MOTU MIDI Time Piece AV

[bbsongsxs4all.nl]

As a professional keyboardist I was forced to find a substitute for

my 2 Opcode Studio 5LX-MIDI-interfaces.

As I refuse to play live on stage with a PowerBook connected there was need

for a stand-alone unit with 100 internal memories.

So MOTU's MIDI Time Piece AV seemed to be the solution.

However, in despite of all available MIDI-datafiltering the MTP-AV lacks

the possibility to filter selective MIDI-notes, so you can't address

keyboard-zones to connected modules, thus making it unsuitable for working

with masterkeyboards

or other types of controllers. In the ads MOTU emphasised the use of the

MTP-AV as a stand-alone unit so I asked them to add this feature in a next

software-version. For un update it should be a piece of cake!

After extensive correspondence MOTU says they don't think it is important

and that one should set keyboardzones at the masterkeyboard itself.

First, the external zone-settings in the MIDI-page of my Korg T1 influence

the internal zones as well. And I don't want sending out MIDI-note

information on 8 different MIDI-channels at a time over one cable.

Second, a windcontroller-player or any other kind of player can't use the

unit neither. So how about live-performance?

Interfaces/patchbays like Opcode's Studio 5LX and MIDITemp do offer this

feature as standard for a long time, but MIDITemp doesn't work at the

Mac-platform and is no MIDI-interface.

MOTU thinks that nobody should need this function and they don't intend to

add just this particular filter-function, neither in the future.

It is unbelievable that a fine piece of equipment that could save all

Opcode-victims is not suited for use with keyboardsetups, while all other

filter-functions are available from the frontpanel.

Ben van der Linden

bbsongs@xs4all.nl

[Markyboard]

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sorry ..if I dont do this first and my passwd is wrong , I loose everything I've written

[Markyboard]

I agree with you on this limitation of the MTP-AV. Also it doesn't do remapping of controllers or let you change (filter) the range of controller data. It lets you re-channelize MIDI data and filters out certain events. It is still the best replacement for the Studio 5 since none of the other stand alone interfaces even let you re-channelize the data. Everyones (Emagic Unitor, Midiman MIDISORT, Steinberg Midex 8 and MOTU) answer is like the one you got. "The keyboard/sequencer/ software or whatever should do that". I also want to have this functionality without the computer powered up. But the biggest problem with the MTP-AV (at least on the PC w/Windows 98)is you cant program a second or third or 9th MTP-AV from the console software without powering down all the other MTP-AVs so the one your programming is the only one it sees. When I brought this to MOTUs attention, they said it would be added in a later version. Also, you should be able to send to an input on MTP-AV #1 and have it send MIDI data to and output on MTP-AV #2,3,or 9 as if all were 1 unit. And how about Windows 2000 or XP drivers? Will that be last on MOTU's list like Windows 98 was (if at all?)since the revenue is low on such an update (i.e. 0). Does MOTU realize that the support and updates on one product influences us buying other products of theirs? Dont get me wrong. The MTP-AV is extremely stable with the PC running Logic Audio and Soundiver. But why is such a necessary though un-glamorous product not supported at the pro-level it was designed for? Hey at least it has a built in power supply (yeah). I'm done now.