Install and use Scala on Mac OS X 10.4

Install

You need OS X version 10.3 Panther or higher with the X11 package installed.
Download the latest Scala version for OS X on PowerPC/Mac from http://home.hccnet.nl/coul/osx/ScalaX.zip

Please follow this carefully:

MIDI

Be aware that Scala doesn't produce any sound by itself. It needs a MIDI connection to an instrument, whether external or internal via the IAC bus or a virtual port provided by an installed software synthesizer. There is a decent freeware program called SimpleSynth. It plays via Apple's DLS Synthesizer and it can set soundfonts: http://mac.softpedia.com/get/Audio/SimpleSynth.shtml.

To make a virtual IAC port, close Scala first if it's running. Then in Audio MIDI Setup utility, double-click on IAC driver if it's greyed out. Check the box "driver is online". In the "ports" dialog you can create inter-application busses.

How to create an IAC port

Select SimpleSynth's input port

Select the output port in Scala

Then start Scala, and go to Edit:Sound Settings or press Ctrl-G and select the same port for the MIDI Output Device. Click OK or Apply. Then open the Chromatic Clavier for example or press F4 and try if you get any sound.
These programs might also be helpful: MidiPipe and MIDI Patchbay.

For sending keyboard tunings to an external synthesizer or other instrument, a MIDI file player is required. The Scala installer includes one, Sysex Librarian, and you find it in the Scala install directory. It should not be removed from there.

Install the scale archive

Download https://www.huygens-fokker.org/docs/scales.zip.
Don't download it into the Desktop folder where Stuffit would unzip it automatically. Safari browser users, control-click on the link and choose "Save Linked File As...", then save to any folder other than Desktop (i.e. the Scala folder would be a good choice). Then open Terminal, navigate to that folder with the cd command, and type:

unzip -a scales.zip

Warning: you must unzip them with the -a (autoconvert) option, otherwise they cannot be opened! Lines will terminate with <CR><LF> instead of <LF>, so to use Stuffit is a bad idea.
The files will go to a subdirectory "scl" of the current directory (again the Scala folder is the best choice).

25 Oct 2009

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