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Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!rochester!udel!gatech!mcnc!rti!dg_rtp!jonesjg
From: jonesjg@dg_rtp.UUCP (Greg Jones)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga,rec.music.synth
Subject: Re: Review of SoundScape Pro MIDI Studio (LONG)
Message-ID: <2176@dg_rtp.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 23-Jun-87 01:15:27 EDT
Article-I.D.: dg_rtp.2176
Posted: Tue Jun 23 01:15:27 1987
Date-Received: Wed, 24-Jun-87 06:46:19 EDT
References: <180@sugar.UUCP> <12792@topaz.rutgers.edu>
Reply-To: jonesjg@dg_rtp.UUCP (Greg Jones)
Organization: Data General, RTP North Carolina
Lines: 60
Xref: mnetor comp.sys.amiga:5919 rec.music.synth:962

In article <12792@topaz.rutgers.edu> trudel@topaz.rutgers.edu (Jonathan D.) writes:
>Pretty amazing, I must say, but you have to buy all three products
>to get it.  Why go for DMCS and Pro MIDI Studio, since they seem to do
>the same thing?  
>Couple of questions about Pro MIDI:
>1)	What format does it save the files?  DMCS uses SMUS, and it
>would be nice if the two could transfer songs back and forth...
>2)	How much is Pro MIDI?  I'm debating which program to get,
>and right now, I'm leaning towards DMCS (some Mac owners I know 
>also have DMCS, so I'd like to exchange songs with them (Yes, it is 
>possible)).

1) Pro Midi saves the songs in it's own format, but the disk comes with 
   a program to translate the files to/from soundscape format to SMUS.

   Their rational for using their own format is to save information about
   the soundscape environment (I.E. which modules are connected etc...).

2) Price $149, MAKE SURE YOU GET THE NEW VERSION number 1.4.  Many dealers
   have the old 1.1 version that is VERY GURU PRONE.  I recieved the update
   1.4 from soundscape free without even asking. (They must have known I was
   just getting ready to send them a list of bugs :-)  

3) Reasons for having both ... The editing functions for Pro Midi are 
   a not graphically oriented,  In other words the editor displays the
   notes like 96 1024 24 to indicate note 96 at time 1024 for 24 clocks.
   Using the editor will take some time to master.  The soundscape newsletter
   suggest using DCMS to edit the music and then to inport using the 
   conversion program, and playing back with Pro Midi.  I don't own
   DMCS and will not buy it until the updated version is available in
   the local software stores.  Look at the warnings in the EA newletter
   stating that DMCS is not a MIDI sequencer.  From what I have read
   DMCS will not handle MIDI data very well in real time.  It does provide
   a nice user interface to editing, and some playing back.  Midi Pro does
   handle MIDI data in real time very well.  The Midi Pro is build from 
   many small tasks each x-mitting Midi data between them.  This is a nice
   open arctecture allowing for expansion in the future.  The Midi Pro news-
   letter indicates plans from soundscape for a future developer kit for
   $150 so others will be writing midi modules soon.  Last months Amazing
   Computing had a sample of a C program utilizing the soundscape library!

4) Suggestions ... As with everything it is really up to you but I have 
   some important suggestions.

   1) If you don't have a midi device and just want to play with music
      on the amiga, buy DMCS.  It has a better user interface and will
      be easier to use.

   2) If you want to do MIDI recording and sequencing get soundscapes
	MiDi Pro.  Make sure you get version 1.4, according to
	soundscape the manual will be rewritten in the near future.
	This will help learning to use it better.

						Greg Jones

-- 

				Greg Jones
				Data General, RTP, NC
				...!seismo!mcnc!rti!dg_rtp!jones