doug@edge.UUCP (04/22/87)
I'm thinking about getting a MIDI interface for my Commodore 64, to connect up to my Yamaha PSR-60 electronic keyboard. I'm looking for tips or specific recommendations, mainly on hardware. My current thinking is that I'll be writing my own software instead of using a commercial package. The PSR-60 isn't a synth, it's a keyboard, and from what I can read into the limited documentation you can have 8 channels (voices) but only one program (instrument). From what I've seen, the MIDI software packages currently available concentrate on coordinating different instruments on the different channels. My initial interest is probably going to be in being able to do programmable accompaniment. Later, who knows? Maybe I *will* end up getting some commercial software. Whatever, my usage will be strictly amateur (with a C64? I'd hope so! :-). Any ideas? -- Doug Pardee -- Edge Computer Corp. -- Scottsdale, Arizona
dean@hyper.UUCP (04/27/87)
in article <676@edge.UUCP>, doug@edge.UUCP (Doug Pardee) says: > > I'm thinking about getting a MIDI interface for my Commodore 64, to connect up > to my Yamaha PSR-60 electronic keyboard. I'm looking for tips or specific > recommendations, mainly on hardware. I'm currently using the Sonus interface, which I've found to be quite satisfactory. The only problem with it is that it comes with NO documentation, so you might either want to go with the Passport interface (which seems to be the de facto standard in the US), or else get a copy of the documentation for the Passport (this is what I ended up doing). > > My current thinking is that I'll be writing my own software instead of using a > commercial package. The PSR-60 isn't a synth, it's a keyboard, and from what > I can read into the limited documentation you can have 8 channels (voices) but > only one program (instrument). From what I've seen, the MIDI software > packages currently available concentrate on coordinating different instruments > on the different channels. > > My initial interest is probably going to be in being able to do programmable > accompaniment. Later, who knows? Maybe I *will* end up getting some > commercial software. Whatever, my usage will be strictly amateur (with a > C64? I'd hope so! :-). > Good luck with sequencing. I've been working on a sequencer for several months now, and it ain't easy. It's very time-intensive real-time programming, and that can get a bit hairy. The sequencer I'm working on *does* have more features than any of the cheaper sequencers available for the 64/128, but it's still got some very serious problems. Unfortunately, my 128 is currently in need of some repairs (the 80-column chip is flaking out pretty seriously), so programming is kind of on hold for a little while. One thing you will probably find out if you start looking at commercial sequencers for C64/C128 computers is that most if not all of the less expensive ones use only one MIDI channel for output. This isn't real good if you want to use the multi-channel abilities of your keyboard. Again, good luck! Dean C. Gahlon ...ihnp4!umn-cs!hyper!dean