MIDI Manager Activity is a _simple to use_ stand alone application that allows you to view MIDI data activity via Apple’s (really cool) MIDI Manager software.
MIDI Manager Activity is great for those times when you are trying to debug your MIDI setup and can’t seem to tell who is sending what to whom and when! Your mother told you about useful utilities like this one!
How Does It Work?
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MIDI Manager Activity signs into Apple’s MIDI Manager and automatically connects itself to the Printer port. If it does not connect itself, you should connect it the first time. MIDI Manager Activity will remember how you had it configured and will use that configuration as a default until you change it.
When MIDI Data is received through MIDI Manager Activity’s MIDI input port, different colored LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) will blink on the screen as follows:
- Red LED represents channel messages (ie: note on, note off, controller data, etc.) There is one of these per channel, each is labeled with the channel number 1-16.
- Green LED represents system exclusive messages.
- Blue LED represents MIDI Manager messages and will only occur in the case of a buffer overflow or an error from the MIDI Driver you are using with the MIDI Manager.
Worth noting is the fact that if a system exclusive message is very short, the system exclusive LED (green) may not light up at all. This is due to the fact that MIDI Manager Activity is driven at “interrupt” level, this may be fixed in future versions so the light at least blinks for a few ticks. Right now, I don’t see it as being too big of a deal.
What Do I Need To Use It?
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You can use it right now if you wish, but it won't be much fun unless you have the following equipment (as a minimum):
- System 6.0.5 or later (MIDI Manager Activity is fully System 7 compatible and is 32 bit clean!)
- A MIDI Interface
- Some MIDI gear (hardware and software)
What Are Some Of It’s Features?
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Some of the features of MIDI Manager Activity include:
- Fully System 7 compatible and 32 bit clean!
- Color LEDs and more on color Mac’s.
- Online Help.
- Remembering of patches made in PatchBay between launches.
- Remembering of window position between launches.
- Fully able to run in the background while other MIDI applications chug away.
- a ‘secret’ feature hidden deep in the recesses of MIDI Manager Activity, for you to find and conquer! muhahaha!
Special Thanks
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Special thanks to my great beta testers: Reneé Lockett, Marty Wachter, and Eddie Nolan.
Another thanks to Marty Wachter and Don Harriss (I'm gonna buy your CD one of these days Don!) for sparking this idea in the first place.
Yet another thanks to all the users of my other applications, sndConverter, and MIDIFile Converter.
And one last special thanks to all the members of Macintosh Music & Sound Forum on America Online - you all make it worth it to write applications like this!
You may freely distribute MIDI Manager Activity as long as it is not modified in any way and this read me document is included.
MIDI Manager Activity is shareware, it is not free software. If you find yourself using MIDI Manager Activity for more than 7 days, please send the requested shareware fee ($5 for version 1.0) to:
Joe Zobkiw
59 Melba Street
Milford, CT 06460
You can contact the author for suggestions, bug reports, and support via:
AFL Zobkiw @ America Online
70712,515 @ CompuServe
70712.515@compuserve.com via Internet
Please note: Only registered users will get a free upgrade to any future versions (which will undoubtedly cost more than $5 and probably be much more spiffy!)
Other Cool Applications To Look For On The Nets
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As a side note, I would like to promote some other cool applications you can find on the various networks out there. These are all music related in some way or another.
sndConverter by Joe Zobkiw - Converts ‘snd’ resources to be System 7 savvy.
MIDIFile Converter by Joe Zobkiw - Converts MIDIFiles to work with your particular sequencer after downloading from a friend with another sequencer or from a BBS.
DelayCalc by Don Harriss - Calculates delay times in SMPTE and more!
MIDI CD by Jim Nitchals - This totally hip app plays multiple channels of high-quality sound out of your Macintosh Speaker, from built-in MIDIFiles!
Cool CDs To Check Out
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Since I am a musician at heart, I would like to promote some cool Compact Discs that everyone should check out!
Passion by Peter Gabriel, Shell Game by Don Harriss, Tchokola by Jean Luc Ponty, Anything by Todd Rundgren, The System 7 Golden Master by Apple Computer, Inc.
