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Subject: FW: FW: [motm] Cloud Interface Debate

From: "Tkacs, Ken" <ken.tkacs@...>
Date: 2007-09-05

I'm glad to hear that it's only an option.
 
I only mentioned floppy diskettes because it's something I'm being asked to struggle with right now, and simply an example of how in a few short years, computer hardware (and software) can frustratingly pass into an extinct state. I realize that it's a storage medium; I wasn't suggesting that it had a direct bearing on this module.
 
However, a few short years ago, I had a wonderful $1000 rack mounted audio interface, and when Windows XP came out, I couldn't use it anymore. The company that developed it went South, and the Win98 drivers would not work under WinXP. So even though the ∗hardware∗ was in perfect condition, I packed the device into a box and taped it shut, threw it into the closet, and wrote a check for another $1000 box to do the same job.
 
And as an early adopter of WinVista, I can bore you silly with the countless frustrations of driver incompatibilities that I'm encountering. And of course, on the Mac side, we've seen similar periods of obsolescence over the years. It's the nature of THAT business, but now for the first time, we're talking about tying it into THIS business.
 
While these ports may physically exist in years to come, like serial & parallel ports today, will they actually "work"? I mean, work for the non-programmer? Sure, someone who knows how to program for these things will always be able to tinker together their own software, but will the people who ∗today∗ are excited about writing applets for this module still be updating their generous efforts fifteen or twenty years from now for us?
 
Don't get me wrong, I was one of the first people who chimed in and said "USB please!" I'm just commenting that the fears of obsolescence that others have expressed here definitely resonate with me. I'm the kind of person who uses "DOSbox" to play games that are twelve or more years old. And as I say, I want to use my modular a lot longer than that, so... I'm just saying it's worth stopping to contemplate the problems of obsolescence on the computer end.
 

From: synth1@... [mailto:synth1@...]
Sent: Wednesday, September 05, 2007 11:05 AM
To: Tkacs, Ken
Subject: Re: FW: [motm] Cloud Interface Debate

a) floppies are a ∗storage media∗, not a ∗transmission∗ media

b) EVERY ∗transmiision∗ media used on personal computers since Day 1 (TRS-80 let's say) is STILL available. Yes, RS-232 and parallel ports have hardware available. My new Dell laptop has serial ports, I can get a USB to Parallel port cable for $9 off eBay. I can get a USB to serial converter, too.

c) the programming port is NOT REQUIRED to use the module. Repeat: NOT REQUIRED.

Paul S.





On Wed Sep 5 7:41 , "Tkacs, Ken" sent:

 
If the ICs go out of production, hopefully the device will still function, though. But if the ability to "talk" to it becomes obsolete, then the device loses its functionality, no?
 
I hope to be using my modular 20 years from now, but will personal computers look the same at that point? I'm already having problems at work trying to find a way to read 5.25" floppies made seven years ago!
 
I never thought of this whole discussion as a "real time" thing. God, I hope not. It would be nice to hook the thing to a PC to load up some new scales, but when using the modular, I would hope it would function independently of a computer.
 

From: synth1@... [mailto:synth1@...]
Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2007 9:01 PM
To: Tkacs, Ken
Subject: Re: [motm] Cloud Interface Debate

a) The ICs on the Cloud Generator will go obsolete before USB or Ethernet.

b) THe context of the original discussion was ∗programming∗ not ∗playing notes∗. It never even occured to me to allow note on/off messages because that implies a whole additional layer of programming inside the unit that we are not perpared for. That is why I don't want a MIDI jack on it ∗just∗ for programming. People will automatically assume (rightfully so) that you can hook a sequencer to it. But since it has Pitch CV inputs, you can sequence it over  midi-cv.

c) Many companies make USB programming fairly easily on the HW side. FTDI, SiLabs and others have USB-to-serial chips  that have smiple interfaces and free USB support drivers for PC/Mac/Linux.

Paul S.





On Tue Sep 4 6:54 , "Tkacs, Ken" sent:


>>>
How long will all these technologies last?
<<<


Sadly, this is the best argument for MIDI, in my opinion. Personally,
I'm no fan at all of MIDI for SysEx and things like that... I find it to
be a real bear. The last time I had any fun with transferring patches to
& from my synthesizers was using Sequencer Plus Gold (DOS).

But when you consider that PC interfaces come and go so quickly, perhaps
at the end of the day MIDI really is preferable to USB, &c.






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