dlc@lanl.UUCP (07/20/86)
Subject: MIDI recording, Ensoniq Mirage MASOS Newsgroups: net.micro.mac Distribution: net I have a Macintosh, an Ensoniq Mirage keyboard, an Opcode MIDI interface, an Assimilation Process MIDI interface, ConcertWare+MIDI, and the MASOS system (Mirage Analog Sampling OS) from Ensoniq. I looked at reviews of other programs from MusicWorks in Mass., MusicWorks from Hayden, the Mark of the Unicorn programs, Assimilation Process, Electronic Arts Deluxe Music Construction Set, and the one with Total in the name and South in the company's name. Concertware seems to me to have good features and good value. Some people have told me only Professional Composer from MOTU is worth having, but it is so much more expensive than Concertware that my blind guess is that Concertware is a better value. Concertware is a little slow at scrolling a score, but you can make marks in the score and jump directly to them. However, Concertware does not do something I would find desirable. It does not do polyphonic recording. It will record 8 tracks, but each track is single-voiced (a sequence of single notes, no chords.) It also does its metronome recording such that I consistently lead the metronome by about 30 milliseconds, and there is no adjustment for timing. I'd be interested in finding a program with polyphonic multi-track recording, but the reviews I've seen of the other programs don't mention either the presence or absence of that feature. In other words, I want a program that extends the sequence feature of the Mirage itself by imitating the sequencer with a larger memory. Perhaps the developers of Concertware will read this and add it to their program, along with a lead/lag timing adjustment for the metronome. I also want a program for the Macintosh that gives me access to MASOS, so I can edit sampled waveforms. The ability to manipulate keyboard parameters "on-the-fly" while using either MASOS or the normal Mirage system is another feature I want. Does anyone know if any of these four features are available currently?