The MIDI File Tools: midicvt, midiprint, midicomp

midicvt
The Audio Library plays only Type 0 Standard MIDI files. You can use midicvt to convert from Type1 (which are generally output by most MIDI sequencers) to Type0.

Invoking midicvt
midicvt is invoked as follows:

    	midicvt [-v] [-s]

Table 1 midicvt Command Line Options

Command Line Option | Function
-v | Turns on verbose mode.
-s | Strips out any messages that are not used by the Audio Library. These include text messages and system exclusives.
input file | The name of a Type 0 or Type 1 Standard MIDI file.
output file | The name for the Type 0 output file.

midiprint
The midiprint tool prints a text listing of the time-based MIDI events in a Type 0 or Type 1 Standard MIDI file.

Invoking midiprint

    	midiprint [-v] -o

Table 2 midiprint Command Line Options

Command Line Option | Function
-v | Verbose mode.
-o <output file> | The optional output file for the MIDI event text.
<input file> | The name of the Type 0 or Type 1 Standard MIDI file to list.

midicomp
The midicomp tool is used to compress midi files of either Type 0 or Type 1 to a format recognized by the compact sequence player.

Invoking midicomp
midicomp is invoked as follows:

     midicomp

Table 3 midicomp Command Line Options

Command Line Option | Function
<input file> | The name of the Type 0 or Type 1 Standard MIDI file to compress.
<output file> | The name to use for the output file.

Making Files that Will Compact Better
Different midi files will be compressed by different percentages, based on the content of the files. All files (except very small files) should be compressed at least somewhat. Because midicomp achieves compression by recognizing patterns and then compressing these, the greatest amounts of compression occur when the files are repetitive. Patterns and sections created in a sequencer using cut and paste are the ones most likely to be compressed.

Copyright © 1999 Nintendo of America Inc. All Rights Reserved Nintendo and N64 are registered trademarks of Nintendo Last Updated January, 1999