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Conference napalm::commusic_v1

Title:* * Computer Music, MIDI, and Related Topics * *
Notice:Conference has been write-locked. Use new version.
Moderator:DYPSS1::SCHAFER
Created:Thu Feb 20 1986
Last Modified:Mon Aug 29 1994
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:2852
Total number of notes:33157

1959.0. "What constitutes the perfect music package?" by CIM1NI::POWERS (I Dream Of Wires - G. Numan) Wed Apr 12 1989 18:13


     I have just started reading this notesfile, as I just purchased a new
  Yamaha DS55.  I already own a Casio CZ230s, as well as an Atari 1040st.
  I am not a musician, I am more of a software engineer who likes to play
  around with synths.  I am looking at hacking out a music package for the
  atari, and release it into the public domain.  I am looking at writing
  something that compares favorably to much comercial software available.
  I have tried several of the demo's of the comercial products which are
  distributed on BBS's, but didn't much care for them.

     What I'm looking at doing is along these lines.  I want to write a 
  program whose heart, is a sequencer, but more musically notative, then 
  any of the sequencers Ive seen (I know there are some that can do this,
  but they seem to be quite expensive).  I am looking at having an integrated
  environment that allows the user to call up a patch editor for any
  one of a number of synths.

     Since I'm not a musician, I don't know a whole lot about what kind
  of features should be in such a piece of software.  Consider this note
  a solicitation for ideas and suggestions that you would like in such
  a piece of software, or things that shouldn't be in.  Try to give me a
  feel for how you think the ideal piece of music software should work.
  Is there anything that I should keep in mind in terms of non-keyboard
  midi based equipment???

     I will collect the ideas, and try to put together a functional spec
  and throw together a prototype that the atari owners can try out and
  comment on.

  thanks for any input

  Bill Powers
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1959.1LOOK NO MOOLAHWOTVAX::KENTThu Apr 13 1989 16:3123
    
    
    Welllll
    
    Have you got about 14 hours to spare.....
    
    I suggest you get some of your chaps to (I assume you are in the
    States) to show you the sequuencers they are working with. I would
    not assume this to be anything less than a major task. Steinberg
    say that they have so far spent something like 40 man years on pro-24.
    
    Wish list is...
    
    Real time entry..loop and serial.
    Notation entry.
    No Bugs...
    one page user interface.
    NO grid editing.
    Cheap..
    
    					PAUL.
    
    	
1959.2MIZZOU::SHERMANbut I'm feeling *much* better now ...Thu Apr 13 1989 16:468
    Check out one of the recent KEYBOARD reviews on software.  Also,
    you might check on earlier issues to see software.  Better yet,
    see if you can't get some salesman to show you some software.  Don't
    be surprised of you decide to drop some cash to buy something. 
    If your time is worth more than $2/hour or if you'd rather program
    than make music you may want to consider it ... ;-)
    
    Steve
1959.3My 2p worthWAR750::KAYDSome people's hot ...Fri Apr 14 1989 07:4331
And as the lid of Pandora's Box slowly opens.....

I'm sure that most people in this conference have their own favourite
features which they'd like including - I'd suggest something along the
following lines:-

Make it a set of modular programs rather than one big one - this way it's
up to the user to reconcile features vs free memory;

If you're going to go for the universal patch editor, make it a simple list
of parameters and their values, and have a 'define new synth' page. This could
prompt the user for the parameter description and the associated MIDI string,
which the user could enter from the user manual. If this information could be 
saved off to a separate file then these files could be posted in the public
domain;

Do your own thing on the sequencer - you'll never come up with an approach
which keeps everyone happy, so you may as well do it the in the way which
you like;

Put an arpeggiator in it! I'd love to have a sequencer with built-in 
arpeggiator, but as far as I know there isn't one (I know you can achieve
the same effect with a sequencer anyway, but that's only if you already
know what you're after)

I look forward to seeing what you come up with - good luck!

Cheers,

    Derek.