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Compose World uses a system called MIDI to make musical sounds. This means that your PC will need a Sound card installed to work with Compose World Junior.
Most sound cards have a system of producing MIDI sounds in two ways. The first is using an internal synthesiser built onto the card. This will either be using an FM synthesiser (low quality) or a Wave Table synthesiser (high quality). The sounds from this method will be produced from the line or headphone output of the sound card and so you will need some speakers or headphones connected to hear it.
The second method is to send the MIDI data out of the MIDI port to an external MIDI Synthesiser or MIDI keyboard. This second method will require a MIDI adaptor cable to be attached to the joystick port on the sound card. This adaptor contains MIDI leads that can be used to connect to your external synthesiser or keyboard.
You need to choose which type of MIDI output you are using. To do this choose "Multimedia" from the Control Panel. Choose MIDI from the choices available.
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You will be asked to choose the MIDI output you require. The internal option will play using the synthesiser on your sound card. The external option will require the MIDI adaptor to be connected to an external synthesiser. There is also a configuration program supplied with Compose World Junior or Compose World 2: This allows you to set the MIDI interface that Compose World Junior use directly. It is set, by default, to "MIDI Mapper". When this option is chosen the program will use the MIDI instrument selected from the Multimedia panel above. Otherwise you can set Compose World Junior to use a specific MIDI instrument. | ![[MIDI Set]](../gif/midiset.gif)
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The first thing to check is whether the sound from your computer is working OK. One of the easiest ways of doing this is choosing the Media Player from the Start menu:
Start->Programs->Accessories->Multimedia->Media Player
You can use this player to play ordinary sounds and MIDI sounds by choosing the device you require. Another way of checking basic sounds is the Sounds option on the Control Panel.
One important factor to note when using MIDI and Sound on the PC is that only one program can use a MIDI instrument at a time. This means that if you are already running a music program when you load Compose World Junior, you may find that Compose World Junior is silent. You need to quit Compose World Junior, then quit any other music programs before running Compose World Junior again.
This only happens when each application is trying to use the same MIDI instrument. Using the CWConfig utility supplied with Compose World Junior and the utilities provided with your other music programs to set different programs to use different MIDI devices. For example, one program could use the internal synthesiser and the other the MIDI interface connected to an external synthesiser.
PC Sound cards have a D type connector fitted. This is for use with a Joystick or for MIDI. To use it for MIDI you will need a PC MIDI Card adaptor. This connects to the D type connector on the PC and had two MIDI cables attached. These can be connected to the MIDI on your musical keyboard. Note that the MIDI In on the interface goes to the MIDI Out on the keyboard and the MIDI Out on the interface goes to the MIDI In on the keyboard.
There are a number of high quality wave table synthesisers available for PC's that use software to make the sounds rather than hardware. The PC needs to have at least a Pentium processor to make good use of this facility. This can provide high quality MIDI sounds without the need to connect your machine to an external MIDI synthesiser.
Some MIDI keyboards and synthesisers have a serial port connector as well as a MIDI connector. If this is the case then you can connect the synthesiser to the serial port of your computer and install the required driver software supplied with the MIDI synthesiser.
There are MIDI interfaces available for parallel, serial and USB ports. If you want to use an external MIDI keyboard with a portable then you may need to obtain such an interface unless your portable has a joystick/MIDI connector.
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