Date   : Tue, 19 Apr 2005 11:10:45 +0100
From   : Richard Kilpatrick <oldcomputers@...>
Subject: Re: Island Logic Music System

On 18 Apr 2005, at 23:33, Colin f wrote:

> The Music 4000 is just a passive diode matrix keyboard on the user 
> port.
> The 2000 is a trio of ACIAs, but the software only ever supported 
> output
> AFAIK.
> You could possibly write a module to handle input from the 2000, but I 
> get
> the feeling if it wasn't done, it would have been for technical 
> reasons.

Perhaps, you could have both? Do the Music 2000 and 4000 replace each 
other in the system, or can you have input from the 4000 and output 
from the 2000?

If you have a diode matrix spoofing MIDI interface then there is the 
MIDI input, no? And then the 2000-clone for MIDI output.

> If you had way too much spare time on your hands, you could 
> reverse-engineer
> the Music 5000 hardware, and implement it on an FPGA, probably with 
> room to
> spare for an emulated BBC to drive it.
> That's a thought ;-)

It's the AMPLE programming side of things that I think would be novel. 
Real musicians seemed to really like it - I never got my head around it 
fully (hence I want to try again), the idea of a rackmount unit with it 
appeals.

What I'm thinking now is that because it outputs MIDI it could be quite 
the sequencer. Isn't that how people like Vince Clarke made use of the 
Hybrid system? I just used to mess with the synthesizer and play about 
with funny scales/reverse scales, but AMPLE is a very powerful tool, 
even now - and the simplicity of the BBC makes for a tough little 
system.

Richard

-- 
Tasty Other - Because Far Too Much in Life Makes Sense
Music for download - coming soon (RIP MP3.com)
G.A.S. http://www.dmc12.demon.co.uk/music/
Platform: PowerMac G5 2.0GHz Dual, 20" LCD, Logic, Hammerfall.