davecl@orca.UUCP (Dave Clemans) (09/24/85)
Attached is a selection of messages from the Compuserve Atari Sig
about MIDI software development for the 520.
dgc
**** Start of attached messages ****
#: 124756 S5/ST Software
14-Sep-85 23:34:15
Sb: #124670-MIDI ST SOFTWARE
Fm: Gary Yost 76703,1077
To: ed bartholomey 72507,257
There is work being done on this type of software. A few publishers are doing
parallel work, and I wouldn't expect a full-featured notation package to be
available until first quarter, 1986 at the earliest. There should be many
bare-bones MIDI programs available before then, though. Hybrid Arts is doing
an ST version of their Miditrack II software. I'd like to ask you... Would you
like to see some sort of super-duper souped up Advanced Musicsystem for the ST
with control over MIDI and the sound chip? I'd like to get as much reaction to
that idea as possible. Thanks.
- Gary
#: 124934 S5/ST Software
15-Sep-85 19:38:20
Sb: #124920-#MIDI Software
Fm: Stan Kalisher 72257,2722
To: Art Leyenberger (Analog) 71266,46 (X)
Foist of all.... Are you the Art I met at the MacExpo in Boston a few weeks
ago???. If you are, we are the Nifty Group, formerly MacNifty. Now only Nifty,
as we finally got around to the ST, and are very impressed. Beginning Sept 15
we are going to begin to re-engineer our products for the ST as well as the
Mac. The first product will be the sound digitizer and Stereo.
As far as the Casio products go, our intention is to provide them to the
Micro/MIDI world at the least possible cost, to get them out to the Micro user,
and Dealer. Someone seems to be missing the boat somewhere. If you would like
to give me a call, our # is 1-800-328-0184. We are in Minneapolis. I will be
more than happy to discuss our plans for marketing ST products as well as
Casio. CIS doesn't like me to quote prices on the boards.
<==STAN KALISHER
#: 125238 S5/ST Software
17-Sep-85 16:41:15
Sb: #MIDI ST SOFTWARE
Fm: Stan Kalisher 72257,2722
To: Gary Yost 76703,1077 (X)
We at Nifty, Inc. would also like to see it, as we are converting our audio
digitizing system for the ST.
<==STAN KALISHER
#: 125248 S5/ST Software
17-Sep-85 17:03:12
Sb: #125241-MIDI Software
Fm: JOE CATAUDELLA 76556,1130
To: Stan Kalisher 72257,2722
is it possible to give me a projected date on your Midi-software for ST we are
a BIG Atari retail store in manhattan and our ST sales are astonising..Half of
our ST owners and potential buyers are MIDI lovers..and we would love some info
about your product.....Thanks <Joe Cataudella>> <Leigh's
Computers 212 east 85th st.> <New York, N.Y. 10028 <212-879-6257>
#: 125292 S5/ST Software
17-Sep-85 18:45:20
Sb: #125238-#MIDI ST SOFTWARE
Fm: Gary Yost 76703,1077
To: Stan Kalisher 72257,2722
That's two potential customers, eh? Duly noted, and I hope more people are
interested. One thing I'd love to know is whether or not there would be a
market for an Advanced Musicsystem-like product that took advantage of MIDI
and/or the sound chip. Is there? What if it used all the available AMS files?
About your digitizing project, could you please send me some email describing
what you're doing exactly, as I know a lot of people who'd be interested in
what you're doing. As we all know, the Amiga has fairly good analog/digital
audio sampling techniques, and if the ST could do some of the same, even with
add-one hardware through the DMA port, it would be interesting to see if you
could get the hardware to install itself to look just like the Amiga speech
vectors in AmigaDOS. Porting Amiga sound programs to the ST would then be a
fairly simple process, and I hear that some of the products under development
by Cherry Lane (?sp?) uses sampling plus AI routines that even lets the Amiga
harmonize with you in real time while you're singing. Now, I don't know how
many people want such a product, but I'm one of them. Audio and video
digitizing is very exciting.
- Gary
#: 125397 S5/ST Software
18-Sep-85 05:30:51
Sb: #125248-MIDI Software
Fm: Stan Kalisher 72257,2722
To: JOE CATAUDELLA 76556,1130 (X)
Joe;
We are currntly in the process of putting together our ST line of products,
aand hope to begin dealer mailings but Oct 1st.
<==Stan Kalisher
Nifty, Inc.
#: 125406 S5/ST Software
18-Sep-85 08:29:06
Sb: #125298-MIDI ST SOFTWARE
Fm: Gary Yost 76703,1077
To: CHARLES F. JOHNSON 75066,404
Charles, what do you like about the Hybrid Arts software, compared to Advanced
Musicsystem-like notation software, and vica versa? A clear analysis of the
benefits and drawbacks of the two types, from a musicians point of view, would
help me a lot. Thanks.
- Gary
#: 125583 S5/ST Software
19-Sep-85 00:38:59
Sb: #125406-MIDI ST SOFTWARE
Fm: CHARLES F. JOHNSON 75066,404
To: Gary Yost 76703,1077
Gary... The thing I like the most about the Hybrid Arts software is the way it
emulates a 16-track recording machine. It has auto-locate, punch-in and -out,
and other features that make recording a part into the sequencer (computer)
pretty easy. It also has a whole lot of MIDI mode commands and capabilities.
You can change programs and record the changes as part of the data. The program
also records pitch and mod wheel changes, so it really has a lot of features
for the professional musician. The main drawback of the system as I see it is
the complexity of the user interface. You have to know a multitude of key
combinations in order to access the functions.
This might be an area where the ST's GEM environment could greatly aid the
process of composing.
On the other hand, the notation style of composition has a lot to recommend
it too. For one thing you don't have to actually be able to play the music (no
matter how slow), and it's also possible to write things this way that might
not occur to you otherwise. At this time there is no notation style MIDI system
for Atari computers (that I know of anyway) so the Hybrid Arts software is kind
of the only game in town right now.
What company do you work for? In addition to being a musician I also program
in 6502 machine language (had a program published in ANALOG #35). I'm extremely
interested in any applications using Atari and MIDI....
Hope this somewhat long-winded message is of some help to you...
#: 125724 S5/ST Software
19-Sep-85 22:17:43
Sb: #125583-MIDI ST SOFTWARE
Fm: Gary Yost 76703,1077
To: CHARLES F. JOHNSON 75066,404
Thank you very much for your feedback. Exactly the detail I wanted to get
about the musician vs. notation style of MIDI software. Currently, I'm leaning
towards the notation style, because there are more of us who can't play so
well, but want to get the music in there and THEN start fooling around with the
kind of sounds a CZ-101 can make. BTW, I work for Antic. Thanks again.
- Gary
**** End of attached messages ****