If anyone has Voyetra's Digital Orchestrator Plus program, I need some help: I have some *.sng files from the older DOS SP1 program and I need them converted into DOP so that I can then import them into Voyetra's newer product called RPMidi.

In total there's about 6 songs that I really care about - none of them are any good but they have sentimental value to me.

Thanks,
Andrew

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Andrew

You can download a free copy of Voyetra's old DOS Sequencer Plus sequencer and export the .sng files as MIDI files that you can then load into any MIDI sequencer. You can find the program at ftp://ftp.voyetra.com/pub/voy/seqplus/seq_gold.zip

Note you won't be able to to play the MIDI files from this program as it won't support your Windows MIDI hardware, but all you need to do is load the .sng files and then export them out as MIDI files. From what I've read online you should be able to do this.


[This message has been edited by Nigel (edited 06-28-2005).]

Nigel,
Thanks for the tip and the VERY fast response. I'll follow up on it in the next couple of days and report back. Keep the topic open for a few.
Andrew

You'll need 4 floppy disks to unzip each of the file to, to create the necessary installation disks.

If for any reason this doesn't work your only other option is as documented on the Voyetra website in this RPMidi FAQ section ( included below ). Perhaps they may even provide you with a copy of Digital Orchestrator seeing as it is now discontinued by them and you can show you are a legal RPMidi owner.


SNG - Sequencer Plus format support
-----------------------------------

Q: I tried out Record Producer. I really miss the import feature for seqplus
songs. I used Sequencer Plus earlier for a very long period and I still
need the feature to load SeqPlus songs:
(not standard MIDI files - I need *.sng). Please give me a solution for
this requirement.


A: SNG files (for those of you who may not know) belong to a Voyetra DOS
Sequencing program *kick-butt* I might add, more than a decade old.
This format was supported up to the Digital Orchestrator series 2002.
Life has to move on, so this format is not supported by the "Record
Producer" series.

Nevertheless, here is a two step workaround if interested:

* Use DoPro to open all your .sng files and save them as .ORC.

* Then you can Open them in RP DLX.


NOTE: If you do not have "Digital Orchestrator Pro" and you reside
in the USA please email: sales@voyetra.com your Record Producer
Prod ID and Order number with your request for available options.
_____________________________________________
________________________________

Yah... I knew about the FAQ, and so I sent an email to Voyetra and here is the response I got to a 2-question email I originally sent to them (they posted their answers after each question):

=====================
From: VTB Sales [mailto:sales@voyetra.com]
Sent: Tuesday, June 28, 2005 8:07 AM
To: asamson@socal.rr.com
Subject: RE: RPMidi or USB MusicStarterKit


Thanks for the answers. In question #2, what I meant to ask, was: Will RPMidi work with the interface cables I have?

All our Sequencing programs (including RP MIDI) work with all standard MIDI interface cables that are properly installed and configured without any conflicts.

Also, I read your FAQ'a regarding the loading of *.sng files being a two-step process. Since I don't have Orchestrator, once I purchase RPMidi what options do I have to load my *.sng files - I only have about 5 that I care about?

Sorry but RP MIDI does not support file types from over 10 years ago such as SNG. Since you only have a small number of files and since you did not upgrade in the last 10 years, perhaps you can do without them.

Best regards,
Sam,
VTB Sales Team

=====================

No THAT doesn't sound very friendly now does it. On the one hand, I will buy the software and then try again, but then again, if they won't support it then I could really buy anybody's midi software, right? The only reason I'm "locked" into Voyetra is for the hope of them helping me solve my small little problem. That's when I decided to ask the community. I'm not giving up yet, not until I try what you suggested.

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Andrew

No they weren't very helpful were they. I'm surprised they couldn't just provide you with a copy of DO seeing as it is a discontinued product. Espcially when their own FAQ said to contact them about the conversion options.

Oh well, I hope the Sequencer Plus export solves the problem for you. I look forward to hearing how that works out when you get a chance to try it.

oKAY!!! I am a happy guy now. It all worked, and I'm up and running, but I feel like telling this story in detail:

I did download the SequencerPlus zip files, and was able to get most of the way through the process, but alas it wouldn't recognize the disketts in my A-drive. Have no clue.

Soooo, I resusitated my old 386 machine (dinosaur) which involved manually entering the CMOS settings for the hard-disk drive because apparently the backup battery died some time ago. I DID have a diskette with SP1 version 3.0 (1987 I think) which loaded (miracles do happen - thanks for the lyric Kenny Loggins). Fortunately that version did support exporting to a *.mid file; however, there are 4 variables with 2 choices each. Not bad, actually, only 8 possible combinations. I actually hit it on the 3rd try using "type-0".

I downloaded Voyetra's demo version of RPMidi, and went through all my songs one by one. There were a few nuances, like it incremented each patch number by 1, except in the cases where the patch was already 1, then it left it alone, but for example it changed patch 9 to 10, etc. Also, it did a very cool thing by combining channels into one track. For example, if I had track 2 and 3 assigned to channel 10, it combined all the notes and midi events into a single track 2. Lastly, it left all the track names blank - so I just copied them down on paper from the old PC (still up and running in the garage), made all those changes and resaved each song as an *.rpp file.

Happy Endings. Thanks Nigel for the tip!!! Now I'm going to do the right thing and submit the FAQ to Voyetra.

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Andrew

Thanks for the update on the result Andrew. I'm so glad you were able to export your songs as MIDI files. It was just very fortunate that you were still able to lay your hands on the original PC with SP1 on it. I know that any 386 PC I had back then has long gone now.

You must have been relieved to have kept that old machine for so long. It really paid off for you.