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I think this new version is very very usable. Yesterday, I experimented quite a lot and I am creating some MER-files which I will add to the Downloads section of msx.org soon.

That's good news Latok. A Meridian music section in the downloads would be a very nice addition to the ever growing downloads section.

I have very little time to experiment with Meridian at the moment, but I've played around a bit and now (almost) everything seems to work exactly like you expect it to. The only change I'd still like to see is the possibility of entering the Tempo in BPM.

Indeed, writeing a small song and experimenting with instrument settings during playback adds a lot of value to the program. And SMF files with pitchbending and modulation sound truly amazing. I remember people saying it would never work, or that it would sound like utter crap. I'd say... look at what Michiel accomplished within a year (October 06 - Meridian 4 moonsound announcement). Don't only look at it. Listen to it. It will rock your pants.

It does indeed. It gives your Moonsound a completely NEW level of enjoyment!

New! Exciting! Try it now!
Seriously, can't wait to get started... Still have to set up my MSX/sound system over here, but from what I heared and read I'm already extatic

Hi folks,

Now the second beta version of Meridian is online, it will be a good thing that the next release will be the full 3.0 version.

These functions/improvements will be implemented in the next one:

* Tempo will be represented as beats per minute (bpm) and no longer as milliseconds per quarter note.
* The replayer will play FM drums
* Support of PCM-USR tones that uses SRAM wavetables and not only modified ROM wavetables.
* Support of the new fileformat which holds more than one tone based on just one sample. This fileformat will be supported in the Opl4 Wave Editor (won't it Marcel...?)
* End of Page command in the time event track will be supported again.
* Event optimizer
* The MIDI THRU emulator will 'send' the MIDI data to the Opl4 too and not only to the MIDI OUT port.

Anymore suggestions?
Remember: the more functionallity there will be built in, the longer it will take to finalize Meridian 3.0

Realtime MIDI IN support is something for Meridian 4.0, coz this will be a very complex thing to realize this without the lost of received MIDI data.

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Remember: the more functionallity there will be built in, the longer it will take to finalize Meridian 3.0

LOL, is that a threat?

Seriously though, all those functions sound GREAT. I'm glad you support FM drums too, Meridian 3.0 will really support each and every OPL4 feature available!
With all the stuff already in the current beta, I can't think of anything to suggest. All I can say is keep up the fantastic job!

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>>Remember: the more functionallity there will be built in, the longer it will take to finalize Meridian 3.0<< LOL, is that a threat?

He! Don't get 'bijdehand'

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He! Don't get 'bijdehand'

My hands are connected to my arms, so they're always near

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>>He! Don't get 'bijdehand' << My hands are connected to my arms, so they're always near

You really are a smartass, aren't you?

Anyway, two things that could use some attention:

The SHIFT-bug is still there. So if I type "Flying Bytes" it often results in 'Fflying Bbytes". Quite annoying. For the same reason A#4 ends up in A#34 and an error. Quite annoying indeed

Second: CURSOR-movements. It's impressive to see Meridian browse through pages so quickly, but I'd like to see other controls:

If I'm at the last step of a page and I press right, I do not want to end up in the NEXT page, but in the same page at step 1. And vice versa. Moving from page to page could be done with a key-combination like SHIFT + CURSOR or CONTROL + CURSOR. Ordinary cursor movements should imho not result in moving to a next page.

I agree with what snout said, except the part about being a smartass.

And please rename HELP.COM to MERIDIAN.HLP or something, it's very confusing this way.

About pitch bending. Is it possible to implement a simpler, less accurate Moonblaster-alike pitchbend-alike function as well?

of.. perhaps.. even... portamento?

(portamento rulez!)

I wonder....Are there any updates to share with us?

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I wonder....Are there any updates to share with us?

Well....I'm working on a new replayer in Meridian, because the current one
isn't good enough and the frequencies aren't calculated in the right manner.
You can hear it especially in the piano waves. Marcel D found an Opl4 replay
routines for the PC written in C. This rountine calculates the frequencies using
a logarithmic to lineair (yeah, technotalk I know...) table. Another item
which irritated me so much is, that the replayer, the tones editors and the
Opl4-program editor have their own frequency tables. So,that should be history
too.
Now I'm busy working on a better MIDI-IN interrupt routine. When this routine
works fine, tone and program editting for Opl4 can be done using a MIDI keyboard
to test the tones and programs.

me out

GREAT, Michiel. Thx for sharing this info!!

In my reaction on the newspost about the release of Meridian3 beta3, I was very enthusiastic.

In essence, I still am, but I am not that positive about converting SMF's actually. I don't know whether it is the new OPL4 soundbank or the conversion routine, but there are WAY more SMF's sounding VERY off tune than there were with previous versions of Meridian :/

It is always good to give examples, so I put online this midi file from Final Fantasy VII, Theme From Aerith, I believe. Please, download it and play it through your OPL4 with Meridian. You will know what I mean

Here's the file: Aerith's Theme

This is only an example. There are many more SMF's having problems