Tom,
Let me add a bit of information to the fray:
1. To my understanding, MIDIman is essentially a PC company. That doesn't mean that they cannot program Mac drivers, but their real expertise seems to be in the PC domain. If you are concerned about ported PC software, you probably should be at least as concerned about ported PC drivers, which are the REAL interface to the world.
2. I've recently come to learn that MIDIman hardware sometimes doesn't follow the "letter of the law" regarding MIDI specifications, even though it certainly obeys the "spirit." I use (and sell) MIDI Solutions devices, which are all line-powered. Since the MIDI spec doesn't actually support line powering of devices, the boxes probably depend on MIDI hardware following the published guidelines in the MIDI spec., which give a recommended circuit using +5V TTL logic. Well, guess what? MIDI is actually a current-loop interface, and doesn't care much about what voltage the current is supplied from, or what kind of devices are providing it -- but MIDI Solutions' gear does, because they're siphoning off a little of the power. I've found that some M-Sol'n devices work with some MIDIman USB products, but not others. Conversely, I've found that M-Sol'n devices seem to work with every keyboard, module, and non-USB interface I've ever tried -- in any configuration -- with the exception
of the Voce MIDI Drawbar Module, which again varies from the published MIDI spec in its hardware.
Does this have anything to do with your situation? Hard to say, but it demonstrates that MIDIman is not afraid to make changes to provide their products at attractive price points. Perhaps they are not following the USB interface spec to the letter, or using alternative hardware there, too.
3. Jon's suggestion about approved MIDI interfaces is valid. While the concept of hardware that "fits" the computer, but doesn't work with it, is a relatively new thing in the Mac world -- where the OS, interfaces, and platform have been closely held -- it's something we PC folks have had to deal with for many years, thanks to the open architecture of our boxes. Open standards like USB bring the Mac into our world, so to speak. NOBODY tests every computer design with every piece of peripheral hardware available and every software application: not Apple, not IBM, not Compaq; certainly not smaller companies like Emagic, Steinberg, or Cakewalk. It's not a healthy way to run a business, because the number of combinations is astronomical. Good testers go out and buy whatever hardware and software their budget allows, then try to set up as many unique situations as possible. But, they're going to miss things. If you want to minimize the risk of problems, and get support if you
actually find something wrong, the best bet is to use the peripherals that the other components have been tested with.
Sometimes, this means spending more money. I used to design PCs for a couple of different tier-one manufacturers, and we ∗always∗ tested new products with the established "benchmark" devices, and tested some amount of other devices as time allowed. If your PC didn't work with an HP Laserjet printer, we certainly wanted to know what was wrong; if it didn't work with a clone printer that you got at a great price, you might not get the same level of help. And even if we did help, if the problem was found to be faulty hardware or drivers on the clone printer, we weren't likely to change our PC to compensate.
Regards,
-BW
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Bruce Wahler
Design Consultant
Ashby Solutions™
http://consult.ashbysolutions.comCloneWheel Support Group and HiNote moderator
978.386.7389 voice/fax
bruce@...