GNMIDI Frequently Asked Questions

  1. General
  2. Demo and Registration
  3. Operations

Which languages do exist

GNMIDI exists in English language and in German language.


Is GNMIDI available for OSX, Linux or Unix systems?

GNMIDI is available for Windows systems. There is no version specially compiled for other systems.
Some users wrote that they successfully use GNMIDI software in system OSX, Linux, Unix using Windows emulator software Wine (https://www.winehq.org). Please test that self to be sure if it works. There is no guarantee for using GNMIDI using Wine emulator software.

May I suggest an idea for GNMIDI?

Please use GNMIDI contact form to send suggestions or ideas for improvements.


I get no sound when playing MIDI

First choose a MIDI output device in GNMIDI player menu. Use Microsoft GS device for playing to the computer speaker.
The entry MIDI Mapper seems not to be supported in all Windows versions.
Check the audio volume in Windows (speaker icon in task bar) that the audio is not muted or too silent. Play a song using Media player to check if audio can be heard.
Another strange reason could be that Windows has chosen an other speaker than expected (it could even have selected a wireless speaker that you don't have).
For playing to a MIDI keyboard you need a MIDI interface device for Windows (e.g. M-Audio sports) that is often connected by USB and a driver for this device must be installed in Windows.
The audio output speaker device can be chosen in system settings/hardware and sound/sound
Then it is listed as MIDI-In and MIDI-Out MIDI device in Windows.
Choose a midi mode in menu settings prepare MIDI song before playing sub menu (default: GM, choose no mode if your keyboard is not compatible to a certain mode or if your songs do all initialisations for the keyboard.


GNMIDI plays only General MIDI by default

Yes this is correct. Default settings assume that you play GM compatible song (e.g. to Microsoft GS device).
That means that the player only uses the 128 standard GM sounds and GM drum kit even if a song would use sound addresses for other device.
Choose a midi mode in menu settings prepare MIDI song before playing sub menu (default: GM). choose no mode if your keyboard is not compatible to a certain mode or if your songs do all initialisations for the keyboard.

Could you add a MIDI operation specially for me?

GNMIDI contains a plugin user tool concept that also allows to implement ideas specially for your purpose without need to change GNMIDI application.
It uses dialogs for defining user tool options and surely can be used as batch conversion (convert all files at once) in most cases.
GNMIDI uses a self implemented MIDI programming language that allows that the costs for implementing a new user tool stay small.
Use contact form and describe exactly which operation you need (maybe even with MIDI examples).
Try GNMIDI demo. There you can find a demo user tool in menu convert.


Where can I find GNMIDI and how much does it cost?

GNMIDI product can be found at gnmidi.com (English) and at https://www.gnmidi.com/gnmidige.htm (German). There you can download and try the demo free for 14 days. Avoid downloading from other pages than the official sites since there are many harmless looking web pages that are infected by viruses and trojan horses (which are installed in background without that you get notice that something unwanted is done).
GNMIDI single user license costs 36 Euro (incl. VAT) and can be ordered here: English and German.


May I test the demo longer after the 14 days testing period is over?

You may test next GNMIDI version again for 14 days.
It would be nice if you write an email to info@gnmidi.com and tell us what you think about GNMIDI product even if you decide not to purchase a GNMIDI license.


Where is my license mail?

After your order and payment we are usually informed by mycommerce about your paid order. We are not informed if your order somehow fails (e.g. payment not successful)
Usually within 24 hours but latest within 48 hours after this we send a license mail text (does not contain any attachments)
Sometimes mails are not delivered to recipient or moved into spam folder of the user. Then user does not see where the mail is and we have no information that the mail has not arrived.
Please contact as if the license mail does not arrive within 48 hours.
In rare cases sending anything to the user mail address does not work and we cannot contact you. Please use the mail form at https://www.gnmidi.com/mail_en.htm to ask and look there if an answer was left for you.
Make sure to specify a valid e-mail address at your order.
The field phone number in order is optional. We do not call you but in case that the delivery by email does not work it could help to send you an SMS that you get informed about the delivery problem and you could contact us with an other mail address or by mail form.


Which program can convert many MIDI files to format 0?

There are 3 MIDI file formats: 0, 1, 2. Most MIDI files are in format 1. Format 2 is rarely in use. GNMIDI can play all these formats. Many keyboards can only use MIDI files that are in format 0.
Use programs GNMIDI or GNMIDFMT to convert many files at once to format 0:
GNMIDFMT converts single MIDI file or many MIDI files that are in a folder.
GNMIDI converts single or all files in folder and its subfolders.


How to remove lyrics from a .kar file?

Some .kar files contain song text twice (META text and META lyrics). Some players display both song text merged at same time which is surely not wanted. You might prefer the text instead of lyrics.
Use operation GNMIDI filter MIDI commands in menu Modify/controller operations to remove all META lyric commands.


How to modify certain measures instead of whole MIDI file?

Most operations in GNMIDI can only be applied to whole MIDI file or whole track or whole channel. You need a MIDI sequencer to modify measures of a MIDI file.


Can GNMIDI insert lyrics into a MIDI file?

GNMIDI can insert lyrics into MIDI files and MP3 songs.
GNMIDI can synchronize lyric lines quickly (MIDI and MP3, Synchronization editor).
GNMIDI can synchronize lyric syllables to MIDI notes (Karaoke editor).
Tutorials are available: Synchronization editor, Karaoke editor


Can GNMIDI insert lyrics into a MP3 song?

GNMIDI can insert lyrics into MIDI files and MP3 songs.
GNMIDI can synchronize lyric lines quickly (MIDI and MP3, Synchronization editor).
Tutorial is available: Synchronization editor


Can the software display song text used without playing music?

GNMIDI uses a MIDI file to synchronise the text to given music times.
It is easier to synchronise a song while the lead melody can be heard.
GNMIDI can remove the lead melody or all unwanted channels so that the synchronised text and wanted backing tracks remain.
Choose the method "silent notes" to keep the notes unhearable in the song for the case you need them again.
This way the song with synchronized lyrics can be used as text monitoring tool without playing any music.
The GNMIDI Player shows a screen with lyrics. GNMixer player shows a scrolling line. The font and font size can be chosen.
Both scroll the song text automatically according to the synchronisation.
GNMIDI player allows to scroll the text manually up and down if necessary.
GNMixer player allows to change speed if the band plays quicker or slower than expected.


Can GNMIDI display pictures in the song text?

GNMIDI 3.12 can insert links to local images in the song text and display them.
Following formats are supported by Windows system: BPM, JPG, GIF, PNG
GNMIDI can also use pictures in MP3 song text.
Syntax is similar to HTML image links:

<img src="c:\images\scoresheet1.jpg">

Insert scoresheets and synchronize them using synchronisation editor so that the images automatically scroll by song time.


How to merge MIDI drum tracks to a single drum track?

General MIDI compatible MIDI files use channel 10 for drum kit. Each note plays an other drum sound.
MIDI Format 1 allows authors to create more tracks for same channel e.g. each drum instrument in a separate track. All drum tracks use notes on channel 10.
MIDI Format 0 contains only 1 track that contains all channels. Following track could be used to merge several tracks that use same channel to a single track:
Use GNMIDI 3 to convert the MIDI file to format 0 and then convert the result to format 1. This will first merge all channels to one track and then split the channels to own tracks.
Usually converting to format 0 loses some information relating MIDI commands that have no channel (e.g. track titles).
But GNMIDI 3 uses the original format 1 file to find out recent track assignments for all commands that have no channel information (e.g. text, sysex, track titles) so that most information of the original format 1 file can be restored when converting back to format 1.
This will surely also merge other channels that are used in more tracks.

GNMIDI has also an operation for the other direction to split drum instruments into own tracks.


Why does GNMIDI tell there is an error in MIDI file when other applications play them well?

GNMIDI carefully reads MIDI file and tells error when the file contains severe errors.
In most cases the file contains wrong track sizes or data is cut at end.
The rest might be well so that GNMIDI repair operation can restore this remaining part.
But the error file could also cause crashes in other applications that more trust the wrong track sizes and do not expect invalid or missing MIDI data.


When opening help (F1 or opening .chm file) there is no help text displayed

Windows has blocked the .chm help file for strange security behaviour (the file contains only text and images).
Open the GNMIDI folder with the file explorer and display the file properties of the .chm file.
There is a security warning displayed by Windows and a button to "unblock" (German: "Zulassen").
Then the help text should be visible after GNMIDI restart or opening .chm file.


How to display the correct melody note positions on scorelines?

When a MIDI song is loaded that contains lyrics then karaoke view displays the lyrics and with option in menu settings the melody note positions are displayed on score lines too.
There is no information in a MIDI file that declares which channels contain melody notes.
GNMIDI tries to find a melody channel self but that could be wrong guessed.
Click with right mouse into the karaoke view to open the edit description dialog. There you can enter the correct melody channel (e.g. 2) or melody channel list (e.g. 1,4) and store the information in a file outside of the midi song.


How to find out the melody channel for a MIDI song?

A MIDI song can use channels 1-16 to play notes with different sounds.
GNMIDI and GNMixer have keyboard keys display where you could see the colored playing notes of all channels.
GNMIDI menu analyse contains a function to find the melody channel interactive by repeating to play some channels and answer if the melody was playing or not.
GNMixer has mute and solo operations during playing the song so that the melody should be quick found.
There are also songs that have no melody notes included or where the melody channel is silent.


How to create a teleprompt session?

GNMIDI teleprompt operation displays text on screen that automatically scrolls with speed calculated from given line times assuming constant speed between unsynchronized lines.

Functions for teleprompt are in

menu File/new teleprompt file ... create new file with given duration and store it to a new file name. Optionally a background music that is usually only used for presentations

menu Modify/edit teleprompt .... enter or modify lyrics and optionally times in LRC format [m:ss.ms]

menu Modify/synchronize teleprompt ... play (with or without background music) beginning from selected line. Click F5 when selected line should be visible at certain time.

menu Player/start, stop, pause ... with space key a teleprompt file can be played (can be silent). It scrolls automatically according to given times without highlighting.

You don't need to enter or synchronize all line times. Unsynchronized lines are automatically calculated assuming constant speed.
If you only enter the lyric lines and a duration then this would be already a valid teleprompt file.
It automatically scrolls within the given song duration with constant speed (assuming first line at 0:00 and last line at given duration).
With the editor or synchronize dialog you can set extra positions where the song might change speed and so some lyric lines run quicklier.
If you need exact times with color highlighted lines you should use a MIDI file and synchronization editor or karaoke editor and optionally mute the sounds of melody or all channels.


How to extract drums in all MIDI files?

A MIDI song usually uses General MIDI drum channel 10 for drums. Each note in a drum channel plays an other drum instrument defined by the used drumkit.
GNMIDI can extract the drum channels by using operation renumber MIDI channels (which can also delete selected channels).
GNMIDI Professional can do this operation (File/menu batch operations) for a folder (including sub folders) and produces results in a destination folder with same structure.
In renumber channels dialog use TAB key to set focus to next item. For each channel that you don't want to keep use key Home (Pos1) to set the entry to delete channel. Then use OK to start the operation.
Try it first with a single MIDI file opened in GNMIDI. The result file should only play drums.


How to print lyrics and chords only?

GNMIDI prints lyrics by default same as in karaoke view (except automatic filling of long pauses is ignored).
You can turn off setting show melody note positions to reduce paper usage so that only lyrics and chords are printed if available.

www.gnmidi.com © Günter Nagler Contact