And, before you move on, MidiTyper HAS A SETTING (called "open with") YOU SHOULD "SET" RIGHT NOW! To do this, double click on the icon of MidiTyper and you'll see that (even though it doesn't "open" like a document,) a set of scroll-down menus will appear across your top menu bar! One of these is "open as." Scroll down the "open as" menu and select the name of your sequencing program. If your particular sequencing program is not listed, then select "generic midi." For more complete understanding of this, read the first few ("short answer") pages of the MidiTyper "Read Me" file!
As you learned from the "Big Sky Mac" page above, it is possible to play your midi sequences through the "on board" sound equipment of your computer using µZak and QUICKTIME. You should have µZak in your system now since it was a recommended download in step 2-C above while you were creating your textbook. QuickTime is included in all recent Macintosh system upgrades. (In system 7.5 it consists of 2 icons in the extensions folder if you want to look for it.) Quick time and Quicktime Musical Instruments file can be downloaded from ftp://sam.austin.apple.com/Apple.Support.Area/Apple.Software.Updates/ For more "how to" on playing midi through your computer, refer to part three (Big Sky Mac) of "your textbook" -- which is essentially dedicated to this matter. But before you spend a lot of time on this, be aware that playing your files through your computer, is A HUGE COMPROMISE! You're NOT going to really hear the music unless you play it through a real genuine midi device.
In addition to your computer, a midi work-site must include a midi interface, and a controller (sound- generating device.) But, if you really want to be "midi capable" and hear the full compliment of sounds encoded in the files, you'll need a first class "controller," [which is a device containing hi-tech sound generating ocsillators.]
Also, to do any editing, or creating of midi files, you will also need a "sequencer" which is a midi input Keyboard. Inexpensive combination controller/sequencers are available at many dealers nowadays and will put you in business for both entry and playback. As you gain expertise you can up-grade your system -- up to thousands of dollars... BUT YOU WON'T NEED AN EXPENSIVE SYSTEM TO PLAY IN THE WOODSHED or simply use midi to learn your voice part for your next big concert!
There appears to be a "weakness" with Encore (and several other sequencing programs?) which causes them to fail to write in key signatures when translating, exporting, or importing files. THIS HAS ABSOLUTELY NO EFFECT ON THE SOUND DURING PLAYBACK, but causes sharps and/or flats to show up in the display on your screen. To make these sharps and/or flats disappear from the display, you simply need to write in the correct key signature. If you don't know the correct key signature, then you must scan the display, and (using the theory you learned in "choir 101") deduce the key signature from the location of the sharps or flats.
Actually, if you plan to use a file for listening only (and don't plan to print it or view the display while listening) there is no call for action at all, since the lack of a key signature does not affect the playback!
Every time you open a newly imported file, your sequencing program not only downloads the data, but it also goes through a process called "guessing and beaming." The instructions it uses to do this "guessing" is located in the dragdown menu called "settings" at the right hand side of your top menu bar. You must drag down to "transcription settings" to change these instructions. The dialog box which shows up under "transcription settings" will ask you to what note value you wish to QUANTIZE to. Depending on the accuracy and method used by the person who created a given sequence (song) -- incorrect quantizing can cause the sequence to sound quite lousy! (The tempo and note entries will not be correct... and the piece will sound jerky.)
Most of the pieces you download from the shed will sound fine if you quantize to a eighth note. This is the recommended "default quantization," so select a eighth note, click O.K., and then drag down to "save preferences" and save this setting!
After you've downloaded a few pieces and played them, you might want to play them and study the display as you do so. If you see lots of sixteenth rests and other short rests, or "ties" in funny places, the sequence was probably done in "real time" using the clicker, and the imperfections of real-time "clicker" sequences are exaggerated by "quantizing too finely" -- so you'll want to go back to the original downloaded document and re-open it with a different transcription setting -- using a "longer note."
On the other hand, you may see that some notes have "run together" in the display... which means that, during "guessing" Macintosh & your program couldn't decide exactly where these two notes belonged. This is caused by "quanatizing too coarsely." This can also cause the piece to sound bad. To correct this, go back to your original dowloaded document, and re-open it with the transcription settings quantized to a "shorter note." These corrections affect not only the display, but also the way the piece sounds when you play it back.
These changes can be made only during the "guessing process" which occurs during creation or translation of a sequence. Once you have created a score with your sequencing software, you cannot re-quantize it any more; you must go back to your original downloaded standard-midi document (which is always assumed to be correctly quantized) and create a new score if you want to change the quantizing.
You'll need to get in touch with George Silvis who is the "page master." All sequences MUST BE CONVERTED TO STANDARD MIDI format before they can be exported or attached to e-mail! Among other things to consider when preparing a sequence to be posted... is the problem with the key signature. It's a nice trick to enter the key signature along with the title, using the unused lines (if any) of your staff sheet. To see how this is done, check out the staff sheets of some of Mike Petri's or George's files in the woodshed. It's also a good idea when exporting midi files to eliminate all the volume commands (set them to zero, using your staff sheet!) since these commands cause problems in some systems.
As your skills & knowledge accumulate, please email George from the Woodshed and have your name added here so you can help someone else learn! Thanks!