Skip to content

Latest commit

 

History

History
90 lines (60 loc) · 3.4 KB

usage.md

File metadata and controls

90 lines (60 loc) · 3.4 KB

Usage

Make sure you have completed installation, first.

bambam-copy-chunks <source file> <target file>

One of the MIDI chunks carries something of great value. Bring them to me alive and...unspoiled.

In other words, copy a MIDI file one chunk at a time without a care in the world about what is actually in them. This checks the basic process of reading and writing chunks (even chunk types that are not recognized), before attempting the more ambitious task of parsing actual events.

Pro-tip: use diff and xxd to spot binary differences without questioning the life choices that led you here 

cat original.mid | xxd > original.bin
cat copy.mid | xxd > copy.bin
diff --side-by-side original.bin copy.bin

bambam-copy-tracks <source file> <target file>

Well you made it this far without running away. Maybe this code can start parsing MIDI chunks that look interesting without messing the data up too badly.

In other words, copy a MIDI file with the added step of parsing chunks and events. A binary-identical round-trip is really good news here. Go get yourself a cup of coffee. You earned it.

bambam-list-chunks <file>

List chunks in a MIDI file.

bambam-list-chunks features/data/ezd-mapping.mid

bambam-list-events <file>

List events in a MIDI file.

bambam-list-events features/support/midi-source/mapping/modern-original-mix-type-1.mid

Pro-tip: filter and format with jq

Pipe output to jq to pretty-print the JSON object, so you have a fighting chance of being able to read it.

bambam-list-events features/support/midi-source/mapping/modern-original-mix-type-1.mid | jq

You can also use jq to select the specific events you want:

bambam-list-events features/support/midi-source/mapping/modern-original-mix-type-1.mid \
  | jq '.tracks[1].events[] | { channel: .channel, deltaTime: .deltaTime, note: .note, type: .eventType, subType: .subType, velocity: .velocity }'

bambam-remap-events <source file> <target file>

This might just be the reason you are here.

Grab a MIDI file overflowing with those non-standard MIDI notes from EZDrummer 2 that we all know and love, stuff it into this program, skin that smokewagon, and see what happens.

In other words, this will attempt to re-map the EZDrummer 2 events in the source file to their General MIDI counterparts in the target file. Or at least some reasonable facsimile. Seriously though, that General MIDI guy is a such a jobber.

bambam-remap-events ezdrummer2.mid general-midi.mid

Step 3: Profit

Drop that General MIDI file you just made into MuseScore.

Congratulations! You've just written a drum part that sounds about as good as it can in MuseScore, without having to write it one arm or leg at a time. Because we all know that the only thing more awkward than actually playing the drums and recording it yourself is trying to memorize the note letters for each drum long enough to type in a kick/snare groove without all the snare hits erasing the last kick hit you just wrote.

Sure those early-90s video games won't sound the same, but this way you'll only hear the vibraslap and whistle when you meant for it to sound that way.

NOW GET OUT THERE AND HIT THOSE MIDI DRUMS LIKE YOU MEAN IT!