Forum unknown
· Audiophile
MIDI files
19 messages in this thread
I just bought Dr T's keyboard controlled sequencer. I'm pleased with its
editing power, but somewhat disappointed that it doesn't use the Amiga's
internal sound circuitry to allow you to play sampled instruments. This
would be a great addition to this program (It is a straight port from the
Atari ST). In the absence of this capability, does anyone know an easy way
to transfer KCS sequences to either Soundscape or IFF format? If it's possible
to transfer the sequences, then one could assign Amiga samples within those p
OCprograms, getting around this problem. A standard for transfering MIDI sequences
would be a great help for those of us who use more than one program. I believe
some developers are working on one for IBM and MAC programs. If the Amiga developers
could adopt this or agree on one themselves, it would be a big boost for Amiga
musicians!
PS: Does anyone know of a good patch editor for the Yamaha DX27?
You are correct: KCS provides NO support for either IFF files or internal
Amiga voices. Porting a KCS file to IFF would require a conversion of some
sort, which means someone would have to write the program.
You mentioned SoundScape also. If you have a copy of SoundScape and enough
memory, you can tie SS to the MIDI input and KCS will treat the Amiga's
internal voices as "just another MIDI instrument". A bit indirect, but it
should work.
For patch editors, you might check with Dr. T's / Caged Artist's on their
patch editors… they should be shipping any day now. t
Tie Soundscape to the MIDI input??? This is an intriguing suggestion, but
shouldn't it be tie SS to the MIDI output? In other words, using SS to
intercept the MIDI output from KCS and route it to play the voices. How
exactly would I do this? I have 2 1/2 Megs, so memory shouldn't be a
problem Would I use the patch panel to intercept the KCS output? I'll
experiment a little, but if you could be a little more explicit, it would
help. But thanks for the suggestion–I wondered if that might be possible.
I got a later message from Dr T's saying that they will come out with an
update in 2 ths that will support Amiga voices (and also that their patch
editors are [Cshipping now.) That will solve the immediate problem, but not
the file compatib ility issue. Although if I can use SS to convert MIDI
data back and forth, it may not be a problem since I could go from KCS to
SS and then to SMUSconvert to get an IFF file that would fit with DMCS.
(Don't you just love these acronyms!!) Beyond this conversion problem, it
would be nice to use the two programs together so I could tie in a graphics
program that responded to MIDI data. I think one is available on the
Soundscape Utilities Disk 2; the latest Mimetics brochure also mentioned a
separate program that would do something similar. In addition I hear there
is a PD program that will update The Director to respond to MIDI input. The
inter- action of music and graphics really interests me. It would be great
to get a setup that allows the (predefined) graphic sequences and
animations to respond to real time input from MIDI. Interesting. Thanks for
your help. Phil
Before we go any further, realize this is all conjecture as I haven't tried
it yet.
What I was visualizing was looping the MIDI output back to the MIDI input
to drive SS. If you're driving a bunch of synthesizers, you could just
loop via the THRUs and bring the signal back to the input.
Granted tapping into the MIDI OUT would be cleaner and more convenient…
IF it works. Depending on how SS and KCS handle the serial port, it may
not. If, for example, SS taps in at the serial.device and KCS drives the
hardware directly, you'll never hear a peep. There is also a question of
whether you can even convince SS to take input from what it thinks is an
output.
As to how exactly you would do it, I can't say. If you went the route I
first considered — looping OUT to IN — you'd simply connect a cable and
take SS input from its MIDI IN. For the approach you suggested,
experimentation will have to suffice. You might call Dr. T's and ask them.
I know it can be done one way or the other, because the KCS programmer
specifically told me he had done it successfully. Try the horse's mouth,
as it were.
We used to connect two computers with MIDI, to transfer scores made with
incompatible programs. Of course, all the tracks would be lumped into a
single track on input, but I imagine some of today's programs would be able
to edit and un-slice the data based on channels…
We used to connect two computers with MIDI, to transfer scores made with
incompatible programs. Of course, all the tracks would be lumped into a
single track on input, but I imagine some of today's programs would be able
to edit and un-slice the data based on channels…
Before we go any further, realize this is all conjecture as I haven't tried
it yet.
What I was visualizing was looping the MIDI output back to the MIDI input
to drive SS. If you're driving a bunch of synthesizers, you could just
loop via the THRUs and bring the signal back to the input.
Granted tapping into the MIDI OUT would be cleaner and more convenient…
IF it works. Depending on how SS and KCS handle the serial port, it may
not. If, for example, SS taps in at the serial.device and KCS drives the
hardware directly, you'll never hear a peep. There is also a question of
whether you can even convince SS to take input from what it thinks is an
output.
As to how exactly you would do it, I can't say. If you went the route I
first considered — looping OUT to IN — you'd simply connect a cable and
take SS input from its MIDI IN. For the approach you suggested,
experimentation will have to suffice. You might call Dr. T's and ask them.
I know it can be done one way or the other, because the KCS programmer
specifically told me he had done it successfully. Try the horse's mouth,
as it were.
Tie Soundscape to the MIDI input??? This is an intriguing suggestion, but
shouldn't it be tie SS to the MIDI output? In other words, using SS to
intercept the MIDI output from KCS and route it to play the voices. How
exactly would I do this? I have 2 1/2 Megs, so memory shouldn't be a
problem Would I use the patch panel to intercept the KCS output? I'll
experiment a little, but if you could be a little more explicit, it would
help. But thanks for the suggestion–I wondered if that might be possible.
I got a later message from Dr T's saying that they will come out with an
update in 2 ths that will support Amiga voices (and also that their patch
editors are [Cshipping now.) That will solve the immediate problem, but not
the file compatib ility issue. Although if I can use SS to convert MIDI
data back and forth, it may not be a problem since I could go from KCS to
SS and then to SMUSconvert to get an IFF file that would fit with DMCS.
(Don't you just love these acronyms!!) Beyond this conversion problem, it
would be nice to use the two programs together so I could tie in a graphics
program that responded to MIDI data. I think one is available on the
Soundscape Utilities Disk 2; the latest Mimetics brochure also mentioned a
separate program that would do something similar. In addition I hear there
is a PD program that will update The Director to respond to MIDI input. The
inter- action of music and graphics really interests me. It would be great
to get a setup that allows the (predefined) graphic sequences and
animations to respond to real time input from MIDI. Interesting. Thanks for
your help. Phil
You are correct: KCS provides NO support for either IFF files or internal
Amiga voices. Porting a KCS file to IFF would require a conversion of some
sort, which means someone would have to write the program.
You mentioned SoundScape also. If you have a copy of SoundScape and enough
memory, you can tie SS to the MIDI input and KCS will treat the Amiga's
internal voices as "just another MIDI instrument". A bit indirect, but it
should work.
For patch editors, you might check with Dr. T's / Caged Artist's on their
patch editors… they should be shipping any day now. t
Hi, thought you might be interested in this bit of info… we plan on doing
an update in 60 days to the KCS Amiga to allor playing the Amiga internal
sounds… so many things to do.
also, we are now shipping editors for Dx100/21/27/FB01/TX81Z on one disk
called 4-OP deluxe. List is $129.00. also available are D-50, MT-32, DX-7,
ESQ-1/SQ80, and soon the PCM-70.. oh yeah the Matrix-6/1000 is available
too. all are $149 NOT $129. Sorry.
(}-:= Al Hospers…Dr.T's 220 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02167
(617)-244-6954
Hi, there. I have a Korg DS-8, just wondered if you plan to do an
editor/librarian for the DS-8. Would love to have it, and that is the only
thing holding me back from KCS!!
Whether or not Dr. T's will be supporting the DS-8 with an editor/librarian
should have no bearing on your purchase of KCS, since one has nothing to do
with the other. Remember, this is a multi-tasking system: you can use
anyone's editor/librarian with anyone else's MIDI recorder (assuming both
are standalone). If you've looked at KCS and like it, go for it…
regardless of the DS-8 situation.
Yep, thats true, and I probably will go for it if I think I like the way it
looks. Anyway, thanks for the input!
Mark
Yep, thats true, and I probably will go for it if I think I like the way it
looks. Anyway, thanks for the input!
Mark
Whether or not Dr. T's will be supporting the DS-8 with an editor/librarian
should have no bearing on your purchase of KCS, since one has nothing to do
with the other. Remember, this is a multi-tasking system: you can use
anyone's editor/librarian with anyone else's MIDI recorder (assuming both
are standalone). If you've looked at KCS and like it, go for it…
regardless of the DS-8 situation.
Hi, there. I have a Korg DS-8, just wondered if you plan to do an
editor/librarian for the DS-8. Would love to have it, and that is the only
thing holding me back from KCS!!
I guess I'd better send in my registration card then! That's great! I'll
certainly buy a copy of the DX27 editor. I still think a utility that would
c convert KCS files to SMUS would be a great boost to the usefulness of
KCS (at least until The Copyist comes out). And finding some way to input
KCS MIDI data into Mimetics' Soundscape would also be interesting
(particularly if it was done in real time and allowed you to use the
graphics software available for Soundscape). I suspect many of the Amiga
people who buy KCS will be frustrated Soundscape owners; a conversion
utility would be a real selling point. I'm just learning KCS, but I like it
MUCH more than Soundscape! Glad to have Dr T's in the Amiga market! Phil
I guess I'd better send in my registration card then! That's great! I'll
certainly buy a copy of the DX27 editor. I still think a utility that would
c convert KCS files to SMUS would be a great boost to the usefulness of
KCS (at least until The Copyist comes out). And finding some way to input
KCS MIDI data into Mimetics' Soundscape would also be interesting
(particularly if it was done in real time and allowed you to use the
graphics software available for Soundscape). I suspect many of the Amiga
people who buy KCS will be frustrated Soundscape owners; a conversion
utility would be a real selling point. I'm just learning KCS, but I like it
MUCH more than Soundscape! Glad to have Dr T's in the Amiga market! Phil
Hi, thought you might be interested in this bit of info… we plan on doing
an update in 60 days to the KCS Amiga to allor playing the Amiga internal
sounds… so many things to do.
also, we are now shipping editors for Dx100/21/27/FB01/TX81Z on one disk
called 4-OP deluxe. List is $129.00. also available are D-50, MT-32, DX-7,
ESQ-1/SQ80, and soon the PCM-70.. oh yeah the Matrix-6/1000 is available
too. all are $149 NOT $129. Sorry.
(}-:= Al Hospers…Dr.T's 220 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02167
(617)-244-6954