From: xrjdm@twinpeaks.gsfc.nasa.gov (Joseph D. McMahon)
Subject: Re: MIDI Interface & Powerbook 100
Organization: NASA/GSFC NCCS
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1992 16:47:34 GMT
Reply-To: xrjdm@calvin.gsfc.nasa.gov 
X-Posted-From: twinpeaks.gsfc.nasa.gov
NNTP-Posting-Host: sol.ctr.columbia.edu

In article <C047y7.6x0@news.cso.uiuc.edu>, dacc@cmp-rt.music.uiuc.edu (Andrew C. Crowell) writes:
> In article <19057@mindlink.bc.ca> Hugo_Jackson@mindlink.bc.ca (Hugo Jackson) writes:
> >Well, here's the problem, my Mac Powerbook 100 won't drive my opcode systems
> >inc. midi translator.
> >
> >Has anyone used a powerbook 100 to drive a midi translator, and if so, which
> >one was it.
> 
> Hate to tell ya this, but buzz has it (according to a blurb in Electronic
> Musician) that _all_ Powerbook models, as well as the new Performa 600/IIvx/vi
> Macs, have a serial port problem when dealing with MIDI data. You just can't
> use them for that, as it appears to be a hardware-related problem. Supposedly
> Apple is working on a fix for it, though, so keep your ears peeled. As for
> right now, however, you just can't use that 'puter for MIDI.
> 
> D.A.C. Crowell
> Computer Music Project/School of Music
> University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign
> (dacc@cmp-rt.music.uiuc.edu)
> 
> 
> 
This is incorrect. Maybe this should go in the FAQ.

The 100 WILL drive MIDI just fine *if* you use the MIDI Manager. Nothing
else works. The 140 and 170 improve with the use of OMS. I append Nick's 
analysis of the situation:


Finally got the PowerBook 100 up and running last night, after a few teething
troubles with AppleTalk. (Never install a System on a machine by copying all
the configuration files from another machine: strange things happen...)
Installed OMS, MAX, Performer and some other odds and ends. Ran some tests:
striped a videocassette with 30-frame SMPTE, fed it back through a MIDI
Time Piece to convert to MIDI Timecode, converted to MIDI Manager timebase
by the OMS drivers and MM bridge, fed this to Performer, had Performer put out
MIDI beat clock to the Wavestation, kicked the MTP into multi-cable mode
at 1MHz, ran a fairly complex sequence file from a recent live set.

The PB100 performed flawlessly. Performer stayed locked to SMPTE without
any problems. The PB100 wasn't at all sluggish in response to window drags
and menus; it didn't seem to be breaking into a sweat at all. No serial
port overruns reported from OMS at all, and note that I was doing MTC input
(which is quite dense SysEx) and multi-cable output with MIDI beats.

In addition, there are the tests I performed on other 100's, including Metlay's.
Editor/librarians perform flawlessly with OMS and/or MIDI Manager. With
Metlay's machine I sequenced eight tracks from a Mac IIfx to the PB100
via a two-MTP network, using MIDI beat clock for sync. I think the notes
came in around 2msec late (which makes sense: clock f/by cablising packet
f/by note event). No overruns or anything.

I can only conclude that a PowerBook 100 running MIDI Manager and OMS is
a superb MIDI engine. Non-MIDI Manager software is dodgy at best, and
should be fed to your dog.

If Apple had any sense, they'd be pushing (and maintaining) MIDI
Manager, as well as getting PB100's properly publicised as superb
little MIDI computers. For $600 these beasts are a steal. Of course,
Apple don't have any sense. That's why the PB100 (the only PowerBook
which can do MIDI) has been discontinued and they've let MIDI Manager
atrophy through neglect. Thank goodness for Opcode (whose OMS system
has saved the day) and UPS (so that I could ship a PowerBook 100 from
the US).

Nick.
--
  Nick Rothwell, LFCS, Edinburgh | "Say, how many contemporary dancers are
               nick@dcs.ed.ac.uk |     there in this bar?"
CASSIEL Contemporary Music/Dance | "Dunno; count the Dr. Martens and
     cassiel@cix.compulink.co.uk |     divide by two..."


Craig, please put this in the FAQ.

-- 
                  Joe McMahon | 
                  P.O. Box 13 | Self-confidence: moving a piano 
            Lothian, MD 20711 | in a Toyota Tercel hatchback.
xrjdm@twinpeaks.gsfc.nasa.gov |