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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

2451.0. "Laser Music Processor" by DECWIN::FISHER (Locutus: Fact or Fraud?) Mon Sep 17 1990 17:12

Does anyone know anything about Laser Music Processor?  It is mostly notation
software for IBM compatibles, of the same genre as Music Printer Plus MPP). 
It is sort of
shareware; the price is $100.  I say "sort of" because the demo version that
you are allowed to ship around is slightly disabled; it won't let you write
anything that you have created to disk.  It also prints with "DEMO"
scrawled across the page.

My opinion so far is that it is not as complete (I think) as MPP, but that MPP,
at $500, is probably not 5 times as good.  My biggest complaint at this point is
that its hardcopy is not very good.  They claim to work with both HPGL laser
printers and with 9 and 24-pin printers.  The selection is HPGL, ProPrinter,
and Epson LQ.  On my Panasonic 1124 (Epson compatible), though, it looks like it
is doing just a screen copy and not getting nearly the resolution of the printer.
It is legible, but not nearly as nice as MPP.  In fact, it does not look *ALL*
that great on my Herc video either.

MIDI?  That's a good question.  It claims to take MIDI input.  I think it can
read it directly from an MPU 401, and I *think* it can also take it from a MIDI
file.  I'm a bit unclear on that.  What I'm *not* sure if it can do is output
to MIDI based on the notes you have input.  (I.e. is there a notes-to-MIDI
compiler and sequencer built in as MPP has).

I'm trying to find out from the company now.  I'll let you know if I find it.

Here is the info I have:

TEACH Services
182 Donivan Road
Brushton, NY 12916
518-358-2125

They have a bulletin board from which I downloaded LMP demo.  I'm afraid I did
not bring that phone number with me.

If anyone has used this s/w seriously, I'd like to hear.

Burns
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2451.1Answers to my own questions...KVANT::FISHERLocutus: Fact or Fraud?Mon Sep 17 1990 18:4531
Ok, (to answer some of my own questions) I just got a call back from the LMP
folks.  Here is the deal:

There are two versions:  LMP and LMP Pro.  LMP is $100.  Pro is $300.  For
either of them, they will sell you a printer driver which does high density
matrix printer stuff.  It is $40 (I'm getting a sample in the mail).

LMP will convert either MIDI in or SMF (standard MIDI file) into notation.
However, to write notes using LMP and then output to MIDI requires a .MUS
to SMF converter ($40).  The converter runs as a separate program, so you have
to get out of LMP and run it.  (You don't have to do this if you have input
the stuff as MIDI to begin with...it will replay the MIDI file ok).  In all
cases, LMP only can deal with one MIDI channel (I think...I am a bit unclear
about this).  I suppose this is not so bad unless you have a whole multi-channel
arrangement worked up in an external sequencer that you wanted to play into LMP.

PRO removes many of the restrictions from LMP.  It does need the matrix driver
if you want to drive a matrix printer (or DeskJet), but it can drive MIDI out
directly from the editor and can also deal with multiple channels on both in and
out.

If you buy LMP, and accessories, you can trade them in at full price for PRO.
(You should not trade in the matrix/DeskJet driver, since PRO still needs that).

Sounds quite nice.  I'll have to play more with the demo.  BTW, the cruzzy
looking output without the driver is a feature:  it is fast draft mode.  Ha
ha.

Anyway, if anyone else has had any experience with LMP or PRO, please speak up!

Burns
2451.2Looks pretty OK, considering...LNGBCH::STEWARTMon Sep 17 1990 20:3014
       
       
       
       
       
       
       I've got the demo, also.  The output looked pretty good on my HP
       LaserJet Series II.  I don't currently need this capability, so I
       haven't investigated any further.  I thought I saw other programs
       like this advertised in this month's EM.  Check it (them) out.
       
       
       
       
2451.3Review of LMPDECWIN::FISHERPursuing an untamed ornothoidTue Jan 29 1991 15:4865
Well, I bought LMP last month and thought I would post a review.

First, let me correct a few things that I said before that were wrong, it turns
out:

1:  the "Pro" version is vaporware...still under development.

2:  second, the "compiler" from notation to midi format is a separate image, but it
is integrated with LMP so you can call it directly from LMP.

-------------------------------------

I bought LMP ($100), the score-to-midi compiler ($40, but was bundled with LMP
during Dec. for a promotion), and HiRes/DJ the s/w to do hi-resolution printing
on a matrix printer or an HP deskjet ($40).

My basic impression is that it is a good product for the price, but there are
lots of things that I would like to see improved.  Customer support, however, is
quite impressive.

First, the compiler, which they call MUS2SMF:  It is relatively new and it
shows.  It is very picky about how things are arranged on the staff, and there
are a number of standard conventions it does not understand.  For example, if
you have a multi-staff system, you'd better have all the notes which start on
the same beat in the same column (which would be standard practice anyway).  In
addition, if they DON'T start on the same beat, the columns had better not
overlap (or on an older version even be adjacent).  The columns taken up by a
note even included ledger lines, as well as the dot in dotted notes.  Key
signatures must be positioned exactly correctly to be noticed.  To me, the worst
thing relates to rests:  You can't have more than 1 rest adjacent to each other,
and worse, you can't put a rest and a note in the same column.  If you have a
rest in the bass and a note in the treble, for example, you have to leave the
bass blank.  Pretty odd, I say.  Oh, yes, it only outputs to a single MIDI
channel.

On to the main beast:

It is reasonably easy to use, although I have some of the same criticisms for
it as I did for MPP.  There are a lot of ease-of-use things that I would like:
auto-spacing, auto-chords, for example.  And it does not have auto-beaming like
MPP does.  Dotted notes are modal; pretty weird, I would have thought it would
be a modifier like CTRL/note.  However, it is not too hard to enter a song, and
you can get it to look very good with a bit of poking.  The dot matrix output is
very good; laser output is even better.

MIDI support:  You can input either a standard midi file from the MPU401 and
score it or play it.  If there are multiple channels, you select which channel
you want; it can only do 1 at a time.  You can also input from the midi
interface one note/chord at a time.  In that case, it enters the notes you play
with the timing that is currently set.  Good for "touch piano players", I assume.
You can also play a buffered midi piece back on the PC speaker, FWIW.  It does
not do well with chords :-).

I think the bottom line is that this is a nice, inexpensive alternative to stuff
like Music Printer Plus and Coda, etc for IBM users.  But you get what you pay
for.  It is not fancy, and has a fair number of raw edges.  The tech support
has been pretty good, though.  If I upload a problem to their Bboard, I usually
get a disk in the mail the next week.  I have also gotten extensive phone help.
(I think there may be 1 secretary, 1 tech support person, and 1 programmer...at
least I have only talked to 3 people there!)

If anyone wants to try the demo version, it is in the MIDI library.  I will also
be happy to answer questions.

Burns