ROB'S HAM SHACK

Amateur Radio and Antique Radio Equipment

Free CW MIDI Software

Original and FREE!

Copyright © 1997-2002 Rob L. Dey rdey@natradioco.com KA2BEO
All Rights Reserved

Installation and Use

Find answers to your questions about installing and using CW MIDI software.

This additional information is not available in the context-sensitive online help.

Standard Installation

ZIP FILES - Zip files are compressed to make them smaller, they have no relation to ZIP drives! WinZip is a program available on the Internet that allows Zip files to be unzipped (uncompressed). On the Web, most files that you will come across will be Zip files, so you should get a copy of WinZip. When you unzip the CW Midi for Windows file, you will get two Zip files, one for floppy disk 1, and one for floppy disk 2. These two Zip files must be unzipped seperately, and the files must be copied onto two floppy disks. Then, install the floppy disks, by running "setup.exe" on disk 1 from your floppy disk drive, and follow any on-screen instructions to complete the installation. Using this approach, you will have a backup copy of the software on floppy disk at all times. If you have a computer-experienced friend, he or she should be able to help you with the installation.

INSTALL PROCEDURE - You must unzip the Zip file with Pkzip, WinZip, or equivalent software, then unzip the Disk 1 and Disk 2 files onto two floppy disks. To install, run the setup.exe file on Disk 1 in the floppy drive, and follow directions on screen. The installation process is outlined below.

  1. Unzip the Cwmidi32.zip file.
  2. Unzip the Disk1 file into a temporary folder, then copy these files onto a floppy disk labeled CW Midi for Windows - Disk 1 of 2.
  3. Unzip the Disk2 file into a temporary folder, then copy these files onto a floppy disk labeled CW Midi for Windows - Disk 2 of 2.
  4. The two floppies are now your MASTER disks to install the software where ever and when ever you want.
  5. Insert the first disk into your floppy drive, and run the "setup.exe" file.
  6. Follow any instructions on screen during the installation.
  7. Run the program by clicking on Start, Programs, CW Midi for Windows.

Standard Use

TROUBLE PLAYING - There is no way to play a CW MIDI file from within the CW MIDI program. The program only creates the MIDI file for you. You must use a MIDI file player, like Media Player in Microsoft Windows. You can play a CW MIDI file from the Microsoft Media Player that is part of Microsoft Windows. Click on Start, Programs, Accessories, Entertainment (or Multimedia), Media Player. Also, you may be able to simply double-click the filename from within Windows Explorer or My Computer. If the settings in Windows are correct (a MIDI player must be associated with the file type/extension), the file will play, typically.

NO SOUND - Make sure that other MIDI files play okay. Check your speaker connections, and make sure that the MIDI volume is turned up high in your sound mixer, not just the MASTER volume. If running Windows 95, 98, or NT, use Control Panel, Multimedia, MIDI to setup your sound card and allow you to play MIDI files. Then click on the Start button, Programs, (Entertainment or Multimedia), then Media Player to start running a MIDI file player, open your MIDI file, and play it.

DISABLED FEATURES - The Farnsworth, Tone, and Volume features are enabled in version 2.00 only! The FREE version (v1.00) has these features turned off. This means that you can only use the default values for Tone and Volume. The Tone and Volume are not selectable in v1.00. If you look at the "Program Features" and "Contacting the Author" sections of the online help in v1.00, you will see details on v2.00, and how to obtain it.

MIDI/WAVE - Saving Morse code as a WAVE file is easy for anyone with a sound card and a keyer. The reason for the "CW Midi for Windows" software is to allow Morse code to be saved and replayed as a "tiny" MIDI file, not a "huge" WAVE file. Another advantage over WAVE files, with MIDI files, you can infinitely modify the sound quality of the MIDI player, yet leave the MIDI file unchanged.

Sound Quality

The sound quality of a MIDI file should be far superior to a WAVE file during Morse code playback. Your settings in the MIDI mapper (part of Windows, Control Panel ...) allows you to make the CW sound however you like it. Also, using the Wavetable synthesis on your sound card will make the code sound more "musical" (unlike typical code), than if you simply use normal FM synthesis. To change the tone quality of your soundcard during playback, setup the MIDI Mapper section in Control Panel, Multimedia, MIDI from within Windows. Use FM, not Wavetable synthesis. Using a MIDI sequencer program, you can change the pitch of the Morse code with the Transpose feature.

Web Sites

Here are two samples of the HTML code required to play a CW MIDI file from a web page using an ordinary Web browser.

Place the following HTML tag in the <BODY> of the page to hear code when the page is loaded.

<BGSOUND SRC="new.mid" LOOP="1">

Place the following HTML tag in the <BODY> of the page to hear code when the underlined hyperlink "New CW MIDI file" is clicked on.

<A HREF="new.mid">New CW MIDI file</A>

Operating Systems

DOS - For Microsoft MS-DOS and IBM PC-DOS, use CW MIDI (for DOS) v1.00.

Windows - For Microsoft Windows 3.1x, use CW MIDI (for DOS) v1.00. For Microsoft Windows 95, 98, NT, 2000, and Me, use CW Midi for Windows v1.00 or v2.00.

Windows CE - For palm-size personal computers (PPCs), or PC companions, running Microsoft Windows CE, you can play the CW MIDI files created on an alternate operating system.

Palm OS - For personal digital assistants (PDAs), or connected organizers, running Palm OS, you can play the CW MIDI files created on an alternate operating system. You will need special software and possibly hardware for playing MIDI files on a Palm OS device. You can try using Palm MIDI Desktop 0.1 to install the MIDI file as a system alarm sound, or try PlayMIDI 0.43. None of these techniques will be simple for the average Palm user, and they may not work either. Palm Inc. and Shinei International created a MIDI player hardware add-on for the Palm PDAs. This has not been tested with the CW MIDI files either.

Mac OS - For Apple Macintosh machines running Mac OS, try using Connectix Virtual PC 3.0 or 4.0, available in DOS and Windows versions. You can visit www.connectix.com for more information.

Linux - For Linux machines, try using VMware 2.0 for Linux. You can visit www.vmware.com for more information.

Future Improvements

Plans to release a new and improved version of CW Midi for Windows will include some of the following enhancements.

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