CompuServe Thread

The .AVI file format itself doesn't accept MIDI data directly (the newest release of QuickTime does, however). There are workarounds, though. #1. You can use any language capable of controlling MDI to initiate a MIDI file playback just before or just after initiating .AVI file playback. Both are MCI devices. Once started, the two would play independently but simultaneously. Synchronization is difficult with this method. #2. You can obtain MIDI Renderer from DiAccoustics [74033,2705] and render your MIDI files to .WAV files, which can then be merged with your other .WAV files to produce the total soundtrack for your .AVI. Remember that wave-type sound data takes up no more or less space based on its content, but only on its duration, bit depth (8 or 16-bit), sampling rate, and number of channels (mono or stereo), so adding the output of MIDI Renderer to your soundtrack will not make it bigger or slower to play back. Unfortunately, the General MIDI waveform samples that come with MIDI Renderer are (a) licensed and require a licensing fee to use in any projects you distribute, and (b) don't sound all that great (my Roland RAP-10 card beats the HECK out of MIDI Renderer's samples!). But you can provide your own samples for MIDI Renderer to use, overriding the ones bundled with it. MIDI Renderer is a way cool product that is worth what they ask for it (CIS frowns on prices, but let's just say that a QBASIC `PRINT USING "$##.##"; MidiRendererPrice' statement would not result in a format overflow. For this you get virtually unlimited MIDI rendering ability (65,536 note polyphony, and all 128 General MIDI instruments and the drum kit can play simultaneously). — Joel Rea @ M&M Communications Concepts