v097pba8@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (Ken F Morton) (02/11/91)
I am not a believer in dedicated hardware devices. I'd rather implement a computer to do everything. This is where I need the netland's help. In my attempts to make MIDI musical, expressive and useable, I have run up against a brick wall of dedicated hardware that costs to much or, in the case of things you just can't buy, beyond my abilities to design. I'm a musician first, an electronic tinkerer second. I propose the creation of a 'MIDI wonderbox'. Here's the plan: Do away with all the dedicated stuff. Base it all on a home computer that can handle it *all*. Continuous controllers, MIDI filtering, mutation, sysex, everything, can be handled by a computer. Since most people's PCs are used for sequencing, a propose an alternate computer such as an AppleII or a (hehe) C64. A cheap low-cost computer that for the part can be bought used would be ideal. I really want to push the apple. It has four pot. readers for the joystick ports which can be assigned to controll MIDI continous data. Plus you can control external devices with interface boards, etc. It can do it all. Interfacing a control box to the apple that provides a nice remote for MIDI control of record/playback instead of clicking a mouse. Continuous Controllers. Hook up anything to the a/ds. Automate punch in/out on your *tape deck* Automate channel muting on your tape deck. Filter, mutilate, totally control MIDI data. Store SysEx data. All this a more on a cheap computer. I want to make this a reality. But I can't do it on my own. I need help, code, support. I'm a musician not a electronics wizard of a computer hacker. I can present the ideas that I think would make life as a MIDI musician better, but I can't implement them. But some of you out there can. So talk to me. Ken Morton v097pba8@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu If any one knows if passport still makes a programmerskit for their apple II MIDI interfaces, tell me.