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Topic: Seeking MIDI help (Read 4555 times) previous topic - next topic

Seeking MIDI help

I have a MIDI problem that may or may not be an NWC problem (except that NWC is my only MIDI app). Tonight, after weeks of successfully playing NWC files, my computer refuses to make a sound when I click on the NWC "Play" icon. The first time it did this it popped up a "Midi Device Warning" and, after it sent me to the NWC MIDI options tab, informed me that the "MIDI Mapper" device failed to open properly. I've since tried various combinations of the 3 "available play devices" (Sound Blaster FM Synthesis, Creative Labs Sound Blaster, and MIDI Mapper) and get either silence or a device-open failure.

Now, as far as I know the only thing I've done since the last time everything worked correctly was to play a .WAV file using the Media Player applet. I don't know if this is relevant or coincidental. I'm running NWC 1.52 on NT 4.0, service pack 3.

Any thoughts from the many people out there who know more about MIDI than I do? If so, thanks.

Re: Seeking MIDI help

Reply #1 –
The only thing I can think of is that the MIDI driver can only work on one application at a time. You can only have one program that uses MIDI at a time. Otherwise, there will be a conflict and it won't play. If that's not the problem, you might want to try reloading your device driver(as an extreme action).

Re: Seeking MIDI help

Reply #2 –
If your MIDI Mapper fails to open, you either:

1 - Are selecting more than one device for use by play back, including the device that will also be used by the MIDI Mapper

2 - You have some other MIDI program that is running and already has the MIDI device open

3 - Something changed in your system and corrupted your MIDI drivers

In all probability, your problem is caused by selecting more than one device in NWC. Unless you specifically know what you are doing, you should only select one device for use by playback.

You should also review our faq at http://www.noteworthysoftware.com/composer/faq.htm specifically http://www.noteworthysoftware.com/composer/faq3.htm#playback

See also: https://forum.noteworthycomposer.com/?topic=270, https://forum.noteworthycomposer.com/?topic=420

Re: Seeking MIDI help

Reply #3 –
Well, it's back, but why is a mystery. (1) is out because it started failing without my having done *anything* to device selections, or anything else. (2) is out because I rebooted several times during the troubleshooting process, all without effect. (3) is probably out because it finally started working again the first time I rebooted the PC after posting the original question.

In any event, I'm back in business - at least for the moment. Thanks for your help.

Re: Seeking MIDI help

Reply #4 –
For sound problems it is a good idea to try running the standard Windows MIDI player. If it also fails, then Noteworthy is definitely not at fault. It can by run by double clicking on a midi file, or (if this is not set up) you can find Media Player under Start | Programs | Accessories. In NT you can make sure no other programs are running (maybe from the StartUp group?) using the Task Manager (right click on the task bar).

Re: Seeking MIDI help

Reply #5 –
Yeah, I tried playing canyon.mid in the Media Player as per the NWC faq page (to which NWC-Support graciously pointed me, above), and that was failing too. And believe me, although I'm a MIDI neophyte I know a fair amount about NT, and there *was* no other relevant program running (my Startup groups are empty).

I think somehow this all got started when a program crashed (or otherwise failed to terminate normally) and left the MIDI device open. The problem is that I haven't been able to constructed an explanation that covers everything that happened subsequently, though believe me I've tried. Once weirdness started occurring, I should probably have been writing down in gory detail everything I did and everything that resulted. Having been on the other side of the technical support fence (as a software developer myself), I kick myself for not having been better about this.

If I ever do come up with an explanation I believe in, I'll post it here. Maybe it'll help others who are as MIDIcally inept as I seem to have been.