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Topic: Imported MIDI files won't play (Read 3865 times) previous topic - next topic

Imported MIDI files won't play

Hi everybody,

I was wondering if you could help me with a problem I'm having with Noteworthy Composer.

Whenever I import a midi (or just open an .nwc file), it will not play it. It says:

"one or more of your selected midi devices are failing to open"

and it offers to help me find whats going on .

the only thing is that i can't figure out whats going on.. everything seems in it's right place.

i have never had any problems before.

if anybody can help me , it would be highly appreciated.

thank you.

- steve

Re: Imported MIDI files won't play

Reply #1 –
This means that one of the devices that is shown to you in "Devices used by play back" could not be opened by NWC. This could be because:

  • some other program is using it

  • the actual device has become faulty

  • there is a setup problem with the device
The first thing to do is isolate which device is causing the problem. In general, you should only list one device in this box unless you know what you are doing. Remove all but the MIDI Mapper, and see if that helps.

Re: Imported MIDI files won't play

Reply #2 –
Just to flesh out NWC's answer, NWC is referring to the box that appears when you select Tools, Options and the Midi tab.

Re: Imported MIDI files won't play

Reply #3 –
Hello,

I am also facing the same problem.

As suggested, I have set tools -> options -> midi -> devices used by playback as "microsoft MIDI mapper" only, no other device.
But still, I keep facing this problem.

One fact is that, NWC normally plays both nwc & midi files in my PC. But whenever i open a MIDI file by some other tool (eg, Microsoft media plater), then something happens & from then on (even after closing the other tool), NWC doesnt play it.
Only rebooting my PC seems to solve the problem.

Does this mean MS-media-player doesnt release the MIDI stuff to NWC?

A suitable fix would be highly appreciated.
Thanks.

Re: Imported MIDI files won't play

Reply #4 –
It may well be that something else is not releasing the MIDI driver. If so, there's little that NWC can do about that.

If you are adventurous (do this only at your own risk) you can try this: Reboot the computer. SHIF+CTRL+DELETE once, to pop up the list of running processes. Note down what they are. Then, run a potentially offending MIDI-using program. Exit that program, then again look at the list of running processes. Anything new there? If so, see what happens if you manually halt the process. Then try NWC with MIDI. Are things better?

If the above language is not perfectly clear to you, then don't try it. Keep in mind that a new process is not necessarily generated by a user program.

I recommend that any computer be re-booted daily, unless there is a reason not to do that.

Re: Imported MIDI files won't play

Reply #5 –
I've just thought of something else.
Maybe you have another program that "locks" the MIDI driver; among those "another program", it can be another instance of NWC running.

Please check that in NWC Midi options (menu Tools/Options, Midi tab), the Port Usage is set to "While Playing". This is the only option where you can have many NWC simultaneously if you want any of them (but one at a time) to play if you have only one MIDI driver (here the microsfot midi mapper).

There is no reason that usually NWC plays correctly MIDI and NWC files, and not when you import them. What did you do launch before??