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MOTU Unisyn Software - any experience?
Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2008 7:35 pm
by grough
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
Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2008 8:09 pm
by ewistrand
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
Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2008 11:16 pm
by grough
Thanks - I should have mentioned I am on OS X. When it works, does it work well for what it's meant to do?
Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2008 11:35 pm
by Machinesworking
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?
Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2008 12:33 am
by ewistrand
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
Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2008 12:41 am
by Machinesworking
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.
Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2008 12:43 am
by Mr Mowgli
hmmm..I'll have to check that out, MOTU is usually top notch!
Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2008 12:44 am
by Machinesworking
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?
Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2008 2:35 am
by ewistrand
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