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All the MIDI files in this site are written in the PC (IBM) format. They are the standard of the industry and they can be read by all modern professional hardware sequencers and every computer I know of -- except for the Macintosh. When I got my first Mac, this drove me crazy for about two weeks. I put my standard MIDI files created on my Atari, Roland hardware sequencer and IBM-ish/PC through Apple File exchange and got nothing. The sequences would not even load in my Mac. Well, a standard MIDI file is standard for everyone but Macintosh. Mac computers need some extra information put in the header of the file that no other computer or sequencer wants or even likes. After about $50.00 in long distance phone calls (mostly spent on hold), I got a cure, and I will share it with you.
There are many ways to change a PC (IBM) MIDI file to a Mac MIDI file. My POWER MAC uses PC Exchange and does it automatically. But older Macs do not.
| Method #1 |
I also have an older Mac (Classic II) and the procedure I use follows (Try it at your own risk):
1) Once you have the PC MIDI file(s) on your Mac, put it in a folder that is easy for you to find through the Mac/OS dialog boxes (I put them in a folder called Sequences, and I put that folder right on the opening level of my MacintoshHD)
2) Open Norton Utilities (You can also use Res-Edit and a few other software tools but I use Norton's because I like the name)
3) In the menu bar mouse the Utilities menu and select Norton Disk Editor in the drop down menu.
4) Choose a volume to explore, if you saved the file(s) on your hard disk, choose MacintoshHD (it should already be selected for you) and click "open", the computer will go through some analyzing and then come up with a MacintoshHD -- Directory
5) Use your mouse to find the folder that you hid the MIDI file(s) in and double click until you see the names of the MIDI file(s) on your screen.
6) Highlight a MIDI file with your mouse
7) In the upper part of the screen you will see a few Icons, click on the one that says "Edit Info". A new dialog box will appear
8) To the right of the box labeled "Type", enter the word Midi (Case sensitive, Capital M the others lower case letters)
9) In the box labeled "Creator", put whatever the code for your sequencer is (If you don't know, repeat this procedure on a MIDI file that you already have created with your sequencer). My Master Tracks Pro is MTPC, I think Mark Of The Unicorn uses MOUP
10) Click OK and your file should be in Mac format
Let me know if this works for you. (It always works for me), and good luck. And if you have a better way to do this, please let me know so I can share it with other Mac users. And of course, be careful. Norton Music cannot be responsible for data lost by you. If you are not confident about what you are doing, back up your hard disk first.
| Method #2 |
> Bob,
> I love your site!
>
> I noted the help you gave for Mac users and asked for any easier way to
> do it. You've probably already been told this but...
>
> There's a freeware program called Attributes, available from any of the
> info-mac sites. You just stick it on your desktop and drop the files you
> want to change onto it. It pops open and you can change the type and
> creator and close it and you're done.
> Now the great thing about it is that you can drop whole folders of files
> onto the application and change the selected parameters of them all
> simultaneously. You can change the ones you want to (type code and
> creator) and leave the others (locked/unlocked, date, time etc.)
> untouched.
> Even better! Attributes remembers what you did least time so next time
> you drop the files on the icon all you do is hit OK and it's done.
>
> Hope that helps, Alun
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