C70301RC@WUVMD.BITNET (Rob Caton) (02/08/89)
Hello everyone! What low-end (read inexpensive) computer would you recommend for use with MIDI interfacing? I know that the Mac is more or less king, but too expensive to for me. Any thoughts about the Apple // series (I own a //c), Laser 128EX/2, Amiga, Atari ST, or IBM clones? Also, what are the price considerations? Thanx! --------------------------------------------------------------------- | Rob Caton |BITNET: C70301RC@WUVMD | |--------------------------|APPLELINK: RobCaton <==(How original:-)| | Washington University |COMPU$ERVE: 71450,754 | |==================================================================== | "ACK THIPPFFT" _ /| | Don't blame me; | | --Bill 'O.O | I voted for Bill | | the =(___)= | and Opus!!! | | Cat U | | -----------------------------------------------
MEK4_LTD@DB2.CC.ROCHESTER.EDU (02/09/89)
AWhich midi machine to get? If you want biggest bang for the buck, get the Atari ST. This thing wins the midi race hands down if you are looking for ecomnomy and excellent sequencing software. most of the rest of the machines you mentioned don't come with midi interfaces, and the ones that do don't have as much varied and powerful sequencing software as the Atari ST (with the exception of the Macintosh, which is "pro" quality and the cost shows it). The laser has midi, but again, the software is very limited compared to what you can do on an ST. Mark E. Kern
cbdougla@uokmax.UUCP (Collin Broadrick Douglas) (02/10/89)
In article <8902081028.aa08524@SMOKE.BRL.MIL> C70301RC@WUVMD.BITNET (Rob Caton) writes: >Hello everyone! > >What low-end (read inexpensive) computer would you recommend for use >with MIDI interfacing? I know that the Mac is more or less king, but >too expensive to for me. Any thoughts about the Apple // series (I >own a //c), Laser 128EX/2, Amiga, Atari ST, or IBM clones? Also, what >are the price considerations? Thanx! > IF I had to recommend a computer for MIDI it would have to be the ST. IT's got the MIDI port built in and there is LOTS of great MIDI software for it. there is even a program (I'm pretty sure) that will take MIDI data and score it . Although the mac may be king, the ST is giving it a run for the money. Considering a Mega II (no relation to the chip in the GS) is about half the price of a Mac. You really can't loose. Collin Douglas Q
blochowi@cat28.CS.WISC.EDU (Jason Blochowiak) (02/10/89)
Please don't flame for posting this here - I thought that some Apple users might have REASONABLE comments in response to what I post. The Atari ST (you'd probably want to get a 1040ST, but you'd have to look into exactly what you wanted) has a TON of MIDI software available for it. It also has a builtin MIDI port (In and Out, no builtin Thru, but it can be added with a minor hardware hack), and is fairly inexepensive for what you get. My reason for recommending the ST over the gs: The //gs is just too slow... Anything beneath that (the //c, for example) doesn't have much in the way of software available for it. If you're not planning on going very far with the MIDI stuff, the //gs might be fine for you, but if you plan on becoming a bit more serious later on, the ST is (in my opinion) a better choice. The ST does have its problems, but I won't discuss them here - take some time to read through comp.sys.atari.st if you're interested in that. My reason for including Tangerine Dream in the list of keywords: Their most recent album was sequenced entirely on a ST... Disclaimer: I don't work for anybody (well, none of the computer companies). I do, however, own (and program) both an Apple //gs and an Atari ST, and am familiar with the capabilities and shortcomings of both machines. Jason Blochowiak (blochowi@wherever_i_am - garfield.cs.wisc.edu?) "Not your average iconoclast..." Dave Whitney: Where are you? Write to me; either here or @lakesys will do.
brianw@microsoft.UUCP (Brian Willoughby) (02/11/89)
In article <2246@puff.cs.wisc.edu>, blochowi@cat28.CS.WISC.EDU (Jason Blochowiak) writes: > > It also has a builtin MIDI port (In and Out, no builtin Thru, but it can > be added with a minor hardware hack), and is fairly inexepensive for what you > get. Buying an Atari ST because it has a built-in MIDI port is like buying a particular car just because it comes with a sterio. You can buy a car more suited to your needs and get your own 'sterio' easily, and usually get better features (i.e. the Apple II MIDI interface has a THRU port without any "hardware hack"). As far as standards go, the Passport Apple MIDI interface is fairly standard with the software. If you're into "hacking", you can build your own Passport compatible MIDI interface like I did for my Apple II Plus. > My reason for recommending the ST over the gs: The //gs is just too > slow... Anything beneath that (the //c, for example) doesn't have much in the > way of software available for it. If you're not planning on going very far > with the MIDI stuff, the //gs might be fine for you, but if you plan on > becoming a bit more serious later on, the ST is (in my opinion) a better > choice. This is true of the graphically oriented GS software. But I don't need all the fancy pictures, just the end result of MIDI music. KCS (Keyboard Controlled Sequencer) for the Apple is not pretty to look at, but it does a great job of allowing songs to be built up from various parts. Any of the Apple II line is fast enough for MIDI, unless you want complicated HiRes graphics at the same time. I have written a few sequencing programs for my MIDI card, and there is plenty of CPU speed to handle large chunks of System Exclusive data at full MIDI speed. In fact, I wrote a SysEx program for the Yamaha QX5 Sequencer to transfer sequences over MIDI (and a program to play them back on the Apple), and I had to slow down the transmission to meet Yamaha's specifications!!! If you have the money, get a Mac MIDI system, and enjoy the biggest market of graphic MIDI software. But, if you are like me and don't have money to burn, get an Apple II and trade the graphics for monetary savings.
ralphw@ius3.ius.cs.cmu.edu (Ralph Hyre) (02/15/89)
In article <530@microsoft.UUCP> brianw@microsoft.UUCP (Brian Willoughby) writes: >Buying an Atari ST because it has a built-in MIDI port is like buying a >particular car just because it comes with a sterio. I agree that one should look at software first, along with overall system cost. the ST can run a lot of Mac and IBM software with various emulators out there, but I don't know if it fool Mac MIDI software into using the Atari MIDI port in place of the Apple MIDI interface. I also think [not confirmed] that the ST is more developed from the software end (There's a MIDI toolset) than the 8-bit Apples & clones. If you don't even want the 'temptation' of spiffy graphics, then the Laser 128/EX (which has built-in-MIDI) might be OK, compared with other things. It's faster than a GS. [Apple II is] >fast enough for MIDI, unless you want complicated HiRes graphics at the same >time. I have written a few sequencing programs for my MIDI card, and there is >plenty of CPU speed to handle large chunks of System Exclusive data at full >MIDI speed. With interrupts (I think my Passport 6850/6840 clone can generate them), one should be able to do almost anything on the screen without worrying about losing MIDI data. -- - Ralph W. Hyre, Jr. Internet: ralphw@{ius{3,2,1}.,}cs.cmu.edu Phone:(412) CMU-BUGS Amateur Packet Radio: N3FGW@W2XO, or c/o W3VC, CMU Radio Club, Pittsburgh, PA "You can do what you want with my computer, but leave me alone!8-)" --