Conference napalm::commusic_v1

	I forgot to mention the obvious fact that this runs on an Atari
    ST, and a simular note was posted in the Atari ST notes file, which
    got this reply.
    
             <<< BOLT::MAY14$DUA1:[NOTES$LIBRARY]ATARIST.NOTE;1 >>>
                       -< Atari's 68000 based systems. >-
================================================================================
Note 9.116               Software available on the E-net              116 of 116
COMICS::DSMMGR                                       16 lines   9-NOV-1989 06:40
                           -< Punch in / Punch out >-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    I have MIDI.PRG and cannot really profess to using it much at all
    but surely PUNCH is PUNCH IN.
    
    Ie set the PUNCH point and play the song being recorded from the
    beginning. It will play until it reaches the PUNCH IN point and
    then automatically switch to RECORD mode allowing you to record
    from that point onward. I can't remember if you can set a PUNCH
    OUT point or not. If you can, it should drop out of record mode
    at that point and revert to PLAY.
    
    Poor songs and useless documentation or not, I give every praise
    to the author of the program for a useable MIDI sequencer that is
    PD. It is a great intro fro people just entering the MIDI arena
    without them having to spend BUCKS on commercial sequencing software
    
    Jonathan 
    

    There is a chance that the original uploaded version of this file
    is corrupt. (Other stuff I uploaded at the same time was).
    
    A new version of MIDI.PRG was uploaded at 8:40 GMT Today (10th).
    
    Sorry for any inconvenience caused.
    
    		Stuart P.

    Well, other one of you spotted the other deliberate mistake !-)
    
    The required MIDI.RSC is now on KAON:: as well.
    
    		Stuart P.

    Well, I tried the program today. I must first tell you that I have
    NEVER used ANY sequencer before in my life so my confusion may come
    merely from overall inexperience. I was able to record a track, loop
    it, and then record a second track after a little playing around. I
    understood some of the pulldown menu features but I couldn't figure out
    how to USE many of them. I understand how to use the left window (the
    32 tracks) but I'm not sure what to do with the bottom portion of the
    right window (several rows lettered A to about N). Perhaps some of the
    demo songs could clear this up??
    
    Overall, I was impressed but who wouldn't if they've never seen one
    before. As with almost anything, detailed documentation is needed to 
    get the full benefit.
                                                            

    The demo song's don't help !
    
    If I've understood it properly, the bottom right area is best thought
    of as a clip board to write down start and end timings of parts of your
    song. 
    
    As you may have gleaned from the .DOC file (if you read it about ten
    times to understand it like I had to), you can save typing these
    numbers by clicking (& high-lighting) one number, & then by clicking
    on another number, setting it to the first. 
    
    Therefore, you could set the 'tape counter' to start at a number you'd
    previously recorded on the clip board, or set punch IN and OUT to be
    the start and end numbers you'd previously set. 
    
    These numbers in the 'clip board' can themselves be set by clicking
    on them while it's playing.
    
    As for other functions as the .DOC says, to, for instance, COPY part of
    a track, select COPY from the pull down menu. Set the start & end
    timing points, click on COPY (that's the non obvious bit !), say YES &
    it will copy FROM the start point TO the end point INTO the point were
    the 'tape counter' is ! 
    
    Hope this helps,
    		Stuart P.
    
    P.S. Demo songs available soon. The timing in them is terrible,
    I had hoped it was a poor recording, but maybe the program cannot
    cope with lots of data at once.

    Will the Demo songs ever be available??
    
    Anyway, I've been playing with this thing a little more now and I think
    I have a decent understanding of what I'm doing. I even had my drum
    machine play a track and had the sequencer record it and play it back
    ok.
    
    I've got a couple of questions:
    
    All of the various copy/move commands only work on the same track?? I
    can't copy a piece or all of one track to another??
    
    I'm having a problem with notes being stuck on when I'm playing
    ( controller --> atari --> SGU ). I'm just wondering if I'm the only
    one having this problem or others have it too? I have to use the "all
    notes off" command to make them stop.
    
    When I play back my drum tracks while recording other tracks, it
    sometimes drops a few notes. Perhaps I'm overloading it??
    
    My DX-100 and TX-7 have a strange error message that isn't in the
    manual(s). They both say "Midi Buffer Full". Has anyone else seen this
    error with any other sequencer?? What might cause such a message? (ie
    what does this sequencer do that the others don't to cause this
    message?)
    
    What other cheap sequencers are there? (In my opinion) software for
    home use should NEVER be over $50. Do they suffer from any of the above
    problems?
    
    Where can I see and play with several sequencing packages all at once.
    Every time I go to a store and ask about them they all say "yea, we've
    got them but we don't have anything to demo."
    
    
    Thanks for any help,
    Jim

One thing that can cause this, as far as the MIDI message overflow goes, is
if somehow you've closed the MIDI loop and all equipment echos information
through.  This causes information to cycle until one or another buffer
overflows.  Could also be that one of the boxes isn't sending any note offs.

Steve

    Hi Jim,
    
    The all-notes-off command is generally issued when a sequencer stops
    playback whether its in the middle or at the end of a sequence.
    
    There are some features that may not be implemented across all
    sequencers or SGUs.  For example, my Yamaha Piano does not implement
    running status Midi messages ... this tends to leave notes on
    when they should be off ... the package I'm using has a switch to
    turn off running status ...
    
    The other area that could be overloading the units are other messages
    such as clock or active sense messages or even aftertouch or
    breath control -- these can load down a CPU... are there any SW switches
    to filter these out?  Missing active sense messages tend to clip note
    sounds.
    
    I'd love to have home software for <= $50 ... but I've noticed that
    generally you get what you pay for ... for example, I've tried
    an early version of Music Studio and found it lacked a real time
    input capability ... I also look for software quality and support ..
    I don't particularly like "bugs" but they still exist.
    
    As mentioned in other parts of the conference ... Its important to
    know what features you need and then match those to the packages.
    I also believe that some of the packages now carry many years of user
    experience ...  which encourages developers to make the package
    even better... which means the package may carry a premium price tag.
    
    Regards,
    Bruce
    

Re .6
>        Will the Demo songs ever be available??
    
	Sorry I should have said. The whole sequencer and 6 demo songs
    where uploaded to the software library mentioned in note 17.2
    
    	Stuart P.