Mac/MIDI interface

[Info-Mac]

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From: info-mac@uw-beaver
Newsgroups: fa.info-mac
Subject: Mac/MIDI interface
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Date: Mon, 31-Dec-84 17:31:11 EST
Article-I.D.: uw-beave.331
Posted: Mon Dec 31 17:31:11 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 2-Jan-85 00:11:34 EST
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Organization: U of Washington Computer Science
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From: LEVITT%[email protected]

I've played with 2 different homebrew versions of a Mac/MIDI interface:

1) Dan Kottke of Apple built a tiny, special cable assembly, including
a crystal, diodes, and resistors, which successfully communicated MIDI
signals with a Yamaha DX-7 synthesizer with the right serial chip
software. Andy Hertzfeld of Apple helped with the software driver.
It didn't seem to work with the Roland Jupiter 6 or other synthesizers
I tried it on; I don't know if there was a flaw in Kottke's
all-passive design, or a problem with that particular kludge assembly.
(It required power from one of the external disk drive pins!)

2) Bob Rees, a local friend, did something similar with a more
complicated circuit (and presumably less "inside" information). It
also worked with a DX-7. Months ago I heard some manufacturer was
interested in his design.

But I'm not aware of a commercial Mac/MIDI interface yet either; I'm
disappointed and impatient.