MIDI... AAAAAAARGH!!!

MIDI... AAAAAAARGH!!!

merri mestie

Member #8,117

December 2006

hi all, i am an allegro(noob) and i'm trying to put some midi under my game. Now the problem is: this just doesn't work!!

This is my code:

1#include <allegro.h>
2 
3MIDI *midi; // Instance to store our MIDI data.
4 
5int main()
6{
7    allegro_init();
8    install_keyboard();
9 
10    set_color_depth(16); // Adjust if necessary.
11    set_gfx_mode(GFX_AUTODETECT_WINDOWED, 640, 480, 0, 0); // Windowed because it won't matter.
12    
13    detect_midi_driver(MIDI_AUTODETECT);
14    detect_digi_driver(DIGI_AUTODETECT); // Don't know if this is necessary if you only want midi.
15    install_sound(DIGI_AUTODETECT, MIDI_AUTODETECT, NULL);
16 
17    midi = load_midi("ff1menu.mid");
18    
19    play_midi(midi, 1);
20 
21    readkey(); // Wait until a key is pressed before we...
22 
23    // ...  End the program.
24    stop_midi();
25    destroy_midi(midi); // It is necessary to free memory allocated for creating the MIDI to prevent any memory leaks.
26 
27    // It isn't necessary to un-init Allegro since it does so for us.
28    return 0;
29}
30END_OF_MAIN();

Now, this just DOESN't work. My pc just can play midi normaly (i think, with windows media player and other players), i even can make midifiles with a composer program (sybelius), but allegro...

I mean the program runs normaly, but i can't hear anithing.

Can someone plz help me? i ve been searching for days without any result

Simon Parzer

Member #3,330

March 2003

You need install_timer() before install_sound(...), I think. Because the Allegro sound system depends on the Allegro timer.

detect_midi_driver(MIDI_AUTODETECT);
detect_digi_driver(DIGI_AUTODETECT);

These are useless.

Some error checking would also be good, like

if (install_sound(DIGI_AUTODETECT,MIDI_AUTODETECT,NULL) != 0)
{
  allegro_message("ERROR: Couldn't initialize sound hardware!");
}

And please leave the "AAAAAAARGH!!!" out if you start a thread again, even if you are frustrated. Instead you could write something like "can't get it to work", that would sound much better.
Imagine yourself walking along the street, suddenly a stranger jumps in your way and screams "I DON'T KNOW HOW TO GET TO <insert some place>! AAAAAARGH!". Would you help him?

merri mestie

Member #8,117

December 2006

i have put install_timer() in the file, but it still doesn't work.

sorry for the aargh btw

Simon Parzer

Member #3,330

March 2003

OK, then add some error checking!

if (install_sound(DIGI_AUTODETECT,MIDI_AUTODETECT,NULL) != 0)
{
  allegro_message("ERROR: Couldn't initialize sound hardware!");
}

midi = load_midi("ff1menu.mid");
if (!midi)
{
  allegro_message("ERROR loading MIDI!");
}

That way you see where it fails. And be sure to do install_timer() BEFORE install_sound().

merri mestie

Member #8,117

December 2006

I now have this code:

1#include <allegro.h>
2 
3MIDI *midi; // Instance to store our MIDI data.
4 
5int main()
6{
7    allegro_init();
8    install_keyboard();
9    install_timer();
10 
11    set_color_depth(16); // Adjust if necessary.
12    set_gfx_mode(GFX_AUTODETECT_WINDOWED, 640, 480, 0, 0); // Windowed because it won't matter.
13 
14 
15    if (install_sound(DIGI_AUTODETECT,MIDI_AUTODETECT,NULL) != 0)
16{
17  allegro_message("ERROR: Couldn't initialize sound hardware!");
18}midi = load_midi("ff1menu.mid");
19 
20if (!midi)
21{
22  allegro_message("ERROR loading MIDI!");
23}
24    
25    play_midi(midi, 1);
26 
27    readkey(); // Wait until a key is pressed before we...
28 
29    // ...  End the program.
30    stop_midi();
31    destroy_midi(midi); // It is necessary to free memory allocated for creating the MIDI to prevent any memory leaks.
32 
33    // It isn't necessary to un-init Allegro since it does so for us.
34    return 0;
35}
36END_OF_MAIN();