Multimedia Win3.0 : December

The MIDI was converted from the December MOD file by Jester using OpenMPT. The song is being played on Windows for Multimedia Extension which is essentially Windows 3.0 with multimedia support. This MIDI player is based on the MCI sample code that Microsoft included with Visual BASIC 3. Many modifications were made from the base code, mainly in the user-interface department. The purpose of this exercise was to make a MIDI player that could run specifically on Windows with Multimedia extensions. As such, I'm using the most basic of components that Microsoft included in the MCI example. The only two VBX extensions that I'm using is the Common Dialog Box and MCI Control. For simplicity sake, I've bundled both VBX files (MCI.VBX and CMDIALOG.VBX) in the archive in case you don't already have them. They need to be copied into the system folder in Win3x. (C:\Windows\System or C:\MWindows\System in Multimedia Windows, or any other Windows 3.1 install)

I could have compiled and run the sample MCI program under Multimedia Windows, but what's the fun in that. In all honesty, I hated that UI. It was way too simplistic and barren. Granted, this program isn't really that much of an improvement. However, MIDI files can either be loaded from the Common Dialog or from the directory listing. They do NOT play immediately. MIDI's load much quickly on either a 40MHz 386 or any version of the 486 (test using 86Box while emulating IBM PS/1 Model 2121). While loaded, they won't play until you click well....play!

The project was made under Visual BASIC 3. The reason why I went with this version is because VB3 can compile programs that will run under Windows 3.0 as well, which is my primary target. While it could run under any setup that has Windows 3.x, VGA graphics, and a SoundBlaster with OPL MIDI support, I'm specifically targeting Windows with Multimedia Extensions. Note, this program does NOT run under IBMulator. Their is a bug in the CPU emulation which prevents any program using the VB runtime from running. However, the MIDI player works fine under both 86Box and DOSBox (running Multimedia Windows). I DON"T recommend running this on 3.1 as their are various MIDI players for that platform that are much better than this one. This program is about as barebones as it gets! I used some of the bitmaps from Voyetra Audiostation as well.

However, if one chooses to run this program under 3.1, it runs well under DOSBox. It will proably run well on any real setup as well (with SoundBlaster support). However, I am not responsible if your computer implodes and melts all the way to China. With that mentioned, I hope you like the program though! Source code is included. Please make changes to it. This program is about as amateur as it gets.

RP MIDI Player
https://archive.org/details/rpmidiw.-7z

December (MOD)
https://www.exotica.org.uk/mediawiki/index.php?title=Special%3AModland&ss=1&title=Special%3AModland&md=qsearch&qs=december

Видео Multimedia Win3.0 : December канала Robert Kixmiller (The PC Pigeon)