Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2020 January 9

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January 9

Looking for a pre-2000 random MIDI generator.

Hi,

I'm looking for a program that I know from experience exists but can't seem to find any trace of on the internet. The program is an automatic MIDI generator, that is to say it would

Here are the details I have.

• The program was used to create the GraalOnline soundtrack - including versions thereof dating back to prior to the year 2000. (I first became aware of the program because said music sounds automatically generated.)
• The program existed prior to the year 2000 - based on the prior.
• The program ran on Windows and produced MIDI files.
• I remember the name of the program to be 'DirectMusic Composer' - but this is evidently incorrect as I can find no trace of such a program existing. Given that that is wrong, I do not know what the program's name was, but I believe it had 'DirectMusic' in it.

The program allowed the automatic creation of stereo MIDI tracks by selecting a style of music and, within that, a mood and instrument set, then moving around instruments on a small screen to determine their position (for stereo). The program would generate the MIDI automatically given this.

I have used this program in the past but do not currently have access to the computer it was on. Any assistance tracking this down would be greatly appreciated as I am currently at a loss.

2600:6C55:4A00:D7A:D04:4645:7E93:9E95 (talk) 08:06, 9 January 2020 (UTC)

Are you thinking of Microsoft Music Producer perhaps? I've never used it that I recall but it sort of looks like you describe [1]. (Found from [2].) It was evidently used in Windows 98 [3] [4] [5] and indeed the Geocities page is from 1999 so seems to fit the time frame you sggest. There is also DirectMusic Producer, mentioned in our article that was part of DirectMusic and so I think part of the DirectX SDK at one time but it doesn't seem to be similar to what you refer to [6] [7] [8]. It seems to be more like a composer like Cakewalk or something albeit intended for working with DirectMusic and so controlling how things work for games and the like. So there is some ability to adjust elements of a composition, but not make one based on a defined style or whatever. The last source does mention the possibility someone would make an algorithmic plugin but I find no evidence there was ever anything common. Nil Einne (talk) 10:20, 9 January 2020 (UTC)

It seems like Microsoft Music Producer probably came from the The Blue Ribbon SoundWorks acquisition, as they produced a similar problem for the Amiga caled SuperJAM! (Amiga music software) [9] [10]). I suspect they were also involved in DirectMusic and DirectMusic Producer. There were I'm sure many vaguely similar programs especially those used in the mod and demo scene although these didn't generally make midis. Nil Einne (talk) 10:27, 9 January 2020 (UTC)

It was absolutely Microsoft Music Producer. Thank you so, so much! Now I know for sure it existed and what it was called, tracking it down will be much easier. 208.83.199.100 (talk) 21:35, 9 January 2020 (UTC)

And I found it. Note that while I am the one who asked this question I am currently on a different computer and a different network. Thank you so much. 208.83.199.100 (talk) 21:41, 9 January 2020 (UTC)