Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!cwruecmp!neoucom!wtm From: wtm@neoucom.UUCP Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga,rec.music.synth Subject: Re: Amiga midi problems? Message-ID: <671@neoucom.UUCP> Date: Thu, 20-Aug-87 14:25:08 EDT Article-I.D.: neoucom.671 Posted: Thu Aug 20 14:25:08 1987 Date-Received: Sat, 22-Aug-87 18:08:41 EDT References: <1408@ico.UUCP> <1601@ulowell.cs.ulowell.edu> <628@cup.portal.com> Organization: Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine Lines: 48 Xref: utgpu comp.sys.amiga:7180 rec.music.synth:1200 Summary: Atari ST harumphing <> I have to disagree about any one computer "being desinged for MIDI" as mentioned in the previous article. In the case of an Atari ST, there *is* already a DIN jack which is convenient that is attached to a serial port. With an Amiga, an inexpensive cord can be plugged into the serial port to provide a DIN jack. In the case of an IBM p.c., some sort of interface card is required to provide an adequate serial port. Depending on the model of IBM p.c. clone, its pre-existing RS-232 port might be able to be used in the same manner as the Amiga's serial port, requiring only an adapter cord. Even an Apple McIntosh (where did they ever come up with MacIntosh anyway? Is the spelling of the edible type of apple copyrighted? 8:-) ) can be used as a MIDI controller. There really isn't anything inate the the architecture of any of the above three computers that makes one better than the other for processing, receiving or transmitting MIDI data. Although, the out-of-the box affordable graphics capabilities of the Amiga and ST are nicer for looking at musical staves (staffs ??) on the screen. Basically all that is required for a computer to receive MIDI data is a serial port capable of operating at 32500 bits/second the ability of the serial port's USART to generate a processor interrupt so that the incoming events may be accurately time stamped. All three of the above named computers meet this requirement. All three computers, in fact, have useful MIDI software written for them. One place an Amiga based MIDI project could get into trouble is if some CPU instensive task wouldn't yield to acknowledge an incoming MIDI event in a reasonable amount of time. I suspect that most people using an Amiga for MIDI input would be multi-tasking unfreindly sotware that would prove troublesome. Ergo, I'll class this as likely a moot area of concern. The McIntosh's multifinder could be a problem since it does not have **true** (preemptive) multitasking (tee-hee). Notice that this article doesn't say which computer I like the best (grin, wink, nod). My theory is that you use what you've got handy, so get to work and use what you've got. Bill Mayhew Division of Basic Medical Sciences Northeastern Ohio Universities' College of Medicine Rootstown, OH 44272-9989 USA phone: 216-325-2511 (wtm@neoucom.UUCP ...!cbatt!neoucom!wtm)