
"Smear"
by Samer Meshreki, Christopher Jon Wilkins

SAM1.MID	Linear volumes
SAM1GUS.MID	Logarithmic volumes, use with most (older) Ultrasound software
SAM1.TXT	Liner notes

This sequence is intended for playback on a Gravis Ultrasound using the
standard General MIDI patches.  It requires 512K for 16-bit playback.

Why two MIDI files that are practically the same?  The GUS hardware has
a different volume response (logarithmic) than the industry "standard"
(linear).  MIDI files played on a GUS may sound different than when 
played on another General MIDI instrument.  Phat Tran's useful VMAP 
program allows you to convert logarithmic midi file volumes to linear 
and vice versa.  Gravis has recently released new windows drivers that 
support a linear volume response, as long as you manually check the 
linear box in the driver setup.  Most GUS owners will be playing 
SAM1GUS.MID since the new drivers aren't widespread, and because 
Gravis' PLAYMIDI for DOS does not (yet) support linear volume.



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L I N E R    N O T E S		13-Jan-94
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It's been reviewed!

    "The best damn piece of music emailed to me all evening! I've never seen
    playmidi look so much like a Christmas tree in my whole life ..."

It's made history!

    "What happened to the person who sent me SMEAR.MID? Was this file ever 
    released? (Perhaps this was the first unreleased collaborative GUS file?)"

It's got technique!

    "Secret to screaming keyboard guitar solos: hit lots of notes quickly!
    Well, that's more or less it. Actually that one is an absolutely straight
    solo: not a single edit in it. The basic idea is if there's enough else
    going on your ears will kind of fit the guitar in amongst it all even
    if the notes are a bit weird and the timing slops around."

This is an original tune I composed on a Roland D-5, back in fall '91,
on a friend's macintosh with Master Tracks Pro.  Thanksgiving '92, I
got a GUS, a PC, and Trax, and started converting my old D-5 stuff
to the GUS.  May '93, after listening to Chris' fabulous MIDI tunes 
and stealing a couple of his MIDI tricks, I fiddled with it some more.  
I sent Chris the tune as a musical 'thank you', and he emailed it back 
with interest!  Chris gave the song midi controllers, screaming guitar 
solos, edits, reverse cymbals, more controllers, and polish.  Without 
Chris' prodding, you also would not be listening to this now!   Here it 
is, long overdue, for your listening pleasure.

Sam
meshreki@udel.edu		

You can also contact Chris by email!     chrisw@leland.stanford.edu

