The original (English) MIDI spec itself appeared in 8/4 of Polyphony, the forerunner to Electronic Musician. The estimable Craig Anderton was editor.
Music Technology
??Date verify
Announced first product: MIDIWorld Prophet-T8 Librarian (first MIDI patch randomizer?n no, urged upon VS) for the C64, patch gnerator Most of the mags picked it up for the back pages of alternate interest. Included random mode generator. BASIC. I sold about 5 copies.
I now recall that the low-level MIDI assembly came from an article by Jim Johnson, who later complemented Music Possible, and whom I was also able to have consult for Seer Systems.
I am fairly sure this is the first article about MIDI. (There may well have been prior reporting on the 1981 USI.)
1987.04 Prophet-3000 Control Panel and Operation Design Spec
1987.04 Electronic Musician sample fidelity
The First Synthesizer Patch Randomizer??
1983.02 MIDIWorld EAR (first MIDI ear-trainer?)
1983.02 MIDIWorld Possible Music Generator (first MIDI algorithmic composer?)
[I have to get my dates stragiht on this]
Prophet-T8 Librarian General Info
for Commodore 64
and Sequential 242 or Passport MIDI Cartridge
(c) 1987 by Stanley Jungleib
INTRODUCTION
Sequential’s Prophet-T8 was the design apex of the classic analog performance synthesizer. Although it has long been out of production, the Prophet-T8 remains popular because of its sound, keyboard, and ease of use. Its robust analog voices, and deep, rich bottom and mid-range, embarrass most digital synths. The solid wood keyboard provides highly expressive velocity and polyphonic pressure control. (This very same keyboard was chosen by New England Digital for their Synclavier.) And the Prophet-T8 was also one of the last instruments to provide separate knobs for editing parameters — before the market gave way to “one-knob” synths. As a result, it is much easier to edit on the T8 than virtually any other synth.
Sequential released a Model 900 dump utility for the Commodore 64 and 242 cartridge which stored complete sets of T8 programs. Many early starters in the MIDI game used this combination of hardware, and/or the Passport MIDI cartridge. But there has not yet been a librarian for the same hardware that allows you to name, save, and load individual programs.
Finally, appears this librarian. It makes it much easier to organize, and therefore take advantage of, your favorite Prophet-T8 programs. The difference this system will make over the long haul, in allowing you to fully explore the T8’s powers, will be quite significant and well worth the modest cost — even if you don’t already own a C64.
T8 Librarian also includes a random program generator — which inspired the same feature on the Prophet VS. This tool destroys programmer’s block and forces your T8 to create instruments and effects that you probably didn’t think it could. (You can expect 10 – 20 % of your random programs to be promising.)
For convenience, the program also includes a general-purpose MIDI utility which displays the status and data bytes of incoming data.
USER FEATURES
The MIDIWORLD T8 Librarian is not terribly complex or exotic. But it does the job, does it accurately (because each transfer is verified), and does it quickly. The user interface has been streamlined to require the absolute minimum number of keystrokes.
The screen is color-coded for easy menu recognition and to signify user actions:
green means “go ahead” and make a selection,
yellow means “be careful” because you are doing something that may alter T8 memory or the disk, and
red means “stop” and wait for the C64 to do its thing.
To prevent having to convert back and forth between MIDI decimal program numbers and T8 L/R program numbers, all program selections are made on the T8.
REQUIRED EQUIPMENT
The program requires: a Commodore 64 with 1541 disk drive (or SX-64), Sequential Model 242 (or 64) or Dr. T Model T MIDI Cartridge, or Passport MIDI Cartridge, Prophet-T8, and two MIDI cables.
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
To take full advantage of this software, I recommend that the C64 be equipped with a disk accelerator such as the Skyles 1541 Flash. Operating this Librarian with an SX-64 and a ROM accelerator gives you a compact, fast, and flexible virtual memory for the Prophet-T8.
In answer to many inquiries, there is no Macintosh version at this time. This Librarian justifies buying a C64 to commit to the T8!
CONNECTION
Because of the librarian’s program verification routines, to save or load individual programs, both MIDI cables must be connected directly between the MIDI cartridge and T8. (You cannot include an accessory box which generates active sensing.)
PRICE AND DELIVERY
Note: When ordering, please specify Sequential or Passport interface. Sorry, I have no information on availability of these cartridges.
Copies of the T8 Librarian are $35, which includes the disk, two sample programs, instructions, handling, first class shipping anywhere, and guaranteed satisfaction. California residents add 7% sales tax.
Note: This is not a Sequential product. It is produced and sold by Stanley Jungleib’s MIDIWORLD studio. Sequential and Passport are registered trademarks.
Thank you very much for your inquiry…