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From: jca@hou2f.UUCP (J.ANTROSIGLIO)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Midi and the Amiga
Message-ID: <862@hou2f.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 17-Sep-87 09:33:53 EDT
Article-I.D.: hou2f.862
Posted: Thu Sep 17 09:33:53 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 19-Sep-87 15:04:28 EDT
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Holmdel
Lines: 77
Keywords: Midi, Amiga, Atari, software




	I've been sitting back and just reading all the mail dealing with
	midi on the Amiga. Well now its time for me to put my two cents
	in.  I own an Amiga 1000, 1040ST, and a AT&T-6300. All used for
	various music application in my little home studio. Which consists
	of a KX88, DX7, TX816(8 DX7's), CZ-101, 3 drum machines, 4-track 
	cassette, a various effects processors. All this stuff is controlled
	via midi.

	FLAME ON

	Let's talk about the PC world. Forget it! Anything good cost
	real bucks(>$300.00) and is copy protected (I hate that!). Most 
	programs require a Roland MPU-401 which will set you back another
	$300.00. What can you do with a 640K PC anyway?  I use mine to play
	around with Minix.

	FLAME OFF
	
	That brings us to the Amiga and the ST. First, I agree that the 
	Amiga got a bad rap from the music world when it was first released,
	one bad program can do that. But damm, you have to admit there is
	very little music stuff available for the Amiga.  I'm a subscriber to 
	Keyboard, Electronic Musician, and Music Technology, and it looks like
	the ratio of programs is 20:1 in favor of the ST. Most of these are 
	ports from the C64/128 world, however, their real products and you
	can by them today.  What's available for Amiga?  Just Soundscape 1.4 
	(thanks Todd!), Deluxe Music, and Texture. A big difference.

	Guys, I'm a devoted Amiga nut. I purchased my A1000 two weeks after
	it was released. I already purchased a midi interface for the A2000
	I have on order (Please Mister C man, send a 2000 to me).
	I also hung my head in shame when I went into my local music store
	and picked up my ST. I didn't feel too bad when I walked out
	with a 1040ST with two DS/DD drives, color monitor, and two free
	music programs for a mere $850. I was in in the right place at the
	right time. I also only paid $550 for a 20 Meg hard disk.

	It seems that Jack T. has the music world wrapped around his little
	finger. Most sales personal in music stores don't even know what an 
	Amiga is. There are a few who can respond to this question with the
	following quote, "The Amiga, isn't that that new version of the C64
	from Commodore. Those things are just toys. Let me show you this neat 
	new computer from Atari."  Just yesterday I was told by a salesman at 
	a New York music store (no names) that I better dump my Amiga because 
	the whole family was going to be canceled in January. He wouldn't say 
	where he heard it, but he proceeded to tried to sell me a 1040ST. 
	I chuckled and walked out.

	The midi.device project seems like a great project. However, its
	not going to get the Amiga back into the game in the music world
	unless it comes standard with the Amiga, works, and provided by 
	Commodore. Developers of music software want something they can
	count on, not public domain drivers. I can't understand why they 
	(Commodore) haven't provided a midi driver long ago. Maybe they 
	should get Todd to do one for them!

	It all boils down to this. When it comes to music, the 1040ST 
	gives you more bangs for the bucks, and there is software to do
	just about anything you would want to do.  Maybe, just maybe, 
	Commodore can do something with the A500 if they play their cards 
	right.  However, I don't have high hope that they will!
	Maybe someday I will be able to use my ST as a doorstop. But not
	until the music world accepts, make that understands, the Amiga and 
	some software starts showing up on the shelfs. Until then I'll have 
	to suffer with GEM-DOS (I just got a chill), slow disks, 40 file 
	limits on a hard disk, and the worst shade of gray I've ever seen 
	(it clashes with my furniture). 

	Commodore, are you listening?


					John Antroiglio
					AT&T Bell Labs
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