
                 ** MidiLab/2 Installation and Notes **

------------IMPORTANT---------------IMPORTANT----------------IMPORTANT---------
Beginning with release 2.30,  MidiLab/2 requires that the OS/2 V2.1 Multimedia
Presentation Manager (MMPM/2) be installed. These are the last two diskettes
provided with the OS/2 2.1 set.

MidiLab/2 supports the Roland MPU-401 family of hardware MIDI interfaces in
>>ONLY<< the "intelligent co-processor", or non-UART, mode of operation. If you
have a hardware device which claims to be MPU-401 compatible, you must furthur
determine whether or not the compatibility claim supports this mode. If it
doesn't, MidiLab/2 will not function.  (See the NOTE under step 4)
------------IMPORTANT---------------IMPORTANT----------------IMPORTANT---------

MidiLab/2 should be installed within an OS/2 2.1 environment, in its own
directory.  Install as follows:

1. Create a directory for MidiLab/2 on a drive of your choice.  The following
   examples and instructions assume the directory is named MLABPM, and it is
   set as the current directory.

2. After copying MLABVxxx.EXE into the MLABPM directory, simply execute it.
   It's a self-extracting ZIP file, and will install all required files.

3. Create a MidiLab/2 icon by dragging a program template to an existing folder
   (or to the desktop) specifying the following settings:

   Program
     - Path and file name: [d:]\MLABPM\MLABPM.EXE
     - Parameters: /P=[d:]\songlib
     - Working directory: [d:]\MLABPM
   General
     - Title: MidiLab/2

   The optional /P parameter is used to specify a default directory for loading
   and saving MIDI data files.  Extensions of .MID (standard MIDI format 1) and
   .ML (MidiLab/2 native format) are supported.
   See 'Invoking MidiLab/2' under the Help Index for other optional parameters.

4. Add a DEVICE statement to CONFIG.SYS for the MidiLab/2 MPU device driver:
      DEVICE=[d:]\MLABPM\MPU401DD.SYS I=n
   where:
    n is the interrupt for which the MPU hardware is wired. (usually 2 or 5)

    NOTE:  MidiLab/2 will run in a 'demo' mode if you don't have the MPU-401
    hardware.  The play and record functions will be disabled, but the file
    manager, editor, and most of the dialog boxes and windows will be available.
    The DEVICE statement is not required in this case, but a parameter of /Z
    should be used to avoid warning messages.

    For a user without the MPU hardware, this mode can still provide some
    useful facilities, such as examining, editing, or even creating MIDI files.

5. After re-booting your system, MidiLab/2 will be ready to run by mousing the
   MidiLab/2 icon created in step 3.

   A sample songfile (5THSYM.ML) created by MidiLab/2 is included, to be placed
   in a directory of your choice. This songfile is NOT a standard general MIDI
   file.  It is highly unlikely that it will play with the correct voicing on
   your synthesizer; however, it provides you the opportunity to familiarize
   yourself with some of MidiLab/2's functions to voice the tracks properly.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The online HELP contains the documentation and description of the product,
as well as an introductory MIDI tutorial. Everything (I hope) you need to know
is contained in the help support.  Most, if not all, dialogs and pull-downs
have at least some basic verbage on their functions.

IMPORTANT: MidiLab/2 is designed for an XGA high-resolution display (1024 X 768).
           There are currently some problems achieving Display device
           independence.  If the MidiLab/2 main window is incorrectly
           positioned when first started, reposition it with the mouse (or
           Alt-F7) and then exit the program.  This will save the current
           window position, and it will be subsequently positioned correctly.

           A related problem is that some of the dialog box text may be
           truncated.  Dragging a Helv 8 font from the Font Palette to the
           affected dialog box may correct the problem.

MidiLab/2 has evolved over a seven year period, starting out as a DOS program,
then OS/2 1.3 non-PM, and finally on to 2.0 32 bit.  Your comments and
suggestions are welcome, either on MIDILAB FORUM (VM), PC-TIE, or Compuserve.

Or write to:
             Far Pavilions Studio
             PO Box 2314
             Saratoga, Ca. 95070-0314

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Release 2.60 notes:   October 1994

  - Add graphical song editor
    (Note: some functions of this editor are not yet implemented)

Release 2.40 notes:   March 1994

  - Preserve original time base when saving non-std value
  - Allow playing of certain files with MPU-incompatible time bases
  - Expand Jumbo Measures Display to include total measures in song

Release 2.30 notes:   February 1994

  - Allow MIDI-THRU / OMNI mode setting to be saved in .INI.
  - Disallow SysReset if function is active
  - Position Edit list box to current index position at entry
  - Implement 'Measures to play' and PlayLoop function
  - Set YESNOCANCEL for Confirm, allow abort on INI change
  - Added Reset button for 'starting_measures' group box
  - Convert main window pushbuttons to MMPM/2 graphic style
  - Implement Fast-Fwd (finally)
  - Put in bitmapped visual metronome
  - Set file search string to "*.M*" instead of "*.*"

Release 2.21 notes:   September 1993

  - Provided for saving main window position in MLABPM.INI.
  - Update main window tempo box when tempo control slider is moved.
  - Insert Measure-End marks into MIDI 1.0 files to aid editing.
  - Miscellaneous bug and performance fixes.

Release 2.10 notes:   August 1993

  - Fixed major I/O bug which was causing intermittent system hang
  - Added Track Erase function by double-clicking on index field.
  - Now packaging product using Self-Extracting ZIP file.

Release 2.00 notes:   July 1993

  - Support for 16 tracks added.
  - Maximum capacity of each track increased to 999,999 bytes.
  - Option to display track text data during load
  - Track name field increased to 16 characters.
  - Track size parameters eliminated when invoking MidiLab/2. Track sizes are
    now specified via a dialog box by double clicking the track size field.

Release 1.20 notes:   June 1993

  - Added Jumbo measure display
  - Primitive font support
  - Miscellaneous bug and performance fixes.

Release 1.10 notes:   April 1993

  - Added improvements to Editor, including ability to easily mark large blocks.
  - Added MLABPM.INI; initialization file.
  - Added Remote Control facility, enabling MidiLab/2 to be controlled from a
    MIDI device.
  - Track capacity extended to 65K
  - Miscellaneous bug and performance fixes.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Miscellaneous usage notes:

  - If errors occur immediately following installation, the most likely cause
    is an incorrect IRQ setting for the MPU hardware and/or the DEVICE
    statement in CONFIG.SYS.  Other common problems are incompatabile MIDI
    hardware, or in some cases, a back-level MLABPM.INI file. In the last case,
    deleting the file will permit a new one to be allocated.

  - The MidiLab/2 device driver and the WIN/OS2 MPU-401 driver cannot coexist.
    One must be deactivated in order to use the other. When running MidiLab/2,
    insure WIN/OS2 is not active, and vice-versa. In some cases, it may be
    necessary to REM out the MidiLab/2 driver statement in CONFIG.SYS in order
    to run WIN/OS2 MIDI applications.

  - If performance problems occur, try turning off the index display from the
    'Utilities' pull-down.

  - Time bases greater than 192 PPQ (pulses per quarter note) are supported
    only if they are an even multiple of 120, e.g.: 240, 480, etc.

  - MidiLab/2 supports a maximum of sixteen virtual tracks, and will load only
    the first seventeen tracks of a Format 1 MIDI file containing more than 17.
    The first track is assumed to contain setup information such as tempo, etc.

  - In Edit, the event list box is limited to approx. 2000 events.  This is
    due to an OS/2 limitation of 65K for list box contents.  This
    limitation is expected to be lifted in a future release of OS/2.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

James L. Bell
Far Pavilions Studio
Compuserve: 71034,3001
Tel: (408) 378-9649
