Conference napalm::commusic_v1

	A serial in-ter-face marked "1000" will work on the Amiga 1000 and not
	on the others.  I use the ECE MIDI 500, it can switch between 
	modem and MIDI with a button.  It's cheap and it works (in/out/thru).
	Tom

I got the CMI MIDI interface because it advertised a "synch" connection. Turns
out that CMI's bellyup and the interface is now supported/sold by Digi-Fex (and
not enormously well). Anyhow, the synch is an old Roland standard format which
is virtually useless. The interface does have an RS-232 passthru with a switch,
like the ECE. If I were buying today, I'd probably go MIDI gold to get the
interface into my 2000HD (when I bought I had a 1000).

There's also a super-duper external MIDI interface called the "MIDI Star," with
some impressive number of thrus and outs, I can't recall how many. However, I
think the best interface solution is to go simple at the computer end, and leave
the high-power stuff for a standalone (read: not computer- or synth-specific)
MIDI patchbay.

BTW, PerfectSound is a *digitizer,* not a MIDI interface; it is used for
capturing digital samples of sounds for use in the Amiga.

Cheers,
	Bob

     I have the ECE which works fine. I was originally interested
     in the AMAS combination sampler/MIDI interface, but it doesn't
     have the serial passthrough. The difference between 1000 and other
     AMIGA serial ports, and the lack of serial passthrough is about
     all you have to be concerned with in your garden variety MIDI
     interface.
     Dave

    I have the Insider.  It has one in, one thru, and two out.  It works
    flawlessly and has a toggleswitch for serial through.  However, I have
    two synths and an 'Intelligent Arranger' and never realized how often I
    have to swap cables.  Getting around to the back of the Amiga to swap
    midi cables on the Insider is becoming such a pain that I am looking at
    midi patch bays.
    
    On my Amiga 1000, I have the ECE 1000.  It also works flawlessly, but
    has a short cable so that I can set the connector to where I can reach
    it from the front of the machine.  I only has one in and one out, and I
    could sometimes use a thru, which it doesn have. Like mentioned in a
    previous note, you need the ECE version for the 2000, since the
    connector is different.
    
    Hope that helps a little to think about what you need up front.
    
    Terry
    

Re .4:

Hey Terry-

I useta know what you mean, but now I smugly push buttons on my newly-acquired
MX-8 patch bay. I knew I'd appreciate it, but you don't really know how annoying
some things are until you don't have to do them anymore! (And I don't even have
that much MIDI gear.)

Good to hear about the Insider- at some point I may "trade up" in order to get
some more desktop real estate back. Then, maybe I'll got for one of those new
internal V.42 modems, and maybe some more memory.....

Bob

re .0

	I have the ECE, works fine, etc.   Only trouble is that if the 
Amiga is turned off it doesn't pass anything through, i.e. if I want 
to play the synth DIRECTLY from the keyboard I either have to turn the 
Amiga on or recable(==hassle) - I don't have a switch/patch box, maybe
I should.  They probably all need power to pass messages through.
I also have Bars & Pipes, excellent !

	Reg

{I know, who would  *EVER*  want to play directly from a keyboard ?  (-: }

Thanks.

I bought the ECE. I guess it wasn't a 1000 that came because it fits and works
on my brand new AMIGA 2500!!!

Can anybody shed some light on the difference between the 1000 serial port and
other AMIGAs???? What do  you me the connector is different???

John

	I think the sex is contrary, and the power pins are in different
	positions maybe.
	I think probably.
	I had to build a convertor for a midi interface that was intended
	for a 1000 while borrowing it.  I just have forgotten.
tom

    Late entrant to Amiga & Midi hopes the dialogue is still going ....
    
    How do you like Bars&Pipes? I am trying to get hold of a demo copy of
    B&P Pro but getting this stuff out here is very hard. From the
    brochures (which I had to call Blue Ribbon direct to get hold of) it
    appears to be just about all I'd need in a sequencer, but I'm keen to
    hear a user's opinion of the s/w, the support, quality of updates, etc.
    
    Also I'm keen to hear any news from NAMM, new products, hot synths,
    anything for keyboardists.
    
    David
    

In general, I'm delighted with B&P Pro. For anyone with a "toolbox-oriented"
viewpoint (especially programmers), it is powerful, flexible, and intuitive.
I've heard it criticized/praised as being a sequencer "written by programmers
for programmers," a description which Todor Fay, the author, acknowledges as
fairly accurate. I can't imagine anyone finding it difficult to work with,
myself. The product and its interface are object-oriented to a degree which is
unique, IMHO, among sequencing packages. I believe that it is the *only* one
which was designed for, and takes advantage of, the Amiga's unique capabilities.

My one complaint (of which Blue Ribbon has been made *well* aware) is that the
advertisements for B&P Pro claimed professional quality notation capability,
which is, to be kind, a gross misstatement. This was not simply a
misunderstanding of their pamphlet, as I confirmed this description, along with
a few particulars, with a phone call. I'm awaiting the first upgrade to the
package since my purchase (the initial release, version 1.0c) to determine
whether they are committed to enhancing support for notation, or whether they
intend to simply refer users to a new package (The Notation Station) they intend
to offer in that field.

I have found the software to be fairly bug-free, however, especially for a
first release.

If you want particulars on the deficiencies in notation, contact me offline at
TLE::ASHFORTH.

Bob

re                       <<< Note 2607.9 by NZOMIS::GANDAR >>>
>                             -< Bars & Pipes OK? >-

    Late entrant to Amiga & Midi hopes the dialogue is still going ....
    
>    How do you like Bars&Pipes? I am trying to get hold of a demo copy of
>    B&P Pro but getting this stuff out here is very hard. From the

	Yes, I  *_LIKE IT_*.   I uploaded a demo of Bars and Pipes Pro 
a little over a month ago,  to EOT::AMIGA:[UPLOAD]B_P_PRO_DEMO.LZH
you can run the demo "as is" but the continuous slide show requires 
AmigaVision and some (minor) hacking on the initialize script.
Where are you that "getting this stuff out here is very hard" ?  Do you 
have a modem, down load utilities, etc. ?   The B&P pro demo is 1539 
blocks as a compressed archive, 770K bytes would take a while to 
transfer at 1200 baud, I could mail a disk to you if downloading is 
impractical - do you have lharc and a hard disk ?

>    brochures (which I had to call Blue Ribbon direct to get hold of) it
>    appears to be just about all I'd need in a sequencer, but I'm keen to
>    hear a user's opinion of the s/w, the support, quality of updates, etc.

	You might find that the original Bars and Pipes is all you 
	need.  Mine was advertised in the old amiga conference for 
	$100, complete with docs, blank registration card, proof of 
	purchase, etc.  I guess its still for sale (-:
    
	Reg

    I am in New Zealand, the land of no Amiga software for serious
    musicians. One out of ten music shops have people who can whisper "Dr
    T's" reverently when asked about sequencers for Amiga (for what?).
    
    B&P for sale? Questions:
    
    	1) Can I be a registered user to get a deal on a future upgrade to 
    	   B&P Pro?
    
    	2) Can you briefly outline what Pro has extra or different?
    
    David 
    
    

It's the bees knees!

I agree with everything in -.1 including the thoughts about notation.

I talked to Todor Fay about this and he claims that notation was not thier
*original* intention. They designed the software to get you going and recording
as quickly and easily as possible -- and that, I suppose, it does.

I told him that the notation was probably the worst part of the software and he
claimed that someone was updating it for the next release. He also told me to
FAX in my suggestions asap so that they would make it into the next release. I
didn't :-( unfortunately, but we shall see how it turns out anyway.

John

re                      <<< Note 2607.12 by NZOMIS::GANDAR >>>
>                               -< B&P questions >-

>    I am in New Zealand, the land of no Amiga software for serious
>    musicians. One out of ten music shops have people who can whisper "Dr
>    T's" reverently when asked about sequencers for Amiga (for what?).

	Ah, OK.  I know Stan Gifford has uploaded stuff to Shrewsbury 
Mass, but I think he's in Australia  - -  almost next door, right ? (-:

	Send me your mailing address and if the US postal service can 
send disks for a "reasonable fee" I'll send off both the original B&P 
demo and a compressed B&P pro demo, howze that ?

>    B&P for sale? Questions:
    
>    	1) Can I be a registered user to get a deal on a future upgrade to 
>    	   B&P Pro?

	Yes, I'm fairly sure there is NOT a licence transfer fee.
    
>    	2) Can you briefly outline what Pro has extra or different?

	No, the demo is just something I picked up and hacked around
with out of interest.  I can't do a reasonable side by side review of
them; you may be better able to decide when you get BOTH demos and can 
see how well they fit your needs.

	Reg

    

    I am impressed. I know Stan vaguely but not that he was an Amiga user. 
    
    Best address is:
    
    	David Gandar
    	Digital Equipment NZ Ltd
    	P O Box 8610
    	Symonds St
    	Auckland
    	New Zealand.
    
    If the charges are high send a note on costs so I can send you a money
    order back.
    
    Regards,
    
    David