MOTM

The *Windows XP* version of the Firmware Update Utility is here:

www.synthtech.com/m650/updater.zip

Everyone that has ordered (or plans to order) a MOTM-650 and you have
a WinXP platform with *any* MIDI port/device, please download and
install. This is how 'bug fixes' and future updates are transferred to the 
device.
The utility uses both MIDI In and MIDI Out (there is quite a bit of 
sophisticated
hand-shaking going on).

Yes, there is a OSX version planned later on. No, there is not a Linux version.
If you don't have a XP box, get one off eBay for $40 :) If you want to use OSX,
be aware that it may be June until a version is ported (if anyone knows XCode
and wants to help port, contact me off-list).

As far as the MIDI interface goes, I like the Edirol USB "dongle" 1-in 1-out.
I think I paid $39 for it. Model UM-1S.

Paul S.

On Tue, 21 Mar 2006, Paul Schreiber wrote:

> The utility uses both MIDI In and MIDI Out (there is quite a bit of
> sophisticated
> hand-shaking going on).

you gonna publish the handshaking spec and protocol? there's no reason to 
keep it secret, and it keeps this box from becoming obsolete as the OSes 
change. Also, linux people can solve updater problem themselves.

--mikes

This raises an interesting question-   all of the MOTM gear we've come
to know and love comes with full schematics, and uses 'off the shelf'
components for the most part, meaning we'll *probably* have an easy time
repairing these modules as parts slowly fail over the many years to
come.  With a box like the MOTM-650, and its associated software, the
equivalent practice would be...

[cue spooky theremin music with strings...]

OPEN SOURCE

Now, I'm not an open source zealot, and I don't have any interest in
pushing Paul to move his trade secrets out into the public domain- a lot
of time and effort went into writing the firmware behind the 650, and
apparently also to writing the updater client.  But- in the interest of
true future-proof architechture, making both the firmware and the
updater open source would 'help.'  It wouldn't solve the problems
automatically, but it would potentially change the future landscape of
the module.

It's just some food for thought.

-Geoff

>you gonna publish the handshaking spec and protocol? there's no reason to
>keep it secret, and it keeps this box from becoming obsolete as the OSes
>change. Also, linux people can solve updater problem themselves.
>
>--mikes
>
>

> This raises an interesting question-   all of the MOTM gear we've come
> to know and love comes with full schematics, and uses 'off the shelf'
> components for the most part, meaning we'll *probably* have an easy time
> repairing these modules as parts slowly fail over the many years to
> come.

I bugged Paul about this more than a year ago... he told me that the
base SW on the card is purchased, so source access would not be
possible.  The most I could imagine is that someone could develop a
completely new SW load for the card based only on knowledge of the
devices on the card and the address map of those devices.

PAiA sells a MIDI-CV card with open schematic AND open source
firmware.  I'm sure it's nowhere near as good a unit as what Paul has
built, but it's what I currently use because personally, I prefer to
know what's under the hood.

Regards... Andy Valencia