Is anyone using MIDI?

Question

Is anyone using MIDI?

Hello. Is anyone using MIDI with a keyboard on their beige g3 and OS X, and if so, how are you going about it? Are you using the built in serial port, some adapter, or usb? Does your instrument have a built in midi converter, or do you have it apart from the keyboard. Thanks for any input.

-Felix

G3 PowerMac (beige desktop), Mac OS X (10.3.5)

Posted on Jan 4, 2006 3:23 PM

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Answer 1

Jan 8, 2006 6:15 PM in response to Felix Arrazolo

Hi Felix;

Welcome to discussions!

Yes, MIDI works using the serial port on the Beige G3 under OSX 10.3.9. (And the wallstreet too.)

I am using a Macman from MIDIMAN serial interface. This is a serial adapter from the Mac Plus days. Searching via Google I found a driver called "Stealth" serial driver. Once that is installed The serial port shows up in the MIDI setup.

I do not think Garage Band will work on the G3. For use of the beige as a synth using a program called "SimpleSynth." If a sequenced stream with lots of tracks is sent, sometimes the ol 300Mhz has trouble. There is a CPU monitor on the front window.

If performance is needed, I can always boot into OS9 and use OMS, with Midigraphy. OSX has better support for soundfonts so I tend to use X these days for the day to day routine tasks.

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Answer 2

andr nimm

Level 2

345 points

Jan 9, 2006 8:08 AM in response to Julie Porter

Hi Felix- I'm using a USB keyboard with Garage Band, and also with Logic Express 7 and Reason. My G3 is pretty maxed out, though, with a G4 cpu, RAM and a fast hard drive controller, so maybe that's why it works.

It is maybe a little slow, and you have to "lock" most tracks down (i.e., render all the efx) for simultaneous multitrack playback. But it's pretty OK. No complaints.

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Answer 3

Jan 9, 2006 10:30 AM in response to andr nimm

This is great news. I've got mine upgraded to a 1Ghz also and still need to push the memory to 768mb. It's at 640mb right now. Thanks for sharing this. Great to know it works.

If I need to replace my piano keyboard, now I know that if I can buy one of those usb keyboards.

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Answer 4

Jan 9, 2006 10:50 AM in response to Julie Porter

Julie, wow, that is so cool if I can use the serial port using that driver. Some think serial is dead in OS X. But I know it can't be because I use and external serial modem to connect and even send and receive faxes in Panther as well as in Tiger.

I'm sure going to try that stealth driver. Will be amazing if it works. I used to use some software from Opcode under OS 9. Will let you know what happens. Thanks for taking the time to inform me.

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Answer 5

Jan 11, 2006 2:31 PM in response to Julie Porter

Julie, which of the stealth drivers are you using? I'm wondering if you installed the one which is labeled as being for 10.2, which you has you manually drag and drop a driver file into the MIDI drivers folder, or are you using a later version which has an installer that your run and installs it for you. How did you configure your Midi to use the serial port? Did you use the small program from Gee Three which which allows you to choose the port, whether printer or modem, and speed and number of MIDI ports, which then has you according to the instructions finalize the configuration by going to the MIDI setup application found in the Utilities folder, or did you configure your system using a different method? Thanks.

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Answer 6

Jan 11, 2006 8:28 PM in response to Felix Arrazolo

Holy Cow! It worked! Thank you so much. Fortunately I don't appear to have hurt my system after first installing the driver which is meant for 10.3 to no avail. I then downloaded and installed the other installer with a file name of stealthMIDI.dmg. This has a driver file which you place in specified place inside your Library folder. Follow instructions, and presto, I can use my keyboard with Garageband through the Printer Serial Port-using an old MIDI Translator II from Opcode. This is fantastic. Haven't figure out how to send music back to the keyboard, but that doesn't matter right now. Afterall, I can record right on my Mac. Or my wife can, she's the pianist. Thanks again.

-Felix

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Answer 7

Jan 12, 2006 6:16 PM in response to Felix Arrazolo

Hi Felix;

Good that it worked. I looked at my installation and the "Stealth MIDI Setup" app is 1.0(v1.0)

I installed this about a year ago when I did panther, so I do not remember the details. The driver shows in the Audio MIDI setup" as "Standard interface" with a manufacture of GeeThree.com and a model "Stealth Serial Port. The app allows to switch between the modem and printer port.

I mostly use MIDI in. I see that there is a button "Test Setup." in the "Audio MIDI Setup." If you click on this it changes the cursor to some note icons. When these are dragged to the arrow on the interface Icon and the mouse clicked, it blinks the output led on my MIDI box.

Nice that you can use your Opcode box and have a working keyboard. Also nice to know that Garage Band works with an upgrade.

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