Conference napalm::commusic_v1

2850.0. "What I would do if elected president" by DREGS::BLICKSTEIN (Soaring on the wings of dawn) Thu Feb 20 1992 11:37

    Being a NH resident, and thus having been bombarded by presidential
    politics for the last couple of months, I started to thinking "What
    would I do if elected president".
    
    Here's the "MIDI platform":
    
    1) I would pass a law requiring all MIDI plugs would be oriented 
    	the same way. 
    
    	This is so you don't to look over your keyboards, or shine a
    	flashlight into your rack to find out which why THIS particular
    	instrument has them (nub up or nub down).
    
    2) I would pass a law requiring ALL instruments that come with wall
        bugs to use a STANDARD power supply and provide a power output in 
    	addition to a power input ala the BOSS half-rack stuff.
    
    	Wall bugs take up too much space on a power-strip.
    
    	In fact, I might work towards phasing in a law where ALL units
    	(even those w/o wall bugs) do this.
    
    3) I would pass a law defining a mandatory method for grounding thus
       eliminating the need for musicians to know what a "ground loop"
       is.
    
       I might even require all audio connections to be opto-isolated.
    
    4) I would pass a law defining a standard for the placement of audio,
       MIDI and power input/outputs.  For example:
    
    	a) All power connections would be on the left of the instrument
    
    	b) All audio connections would be on the right
    
    	c) All MIDI connections would be in the middle and always be
    	   in the order of THRU - OUT - IN
    
    	This is to make snaking cables easier and avoid crossing audio
    	lines with power lines
    
    5) I would require all instruments to be capable of merging MIDI IN
       to MIDI OUT
    
    6) All future cable designs would have to have cables with one end
       being a male end and the other being a female end.  XLR is like
       this, phone plugs, RCA, etc. are not.
    
       This makes it unnecessary to have ties for when you wrap the cable.
       You just plug the two ends together.
    
    7) I would provide tax breaks for companies providing stereo jacks.
    
    And of course, there would be tax credits for purchasing music gear
    (talk about "pork-barrel politics".
    
    

	I would decree that humans stop composing and that all music must be
	automatically composed by computers from now on.
	this is free up human energy for more important pursuits,
	such as exchaning tomato juice for the freon in all the refrigerators.
tom

I would make a suggestions for additions/changes to .1's platform.

Addition:

 - All connecters that are look alike should act alike.

For example, if Midi IN is male, Midi OUT should be female, so that you
can't mix them up.  Likewize, the people who put female DB25's on
serial printers would all be sent to jail and/or required to recall all
of their printers to be retrofitted with the proper mail connectors.
The IEEE Twisted Pair ethernet standard would be abolished in favor of
insisting that the crossover is ALWAYS in the cable, not in the
equipment. 

    Oh my GOD I can't tell you how much I hate that I have two different
    types of cables for my modem and my LJ250.  I can't believe how stupid
    some people are and how they continue to be stupid.
    
    RE:.0 and .2 you're absolutely right.  If you plugged in a MIDI cable
    that were properly designed, when you go to the other end it should be
    very simple where it should go.
    
    Same with %#$@%$#@%$#@^$@&%$#@ home computers, there oughta be a law...

    re: .0
    
    Gets my vote...

db, I'd like to add just one plank to your platform.

I *really* want to be able to run MIDI on twisted-pair cabling. After all, don't
you think consenting adults should be allowed to practice kinky SYSEX in the
privacy of their homes?

Bob