mfs@edison.GE.COM (Martin Sant) (11/17/87)
Hello fellow computer persons! I am C-64 owner looking to buy another computer. I have been looking at both the Atari ST and Amiga. For the life of me I cannot figure out which one to get. I will be using the computer for MIDI stuff; sequencing, patch editing and music software development. I know the ST has the MIDI port built in and has more support, but is it really a better machine? I am attracted to the Amiga because of it's multi-tasking operating system, but at the same time the ST is a lower cost machine (I think). Any suggestions for a MIDI nut ? -- Mar Tan GE Fanuc Charlottesville, VA
870646c@aucs.UUCP (barry comer) (11/19/87)
I am not a MIDI expert by any means, but I do know the ST pretty good. All I can do is pass on what I and alot of other ST owners have learned. The ST is a very good computer, the support for the MIDI port is very good, I know that there is several very good software packages out for it, and most of them do not but "copy protection" in your way if you decide to use a hard disk like myself. You must remember that if you do get the "Amiba" you will have to dish out the extra bucks for the MIDI interface(if they have one??). Give the ST a look over, as ol'Jack says "Power without the Price". Also it is a known fact that the ST is by far more supported than the Amiga. Give the Amiga a look over as well, it is a nice machine. later Barry P.S. Good luck with whatever machine you by!!
gibson@trwrb.UUCP (11/20/87)
In article <1226@edison.GE.COM> mfs@edison.GE.COM (Martin Sant) writes: >Hello fellow computer persons! > >I am C-64 owner looking to buy another computer. I have been looking >at both the Atari ST and Amiga. For the life of me I cannot figure >out which one to get. I will be using the computer for MIDI stuff; >sequencing, patch editing and music software development. I know the >ST has the MIDI port built in and has more support, but is it really >a better machine? I am attracted to the Amiga because of it's >multi-tasking operating system, but at the same time the ST is a >lower cost machine (I think). Any suggestions for a MIDI nut ? >-- >Mar Tan >GE Fanuc >Charlottesville, VA I read a review in Keyboard magazine that compared several micros for midi. At that time(about 2 months ago) the author felt the best midi micro was the Mac and the ST would probably become the Micro Midi of choice because of cost and cability. The author also wrote he was disappointed with his Amiga midi performance. The Amiga multi-tasking seems to interfer with the sequencing time stamp accuracy. I do not own an Amiga and I do not have midi experience. I am only interpreting what I read. Perhaps you can ask an Amiga owner. Also, I have heard that Keyboard magazine advertisements contain more ST's then any other micro. Now, let's satisfy RN. blank line blank line blank line blank line blank line blank line blank line -- Gregory Gibson {...ihnp4,ucbvax}!trwrb!gibson
dean@hyper.UUCP (11/20/87)
in article <571@aucs.UUCP>, 870646c@aucs.UUCP (barry comer) says: ] Xref: hyper comp.sys.cbm:699 comp.sys.atari.st:4438 rec.music.synth:1472 ] ] I am not a MIDI expert by any means, but I do know the ST pretty good. All ] I can do is pass on what I and alot of other ST owners have learned. The ST ] is a very good computer, the support for the MIDI port is very good, I know ] that there is several very good software packages out for it, and most of ] them do not but "copy protection" in your way if you decide to use a hard disk ] like myself. You must remember that if you do get the "Amiba" you will have ] to dish out the extra bucks for the MIDI interface(if they have one??). ] Give the ST a look over, as ol'Jack says "Power without the Price". ] Also it is a known fact that the ST is by far more supported than the Amiga. ] Give the Amiga a look over as well, it is a nice machine. ] later ] Barry ] > P.S. Good luck with whatever machine you by!! I just loooove this guy's "known fact". For those of you who aren't entirely familiar with the Amiga, the above comments on ST software hold true for MIDI software on the Amiga as well. Yes, there is a MIDI interface available for the Amiga. Dean C. Gahlon ...ihnp4!umn-cs!hyper!dean
lishka@uwslh.UUCP (11/20/87)
In article <571@aucs.UUCP> 870646c@aucs.UUCP (barry comer) writes: >I am not a MIDI expert by any means, but I do know the ST pretty good. I am not an Amiga expert by any means, but I will attempt to balance the previous discussion with some decent arguments *for* buying an Amiga. >All >I can do is pass on what I and alot of other ST owners have learned. The ST >is a very good computer, So is the Amiga, but these are both very personal judgements, so take them as you like. >the support for the MIDI port is very good, I know >that there is several very good software packages out for it, and most of >them do not but "copy protection" in your way if you decide to use a hard disk >like myself. You must remember that if you do get the "Amiba" you will have >to dish out the extra bucks for the MIDI interface(if they have one??). These are good points. The Atari folks had foresight in placing a MIDI port on the machine, because they have secured a good portion of the market. However, both the Amiga as well as the Macinstosh can control MIDI devices via the serial port, although an adapter (i.e. not really an interface, although I am not sure about the MAC) will need to be built. In fact, I believe a design for one was mailed over comp.sys.amiga a while ago. As for copy protection, well, the Amiga has quite a few copy-protected programs, as per the whims of the software producers. Note, though, that as with the ST, copy protection varies. One can also buy a good copy-protection-breaking program (another added cost...), but I am not sure if this will allow installation of the program on a hard disk. An annoying problem... >Give the ST a look over, as ol'Jack says "Power without the Price". >Also it is a known fact that the ST is by far more supported than the Amiga. >Give the Amiga a look over as well, it is a nice machine. "Power without the Price" is becoming a grey zone these days with the introduction of the Amiga 500. I believe that the ST is still priced below the A500 (and it comes with a monitor as well), but with the A500 running only $600 these days, the ST finally has some competition in the 68000 market. The statement that the ST is more supported than the Amiga could be argued; they is a *lot* of public domain software for the Amiga, which I would call support, and it seems to me that the Commodore people on comp.sys.amiga are always there to answer questions...it at least seems like a lot of support to me. But that is subjective. Some general comments: I think that if you want to play primarily with MIDI, the ST is the way to go, because it seems (from what I have read on the AMIGA newsgroup) the Atari has more and better MIDI software. However, a good friend has informed of a program recommended to him by two musicians (and professional music software writers as well) called SoundScape for the Amiga which is supposed to be real good. I have no idea what the program is like myself (I've never used it), but it might be something you would want to look into. If you really want multitasking, then the Amiga is the way to go. The OS was designed to be multitasking from the start, so it is easy and efficient to use. If you like graphics, I would venture to say that you can't buy a better computer in the $600 price range than the Amiga. It is primarily a graphics computer, and has an incredible amount of power in this area. I've heard that the windowing-system on the Amiga and the OS are generally better than the Atari's GEM system, but not having used GEM, I cannot give a good comparison. The Amiga OS does have its bugs, so check out both. And finally: in terms of a "well rounded" computer, my personal choice between the two is the Amiga. In terms of MIDI, the ST beats the Amiga in both cost and price. What you want will depend primarily on what you want to use the machine for... >later >Barry > >P.S. Good luck with whatever machine you by!! Agreed! The above is not meant to be a flame of Atari's, or a praise of Amiga's. Both machines have their good points and bad points, so talk with people who use both machines. I hope you find the machine that suits your needs best. -Chris -- Chris Lishka /lishka@uwslh.uucp Wisconsin State Lab of Hygiene <-lishka%uwslh.uucp@rsch.wisc.edu "What, me, serious? Get real!" \{seismo, harvard,topaz,...}!uwvax!uwslh!lishka
richard@gryphon.CTS.COM (Richard Sexton) (11/22/87)
In article <3730@trwrb.UUCP> gibson@trwrb.dsd.trw.com.UUCP (Gregory S. Gibson) writes: >The author also wrote he was disappointed >with his Amiga midi performance. The Amiga multi-tasking seems to interfer >with the sequencing time stamp accuracy. Yes, early Amiga sound packages didn't know how to accurately time stamp incoming MIDI events. They know now, and all is well. >Also, I have heard that Keyboard magazine advertisements >contain more ST's then any other micro. Great criteria for choosing a computer... >Gregory Gibson -- Richard J. Sexton INTERNET: richard@gryphon.CTS.COM UUCP: {hplabs!hp-sdd, sdcsvax, ihnp4, nosc}!crash!gryphon!richard "It's too dark to put the keys in my ignition..."
mike@artsvax.UUCP (Michael Czeiszperger) (11/24/87)
In article <3730@trwrb.UUCP> gibson@trwrb.dsd.trw.com.UUCP (Gregory S. Gibson) >The Amiga multi-tasking seems to interfer >with the sequencing time stamp accuracy. > Actually, I tracked down this rumour to an article written in Keyboard magazine last year by the president of Digidesign. (I once posted the issue and page number, but it didn't seem to make it out to netland) In the article, he said that the Amiga had serious problems with time stamping that preventing it from becoming a professional MIDI machine. The same sentiment was repeated in another Keyboard column months after that, and then spread throughout the country by word of mouth. I don't know if it is true or not, but that is who started it all. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Michael S. Czeiszperger | Disclaimer: "Sorry, I'm all out of pith" Systems Programmer I | Smail: Room 406 Baker (614) College of the Arts | 1971 Neil Avenue 292- Computer Lab | Columbus, OH 43210 0895 The Ohio State University | UUCP: {decvax,ucbvax}!cbosgd!osupyr!artsvax!mike ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
bryce@hoser.berkeley.edu (Bryce Nesbitt) (11/25/87)
In article <203@artsvax.UUCP> mike@artsvax.UUCP (Michael Czeiszperger) writes: <In article <3730@trwrb.UUCP> gibson@trwrb.dsd.trw.com.UUCP (Gregory S. Gibson) <> <>The Amiga multi-tasking seems to interfer with the sequencing time <>stamp accuracy. < < Actually, I tracked down this rumour to an article written in Keyboard < magazine last year... < ...I don't know if it is true or not, but that is who started < it all. As far as a user might see, it was true at one time. It is no longer true. .period. |\ /| . Ack! (NAK, SOH, EOT) {o O} . bryce@hoser.berkeley.EDU -or- ucbvax!hoser!bryce (") U WARNING: hoser's spool directory eats a *lot* of mail. :-(
mph@rover.UUCP (12/05/87)
In article <3730@trwrb.UUCP> gibson@trwrb.dsd.trw.com.UUCP (Gregory S. Gibson) writes: >In article <1226@edison.GE.COM> mfs@edison.GE.COM (Martin Sant) writes: >>Hello fellow computer persons! >> >>I am C-64 owner looking to buy another computer. I have been looking >>at both the Atari ST and Amiga. For the life of me I cannot figure > >I read a review in Keyboard magazine that compared several micros for midi. >At that time(about 2 months ago) the author felt the best midi micro was >the Mac and the ST would probably become the Micro Midi of choice because Well, as an Amiga owner and occasional developer, let me put my two cents worth in. Currently, the Atari machines have more software - they have been around longer and were less expensive. The new Amiga 500 probably are comparable in price. The multi-tasking in the Amiga does not neeed to interfer with Amiga midi performance, although bozo software hacks who have written some of the currently available Amiga software definitely do interfer with performance. The Amiga is somewhat more machine than the ST and probably will be better for expansion over time. If you just want to buy other people's stuff then get an Atari or Mac. If you would like to develop your own software, the Amiga has far more potential - it is a more difficult machine to program, however. Mark Huth