Randy Chance Monthly Newsletter - Computers, Music, Guitars.
September, 1999
Next month the guitar section will be up and running.
Apple is suing the companies that own eMachines for their Wintel attempt at an iMac clone. I saw the emachines iMAC clone at Circuit City - really bizarre.
Magma e-mailed me with some answers regarding interfaces for digital audio on a Powerbook. Their 4 pci slot box will run with a Powerbook 233 - 300 Mhtz Mac with MOTU 2408 or Pro Tools etc. It also holds a power supply and up to four drives, three internal, one accessible from the from the front panel. It fits in two rack heights, and it really looks good. Although they want about $1,500 for the rig that would fulfill my fantasies, they seem to have the best solution around for a Powerbook-driven DAW. I would e-mail MOTU first to make sure any particular configuration is going to work.
To get to Magma's home page, click here:
MOTU has a new digital audio I/O box that just runs spdif and aesebu etc. It's
Called the 308. Go to this link to check it out:
And if you're not aware of it yet, MOTU also has a 24 bit eight in, eight out digital I/O box for about $1,300 called the 1224. Check it out here:
Dig this amazing document I found while rummaging around in
The catacombs of MOTU's most esoteric techsupport Q & A labyrinth:
The Unicorn Power control panel allows MIDI to be received on these
Powerbooks: 140, 145, 145B, 150, 165c, 170, 180, 180c.
? ? ? ? ? ?
From the following Web page:
Maybe there's hope for us Luddites yet (My 68030 Macs will always have a special place in my heart!!
The new Pro Tools software (5.0, now w/ MIDI etc.) is looming on the horizon. If you want to check it out, go to:
Also, Roland has a USB midi interface that runs 64 channels out of 4
pairs of ins and outs (16 channels per) :
And go here to get info from Roland regarding their products' compatibility with USB, etc.
and MOTU has a USB version of a
Half rack MIDI Express XT with 4 in 6 out and SMPTE in out for like
$300.
Midiman also has a USB MIDI interface, as well as a PCI based digital audio box and some other interesting new products.
Check out my Computer Music Links Web page for a lot more links:
This fall should be an exciting time as a lot of companies make use of the USB format (firewire too?). Thanks to Bob Gore for some of these web addresses.
Keep close to your Muse! - Randy
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hopes that they may further people's understanding of music, computers, etc.