Re: Need IIe, IIgs MIDI software

[Mitch Monger <m@m.com>]

> Mitchell Spector wrote:
>  "Michael J. Mahon" <mjmahon@aol.com> wrote:
> > Mitch replied:

<clip>

> > > Another thing I'm wondering is that is it possible that Ensoniq somehow 
>>>hobbled its chip in the IIgs so that it wouldn't compete with 
their
>>>synths?

> > I doubt that the DOC was hobbled, since any change in a chip
> > is expensive.  And the IIgs is an unlikely competitor for a
> > dedicated synth.

> Apple, on the other hand, did somewhat hobble the Ensoniq 5503
>The chip could directly address 128K of DOC RAM, yet to cut down
>on costs, only provided it with 64K (they should have at least
>provided two empty DIP sockets and a jumper to expand it, but
>didn't).

I wonder if it's possible to extend the RAM on the DOC anyway.

> Next they wired all 8 stereo channels into 1 channel, and then mirrored
> that monaural signal to the left/right channels of the Audio-out connector.
> You had to purchase a third party "stereo card" to demultiplex the signal
> into 2 channels, otherwise you were stuck with monaural sound. And 
> despite having a built-in DAC for audio recording, they left out a "line-in"
> jack. The original motherboard also inadvertently added some unwanted 
> noise/buzzing, which wasn't corrected until the ROM 3 board in 1989.

Great, so my Woz IIgs's are going to buzz. :( Now I have to buy a 
ROM 3 gs or two. Some of the greatest synths were mono. Not bad 
if it's going into the right mix. Good thing there are sound 
cards for the IIgs that do audio in as well as out.

> Finally they failed to provide any software tools to really tap into the
> features of the chip. It wasn't until MIDIsynth, not introduced officially
> until 1992, at the end of the GS's commercial life, that a serious music
> toolset was introduced.

Sounds like it's just "differently abled." There are workarounds. 
Not too disappointing.