MIDISmpl.exe Demonstrates How To Control MIDI Devices

MIDISmpl.exe is a self-extracting compressed file containing a Visual Basic project that demonstrates controlling a MIDI device using some Windows API functions. You can use the code in this project to control a MIDI device from within your program.

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When you run the self-extracting executable file, the following files are expanded into the MIDI Sample Project directory of your hard drive:

• Form1.frm (16Kb) - the main form of the project.
• MIDISmpl.vbp (1Kb) - the project file.
• MIDISmpl.vbw (1Kb) - the workspace file.
• Module1.bas (10Kb) - Module containing the API function declare statements and constants.
• Readme.txt - you are currently reading this document.

You can run this project using a MIDI keyboard, a mouse, or your keyboard as a MIDI controller. The main form has a volume control, a ten-key keyboard, and three menu items.

The MIDI Device menu allows you to set the MIDI device to another MIDI device. The contents of this menu depends upon the number of MIDI output devices you have installed in your system.

The Channel menu allows you to set what MIDI channel the project will control.

The Base Note menu allows you to set the note of the first key in the keyboard. For example, the default setting of 60 corresponds to the middle C note. The first key in the keyboard or the Z key will play a middle C.

How the Sample Works

The midiOutGetNumDevs function is used to determine if there are any MIDI devices and how many devices in the system. To find out the capabilities of the MIDI device in the system, use the midiOutGetDevCaps that contains a pointer to the User defined type variable containing the capability information. The midiOutOpen and midiOutClose functions respectively open and close the MIDI devices to receive MIDI instructions. The midiOutShortMsg function is used to send the MIDI instruction.

(c) Microsoft Corporation 1998, All Rights Reserved.
Contributions by Arsenio Locsin, Microsoft Corporation