ginger@ihlpm.ATT.COM (R.P. Berg) (03/18/88)
I'm ready to merge my two favorite toys (Amiga 1000 and Korg DW-8000), but am unsure what software to get or even what's available. I've heard about Music X (Micro Illusions) and have seen a mail order company advertise it (~$180), so it probably will be released in 2-3 months. Has it been reviewed in any publications yet? Could some of you Amiga users post or mail me some personal/professional reviews of the package(s) you use? I've seen such titles as: Sonix, Music Mouse, DMCS, Music X, Soundscape Pro-MIDI Studio, and one or two others. I'll post a collection of replies to the net. I'm interested in all facets of this union: composing, sequencing, printing out scores (I just got a Star NX-1000 Rainbow color printer - Epson JX-80 compatible), a patch librarian, etc. Thanks in advance... Russell Berg AT&T Bell Laboratories (312) 416-4211 Naperville, IL ihnp4!ihlpm!ginger P.S. It probably doesn't matter, but I'll be using the ECE Midi interface. Too lazy to build my own, I guess.
boblind@percival.UUCP (Bob Lindstrom) (03/20/88)
In article <1773@ihlpm.ATT.COM> ginger@ihlpm.ATT.COM (R.P. Berg) writes: >I'm ready to merge my two favorite toys (Amiga 1000 and Korg DW-8000), but >am unsure what software to get or even what's available. >I've seen such titles >as: Sonix, Music Mouse, DMCS, Music X, Soundscape Pro-MIDI Studio, and one or two >others. I'll post a collection of replies to the net. > >Russell Berg >AT&T Bell Laboratories (312) 416-4211 >Naperville, IL ihnp4!ihlpm!ginger > Although I love Sonix as a note editor, neither it nor DMCS are really appropriate for MIDI applications so you can rule them out first thing. Music Mouse is fun and sometimes very helpful when the Muse refuses to strike. However, it, too, has limited MIDI is aimed at very specialized applications. Music X isn't out yet and may still be several weeks (months?) away. The design is quite ambitious so (not to suggest any skepticism about the programmer - I don't know him - but just to be circumspect) there is reason to stand back until the product proves itself. Currently, I use Soundscape because it's been the only game in town. However, the software design is confusing and sometimes just plain maddening in its oversights. Yes, it works and, yes, it has some irritating bugs. But now that there is other MIDI software out there, I can't recommend it to anyone who doesn't have a strong masochistic streak. I haven't used Studio Magic but it looks like a decent digital sample editor combined with a decent MIDI sequencer but neither module may be excellent in itself. I have no opinion on Dynamic Studio. I have heard one opinion about it. That opinion was negative but from a not-particularly-reliable source. ..... Which leaves my current choice - Dr. T's Keyboard Controlled Sequencer. The Amiga conversion of this industry standard program was done (at least in part) by David Silver who also did the superb Amiga conversion of Music Mouse. He knows his stuff, both musically and Amiga-ly. The program is mouse driven, provides a wealth of remarkable and (more important) really useful features: 48 tracks, full editing, cutting, pasting, merge and unmerge tracks, selective quantizing, automated variation etc etc etc. I have not used the software for anymore than limited periods of time, yet. But at present, it seems that this is the clear choice - even though at $250 it represents a mega-investment (by my standards) in Amiga MIDI software. For patch librarians, I dunno. I can't think of anyone who has done a Korg editor/librarian yet. The universal editor in Music X would be useful there, obviously, but you'd have to (a.) wait for the program to be published and (b.) create your own configuration file. Good Luck! -- | Troutdale Shrine of Computing ** Bob Lindstrom, perpetrator | | ** UUCP:percival!boblind | | "Speeding senility through ** PLink: Bob L. Q-Link:Lindstrom| | DIRECT MEMORY EXCESS" ** CIS: 72030,224 |