Multi-platform Editing & Sequencing

Just because you've moved over to Mac or PC for making music, it needn't put your Atari on the scrapheap. Colin Owen explains how, with the right MIDI interface, your Atari can become a powerful editing tool.

Though my Atari ST served me well for many years, I finally succumbed to the lure of Logic on the Apple Mac, which left me with a perfectly serviceable ST doing nothing. Then, one day, the need arose to edit some stuff in one of my modules, and I realised that I didn't have a Mac editor package to do the job. I still had the Atari editors, but obviously they wouldn't run on a Mac, so I set about devising a way to use my old Atari for editing, without having to rebuild my MIDI system every time I wanted to edit something. As I use a MIDI Express as a MIDI interface, the solution turned out to be surprisingly simple. For the benefit of anyone who finds themselves in a similar position, here's what I did.

The following should also work with other MIDI interfaces, providing they have at least three merged inputs, and multiple outputs — which most do. An interface you can program, like the MIDI Express or MIDI Time Piece, also makes life a lot easier. Editing via MIDI requires two‑way communication, so a straight one‑in, three‑out type of interface won't work for this exercise. The Atari is not limited to sound editing: you can use it for any MIDI function, such as bulk dumps, patch setups, or you could even run a second sequencer in sync with your Mac.

Setting Up

I used the highest‑numbered MIDI Ins and Outs (input 4 and output 6 on the MIDI Express) to patch in the Atari ST. Connect a MIDI cable from the Atari MIDI Out to to MIDI In number 4, then connect another MIDI cable from the Atari MIDI In to the MIDI Express MIDI Out, number 6. Next, connect a cable from your synth MIDI Out to one of the MIDI Express MIDI Ins (you'll probably have one there already, unless you're starting from scratch).

Next, load up your MIDI Express control software and select an empty preset. Most of us just use the factory preset number 1, which gives access to 96 MIDI channels, so any other will do. Name the various inputs and outputs that are connected to your system (if you haven't already), and select the cable routing window. Once there, connect (on screen) the Atari input to the synth output. This is done by dragging a cable from one icon to the other. Then, connect the synth input to the Atari output. If you have the option to set MIDI channels, make sure you enter the 'all' setting, which will avoid possible confusion later. Most editing software will give you some way to play sounds as you edit them, but this is never as good as having an actual keyboard connected, so let's do that next.

Still in the cable routing window, drag a cable from your master keyboard's input icon to the synth output. Again, select the All Channels option. Now you have access to the synth from both the Atari and the master keyboard. Make sure that the MIDI channel numbers are the same on the Atari and master keyboard. Then, whichever you use you will hear the same sound. It's quite possible, if you have different MIDI channel numbers, and you are editing a multitimbral synth, to have the Atari play one part, and the keyboard play another — which is potentially very confusing! All you need to do now is to save the preset that you've set up.

Whenever you need to edit a sound on the synth, simply select the new user preset on the MIDI Express, load up the editing software on the Atari, and off you go. If you run out of inputs on the MIDI Express, as you're likely to do if you have a lot of modules to edit, either bring all the module MIDI Outs to a MIDI patchbay, or buy a multiway MIDI switch box. This way, you can easily connect any of your synths or modules to the Atari as required for editing. You must have a MIDI cable connected from your synth MIDI Out to a MIDI Express MIDI In, so that the editor can have a two‑way conversation with it. This is most important because, although some editors may work without this, you won't be able to transfer any patch data from the synth to the Atari, only from the Atari to the synth.

When it comes to physical layout, The Atari doesn't have to be close to the Mac or synth being edited, because the only connection is via MIDI, and MIDI cables can be quite long before you experience problems. Some of my MIDI cables are 20 feet long, and to date I haven't had any trouble.