chasp wrote:Guys,
I've said before that I'd like to see a small fast-as-hell player just for midi files with the quality sound that Synthfont gives.... XMPlay comes up in many searches especially with that super midi plugin that Cose mentions..... Of course, the Winamp module Ken is developing will be great and it has SYNTHFONT quality and usability all over it..
I wonder though what a Synthfont real mini-midi player would look, smell and feel like if we looked at what its purpose in life would be for a user more into the music making aspect.
For me, I use XMPLAY because with the skin I use I get a panel that tells me a little about the midi file itself. The sound quality is OK with that cool midi plugin... but ( again for my uses) I use it to audition midi files for use in Synthfont to make arrangements......XMPLAY loads fast, the player is compact, I can peek a bit at what the midi file is all about and i can give a listen to the song to accept or reject it for later use. What I hear is something other than the quality of the instruments (but the ability to manipulated soundfonts is nice!).... I listen for the complexity, genre, style,etc. to get a feel if i can work with it further.
Other folks might be more interested in playing midi files with some flexibility to change sounds using soundfonts..XMPLAY does that... WINAMP with Kens plugin will wind up probably sounding better.... and the "traits" of a compact mini play are in both since thats what they inherently are......media players.
So I have to wonder, given that there a million little media players in the world, what our SYNTHFONT based player would do that would be different or better than everything else out there...
I sure would like to see some kind of outline/specification/description/list or whatever of what this stand-alone player would be like.... because I have a feeling (but I'm not saying I'm totally correct) everybody probably has a different vision of what it should look like and what its functions would be....
I sense that the effort could be a bigger thing than anticipated without some kind of gameplan for who the user audience is... what it is intended for... what the performance expectations are.... what the functions within it are.
Anywho..... these are just my current thoughts on it !
Chasp
Chasp, I think a compact Synthfont player would be a wonderful utility with some unique features. Kenneth would just have to take the Playback progress bar, the Karaoke Window, the VST/DXi window, the override feature, the ability to load different soundfonts and even Gigastudio files, and give us the ability to record the sound writing to a file as it is implemented now, for those -like me sometimes- that might be interested in converting the sound to WAV or MP3, or whatever format, quickly.
It would also give us the ability to play files without downloading them on the Internet while listening to them using your favourite Reverb, Chorus, EQ settings and so on.
I tried the approach Kenneth told me about, and it's good, in fact it was the kind of interface I utilized and preferred when I first started with Synthfont.
However, associating the files with Synthfont opens an specific window and process for each file, and sometimes you get confused with what is the window where your song is sounding and whatnot, or you can close a Synthfont window you didn't want to actually close.
It would certainly be a ver user-friendly environment, knowing the things that make Synthfont so unique and great to work with. Let that sink in for a moment: minimal interface, the ability to enhance your music based on your preferences with VST/DXi files, converting to a format of your choice in the twinkling of an eye, fiddling around with the smartness of Synthfont in a cute and stylish fashion, etc.
I think it would also be a good idea to add a "Edit with Synthfont" button if you wanted some serious edition of the song, like layering tracks and all the extra stuff Synthfont includes.
Regarding what it would be and feel like, well... A small window with a clever interface, karaoke, VST/DXi options, a big button for some serious editing -especially for those into music making as you say-, playlist feature, output rate selection, the ability to convert and write to file your music, which can be quite useful to record the sound of a song you might need for a video, to add as an audio track in a DAW or whatever.
It is also an excellent way to promote Synthfont, because if I recall correctly there isn't any other compact player with built-in VST/DXi support, along with native Soundfont/Gigastudio support and some of the unique features Synthfont has, making it even more unique and special.
Except for the interface, maybe, it shouldn't be that difficult for Ken to create it using Synthfont "modules". A very compact and integrated program, like let's say Synthfont in a state of at-oneness -- & not just in a spiritual way. I think many people would use it as their default MIDI listening program without a second thought! That includes me, because I love to listen to great instrumental music. But that's besides the point.
I know lots of programs which have endless features but aren't that smart, and so I thank God every freakin' day that I have Synthfont. So a little compact version could make sense, and Kenneth while seemingly still uncertain about it, doesn't seem to take a dim view of it. That's all.
