MIDI

This is a general information page for the various applications of MIDI on the Pandora.

Game music

Many games make use of MIDI background music. Generally these are PC ports like Doom, Warcraft, Dune 2, ROTT, the Zelda remakes, Albion and more. To enable music in these games (as directed by their documentation), install the Timidity MIDI installer. It provides the sound and configuration required to enable MIDI background music.

Listening to .mid files

Timidity Daemon & GUI includes a basic player for .mid files. Other audio players may support the .mid format too. Note: The Timidity MIDI installer is a pre-requisite to the Dameon & GUI package. Without it, you will not have sounds or Timidity config present on your system.

Music producers

Standard USB MIDI class drivers are included on the Pandora, which means any 'generic' interfaces should be supported. Check the USB compatibility list for information on specific devices. Most USB MIDI interfaces are USB1.1, which means you'll need to use a USB hub. If you do not have any MIDI hardware attached, you will need both the Timidity MIDI installer and Timidity Daemon & GUI. Running the daemon allows Timidity to be seen as an output device by sequencing software, so it can be used for on-board sounds.

What is the difference between the "MIDI Installer" and the "Daemon & GUI"?

The MIDI Installer simply installs patterns (sounds) and a config file. It is all that you need if you only want to enable game music. The Daemon & GUI package is the full Timidity binary compiled for the Pandora. (Note that it will not function without the MIDI Installer being run first.) Why aren't they packaged together? Primarily because the former is a large-ish 40MB PND which you can remove from your card after installing, and the latter is a lighter 600KB PND which you keep on your system. Merging them was discussed, but it was decided that keeping them separate was more flexible for users.

Can I use MIDI via an emulator?

The Atari ST emulator Hatari has been successfully tested running driving hardware synths via USB MIDI interface 12. In theory DOSBox should also be able to drive hardware (such as a Roland MT32) as it does on PC, although this is untested on the Pandora. Feel free to test and add your results to this section.