EMIDI

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Expanded MIDI
EMIDI.png
Developer: Jim Dosé, Lee Jackson
Header: SMF
Content: Notational
Instruments: External
Target Output
Output - Digital Audio - No.png Output - MIDI.png Output - FM Synthesis.png Output - PSG - No.png
Released: 1996-01-29
First Game: Duke Nukem 3D (DOS)
Extensions
  • *.mid

Expanded MIDI (MID) is a music format created by Jim Dosé and Lee Jackson to be used with the Apogee Sound System protocol. When the two were working on Rise of the Triad: Dark War (DOS) they began coming up with ideas for a format that would add more functionality to the traditional MIDI format, but it wasn't made ready until its 1996 inclusion into Duke Nukem 3D (DOS).

Although EMIDI is very similar to standard MIDI, it has several added features to take advantage of premium sound cards, while at the same time working around low-end cards. In addition, there are added instructions for dynamic looping, on-the-fly instrument inclusion and exclusion, and volume and tempo changes.

Since the format is so similar to MIDI, many MIDI players will play the files. However, they won't play the custom additions, so the music will not sound correct. Only players that are specifically designed to handle the additional features of EMIDI will play the songs correctly.

Players

(Category)

Converters

(Category)

EMIDI to ?

? to EMIDI

Games

(Category)
Released Title Sample
1996-01-29 Duke Nukem 3D (DOS)
1996-10-31 Duke Nukem 3D: Atomic Edition (DOS)
1997-05-13 Shadow Warrior (DOS)

Technical

The API specs can be downloaded here.

Links