NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #30/NN_1992_30.iso/spool/comp/sys/sgi/17903

Internet Message Format | 1992-12-12 | 9.0 KB

Path: sparky!uunet!haven.umd.edu!darwin.sura.net!lhc!adm!news
From: [e-mail] (Loki Jorgenson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sgi
Subject: Re: Indigo support for MIDI?
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Date: 12 Dec 92 12:24:04 GMT
Sender: [e-mail]
Lines: 186

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Bill Laut) writes:
>
>    So, my question:  Is there a means of plugging something like a
>Kurzweil MIDIboard into an Indigo?
>
>--
>Bill Laut            Internet:  [e-mail]

    A summary of MIDI info collected for the Home-Indigo list:

    I have started a project working with MIDI and my Indigo.  I'm not
a musician but my friend is (writes songs for Mitsou, if you know her)
and he wants me to do some technical stuff with him.

    Anyways, I looked into getting a MIDI translator and received
a number of suggestions from different people, with and without an Indigo.
Basically, the Indigo serial ports can support the RS-422 standard on a
Mac.  Subsequently, anything that works for the Mac works for the Indigo
(more or less).  Apple sells a translator for a few hundred dollars
but local offices were insisting on selling it as a package with software
for more than $500.

    There are a number of other translators available (see Byte
magazine ads for example).  However, I chose to buy a unit from a
Canadian outfit called Quest Technologies in Vancouver, B.C.  They
are indirectly associated with Simon Fraser University.  The unit cost
$134 cdn with shipping.  It's a small black box with serial cable,
one MIDI input/two MIDI outputs and three LEDs which indicate signals and
power; it takes its power from the serial port.  It's very well constructed
and very compact.

    I have started playing with it and I intend to make my resources
available to the public as I develop them.  I have included below the
comments on various MIDI-related devices from various users.  At the bottom
is a blurb from Quest.  I am have no direct connection to Quest except
having bought their product.

P.S. Note that I wouldn't know a good MIDI translator from a bad one.
  Mine works.  That's all I know.

--
'gards,
                                 __________
Loki Jorgenson                  //    //  \\    node:  [e-mail]
Physicist/                     //___ //   //    BITNET: PY29@MCGILLA
Visualization Analyst         //    //  _____
EMINENCE GRISE               //    //    //     fax:   [phone]
Montreal Quebec CANADA      //_____\\___//      phone: [phone]
                       -*  Visibly Advanced  *-

====

    If your hooking up to a 30/35 or indigo you can just go buy a
    plain macintosh midi box. (About $99 US) I believe theres a
    commercial sequencer thats about to be released called Bars and
    Pipes Professional.  Not cheap around $999.95 US list.

From: [e-mail] (Tom Benoist)

====

Yes, there is MIDI software for the Indigo.  There is a library for
sending and receiving MIDI messages and SYSEX.  As for hardware, you
need an Indigo (natch), and almost any Macintosh compatible MIDI dongle.
I've used Anatek's "Pocket Mac", Opcodes "MIDI Translator", "Studio 2"
and "Studio 3", Altech interfaces, etc...  Don't try to use a MIDI Time Piece
or Opcode Studio 5 or 4, as those units haven't been tested, and I'll
probably need to write a driver to support them.  If anyone out there
is interested in writing said driver, by the way, send mail to
"[e-mail]".

Archer Sully <[e-mail]>

===

    MIDI interfaces range in price
from about $60 to over $500 depending on what options you want.
You certainly don't have to buy one from Macintosh.  Opcode makes a
whole series of them depending on what you want to do but if all you
want is to exchange MIDI information, then the simple interface will do.
I bought one from Quest technologies which works just fine.  I'll put the
info about it at the bottom of this mail.  Controling the data is done with
software so you just need to get the information to the system and back.

Anyway, personally I would get the Quest MIDI interface but that's
just my opinion.  The Mac MIDI translator is cheaper and works
fine too (about $70 Can), MCS usually has them.

===

We use the MIDI Time Piece by Mark of The Unicorn, they now have the
MIDI Time Piece II which is an improve version upon the original one.
It is a nice but rather expensive interface. A cheap but interesting
alternative is the Opcode MIDI translator that cost about $45.0The MIDI
Time Piece is probably too much for what you need to do. It has SMPTE
syncronising capability and multiple inputs and outputs. Le Garage a
Musique

8480 St-Michel Blvd., Mtl. Tel.:[phone] or 721-1518 have competitive prices.
Hope this is usefull, let me know anyway,
Take care,
Serge

PS If you have the money the MIDI Time Piece II is the way to go, but it may be as much as $450.00!!!!

====

Despite a few shortcomings, MIDI is an undeniably powerful
communications system, allowing data to be freely excahnged between
MIDI instruments and, perhaps more significantly, between MIDI
instruments and computers. Pitch-bend, sustain, note information,
system exclusive - the list of information that can be sent rushing
from one machine to another seems almost endless. The potential for
MIDI is enormous and within the heart of most MIDI instrument owners
is a wish list of products that solve problems, work without hassle,
and are priced within the reach of mere mortals. High on most of
those lists might be a simple MIDI interface for your NeXT or Mac
with one MIDI input and two MIDI outputs as well as a professional
interface featuring a simple 2-input MIDI merger for blending
keyboards, sequencers or other controllers. Well that wish list has
come true.

Quest Canada Technologies, a hi-tech company that specializes in low-
cost, low-energy IC design, has released three simple but unique
products for the NeXT and MIDI market called LINK products. Call LINK
is actually an advanced telecommunications interface normally used in
conjunction with a voice-mail application but one creative Call LINK
owner has used this device in conjunction with Midi LINK to call into
his NeXT from a remote location and control his Roland sequencer over
the phone (using simple touch-tone commands) to play his latest
composition to his producer over the phone through his NeXT!

The MIDI products are aptly named Midi LINK and Midi LINK+. All three
devices are tiny (3"x2"x1"), lightweight (less than 4 oz.) black
plastic boxes with nice colour graphics to distinguish them from each
other. All products communicate on any serial port and come with
all the cabling required so you just plug and play! Best of all, the
MIDI products draw their power from the MIDI input or serial port so
you don't need a power supply or batteries!

Midi LINK (only $99) provides one MIDI input and two MIDI outputs and
features three LED's on the front panel to indicate power and the
presence of MIDI data in and out of the device. This feature alone
might be worth the price.

Midi LINK+ ($159) features two MIDI inputs and one MIDI output. It
contains built-in merge circuitry using microprocessor controlled
ultra-fast data handling technology so that if you try to merge two
already packed MIDI data streams, important note and timing
information is given priority (so it is difficult to crash it). The
reasons for merging two sets of MIDI information vary from person to
person. Perhaps you and a friend want to record two MIDI parts into
your computer simultaneously. Do you need to use a MIDI processing
package on a rack-mounted MIDI module? You plug the OUT of Midi LINK+
to the IN of of the module and the OUT of the module back to one of
the INs on Midi LINK+ and away you go. I need merge because I use a
cheap FSK generator to sync my sequencer to tape and at the same time
record from my keybord. This means that I can actually HEAR the
recording from the tape while I am playing rather than humming the
tune to myself.

The devices are well designed (1 year warranty), and come with a
single page of instructions that are clear, complete, and well
written. I like products that are simple, clean, easy to operate, and
do what they are supposed to. These LINK products meet those criteria.

Quest Technologies LINK products are manufactured by LINK
Engineering. If you would like to place an order then please
send a cheque (certified if possible) or money order to :

                Tim Collings, M.A.Sc., P.Eng.
                President, LINK Engineering
                14762 McDonald Ave.,
                White Rock, B.C.
                V4B 2C8
                [phone]

Please make your cheque out to LINK Engineering and include the
appropriate shipping cost. We ship UPS anywhere in North America and
can arrange to ship COD if you need the product right away.
Include $5 for shipping and handling (3 day ground service), or $10
for 2 day service, or $20 for overnight delivery. Thank you.

                                    Tim Collings, M.A.Sc., P.Eng.
                                    Vice President Engineering
                                    Quest Canada Technologies