAB.SYS ii aaa where: ii is the interrupt for which the MPU hardware is wired. Default is 5. aaa is the port address for your MIDI hardware device. Default is hex 330. These values must be entered as hex numbers. An example of an installation with IRQ 10 and Address of hex 330 would be: DEVICE=C:\MLABPM\MIDILAB.SYS A 330 NOTE: MidiLab/2 will run in a 'demo' mode if you don't have the MIDI device hardware. The play and record functions will be disabled, but the file manager, editor, and most of the dialog boxes and windows will be available. The DEVICE statement is not required in this case, but a parameter of /Z should be used to avoid warning messages. For a user without the required hardware, this mode can still provide some useful facilities, such as examining, editing, or even creating MIDI files. 5. After re-booting your system, MidiLab/2 will be ready to run by mousing the MidiLab/2 icon created in step 3. A sample songfile created by MidiLab/2 is included, to be placed in a directory of your choice. This songfile is NOT a standard general MIDI file. It is highly unlikely that it will play with the correct voicing on your synthesizer; however, it provides you the opportunity to familiarize yourself with some of MidiLab/2's functions to voice the tracks properly. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The online HELP contains the documentation and description of the product, as well as an introductory MIDI tutorial. Everything (I hope) you need to know is contained in the help support. Most, if not all, dialogs and pull-downs have at least some basic verbage on their functions. IMPORTANT: MidiLab/2 is designed for a high-resolution display (1024 X 768). You may experience some problems achieving display device independence. If the MidiLab/2 main window is incorrectly positioned when first started, reposition it with the mouse (or Alt-F7) and then Save Preferences. This will save the current window position, and it will be subsequently positioned correctly. A related problem is that some of the dialog box text may be truncated. Dragging a Helv 8 font from the Font Palette to the affected dialog box may correct the problem. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Release 3.03 notes: February 1996 - Allow loading MIDI files from CD ROM. - Corrected errors occuring during loading files with invalid tempos - Improved performance of Fast-Forward operation - Broader device driver support of non-MPU hardware. Release 3.02 notes: December 1995 - Support of MPU-401 compatible devices in UART mode. - Misc. bug fixes and code restructure ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Miscellaneous: - If errors or system hangs occur immediately following installation, the most likely cause is that your hardware does not support/emulate the MPU-401, or another application (OS/2, DOS, or WINDOWS) has control of the MIDI device. Also, insure the correct IRQ setting and address for the MPU hardware and/or the DEVICE statement in CONFIG.SYS. - Do not attempt to run two applications which access the same MIDI hardware at a time. One must be deactivated in order to use the other. It may be necessary to take WIN/OS2 down in some cases. In rare cases it may help to REM out any CONFIG.SYS statements (other than MidiLab's) which reference the MIDI device. - If you get the message 'The system cannot find the file SW', it's because OS/2 Base Multimedia Support is not present. See 'IMPORTANT' above. - MidiLab/2 supports a maximum of sixteen virtual tracks, and will load only the first seventeen tracks of a Format 1 MIDI file containing more than 17. The very first track is assumed to contain setup information such as tempo, etc., and does not appear in the track list. - MidiLab/2 will NOT operate with an on-board DSP synthesizer. It is designed to work with outboard MIDI devices, such as keyboards, drum machines, etc. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ James L. Bell Far Pavilions Studio PO Box 2314 Saratoga, Ca. 95070-0314 E-mail: 71034.3001@compuserve.com Tel: (408) 378-9649 Take a few moments to visit my Web Page: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/JLBell