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318 APPENDIX / About the Standard MIDI File Format
The Standard MIDI File Format is a standard which has recently been implemented by a number of software and
hardware makers. This standardized format allows song data to be transferred easily between different sequencers —
even between sequencers made by different manufacturers.
The SY85 supports two Standard MIDI File types, known as format 0 and format 1. In the former type, all
sequencer data is recorded as a single track, which may include data for more than one MIDI channel. In the latter,
an unlimited number of tracks may be used, each of which may contain data for more than one channel. The SY85
is capable of loading data saved in either of these formats. Data saved by the SY85 using the Standard MIDI File
format will be saved as format 0.
Loading data: To load sequencer data saved in an Standard MIDI File format, select load operation type Other
Load from the disk menu. The file to be loaded must meet the following conditions:
• The File must be loaded from a disk formatted by the SY85, or from a 3.5 inch 2DD floppy disk in
MS-DOS
®
or PC-DOS
®
format. (Refer to the paragraph titled Acceptable disk formats, below.)
• It must have been saved as Standard MIDI File format 0 or format 1. Files saved using Standard MIDI File
format 2 cannot be loaded.
• The MIDI clock must be used as the basic clock.
• The file must have a resolution of 1/96, 192, 288, 384, 480 of a quarter note.
• The file must have an extension .X01 through .X99.
When a format 0 file is loaded, the data for each MIDI channel is loaded to the corresponding track (channel 1
to Track 1, channel 2 to Track 2, and so on). Only data for channels 1 through 8 is loaded, however; any data
for channel 9 through 16 will be ignored.
When a format 1 file is loaded, tracks are loaded in sequence. It will therefore be necessary to reset the
channel assignments for each track when loading is complete.
All data loaded to a single track in this way will be transmitted by the SY85 on a single channel. For this
reason, even if one track of a format 1 file contains data for two or more MIDI channels, all this data will be
played back by the SY85 using a single channel. Since this may mean that sequencer parts may not play back as
desired, we recommend that format 0 be used for the transfer of data whenever possible.
No exclusive data is loaded from Standard MIDI Files of either format type.
Saving data: Data may be saved in Standard MIDI File format to any of the disk types described in Acceptable
disk formats, below. To save sequencer data in Standard MIDI File format, select save operation type Other
Save from the disk menu. The data for each track is saved to the corresponding MIDI channel (Track 1 to
channel 1, Track 2 to channel 2, and so on). No exclusive data is saved when this format is used.
Files saved using the Standard MIDI File format are given a file extension .X01 through .X99, which allows
the SY85 to recognize the file’s format. Other programs, however, may not be able to recognize the file as a
Standard MIDI File unless the .MID extension is used; when transferring data saved by the SY85 to another
device where it will be used by such a program, you should first rename the file using a personal computer or
other means.
Acceptable disk formats: Standard MIDI Files may of course be saved to or loaded from disks formatted by the
SY85. Disks formatted by a personal computer may also be used, as long as they are 2DD disks in
MS-DOS
®
or PC-DOS
®
format. Disks formatted by an Apple Macintosh
®
may used as long as they are format-
ted using a SuperDrive or other disk drive device capable of formatting a disk in MS-DOS
®
format.
To use Standard MIDI Files saved by the SY85 on an Apple Macintosh
®
, use ResEdit or a similar utility to
change the file type attribute to that of a MIDI file.
* MS-DOS
®
is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
* PC-DOS
®
is a registered trademark of International business Machines Corporation.
* Macintosh
®
is a registered trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.
About the Standard MIDI File Format