From: ngse18@castle.ed.ac.uk (J R Evans)
Newsgroups: rec.music.makers.synth,rec.music.synth,comp.sys.mac.apps
Subject: Review: Inexpensive MIDI resources for the Macintosh
Date: 2 Jan 93 16:28:35 GMT
Expires: 31 Jan 93 00:00:00 GMT
Distribution: rec
Organization: Edinburgh University


Some weeks back, I bought a new Mac with the intention of using
it for music related activities (amongst other things!).  I have
been poking around relevant ftp sites to see what I can find.  
Here is a list of what I have been able to obtain, with brief
reviews.  The current rec.music.[makers.]synth FAQ contains no
entry on Mac software, and these resources are very much spread 
around.  Unless anyone has objections, I propose to propagate 
copies of relevant items to the umich mac archive.  This has become 
the principal site for those with interests in Mac software, and is 
mirrored by a number of sites worldwide.

	[Note: I do not propose to propagate non-working items such as
	the CMU utilities, or those with existing distribution points 
	within the Internet i.e. CSound or Lime]

If you have more up-to-date versions of these programs, additions
or corrections, please let me know, and we can coordinate 
contributions.  I will submit this for inclusion either as part of
or alongside Craig Latta's FAQ in due course.
	
Russ Evans
British Geological Survey, Edinburgh
e_gs18@ub.nmh.ac.uk ... ngse18@castle.ed.ac.uk

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

		Inexpensive MIDI resources for the Mac
		--------------------------------------

		Russ Evans, BGS Edinburgh, e_gs18@ub.nmh.ac.uk

		Edition of 1 January 1993
		Copyright notice at the end!

Bulk Sysex Utility
	Source: louie.udel.edu /pub/midi/software/mac/sysex_util.hqx
	Status: Free [demonstration of Altech Systems' MIDI library]
	Description: A very nice sysex tool -- can handle dumps of up 
	to 128k.  Includes MIDI through and basic play-from-keyboard 
	capabilities. A 'must have'! 

CMIDI
	Source: ics.uci.edu /mac/think-c/classes/cmidi.hqx
	Status: Free
	Description: Class library for Think C which provides support
	for Apple's MIDI Manager.  Only of interest to programmers!

CMU Midi Toolkit
	Source: sony.com /pub/mac/CMU_MIDI.sit.hqx
	Status: Apparently free; not fully functional
	Description: Beta release (1988) of a fairly complex suite of MIDI
	drivers, dump, analysis and sequencing programs around a Unix/DOS
	style interface.  Ported from IBM-PC code.  The drivers would
	not work reliably on my Mac running 7.1, but there is a lot of
	useful stuff here for programmers.  Think C version 3 projects
	and source code as well as the applications.

Csound
	Source: media-lab.media.mit.edu
	Status: Free
	Description: Port of major ongoing project for description and
	genesis of sounds, which operates on a number of platforms. 
	Encompasses sampling and signal processing capabilities as
	well as MIDI interfacing; will require application to master,
	but the effort will be well worthwhile!

CZ Librarian
	Source: louie.udel.edu /pub/midi/software/mac/cz_librarian.hqx
	Status: Unknown
	Description: Apparently a patch librarian for Casio CZ synths.
	The application wouldn't even start on my Macs (IIvi & SE, 7.1)!

D110 Rhythm
	Source: sony.com /pub/mac/D110R.sit.hqx
	Status: "Beta software, not to be released" !!
	Description: Basic Hypercard based editor for D110 rhythm parts.

ESQ-1
	Source: louie.udel.edu /pub/midi/software/mac/esq1_librarian.hqx
	Status: Free (Demo for Altech Systems' MIDIBASIC)
	Description: I couldn't get this to run on my system, either!

HyperMIDI
	Source: louie.udel.edu /pub/midi/software/mac/HyperMIDI.sit.hqx
	Status: Shareware $30
	Description: A well written, extensible Hypercard stack providing
	a bit of everything - dumps, recording, analysis, play-keyboard
	and programmable patch editor [DX7 version included].  Version 
	1.0 is dated 1988, but I know that there are more recent versions 
	available (1.1 at least).

Lime
	Source: novamail.cerl.uiuc.edu /pub/lime/...
	Status: Free demo; inexpensive license
	Description: A very capable score writing program with some
	MIDI sequencing capabilities.  The demo is almost completely
	functional (it is limited to scores of up to three pages) and
	the cost of the full version is nominal ($100, I think).  Lime
	can do things no fully commercial program I've seen can handle.
	I have just two reservations about it: 
		a) 	it is very, very slow.  Response is leisurely on my IIvi 
			(16MHz '030); on my SE, Lime is all but unusable; 
		b)  it can't export or import standard MIDI files. 
	In all other respects, an amazing piece of work!  Comes with
	copy of MIDI Manager, Patchbay, and notational fonts.

KAMIKAZE DX
	Source: louie.udel.edu /pub/midi/software/mac/kamikaze_dx.hqx
	Status: Unknown
	Description: Wouldn't even start on my systems running 7.1.

Megalomania
	Source: sony.com /pub/mac/Megalomania1.0.sit.hqx
	Status: Shareware $22
	Description: This looks like a really imaginative idea.  A 
	MIDI-based effects processor with a graphical patch interface.  
	Without time to explore, it's impossible to assess its value, 
	but it comes with a promising looking manual and a heap of 
	example patches.  Worth investigating?

MidiControl
	Source: Joe Ciarcia (joec@fourd.com)
	Status: Shareware $35
	Description: A promising general purpose patch editor.  I had it 
	driving my VFX in a matter of minutes without reading the manual.  
	Plenty of examples for DX7's and relations. I preferred it to
	HyperMIDI, which is its most obvious competitor.
	
MIDIDriver
	Source: Craig Ruff & myself (mail to e_gs18@ub.nmh.ac.uk)
	Status: Free
	Description: After posting a request to the net for a MIDI driver,
	Craig Ruff sent me two simple drivers he had written some time 
	ago, one in assembler, one in C, for the Aztec compiler.  I have 
	rewritten them both for Think C, and the assembler version works
	(at least to the extent I've been able to test it).  Unless Craig
	has any objections, I'm willing to share this code; it is very
	basic, but at least demonstrates the way in which the Zilog SCC
	has to be prodded in order to transmit and receive MIDI bytes.

MidiScope 1.5
	Source: umich /sound/midi/midiscope1.5.sit.hqx.Z 
	Status: Free (PD, advertising Kurzweil)
	Description: Allows you to monitor MIDI traffic in great detail.
	Definitely a 'must have' in anything but the simplest setup.
	Note that version 1.1 (present at some ftp sites) is buggy!       

MiniTrax 1.54
	Source: louie.udel.edu /pub/midi/software/mac/minitrax154.hqx
	Note also: umich has /sound/midi/minitrax1.55.cpt.hqx
	Status: Free (PD demo for Altech Systems MIDIBASIC)
	Description: As it's the only free (or even cheap!) sequencer
	that I've seen for the Mac, I have to say this is a good deal!  
	Compared against equivalent offerings for the Atari ST, it's 
	very commendable.  Tidy interface, simple to use, but limited 
	editing capabilities.
	
Music Fun
	Source: louie.udel.edu /pub/midi/software/mac/MusicFun.hqx
	Status: Shareware 
	Description: Only tangentially a MIDI application.  Provides
	ear-training exercises (identifying intervals, chord qualities,
	inversions) -- a useful tool. wuarchive.wustl.edu offers what is
	probably an updated version in 
		/mirrors2/info-mac/Old/demo/music-fun-20.hqx.Z

SY77 Voice Librarian
	Source: umich sound/midi/sy77voicelibrarian.cpt.hqx
	Status: ??
	Description: ??
	
Miscellaneous documents

	MAC-midi
	Source: louie.udel.edu /pub/midi/software/mac/MAC-midi  
	Description: How to build a MIDI interface for a Mac

	mac-to-midi-interface
	Source:
	Description: Another way to build a MIDI interface for a Mac

	Apple MIDI note [pollproc]
	Source: ftp.apple.com
	Description: Apple's technical note describing the official
	assessment of the infamous Powerbook problem, and a procedure
	which developers can embed in their applications to work
	around it.  Of interest to Powerbook programmers only.

Other sources of Mac MIDI software
----------------------------------

I haven't yet had time to investigate the following items turned up
by a recent archie search:
	wuarchive.wustl.edu 
	/mirrors2/info-mac/Old/sound/program/small-midi-interface.hqx
    /mirrors2/info-mac/Old/demo/dr-t-beyond-midi-206.hqx

The UK magazine Sound On Sound distributes PD, shareware and demo
disks for MIDI and related applications.  They list the following
items which I've not been able to locate on the networks:

	MIDIStix -- shareware drum pattern sequencer
	MIDIMagic -- 32k bulk dump librarian
	M1 MIDI Concrete -- shareware editor/librarian for Korg M1

and demos for the following products:

	Turbosynth -- waveform synthesiser
	Steinberg Cubase 1.0 -- sequencer
	Intelligent Music M -- composition aid (?)
	Opcode Vision -- sequencer
	Opcode Cue -- sync to picture tool
	Passport Trax -- sequencer
	Passport Pro -- sequencer
	Hyperstudio -- studio management aid
	Coda Finale -- scoring/notation program
	Passport Notewriter -- notation
	Passport Encore -- notation with MIDI sequencing
	
Soho Soundhouse kindly provided me with demos of Steinberg Cubase 1.8
(the current version is 1.8.3), and of Passport Encore.  These demos
will not save or restore files, although in all other respects are
fully functional.  Useful to anyone considering a purchase.

Copyright J R Evans (e_gs18@ub.nmh.ac.uk)
Permission to copy is hereby granted subject to the following
conditions:
	1. 	This document is copied only in full and without alteration
	2. 	No charge is made other than reasonable costs of materials
		or connection services. 
Newsgroups: rec.music.makers.synth