Re: need help with apple MIDI audio hardware/software

[jalapeno1@mac.com (jalapeno)]

swedbird@gmail.com (Erik Swedberg) wrote in message news:<7f0dd02d.0409291332.45e21656@posting.google.com>...
> OK, my goal is to play the sounds/instruments from Music Studio 2.0
> for the Apple IIgs with a keyboard, live. I have an apple IIgs, an
> M-audio Oxygen 8 25-key midi controller, one of those 1-in, 1-out
> "Apple MIDI Interface" boxes, and a copy of Activision's "Music Studio
> 2.0".
> 
> how do i get this stuff to work together? 
> 

I used to use Music Studio 2.0 all the time to run our keyboards at
rehersals from 1989 through 1995.

> is there a simple way to test whether or not my MIDI interface box
> works? is my interface good enough for what i want to do, or should i
> look for something like an Opcode Studio+2 ?
> 

The apple interface works fine but I preferred the MacMidi interface
because it had LEDs that would let you know visually when the
interface was working.

> i am confused by the 2gs BIOS setup, where you can set the slots to
> "Your Card", "modem", etc, and configure the modem & printer slots,
> which is where you plug in the MIDI box.
> 

I don't remember anymore but I think you just need to keep it at modem
(or printer).

> i am confused by the Music Studio 2.0 program. The dropdown-menu
> option "Activate MIDI Input" is always greyed out, preventing me from
> selecting it. Could this be because the hardware/bios isn't configured
> correctly to recognize the midi device? Or that my copy of music
> studio is somehow corrupt (it is a backup) - somehow wasn't copied (w/
> copyIIplus) correctly?
> 

No, if I recall correctly, Music Studio 2.0 was written in C (which is
case sensitive) and is looking for a driver called APPLEMIDI. The
greyed out menu item sounds like you don't have the APPLEMIDI driver
installed in the *:System:Drivers folder. I seem to remember that just
renaming the apple.midi driver to APPLEMIDI works too. I'd check that
first. Once the program recognizes the driver the menu item won't be
greyed out anymore.

> Are there any other good music programs for the IIgs that i could play
> with MIDI stuff with? How would i go about getting them?
> 

SynthLab comes on the System 6.0.x install disks, SoundSmith is
another. Clayton Juniel wrote a really good one too. I don't remember
the name of the program but if you google for Clay Juniel +IIgs I'm
sure it will turn up. None of these programs use musical notation
(although I think Clay's last attempt was using a piano staff) but use
a spreadsheet style interface.

> Are the Music Studio 2.0 sounds only usable in Music Studio 2.0? (the
> instruments are saved in strange files named like "rock.wbnk")
> 

Yes, but you can import other sounds. You might need to edit them with
a sound editor first to get them to work. I wrote a rap song for Music
Studio 2.0 back in the early nineties that used a sample of Jack Web
on Dragnet. Turned that sample into a Music Studio instrument and just
wrote the notes on the staff to have Jack rappin' to the beat.

> Would the simplest way to do this be to just strip the sounds i want
> with a sampler, and play the midi controller through that?
> 

Don't know if that is simpler. Depends on you.