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!!
page@ulowell.cs.ulowell.edu (Bob Page) (11/19/87)
mfs@edison.GE.COM (Martin Sant) wrote: >I have been looking at both the Atari ST and Amiga. ... >I will be using the computer for MIDI stuff ... I'd say it doesn't matter; you'll be happy with either. I use my machine for MIDI applications; after having it for two years a very good friend of mine went out and bought the other system you mentioned, and he's happy with his purchase. Computers owners can get pretty huffy when they try to defend their purchases (as I suppose synth owners can too); so ignore any specific machine bashing; pick up a few magazines on each machine, see what kind of support each one seems to be getting (musically), look at the music software packages out for the machines, look at the prices you can get (visit some dealers, but don't let them tell you the BAD things about the other machine, just the GOOD things about theirs ... they often don't know the facts about the other machines). Then make a purchase, or don't. But I personally don't think you'll lose no matter which machine you buy. They are both very capable machines for synthesis and MIDI control. ..Bob -- Bob Page, U of Lowell CS Dept. page@ulowell.{uucp,edu,csnet}
rsilvers@hawk.ulowell.edu.UUCP (11/19/87)
mfs@edison.GE.COM (Martin Sant) wrote: > I have been looking at both the Atari ST and the Amiga. ... > I will be using the computer for MIDI stuff ... I have my Amiga hooked up to a MIDI keyboard and it works very well. I would assume that it would work even better if I had better software. I am using Deluxe Music Construction Set, but I heard the Pro-MIDI-Studio is much better. I bought an Amiga, so I believe that it is a better computer and preferable if you will be doing things other than MIDI, but for MIDI only applications, the ST is better. It is also less expensive, a lot less if you get the monochrome monitor, and has a MIDI-port built in. MIDI ports for the Amiga are around $50.00 (Although we built ours for $20.00). One other thing. Just yesterday I was flipping through Keyboard magazine and noticed several adds for ST MIDI software. There was only one for the Amiga: Music X. I can't say this for sure, but there is probably more MIDI software for the ST. Final word: Buy the ST if you really only want it for MIDI. Buy the Amiga if you want to use it for other purposes and/or if you want good sound to come from the computer also. (Pretty useful) --Rob. |--------------------------------------------------------------------------| |Robert Silvers. | |University of Lowell. ______ | |--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
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
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