Thread: MultiMedia/MIDI tutorials using C#

Hi! I'm looking for a tutiroal that can I can learn how to create multimedia / MIDI applications (I'm not referring about using DirectMusic but I may be talking about using DirectShow that MP3, WMA, etc. requires). Once I master the knowledge of multimedia/MIDI programming, then I felt like getting into creating my OWN softsynths/samplers. The reason is, there are so many manufactures (like Native Instruments and Yamaha) that had made softsynths either demo or shareware. But since I'm a hobbyist, if I would like to release softsynths/softsamplers over the Internet, then I would probably release it as freeware. One of the examples of how I would release it as freeware is many of the customers can't afford a very good softsynth/softsample (like Reason which costs $400 and Native Instrument's Rektor which costs about $500).

So, in summary, I'm looking for tutorials on creating multimedia applications/midi applications using C# (Not C++/VB/Java).

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
-Grayson

The problem is that the original .Net framework contained virtually nil multimedia stuff. Managed DirectX offers multimedia functionality, nothing else does.
I think, however, that DirectShow doesn't give you enough control to do what you want, so you're probably stuck with DirectSound+DirectMusic anyway.

What about playing movies in my own multimedia if I want to create my own movie application?

What do you mean by "your own multimedia"?

"Multimedia applications." Sorry about that.

I think as it is now, MediaPlayer, Quicktime and RealPlayer, as well as several "minor" movie players all use DirectShow to display movies.

Originally posted by Grayson_Peddie
Hi! I'm looking for a tutiroal that can I can learn how to create multimedia / MIDI applications (I'm not referring about using DirectMusic but I may be talking about using DirectShow that MP3, WMA, etc. requires). Once I master the knowledge of multimedia/MIDI programming, then I felt like getting into creating my OWN softsynths/samplers. The reason is, there are so many manufactures (like Native Instruments and Yamaha) that had made softsynths either demo or shareware. But since I'm a hobbyist, if I would like to release softsynths/softsamplers over the Internet, then I would probably release it as freeware. One of the examples of how I would release it as freeware is many of the customers can't afford a very good softsynth/softsample (like Reason which costs $400 and Native Instrument's Rektor which costs about $500).

So, in summary, I'm looking for tutorials on creating multimedia applications/midi applications using C# (Not C++/VB/Java).

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
-Grayson

Well, if you referr to what I'm talking about in my first post, then I am referring to the ones that use the MME/ASIO Extensions. Creative Labs uses SoundFonts for SoundBlaster audio cards and Yamaha had developed the XG MIDI format on 1995. There are many others (like Propellihead, etc.) that create application that communicate via MIDI. Not all of the MIDI applications uses DirectMusic but depending on their soundcard's latency (the delay from when you press the note on your keyboard to the time you hear the note on your speakers), users can switch between ASIO (if the sound card supports it), MME, or DirectSound.

So, my interest that I have is I would like to create MIDI applications (that does not use DirectMusic) since this would be my hobbyist.

Well, I could probably tell that most of the music companies (like Creative Labs and Yamaha) uses C++ to create their own MIDI applications/synthesizers...But I found that C# are a lot easier than C++ for me.

That's because it doesn't provide the same capabilities as C++. I fear that in this case you must use C++.

Know what? I think DirectX 9 SDK provides Audio/Video playback of audio, MIDI, and video... Plus it also supports capturing a sound using DirectSound capture device for C#... But thanks for your help...