I Need to Save My Songs

[Jay Norem]

I've been through every one of my tunes, and I've chosen the ones that I think are the best, the ones I'm the most proud of, the ones that really get my point of view across. It comes to about 200 songs, I think.

My problem is that all of those songs are on floppy disks that load files into my old Ensoniq TS 10 workstation keyboard, which is connected to the computer. What I want to do is take my music into the computer as, what, MIDI files? And then I want to organize them in some way and then burn them onto CDs for safe keeping. Also, I'd like for the songs to be editable, in the cases where I find a recording that still needs a little work.

Safe keeping is the thing. Getting them all solidly up on the computer, so I don't have to worry anymore about them being on those damn disks.

How do I do that, is the question. I imagine I'd need to buy some software. I know that this is possible I just don't know how to do it, and I'm hoping that someone here can tell me how this sort of thing is done.

[page]

Hi Jay,
I would suggest to get an external hard disk and put your files on that one. I have my files on the computer, on an external hard disk and on a usb stick. Don't just save them as midifiles, since when you do some things could get changed when you'd open them with notation software. You have finale right? Save them as finale files, as xml and as midifiles, so your fonts, chord symbols etc won't get lost. In midi files that can happen.
There also options to save files online but personally I feel not good about doing so.
I still have old floppy disks which I can not use anymore since my old computer broke down. I hope your computer has the possibility to connect to another hard disk since that is what you need to do.

[Jay Norem]

Hi Page,

Yes, I've got my stuff stored on an external drive. What I'd like to do, that I wasn't clear about, is to run the song sequences from the computer, instead of the TS10. The disks will go bad or the keyboard will stop running, one of those is almost certain to happen. I want to eliminate the keyboard for now, and just have my sequences on the computer.

[page]

Sorry for misunderstanding, Jay. I'm not sure I get what you are asking. Is the computer with the floppy drive still running? Then you could just copy and past it to the computer as long as you have the software which runs it on the computer too. You probably mean something else, sorry must be my lack of English again. Hope someone else can help you.

[tpt1]

Jay, I am only making a guess here, but I'm thinking that the Ensoniq sequences that run on your TS 10 are in some proprietary file format and need to be converted to standard MIDI in order to run from an application ( like Finale ) on your computer.

Is there software available that will convert your Ensoniq sequences to MIDI? That I don't know but I would think someone has run into this before. The TS 10 was a very popular keyboard.

Edit: I know. That wasn't much help, especially since I just re-read your first post and you seem to already know what I just said. How to actually go about doing it.... that's the problem.

[Jay Norem]

"General MIDI" is written on the TS10, so maybe they won't need to be converted, but now you've got me thinking that I need to have a look at the owner's manual, which I still have.

And it's always good to hear from Page and Chris!

[tpt1]

Originally Posted by Jay Norem

And it's always good to hear from Page and Chris!

Likewise, I'm sure.

[page]

Yep, same here Jay. liefs

[Mutat Tra]

I suppose you will need to convert Ensoniq's proprietary file format to standard MIDI files. This looks like it might do the job:

http://www.giebler.biz/product.sc?pr...2&categoryId=3

Apparently you need MS-DOS, it won't run under Windows.... (Ah, the 80's...)

[engelbach]

O Prolific one,

Giebler makes software to convert your files to MIDI. I dunno whether you can just input the Ensoniq files into the computer from the keyboard.

http://www.ts12.net/links.html

Cheers,
Jer

[harmolodic]

I want to hear all 200 of them.

[Jeff Smith]

Originally Posted by harmolodic

I want to hear all 200 of them.

Now that Free Jazz Institute is back online, you can listen to lots of them, and check out the charts too. I don't know what I like better, Jay's tunes or the titles.

http://freejazzinstitute.com/showpos...dept=originals

[Jay Norem]

Originally Posted by engelbach

O Prolific one,

Giebler makes software to convert your files to MIDI. I dunno whether you can just input the Ensoniq files into the computer from the keyboard.

http://www.ts12.net/links.html

Cheers,
Jer

Hi Jerry, sorry I'm so late in responding.

Yes, the Giebler software looks like just the ticket. Unfortunately, it will only run on PCs. I know, very strange. Rather stupid, in fact.

[Mutat Tra]

Originally Posted by Jay Norem

I know, very strange. Rather stupid, in fact.

Neither strange nor stupid. It's software from the 80's (the period your synth was popular) and they haven't been maintaining or updating it since then (understandably, not enough audience) .

Actually you're pretty lucky to have this available, and you should download it while you still can. Then you get an old PC that you might even find lying on a sidewalk, install MSDOS, convert your files and VIOLA !

[engelbach]

Originally Posted by Jay Norem

Hi Jerry, sorry I'm so late in responding.

Yes, the Giebler software looks like just the ticket. Unfortunately, it will only run on PCs. I know, very strange. Rather stupid, in fact.

Deepest apologies, old buddy, for forgetting that you're one of us Apple-ites.

The kind of disastrous faux-pas that comes of such infrequent contact.