web midi with Yosemite

Joined
Mar 18, 2015
Messages
6
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Hello, I recently purchased an iMac with Yosemite. I can not open midi files - receiving a plugin error message. A web search did not offer a remedy. I contacted Apple support chat and Shannon suggested that possibly-maybe Firefox offered a compatible plugin - not the case. So please, someone tell me how to listen to web midi files with my new iMac since I rather not go back to a PC. It's very important as I preview music arrangements that are in midi format.
Thanks,
Ciao
 

chscag

Well-known member
Staff member
Admin
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
65,248
Reaction score
1,833
Points
113
Location
Keller, Texas
Your Mac's Specs
2017 27" iMac, 10.5" iPad Pro, iPhone 8, iPhone 11, iPhone 12 Mini, Numerous iPods, Monterey
Welcome to the Mac-Forums.

As far as I know midi files do not require a plug in. I listen to them all the time, some from an application that I have and others from web sites. The midi files should be able to be played with VLC.

Here's one of the sites that has hundred of free midi files that you can listen to. LINK
 
OP
J
Joined
Mar 18, 2015
Messages
6
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Thanks for the reply. I clicked on the link you provided and get a message "missing plug-in" when I tap on the message another pop-up tells me 'This page requires an internet plug-in' and goes on to tell me that I don't have the necessary plus-in but no information about what a compatible plug is, or how to get a plug-in. This is the issue that I have been experiencing since I purchased the iMac. Very Frustrating.
Ciao
 

bobtomay

,
Retired Staff
Joined
Dec 22, 2006
Messages
26,561
Reaction score
677
Points
113
Location
Texas, where else?
Your Mac's Specs
15" MBP '06 2.33 C2D 4GB 10.7; 13" MBA '14 1.8 i7 8GB 10.11; 21" iMac '13 2.9 i5 8GB 10.11; 6S
Nope, VLC won't do it - not any midi file I've tried.

Apple did not include the midi playback when they re-wrote Quicktime (QT X) with OS X 10.8 which is what the web browsers in OS X use(d) for midi playback by default. Quicktime 7 did work.

There is a long work around listed here to re-enable Quicktime 7 as the default midi playback in web browsers.

We are now in the 3rd version of OS X without midi web browser support from Apple.

You can also check out:
Sweet Midi Player from Roni Music (maker of Amazing Slowdowner)
Garageband
Flip Player

Could be one, but, I am uaware of any plugin that will play midi files in the browser in OS X 10.8, 10.9 or 10.10 except by the QT 7 workaround above.

edit:
Here is a link to download QT 7.
 
Last edited:

chscag

Well-known member
Staff member
Admin
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
65,248
Reaction score
1,833
Points
113
Location
Keller, Texas
Your Mac's Specs
2017 27" iMac, 10.5" iPad Pro, iPhone 8, iPhone 11, iPhone 12 Mini, Numerous iPods, Monterey
Well, I'm a bit flustered now. I know I've been to that site many times before and played a bunch of those midi files direct from Safari or Chrome, but I just tried it again and received the same message as you (missing plug in). Something has changed from when I was there before - but I don't know what. I'll try to figure it out. And bobtomay is correct, VLC does not work either.
 

bobtomay

,
Retired Staff
Joined
Dec 22, 2006
Messages
26,561
Reaction score
677
Points
113
Location
Texas, where else?
Your Mac's Specs
15" MBP '06 2.33 C2D 4GB 10.7; 13" MBA '14 1.8 i7 8GB 10.11; 21" iMac '13 2.9 i5 8GB 10.11; 6S
;D Time flies Charlie... 3 or 4 years ago is beginning to seem like only a few months ago.

Started March billing this week and realized we're about to start the 2nd quarter of the year already. How time is really beginning to fly by.
 

chscag

Well-known member
Staff member
Admin
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
65,248
Reaction score
1,833
Points
113
Location
Keller, Texas
Your Mac's Specs
2017 27" iMac, 10.5" iPad Pro, iPhone 8, iPhone 11, iPhone 12 Mini, Numerous iPods, Monterey
This old mind of mine has just remembered: For the heck of it, I shut down Safari and started up Chrome. I went back to that web site and clicked on a Midi file; Chrome downloaded the Midi file and then opened QuickTime 7 and the file began to play. It doesn't work in Safari because it asks for the plug in. Chrome it seems, has to download the file first and then it plays with QT 7. And before you ask... it doesn't play automatically, you have to click the QT 7 start button. Hope this will help the OP to play his Midi files.
 

bobtomay

,
Retired Staff
Joined
Dec 22, 2006
Messages
26,561
Reaction score
677
Points
113
Location
Texas, where else?
Your Mac's Specs
15" MBP '06 2.33 C2D 4GB 10.7; 13" MBA '14 1.8 i7 8GB 10.11; 21" iMac '13 2.9 i5 8GB 10.11; 6S
Depends on the site for me, I've had a couple of sites that would auto download and then auto open Garageband from Safari and others that just pop up the missing a plugin window. You can right click and download from at least the few I've tried in Safari also.
 
Joined
Aug 19, 2014
Messages
792
Reaction score
4
Points
18
Did anyone think to do a full reinstall of yosemite yosemite's web browser can get jumbled easy a full reinstall might be better to fix this issue.
 
OP
J
Joined
Mar 18, 2015
Messages
6
Reaction score
0
Points
1
So, bottom line; no way to preview midi files from the web with iMac + Yosemite and Quick Time 10.1 ... disappointing, frustrating ...
 

chscag

Well-known member
Staff member
Admin
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
65,248
Reaction score
1,833
Points
113
Location
Keller, Texas
Your Mac's Specs
2017 27" iMac, 10.5" iPad Pro, iPhone 8, iPhone 11, iPhone 12 Mini, Numerous iPods, Monterey
So, bottom line; no way to preview midi files from the web with iMac + Yosemite and Quick Time 10.1 ... disappointing, frustrating ...

Not without a third party pay app, no. As I stated in my last post and finally remembered, I was using Chrome which downloaded the midi file first and then opened it with QT 7.
 

chscag

Well-known member
Staff member
Admin
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
65,248
Reaction score
1,833
Points
113
Location
Keller, Texas
Your Mac's Specs
2017 27" iMac, 10.5" iPad Pro, iPhone 8, iPhone 11, iPhone 12 Mini, Numerous iPods, Monterey
The third party paid apps that I've looked at all require playing the midi files individually after downloading. Quicktime 7 will already do that. The problem is that the midi files can no longer be previewed from a web browser. There is a work around but requires a hack which you can take a look at here. I personally think it's more trouble than it's worth.
 
OP
J
Joined
Mar 18, 2015
Messages
6
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Spent a long time on a chat with Apple support, twice. Result; Any site that does not have the very latest midi/audio protocols is not compatible with iMac with Yosemite. Unfortunately, that is most of the sites that offer midi. The recommendation was to add Windows ... very disappointing, I left windows to go to Mac
Ciao. Thanks for the responses.
 

bobtomay

,
Retired Staff
Joined
Dec 22, 2006
Messages
26,561
Reaction score
677
Points
113
Location
Texas, where else?
Your Mac's Specs
15" MBP '06 2.33 C2D 4GB 10.7; 13" MBA '14 1.8 i7 8GB 10.11; 21" iMac '13 2.9 i5 8GB 10.11; 6S
They lied - has nothing whatsoever to do with any site not having the lastest protocols and has everything to do with Apple removing midi support from quicktime. And it is so far down the list, that no one else has deemed it important enough to develop a 3rd party plugin for that support - at least not a free one with browser support.
 

Shop Amazon


Shop for your Apple, Mac, iPhone and other computer products on Amazon.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
Top