MOTU Unisyn Software - any experience?

grough · Post by **grough** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 7:35 pm

Anybody have experience with MOTU's Unisyn software? I am considering buying a copy mainly to remotely program a DX7 II among other synths.

Bad idea, good idea? I haven't been able to find many reviews online.

Thanks

ewistrand · Post by **ewistrand** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 8:09 pm

A bad idea if you're running Windows; the 1.5 version won't run on a NT based system. You'll need W98 or ME. And, the 2.x versions are Mac only, despite the website's hint that it runs on Windows- it doesn't.

http://www.motu.com/store_products/upgrades/unisyn

Personally, I liked it back when I was running a non-NT Windows box.

ew

grough · Post by **grough** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 11:16 pm

Thanks - I should have mentioned I am on OS X. When it works, does it work well for what it's meant to do?

Machinesworking · Post by **Machinesworking** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 11:35 pm

Unfortunately it's pretty dead in the water apparently. If you are satisfied with the list of synths etc. it supports it might be OK, but I wouldn't count on it adding any new ones.

The next question is when and if anybody ever comes out with a decent universal librarian that isn't super expensive, or dead?

ewistrand · Post by **ewistrand** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 12:33 am

Machinesworking wrote: The next question is when and if anybody ever comes out with a decent universal librarian that isn't super expensive, or dead?

That's a good question.

I can't run Unisyn any more; MidiQuest is too buggy and Sound Diver support on Windows died with the 3.0.5 beta from 2002. Plus, SD crashes when I try to build a library with a synth that's covered by one of their own internal modules (my VFX-SD) :(

ew

Machinesworking · Post by **Machinesworking** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 12:41 am

ewistrand wrote:
Machinesworking wrote: The next question is when and if anybody ever comes out with a decent universal librarian that isn't super expensive, or dead?
That's a good question.

I can't run Unisyn any more; MidiQuest is too buggy and Sound Diver support on Windows died with the 3.0.5 beta from 2002. Plus, SD crashes when I try to build a library with a synth that's covered by one of their own internal modules (my VFX-SD)

ew

Yeah I made a simple mistake and SoundDiver erased my moogs presets...... blah, doesn't make me want to mess with it. Plus there isn't any PDF files for it I can find anymore. Totally unsupported legacy software unfortunately. Considering that besides the Poly Evolver, all my synths and FX are supported.

Mr Mowgli · Post by **Mr Mowgli** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 12:43 am

hmmm..I'll have to check that out, MOTU is usually top notch!

Machinesworking · Post by **Machinesworking** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 12:44 am

Heard that more than once about MIDIQwest being too buggy.

Now with dumping presets I'm a newbie, it it possible with a SysEx program to save all 100 presets on an Xpander for instance? or is it not as safe as cassette?
SysEx utilities freak my shit out, if you can recommend a good tutorial on SysEx?

ewistrand · Post by **ewistrand** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 2:35 am

Machinesworking wrote:Heard that more than once about MIDIQwest being too buggy.

Now with dumping presets I'm a newbie, it it possible with a SysEx program to save all 100 presets on an Xpander for instance? or is it not as safe as cassette?
SysEx utilities freak my shit out, if you can recommend a good tutorial on SysEx?

It's safer. I've still got a Peavey MIDI Librarian sitting around here- essentially an old 800k floppy drive with MIDI ports in a 1 space rackbox. I've got tons of floppies as backups for my hardware; they still work.

On a PC, I use MIDI-OX.

http://www.midiox.com/

I've never had a glitch with dumping sysex to and from my PC using it.

ew