blgardne@esunix.UUCP (Blaine Gardner) (02/25/90)
I'm posting this for a friend.
He's running Deluxe Music Construction Set with a FB-01 (?) through a
MIDI interface. Whenever he exits the program, the machine crashes. This
only happens when he has been using the MIDI interface. Just using the
Amiga's stereo output causes no problems.
Is this a known problem? Is there a fix for it, or a new version of
DMCS? He says that EA tells him they have stopped work on all music
program for all platforms, and that they have no idea what is causing
the crash.
--
Blaine Gardner @ Evans & Sutherland 580 Arapeen Drive, SLC, Utah 84108
Here: There: (My Amiga running uucp)
blgardne@esunix.UUCP blaine@worsel.UUCP
{decwrl, utah-cs}!esunix!blgardne utah-cs!caeco!i-core!worsel!blainems0p+@andrew.cmu.edu (Michael Gordon Shapiro) (02/26/90)
(I'd reply personally, but I don't feel like hunting down your UUCP address, and besides, this is of nominal interest to the public.) I've also been plagued by the crashing DMCS/MIDI bug, and what's worse, I know that it also didn't always USED to happen. I remember being able to exit perfectly after a long DMCS/MIDI session, and don't remember quite how I did it. MIDI is certainly the cause now. Your friend might try mucking with the stack, or deactivating MIDI (via the MIDI OFF option) before quitting.
ckp@grebyn.com (Checkpoint Technologies) (02/26/90)
In article <1828@esunix.UUCP> blgardne@esunix.UUCP (Blaine Gardner) writes: >I'm posting this for a friend. > >He's running Deluxe Music Construction Set with a FB-01 (?) through a >MIDI interface. Whenever he exits the program, the machine crashes. This >only happens when he has been using the MIDI interface. Just using the >Amiga's stereo output causes no problems. > >Is this a known problem? Is there a fix for it, or a new version of >DMCS? He says that EA tells him they have stopped work on all music >program for all platforms, and that they have no idea what is causing >the crash. It is a known problem (well, to me at least). It comes from using the 1.3.2 serial.device. The fix is simply to back-fit the 1.3 serial.device. The problem comes from the way DMCS exits after using MIDI. It performs a CLoseDevice, then pulls the io_Device pointer from the request and performs a RemoveDevice() with that. This is a bad assumption on DMCS' part. Prior to 1.3.2, the io_Device field still contained the device address; it no longer does. CBM probably shouldn't have changed this behavior for 1.3.2, but I wouldn't flame them for it, what DMCS is doing is "illegal". io_Device field still contains the right value here.
jer@stiatl.UUCP (John Ramspott) (03/02/90)
In article <IZu=3zK00WB_AK1lsi@andrew.cmu.edu> ms0p+@andrew.cmu.edu (Michael Gordon Shapiro) writes: >I've also been plagued by the crashing DMCS/MIDI bug, and what's worse, >I know that it also didn't always USED to happen. I remember being able >to exit perfectly after a long DMCS/MIDI session, and don't remember >quite how I did it. MIDI is certainly the cause now. Your friend might >try mucking with the stack, or deactivating MIDI (via the MIDI OFF >option) before quitting. The problem is in the new serial.device that came with AmigaDOS 1.3.1 and 1.3.2. It was modified to be more picky about what unit numbers it will accept and other stuff. To solve the problem, use the serial.device from the original 1.3 release. The problem occurs when ever MIDI is turned off by DMCS, whether explicitly or by quitting. Actually, the bug is really in DMCS. Other music programs work fine. But the new, pickier serial.device has brought this bug to the forefront. Don't hold your breath for a DMCS update. --John E. Ramspott Just buy Bars&Pipes and forget about the other stuff! -- John Ramspott gatech!stiatl!jer Sales Technologies, Inc 3399 Peachtree Rd, NE Atlanta, GA (404) 841-4000
cmcmanis@stpeter.Sun.COM (Chuck McManis) (03/03/90)
In article <1828@esunix.UUCP> blgardne@esunix.UUCP (Blaine Gardner) writes: >He's running Deluxe Music Construction Set with a FB-01 (?) through a >MIDI interface. Whenever he exits the program, the machine crashes. This >only happens when he has been using the MIDI interface. Just using the >Amiga's stereo output causes no problems. FB-01 == Yamaha FB-01 FM Tone Generator I believe the following to be true : The Amiga serial.device has a bug in it that it doesn't disable serial interrupts when it is closing down and about to get rid of the interrupt handler it had created. I know this to be true : Yamaha MIDI equipment sends a constant stream (one every .5 sec or so) of "I'm Alive" MIDI messages. (It's part of the spec but no one except Yamaha seems to do it) This is conjecture : When the serial.device is closing, and it gets a character, the interrupt vectors through a now bogus interrupt handler and boom! down goes the Amiga. I haven't tried the 1.3.2 serial device yet so I don't know how well it works. Another way of getting this behaviour is to have a Yamaha device connected to a MIDI interface while the system is booting. Guru time when the I'm Alive message comes in. Workaround : Disconnect the MIDI device (via a rotary switch box) before opening or closing the serial device. --Chuck McManis uucp: {anywhere}!sun!cmcmanis BIX: cmcmanis ARPAnet: cmcmanis@Eng.Sun.COM These opinions are my own and no one elses, but you knew that didn't you. "If it didn't have bones in it, it wouldn't be crunchy now would it?!"
rumford@afitamy.fidonet.org (Don Rumford) (03/03/90)
> I've also been plagued by the crashing DMCS/MIDI bug, and > what's worse, > I know that it also didn't always USED to happen. I > remember being able > to exit perfectly after a long DMCS/MIDI session, and don't > remember > quite how I did it. MIDI is certainly the cause now. Your > friend might > try mucking with the stack, or deactivating MIDI (via the > MIDI OFF > option) before quitting. Mike, Any chance you have changed to AmigaDOS 1.3 in the interim? I have been informed by EA that DMCS is not compatable with 1.3 and they reccomend you boot with an old 1.2 version when using it. See if this helps on your gurus. -Don- -- Don Rumford - via FidoNet node 1:110/300 UUCP: uunet!dayvb!afitamy!rumford ARPA: rumford@afitamy.fidonet.org ---------> The AFIT Amiga Users BBS/UFGateway Dayton, Oh. 1:110/300 Give me Amiga or give me boredom!
LDSHANER@MTUS5.BITNET (Leon D. Shaner) (03/06/90)
I have trouble with guruing when using MIDI input with DMCS. It happens often, without a pattern, but I can always get a guru if I've just put some notes in from the keyboard and then select the delete (X) gadget. Any ideas? ------- +--------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | LEON D. SHANER <LDSHANER@MTUS5> :BBS: AMIGA BITSWAP CENTRAL DISPATCH: | EE UNDER GRAD. : (906)487-0006 <-AMIGA ONLY! : | MICHIGAN TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY : FREE! - 24 HOURS - 80 MB : +------------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
nfs1675@dsac.dla.mil (Michael Figg) (03/07/90)
In article <156.25F0C451@afitamy.fidonet.org>, rumford@afitamy.fidonet.org (Don Rumford) writes: > Mike, > Any chance you have changed to AmigaDOS 1.3 in the interim? I have been informed by EA that DMCS is not compatable with 1.3 and they reccomend you boot with an old 1.2 version when using it. See if this helps on your gurus. > > -Don- I don't use DMCS that often, but haven't had any problem using it with ADOS 1.3 (actually 1.3.2). I've done alittle composition and more of playing others songs in this environment. It also seems like EA, in the case of DMCS, is getting in the habit of telling different people different stories about the program. Good example is apparently telling a few people that they have no plans for DMCS in their future, while asking for input on GEnie about a planned new release. -- "Could we be the bellwether | Michael Figg DSAC-FSD of major societal shifts?" | DLA Systems Automation Center - Columbus,Oh mfigg@dsacg2.dsac.dla.mil CIS: 73777,360
cmcmanis@stpeter.Sun.COM (Chuck McManis) (03/09/90)
In article <1710@dsac.dla.mil> nfs1675@dsac.dla.mil (Michael Figg) writes: >It also seems like EA, in the case of DMCS, is getting in the habit of telling >different people different stories about the program. Good example is >apparently telling a few people that they have no plans for DMCS in their >future, while asking for input on GEnie about a planned new release. I also tested DMCS on 1.3.2 and didn't have any problems. As for the two faced nature of EA, it helps if you understand how they do business. EA is a _distributor_ and don't really do all that much development in house (except for things like DPaint because they use that for helping the artists). Instead, they have these folks on staff they call producers, who get contacted by a programmer or small software shop (the artist) and they work with the artist to turn their fledgling idea into a full blown program. Now the artist doesn't work for EA, they just get a contract for some royalties on the sale of their program. Anyway, EA as a company may have no further plans for DMCS and they will tell you that in all truthfulness. However, the artists who originally *wrote* DMCS may have big plans for it and be out soliciting input on how to improve it. Both may represent themselves as the "source" for DMCS, only the "artists" have the power to change it and only EA has the power to distribute it. If the artists do improve it and convince a producer at EA that it is worth sending out to everyone then "EA" will promote it like it was there idea all along to upgrade it. --Chuck McManis uucp: {anywhere}!sun!cmcmanis BIX: cmcmanis Internet: cmcmanis@Eng.Sun.COM These opinions are my own and no one elses, but you knew that didn't you. "If it didn't have bones in it, it wouldn't be crunchy now would it?!"
Classic_-_Concepts@cup.portal.com (03/09/90)
The version I have of DMCS for the Amiga is version2.0. I noticed the
Mac version (for about $20 more) is version 2.5. Anyone know what
differences/enhancements the Mac version includes.
LadyHawke@cup.portal.com