Re: MIDI driver for standard "dumb" interface
Re: MIDI driver for standard "dumb" interface
- Subject: Re: MIDI driver for standard "dumb" interface
- From: RolandCorp R&D <email@hidden>
- Date: Tue, 06 Nov 2001 16:35:16 -0800
>
> [ Is there any OS X MIDI driver for a standard "dumb" MIDI interface
>
> [ (Steinberg Mac MIDI 1) available?
...
>
How does this Steinberg Mac MIDI 1 connect to your Mac? If it uses the
>
original MiniDIN serial connector, then there isn't a MIDI driver under
>
Mac OSX.
...
Right. "Classic" serial port MIDI interfaces will generally not work under
OSX.
>
I haven't tried a USB to serial adaptor to see if an old serial MIDI adaptor
>
would work under Mac OS X, but I doubt it.
Right. That does not work either.
>
USB MIDI ports general require no special driver under Mac OS X, because most
>
are standard. However, there are a few exceptions which require firmware to
>
be downloaded, and these USB MIDI devices will require a special driver.
Well... there is a standardized USB MIDI device class. However, most USB
MIDI interfaces do not yet implement this standard. Most USB MIDI interfaces
available until recently implemented their own custom USB transfer method.
So they do in fact require custom drivers from the manufacturer.
When we began USB development, Roland first implemented a USB MIDI
connection/transfer method very close to the standard specification but
slightly different and labeled as manufacturer specific because the official
specification was not yet approved and public. Also, there were no
standardized USB MIDI class drivers on common OS platforms. Most of the
devices we developed since then used that same manufacturer specific core.
However, the most recent devices we have developed (for release with the
Roland or Edirol brand names) have switched to implement the device class
specification. We will migrate most of our product line to the class
specification and standardized drivers as new models are released.
I assume that other manufacturers may take a similar path.
Regards,
Mike.
-----------------------------------------------
| Mike Kent, Manager of Technical Relations |
| Roland Corporation |
| Email: email@hidden |
| Tel: (604)543-2973 Fax: (604)543-2983 |
-----------------------------------------------