"Gamma files" for Use With MIDIBoek and Noteur Software
I have recently identified a problem with downloading Gamma
(.GAM) files. It is NOT a problem with the files I created, but
with the ways Internet Explorer (IE) and Firefox download text
files. If you open a text (.TXT) file in IE and then use "Save As"
IE inserts header material which results in a non-functional .GAM
file. If you open a text (.TXT) file in FireFox and then use "Save
As" Firefox changes the "Enter" characters to a value which
results in a non-functional .GAM file.
The safest way to save .TXT and .GAM files in their original form
is to Right-Click on the file name and use Save
As when the choice is offered.
Gamma files may be viewed and edited in the Windows utility
program Notepad.
If you are working with .GAM and .TXT files, Windows Explorer
should be set to display files extensions.
The files below are provided as .GAM files. For use in MIDIBoek
and Noteur they must be placed in the midigam directory on Drive
C. The MIDIBoek and Noteur programs work
only in the Windows operating system.
Files for the 20 note Carl Frei Scale:
It is important to understand that there are a variety of
implementations of the Carl Frei 20 note scale. At its heart, the
Frei 20er scale is simply a set of note intervals above a starting
note.
John Smith Busker organs and most Raffin organs use an F (MIDI No.
53) as the starting point in tuning.
It is not clear to me what Frei's original choice was, but I have
chosen the actual notes played as my personal arranging scale.
With this choice, most tunes are played in B flat (Bb), with a few
in F.
A good many smaller organs are tuned starting with MIDI 54 G. From
the organ building standpoint this has the advantage of shortening
all of the pipes by about 11%. It also results in a primary key of
C when playing. Some arrangers chose to work in this scale since
they consider C easier to work in than Bb. In particular, Mel
Wright and Alan Pell have chosen this implementation.
Other small organs may be tuned even higher. There is a "Raffin
20" file on the MIDIBoek site which starts about 10 semi-tones
higher, and there are certainly others on the INTERNET. These
files are not "wrong," they just don't match my arranging scale.
They can be used with my arrangement .MID files if a proper
translation value is selected. Similarly, you can use other
arranger's .MID files with my .GAM files if you find the proper
translation value.
Regardless of the starting note chosen in arranging, a "standard"
20er paper roll will play on organs with many different tunings.
The files below are set up using my personal choice - starting
with MIDI No. 53 F. They match the 20 note arrangements found on
my web pages.
- John Smith 20 note rolls -
These are the "big hole" 20 note rolls used on the John Smith
Busker and John Smith Senior 20 organs.
- Annotated "Raffin 20"
file - includes a bunch of comments - for most modern
keyless 20er organs, regardless of tuning.
- Öhrlein 20 or Oherlein 20
- These are keyless book playing organs made by Franz
Öhrlein, Mainz, Germany. Book pages are 10 cm wide by 14
cm long.
Files for editing 26 and 31 note MIDI Files:
I created these files to help me visualize the various voices -
bass, accompaniment, melody, and what I think of as the high
ornamentation lines - while editing MIDI files for the
Alderman/Wright/Jager&Brommer 26 and Raffin 31 note organs.
The voices as shown as bars in different colors. They are best
viewed with the "filled notes" option selected. They were created
for use in analysis, not punching.
Files for other scales: