Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!caesar.cs.montana.edu!ogccse!blake!ramsiri
From: ramsiri@blake.acs.washington.edu (Enartloc Nhoj)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Is Spectre going MIDI>?
Summary: would be nice, but...
Message-ID: <4662@blake.acs.washington.edu>
Date: 28 Nov 89 16:03:19 GMT
References: <8911220809.AA09458@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> <4461@druwy.ATT.COM>
Reply-To: ramsiri@blake.acs.washington.edu (Enartloc Nhoj)
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
Lines: 59

In article <4461@druwy.ATT.COM> dlm@druwy.ATT.COM (Dan Moore) writes:
>in article <8911220809.AA09458@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>, UUCJEFF@ECNCDC.BITNET
>(jeff beer) says:
>> I heard a rumor that David Small is working on making Spectre handle
>> MIDI in its Mac emulation.  Is this true?  Can sources close to Small
>> confirm this?
>
>	I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for the Spectre to support
>MIDI.  If (a really big if) it does happen it won't be anytime soon.
>
>
>				Dan Moore
>				AT&T Bell Labs

Anyway... there's lots of great midi software for the ST...
and in general, the ST has surpassed the MAC in this arena in 
both performance and choice.  While it might be nice to emulate
a MAC midi program, I am almost sure you may find a program in the 
ST world that is equal and likely better.  I think David realizes this
and is therefore reluctant to spend his efforts in that direction.

I do recognize, however, the prevalence of MACs in the studio
environment, and that it would be nice to simply bring a disk
to a studio if an ST is no where to be found.  Two solutions:
1)  Buy a STacy.. if they ever go into production.
2)  Save your ST midi files in standard midi file format and
    copy them onto your Spectre formatted disks.. take them to
    the studio and use the studio's mac gear.  ( I don't know if
    this is possible since i haven't yet bought GCR.  WHile
    I plan to buy GCR, it will be for reasons other than music).


An aside:  I found out yesterday that NOTATOR will NOT work
with Jim ALlen's Turbo16 board.  Jim told me that C-LAB was at
COMDEX and couldn't get the program to run with the
accelerator board nor on the TT/P.  Why?  All has to do with
PIRACY.... NOTATOR uses a dongle that hangs off the cartridge 
port for copy protection.  Jim explained to me that the 
timing of the read will only work on a normal ST... but he
assured me that C-LAB should have no problems writing a
quick fix for it.  I then called the national rep for C-LAB
and had a long talk with him.  We were interuppted by another
phone call... but i did let him know how disappointed i was
with the news.  Also, i let him know that it didn't please me
that when i get GCR, i will have to be constantly turning my
machine off, removing the NOTATOR dongle, reinserting
GCR etc.. rebooting.. every time i switch applications.  
He agreed that the wear and tear on both the cartridge ports and
the cartridges would likely create problems in time.

MORAL:  PIRACY only HURTS us ALL.  

Solution:  C-LAB produced the "Combiner"  which allows
4 cartridges to hang off the cartridge port.  Cost: $349.00.
NOT a "solution" I can implement at this time.


-kevin
ramsiri@blake.acs.washington.edu