Getting Started with Midigraphy

1. What you need to know first
2. Installing on a Macintosh computer
3. Checking your MIDI setup
4. The Panel View
5. Opening and playing sequences
6. Things you can do with MIDI

• Change Tempo
• Change Key
• Change Volume
• Change Orchestration
• Turn Tracks On/Off
• Play Metronome
• Loop Sections of Song
• Mark Points in Music
• Record Tracks
• Add/Delete/Change Notes

What you need to know first

The Midigraphy program was developed by M. Maeda (TONTATA)  and is designed to play, edit, and record MIDI.

The platforms supported are Macintosh with System 7 - 9.x. It also requires either OMS 2 or later or Apple MIDI Manager or Quicktime.

Download the software and double-click the installer. Make sure you also have OMS, etc.

Start Midigraphy
Use the MIDI -> MIDI Port Setup menu to open the MIDI Setup Dialog. If you are NOT using any external instruments, only your computer and Quicktime to play back,  your dialog settings should look like this:

If using OMS, choose it instead and set the in and out ports.

Make sure the volume is up on your computer and that speakers or headphones are attached and turned on and up.

The Control Bar (above) is at the top of the sequence window.

Use the Track Indicator (Trk.) to display all tracks or only one track. When one track is selected, click on its name to rename it.

The Channel Indicator (Ch. and colored boxes) indicate which channels are visible. Click a box to turn white and hide data on that channel. Black lines above boxes indicate that there is data recorded on that channel. Colored lines underneath show which channel is currently selected for recording/editing. Use All or One to show all or the selected channel.

The Bar:Beat Indicator shows where the file is playing or displaying. Click on the indicator to jump to another location.

The transport buttons at the are obvious.

Use the Slideac Controller to change playback tempo and move forward/backward in time. Use the MIDI-Playing Options to make the Slideac Controller stay at the tempo you select (or use the command key when you drag it).

An indicator moves across the Time Scale as the file plays. Click and drag in the Time Scale to set a start and end marker and select notes or events for editing. In this example, the markers are set for measure 2 to the beginning of measure three.

Use the MIDI->Play menu to play only a selection or to loop it..

Use the Window menu to select either the Graphical, Event, or Mixer view.

Use the control box in any pane to expand it to full screen. Use the magnifying glass icons to increase/decrease size of graphics.

Midigraphy can play Standard MIDI files Types 1 and 0, and RCP, SNG, and SLP files.

Use the File menu -> Openand navigate to the desired file. Highlight it and click OK.
The Transport buttons may be used to play the files (sequences).

• Change Tempo

Use the Slideac controller . Or choose the Draw, Value, and Flat tools    and choose the Set tempo Meta event  then draw in the tempo.
 
• Change Key

In the Graphical Window, Choose the Meta Event type and the Key Signature (59). Click with the pencil in the grid to insert a key change

• Change Volume

Use the Volume Sliders in Mixer view--you may record these changes in the mix if MIDI->Record options is set to Multitrack.

Choose the Draw, Value, and Flat tools  and choose the Control Change, Volume event  and draw.

• Change Orchestration

Choose the Program Change event and click in the grid. 

• Turn Tracks On/Off

Click the colored Channel Number buttons in the Control Bar  to change whether a track is muted or not.

• Play Metronome

Use the MIDI->Recording Options menu to set up the metronome. It plays only during Recording.
 
• Loop Sections of Song

Click and drag in the Time Scale to set a start and end marker. Use the MIDI->Play menu to play only a selection or to loop it..

• Mark Points in Music

Choose the Marker Meta Event and click in desired location. Type in desired text. 

• Record Tracks

Use the MIDI->Recording Options menu to set up the multitrack recording. Select a track by clicking on the colored bar under a channel indicator. Click the record button. (Note...you may wish to click in a click track on channel 10 for the first measure.)

• Add/Delete/Change Notes

Choose the desired track by clicking on the colored bar under it. Make sure that Note event type is selected in the Block status bar. Use the pencil tool to click in notes. Hold down the control key and drag to make notes longer or shorter. Drag up and down to change pitch.

To select several notes, display only the desired channels by colored bars under the channel indicator and drag in the time scale. Use copy, paste, delete, etc.