Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!iuvax!rutgers!rochester!pt.cs.cmu.edu!ius3.ius.cs.cmu.edu!ralphw
From: ralphw@ius3.ius.cs.cmu.edu (Ralph Hyre)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: Re: Computers & MIDI
Keywords: Apple II, Atari ST, MIDI
Message-ID: <4278@pt.cs.cmu.edu>
Date: 14 Feb 89 19:18:44 GMT
References: <8902081028.aa08524@SMOKE.BRL.MIL> <2246@puff.cs.wisc.edu> <530@microsoft.UUCP>
Organization: Carnegie-Mellon University, CS/RI
Lines: 27

In article <530@microsoft.UUCP> brianw@microsoft.UUCP (Brian Willoughby) writes:
>Buying an Atari ST because it has a built-in MIDI port is like buying a
>particular car just because it comes with a sterio. 
I agree that one should look at software first, along with overall system 
cost.  the ST can run a lot of Mac and IBM software with various emulators 
out there, but I don't know if it fool Mac MIDI software into using the Atari
MIDI port in place of the Apple MIDI interface.

I also think [not confirmed] that the ST is more developed from the software 
end (There's a MIDI toolset) than the 8-bit Apples & clones.

If you don't even want the 'temptation' of spiffy graphics, then the Laser
128/EX (which has built-in-MIDI) might be OK, compared with other things.
It's faster than a GS.
[Apple II is] 
>fast enough for MIDI, unless you want complicated HiRes graphics at the same
>time. I have written a few sequencing programs for my MIDI card, and there is
>plenty of CPU speed to handle large chunks of System Exclusive data at full
>MIDI speed.
With interrupts (I think my Passport 6850/6840 clone can generate them), one
should be able to do almost anything on the screen without worrying about
losing MIDI data.
-- 
					- Ralph W. Hyre, Jr.
Internet: ralphw@{ius{3,2,1}.,}cs.cmu.edu    Phone:(412) CMU-BUGS
Amateur Packet Radio: N3FGW@W2XO, or c/o W3VC, CMU Radio Club, Pittsburgh, PA
"You can do what you want with my computer, but leave me alone!8-)"
--